How to set up Obsidian to take digital Bible notes

I'm a big fan of using obsidian to take digital bible notes and connecting ideas within it. In the video above I share how you can set up Obsidian to take richer Bible notes.

Step1: Download Obsidian

First you need to go to the Obsidian website and download the app for your OS. There are versions for every major OS - Mac, Windows and Linux - so obviously installation instructions varry.

Step 2: Create a vault

With obsidian downloaded and running, create your first vault. I recommend using one on a cloud storage service so you can access it on the go and save ideas via a mobile app or other plain text editing app.

The lazy root: Download my obsidian Bible knowledge management starter kit

You could follow the steps below, or you could download an instal my starter kit which would fast track many of the following steps.

Step 3: Download a plain text Bible

The plain text bible is our resources that we will link to from other notes. This is how we can build a cross reference dictionary or use Zettelkasten ideas for our bible note taking.  

There are many options such as those on Hackathon Bible but I recommend looking at the version from Joschua on the Obsidian forum here. He provides a bible study skit which includes a few other ideas which you may want to check out as well as a script to download a plain text bible from Bible gateway in whatever translation you want.

The way Joschua has structured the plain text bible with folders for each book and links between each chapter is fantastic.

Step 4: Create an inbox (optional)

I like having an inbox where I can see my newly created notes and drafts before filing them away for later. Do this by creating an inbox folder, going into the settings and setting new files as having the inbox as a deafult location.  

P.s. if you use an underscore before the file name "inbox" it will be at the top of your folders.

Step 5: Make a homepage/index

You could set this up later but this is also a chance for you to set some topics and areas that you are interested in for your notes. It's also a way to get familiar with the idea of indexes and maps of content.

Step 6: Enjoy!

That's the primary setup over. Next you just need to start creating notes. In my next video, I'll share an example by making a connected note on Paul's titles.