Mnemonics: A Fun Way to Memorize!

“Mnemonics” refers in general to methods for improving memory. Most mnemonic techniques impose meaning or structure on material that is otherwise not very meaningful or organized.  Mnemonics are most successful when they include stimuli such as smell, taste, touch, sound, emotion, settings and situation.

There are multiple ways you can use mnemonics, but today I will just cover the two that I can apply most in my daily life. First is the Peg System. It gets its name from the fact that the peg words serve as mental pegs or hooks on which the person “hangs” the items to be remembered. One of the most famous versions of the Peg System involves rhyming to nouns to represent numbers. The noun rhymes with the numbers they represent so that it is easy to remember which noun represents each number. The second method(s) is the Link Method and it is done by making simple associations between items in a list and linking them with a vivid image containing the items. The Story Method is attached to the Link Method because they are very similar. In the Story Method, you link items together with a memorable story featuring them. The flow of the story and the strength of the images give you cues for retrieval. 

Mnemonics are cool, right? But I bet you’re wondering what a practical application of them might be. Here is a combination of the two mnemonics we talked about above that I created this past General Conference* that has helped me memorize the order of Apostles! Just visualize the following and you are sure to impress your friends, parents and church leaders!**

1)      President Packer: One…Bun! Imagine a backpack (how I remember Packer) with a bun sticking out of it!

2)     Elder Perry: Two…Flew! L. Tom Perry is 6’4” (cue the ‘ohhs’ and ‘ahhs’!!)  And birds fly pretty high in the sky, so imagine a bird flying up by Elder Perry’s head!

3)      Elder Nelson: Three…Tree! Imagine a tree with a sign on it that says “The doctor is in” written on it (Elder Nelson was an acclaimed heart surgeon!)

4)     Elder Oaks: Four…Door!  Imagine an oak door.

5)     Elder Ballard: Five…Hive!  Imagine a hive with a Ballard bird perched atop it.

6)     Elder Scott: Six…Sticks!  Imagine a pile of sticks with a roll of Scott Paper Towels atop it.

7)      Elder Hales: Seven…Heaven! Where does hail come from? The heavens! (Humor me, folks.)

8)     Elder Holland: Eight…Gate! You are entering the country of Holland but in order to do so, you must pass through a gate that leads you into the country of windmills!

9)     Elder Bednar: Nine…Shine! A little outlandish, but I promise it will stick! A bed is near (close enough!) to a bedside lamp. What do lamps do? They shine!

10)  Elder Cook: Ten…Hen! What do you do with the Christmas hen?  You cook it!

11)   Elder Christofferson: Eleven…Heaven! Who do we associate with Heaven? (Hint: It’s in his name! Sorry for repeating Heaven… I promise I am creative guys)

12)  Elder Andersen: Twelve…Shelf! Imagine an elf with Elder Andersen’s face on it sitting on a shelf!

*I promise I paid attention during Conference.

**If they aren’t impressed and think that you are silly and juvenile, you can send them to me.