A 7-year-old girl has been recognised for her ability to recite Bible verses from memory on demand.
Sydney Hopson from Conway, Arkansas, has an exceptional talent which enables her to memorise large portions of the holy book.
Her unusual talent was first discovered by her grandmother who began testing her Bible knowledge on the way to school when she was aged 5. Rene Henderson asked Sydney to recite one of the 26 verses that she had been tasked with memorising. At first, Sydney didn't answer so her grandmother questioned her again. To her surprise, Sydney had memorised each of the 26 verses and demonstrated this when her grandmother asked her to prove it.
The Rev. Houston White, the pastor of the church that Sydney attends with her family, told Arkansas Online: "She's a unique child, and we're blessed to have her...We understand that it's a gift from God."
The first-grader can recite The Lord's prayer, Psalm 23, entire chapters of the Bible and specific verses that she has been asked to learn.
The news of Sydney's talent has earned her attention far and wide, and she has been invited to radio stations, TV networks, churches and youth conferences throughout Arkansas.
"Last year, she was booked every Sunday," Sydney's grandmother told the local news site.
Sydney's skills have prompted her grandmother to get her to compete. A couple of weeks ago she showcased her Bible memory skills, her singing and keyboard playing to an audience of around 800 people and was crowned the winner of the talent contest held in West Memphis. She received a trophy and the audience was told that her originality had informed the decision to class her as the winner.
Sydney, who is also known as the ABC girl because of her ability to learn by heart Bible verses related to the letters of the alphabet, said her aim is to "say more" verses.
