Bible Memory

Hide God's Word in Your Heart

A modern, offline-first PWA combining digital flashcards with proven spaced repetition for Scripture memorization

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✨ Overview

Bible Memory combines the familiar simplicity of digital flashcards with scientifically-proven spaced repetition to help you memorize Scripture effectively. Beautiful design, offline-first architecture, works anywhere. Whether you're starting your first verse or maintaining hundreds, our app makes it simple, joyful, and sustainable.

I built this app because I've experienced firsthand the power of hiding God's Word in my heart. When you memorize Scripture, it becomes a living resource that surfaces exactly when you need it most—bringing comfort, wisdom, and strength in moments of need.

Why Bible Memory?

🌐 Works Everywhere - Full offline functionality, syncs when online
🃏 Familiar + Smart - Digital flashcards enhanced with spaced repetition (daily → weekly → monthly)
🎯 Flexible Practice - Multiple review modes (Hints, First Letters, Type It, Full Reveal)
✨ Beautiful Design - Glass-morphism UI with distraction-free immersive mode
🔄 Seamless Sync - Your progress stays in sync across all devices
📱 Native-Like - Install to home screen, works like a native app
💯 Free & Open Source - No ads, no tracking, no premium tiers

🚀 Quick Start

For Users

Try it now: Visit bible-memory.app and start memorizing immediately - no installation required!

Install as an app:

iOS: Open in Safari → Share → Add to Home Screen
Android: Open in Chrome → Menu → Install app
Desktop: Look for the install icon in your browser's address bar

For Developers

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/miking7/biblememory.git
cd biblememory

# Install dependencies
npm run install:client

# Set up database
npm run migrate

# Build for production
npm run build

# Serve with Laravel Herd (recommended) or PHP server
# Herd: Automatically serves at https://biblememory.test
# PHP: cd server/public && php -S localhost:8000 router.php

For development with hot reload:

npm run dev  # Starts at http://localhost:3000

See Setup Guide for detailed instructions.

💎 Features

Core Functionality

Verse Management

Add verses with AI-assisted parsing (paste any verse, we'll extract reference and clean formatting)
Multi-paragraph support with preserved line breaks
Structured tagging system (organize by topic, book, study series)
Search by reference, content, or tags
Import/Export to JSON for backups

Spaced Repetition

Automatic categorization (Learn → Daily → Weekly → Monthly)
Optimal review intervals based on memory science
Progress tracking (streak counter, verses reviewed today)
Visual feedback for review status

Review Modes

Flash Cards - Hide random words (5 difficulty levels)
Progressive Hints - Reveal words incrementally
First Letters - Show first letter + punctuation
Type It - Type the full verse (coming soon)
Reveal - See full content for hard verses

Sync & Storage

Offline-first with IndexedDB (works without internet)
OpLog sync pattern with conflict resolution
Multi-device support (phone, tablet, desktop)
Secure token-based authentication

User Experience

Design

Glass-morphism aesthetic with gradient backgrounds
Mobile-first responsive design
Smooth animations and transitions
Immersive review mode (distraction-free)
Dark gradient theme optimized for focus

Accessibility

Keyboard shortcuts (n/p for navigation, space to reveal)
Reduced motion support for accessibility
Touch-friendly targets on mobile
Clean visual hierarchy

Progressive Web App

Install to home screen
Offline caching with service worker
Auto-updates when new version available
Works on iOS, Android, and desktop

🏗️ Technology Stack

Frontend

Framework: Vue.js 3 (Composition API)
Language: TypeScript 5
Styling: Tailwind CSS v4
Build Tool: Vite 5
Storage: Dexie.js (IndexedDB wrapper)
PWA: vite-plugin-pwa with Workbox

Backend

Language: PHP 8.0+
Database: SQLite with WAL mode
Sync: OpLog pattern with cursor-based pagination
Auth: Token-based with bcrypt hashing

Architecture

Offline-first SPA with automatic sync
Last-Write-Wins conflict resolution
Cursor-based pagination (handles millions of operations)
Modern ES2020 JavaScript with full TypeScript types

See techContext.md for detailed technical information.

📖 Usage

Adding Your First Verse

Click "Add Verse" tab
Paste any verse (e.g., "John 3:16 For God so loved...")
AI will extract reference and clean formatting
Optionally add tags like fast.sk=3 or personal
Click "Add Verse" - it's immediately available offline!

Reviewing Verses

Click "Review" tab to see verses due today
Try to recall the verse from the reference
Choose a review mode (Flash Cards, Hints, etc.)
Click "Got it!" or "Again" to track progress
Algorithm adjusts future review dates automatically

Managing Your Library

Click "My Verses" tab to see all verses
Use search to filter by reference, content, or tags
Click "⋮" menu on any verse for actions:
- Review This - Start review from this verse
- Edit - Update reference or content
- Delete - Remove verse
Use settings menu (⚙️) to export/import JSON backups

Review Schedule

The spaced repetition algorithm uses optimal intervals based on memory science:

First week: Review daily (learning phase)
First 2 months: Review daily (establishing memory)
2-4 months: Review weekly (solidifying retention)
4+ months: Review monthly (long-term maintenance)

This ensures new verses get frequent practice while gradually spacing out reviews as verses become firmly established in memory.

🛠️ Setup Instructions

Prerequisites

Node.js 18+ (for frontend development)
PHP 8.0+ with SQLite3 extension
Laravel Herd (recommended) or PHP built-in server

Installation Steps

Clone and install

git clone https://github.com/miking7/biblememory.git
cd biblememory
npm run install:client

Database setup

npm run migrate  # Creates tables in server/api/db.sqlite

Build frontend

npm run build  # Outputs to server/public/dist/

Serve the app

Option A: Laravel Herd (Recommended)
- Herd automatically serves server/public/ at https://biblememory.test
- Visit https://biblememory.test - done!
Option B: PHP Built-in Server
```
cd server/public
php -S localhost:8000 router.php
```
- Visit http://localhost:8000

Development Workflow

Frontend development with HMR:

npm run dev  # Starts Vite at http://localhost:3000

API calls proxy to backend automatically
Hot module replacement for instant feedback
Vue DevTools available in browser

Database management:

npm run db:reset  # Delete and recreate database
npm run db:open   # Open SQLite CLI for queries

All commands work from project root! No need to cd into subdirectories.

See techContext.md for deployment configurations (Apache, Nginx) and advanced setup.

📁 Project Structure

biblememory/
├── client/                    # Vue 3 frontend (TypeScript + Vite)
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── App.vue           # Main component with conditional rendering
│   │   ├── LandingPage.vue   # Marketing page for guests
│   │   ├── main.ts           # Vue app initialization
│   │   ├── app.ts            # App orchestration (composables)
│   │   ├── db.ts             # Dexie schema (IndexedDB)
│   │   ├── actions.ts        # CRUD operations + OpLog creation
│   │   ├── sync.ts           # Push/pull sync logic
│   │   ├── composables/      # Vue 3 composables pattern
│   │   │   ├── useAuth.ts    # Authentication state
│   │   │   ├── useVerses.ts  # Verse CRUD and filtering
│   │   │   ├── useReview.ts  # Review system + animations
│   │   │   └── useSync.ts    # Sync scheduling
│   │   └── components/       # Reusable Vue components
│   ├── index.html            # Entry point with SEO meta tags
│   ├── vite.config.ts        # Vite configuration + PWA plugin
│   └── package.json          # Dependencies
│
├── server/                    # PHP backend
│   ├── public/
│   │   ├── dist/             # Built assets (generated by Vite)
│   │   ├── icons/            # PWA icons
│   │   ├── index.php         # SPA entry point
│   │   └── router.php        # PHP built-in server router
│   ├── api/                  # REST API endpoints
│   │   ├── register.php      # User registration
│   │   ├── login.php         # Authentication
│   │   ├── logout.php        # Session termination
│   │   ├── push.php          # Sync operations to server
│   │   ├── pull.php          # Sync operations from server
│   │   ├── migrate.php       # Database setup script
│   │   └── lib.php           # Shared functions
│   └── schema.sql            # Database schema (SQLite)
│
└── memory-bank/              # 📚 Project documentation
    ├── projectbrief.md       # Project foundation and goals
    ├── productContext.md     # User experience and features
    ├── systemPatterns.md     # Architecture decisions
    ├── techContext.md        # Technology stack details
    ├── progress.md           # Roadmap and status
    ├── activeContext.md      # Current work focus
    └── previous-work/        # Archived implementation sessions

🔌 API Reference

Authentication

Register

POST /api/register
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "email": "user@example.com",
  "password": "secure-password"
}

Response: {
  "user_id": "uuid",
  "token": "64-char-hex"
}

Login

POST /api/login
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "email": "user@example.com",
  "password": "secure-password"
}

Response: {
  "user_id": "uuid",
  "token": "64-char-hex"
}

Logout

POST /api/logout
X-Auth-Token: your-token-here

Response: { "ok": true }

Sync Operations

Push (Client → Server)

POST /api/push
X-Auth-Token: your-token-here
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "client_id": "device-uuid",
  "ops": [
    {
      "id": "op-uuid",
      "table": "verses",
      "row_id": "verse-uuid",
      "op_type": "insert",
      "data": { "reference": "John 3:16", ... },
      "ts": 1234567890
    }
  ]
}

Response: {
  "ok": true,
  "acked_ids": ["op-uuid"],
  "cursor": 123
}

Pull (Server → Client)

GET /api/pull?since=0&limit=500
X-Auth-Token: your-token-here

Response: {
  "cursor": 123,
  "ops": [...]
}

🗺️ Roadmap

✅ Phase 1 Complete: Foundation + Landing Page

Core infrastructure (build system, offline-first, sync, auth)
Basic review functionality (reference → content reveal)
CRUD operations with multi-device sync
NEW: Professional landing page for first-time visitors
NEW: SEO optimization with comprehensive meta tags
NEW: Scroll-triggered fade-in animations

✅ Phase 2 Complete: Enhanced Review Modes

Flash Cards with 5 difficulty levels
Progressive Hints mode
First Letters mode
Keyboard shortcuts (n, p, h, f, c, space, escape, i)
Immersive review mode
Card slide animations with accessibility
Review tracking (Got it! / Again buttons)

🚧 Phase 2.5: Landing Page Polish (In Progress)

Static pages (features.html, about.html, privacy.html, terms.html)
Real hero image and app screenshots
og-image.png for social sharing (1200x630)
Sitemap.xml for SEO
Structured data (JSON-LD)

📋 Phase 3: Deep Engagement (Planned)

Meditation questions (structured reflection prompts)
Application questions (Goals, Decisions, Lifestyle, Problems)
BibleGateway chapter lookup integration
Context-sensitive help and guidance

🎯 Phase 4: Modern Enhancements (Future)

Statistics dashboard with charts
Dark mode toggle
Streak achievements and gamification
Background sync API
Push notifications for review reminders
Social features (share verses, group study)

See progress.md for detailed feature status and implementation notes.

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Here's how you can help:

Report bugs - Open an issue with steps to reproduce
Suggest features - Share your ideas in GitHub Issues
Submit PRs - Fork, create a feature branch, and submit a pull request
Improve docs - Help us make documentation clearer
Share feedback - Tell us how we can improve

Development Guidelines:

Follow existing code style (TypeScript, Vue 3 Composition API)
Write clear commit messages
Test on mobile and desktop before submitting
Update documentation for new features

See CONTRIBUTING.md for detailed guidelines (coming soon).

🐛 Troubleshooting

App won't load

Check browser console for errors
Ensure you're using a modern browser (Chrome 90+, Firefox 88+, Safari 14+)
Clear browser cache and reload

Sync not working

Check network connection
Verify you're logged in (look for offline badge)
Try manual sync by navigating between tabs

Database errors

npm run db:reset  # Resets database (WARNING: loses data)

Build fails

npm run install:client  # Reinstall dependencies
npm run build           # Try building again

See techContext.md for detailed troubleshooting.

📚 Documentation

Comprehensive project documentation is available in the memory-bank/ directory:

projectbrief.md - Project vision and goals
productContext.md - User experience and features
systemPatterns.md - Architecture and design patterns
techContext.md - Technology stack and setup
progress.md - Roadmap and feature status
activeContext.md - Current work focus

These documents follow the Memory Bank pattern for AI-assisted development.

👨‍💻 Author

Michael Engelbrecht

GitHub: @miking7

The Story Behind Bible Memory

Fifteen years ago, I took a Scripture memory course with Dan Vis at FAST Missions. His course included a simple online tool, and I found it incredibly helpful. When the course ended, I built my own web app so I could keep memorizing—and I used it faithfully for many years.

In 2025, I felt inspired to get back into regularly memorizing new verses. But when I opened my old app, I realized it had aged badly—clunky, hard to use on mobile, and couldn't work offline. So during a holiday break, I rebuilt it from the ground up as a modern Progressive Web App.

After spending several days on it, something became clear: this shouldn't just be for me. If this tool could help me hide God's Word in my heart, maybe it could help others too. That's why I'm making it completely free and open source.

My hope is that whether you're memorizing your first verse or your hundredth passage, this tool will help you experience the joy of having God's Word come alive exactly when you need it most.

📄 License

Open source project - Free for everyone to use, modify, and distribute.

License details to be formalized - this tool exists to help believers memorize God's Word

🙏 Acknowledgments

Built with love for believers who want to hide God's Word in their hearts.

Key Technologies:

Vue.js - Progressive JavaScript framework
Vite - Lightning-fast build tool
Tailwind CSS - Utility-first CSS framework
Dexie.js - Minimalistic IndexedDB wrapper
Workbox - Service worker toolkit

Special Thanks:

Cline - AI coding assistant that made rapid development possible
Claude Code - another AI coding assistant - that even works on your mobile phone
Dan Vis and FAST Missions - For the Scripture memory course 15 years ago that first introduced me to systematic Bible memorization and inspired the original version of this tool

⭐ Star this repo if it helps you memorize Scripture!

Try It Now • Report Bug • Request Feature

Last Updated: January 2026

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 171 Commits
client		client
memory-bank		memory-bank
server		server
.clinerules		.clinerules
.env.example		.env.example
.gitignore		.gitignore
CLAUDE.md		CLAUDE.md
QUICK-START.md		QUICK-START.md
README.md		README.md
package.json		package.json

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