Pondering

When the Savior made His visit to the people of the ancient America's, He taught them, He healed them, He sat with them. When the first day of His visit was near its end He surveyed the state of the congregation before Him, and said, "I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot understand all my words...Therefore, go ye unto your home's, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand" (3 Nephi 17:2-3). We live in a time that busy and loud. It is often hard to get away from the bustle and the noise of everyday life, and to find peace in their midst. Sometimes we even impose these distractions on ourselves as we opt to plug into the distractions of social media, television, video games, etc. In a time of so much confusion and misunderstanding, these distractions can prove very harmful if they distract us from the promptings of the Spirit. Indeed, as the Savior said, we are weak, and often cannot understand the mysteries of God, and therefore must ponder.

Elder Hans Ringger said the following back in a 1994 General Conference: "This is the question we ask in uncertain times or when confronted with new challenges. We may answer with unreflective action, hoping to find solutions merely through results. Fortunately the Lord understands us better than we understand ourselves. The gospel teaches us first to ponder and develop faith. Only after we have honestly decided in favor of good, based on the gospel, can we bring forth righteous deeds. Active faith leads to good works. We will receive the strength from above to strive toward what is right."

In this era of confusion and distraction, the remedy is pondering. I will share 3 scriptural accounts that show just 3 of the specific benefits of taking time to step back and ponder.


"Ponder the path of thy feet, and let thy ways be established" (Proverbs 4:26).

Our nature as mortal beings with mortal bodies and incomplete knowledge ensures one important constant: we will mess up, we will sin, we will fall short. As such, humble recognition is required for us to begin to take the steps necessary to get back on the path and head for our main goal of eternal life. The oft-quoted first step of addiction recovery applies also in our entire sojourn in mortality: "The first step is [realizing] you have a problem." Often, it is only when we take a step back and ponder do we come to a complete enough recognition of our shortcomings to spark a desire to change. A deep reflection on the question "what lack I yet?" may be necessary, as Elder Larry Lawrence described:

"We came [to Earth] to learn and improve until we gradually become sanctified or perfected in Christ. The journey of discipleship is not an easy one. It has been called a 'course of steady improvement.'As we travel along that strait and narrow path, the Spirit continually challenges us to be better and to climb higher. The Holy Ghost makes an ideal traveling companion. If we are humble and teachable, He will take us by the hand and lead us home."

The Spirit will teach us as we take time to ponder our current course in mortality with a desire to see where we can improve. Thus, as Proverbs says, our ways can be established. Pondering is great for re-evaluating ourselves.


"For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot" (1 Nephi 11:1).

It was in this high mountain (it is helpful to remember that Hebrew symbology often uses mountains to represent the temple) that Nephi received not only an explanation if his father's dream, but also a vision of the immediate, near, and not so near future of his people, as well as the coming of the Savior. Truly his pondering allowed him to be open to not just the revelation he was seeking at the moment, but also that which would inspire him to teach and lead for the remainder of his mortal life. As he would later record, "We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach if Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins" (2 Nephi 25:26).

Indeed, if we would take the time to ponder on the things we've learned, and as we seek for greater understanding of those things, the Lord will teach us. He will show us what it is we should know, and what we should to do, in order to have the spiritual confidence to move forward. Pondering is great for receiving revelation and direction.


"And it came to pass that Nephi went his way towards his own house, pondering the things upon which the Lord had shown unto him. And it came to pass as he was thus pondering--being much cast down...behold, a voice came unto him saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done" (Helaman 10:2-4).

This Nephi, a descendant of the first, received in his moment of ponderance something that many of us find ourselves lacking in our day to day lives. As he thought about his calling as a minister, he became overwhelmed. His efforts had been constant, his diligence exemplary, and yet the people chose to reject him. Surely we have all had moments when we have tried our very best and given all that we have, and yet the results have been less than satisfying. Sometimes this lack of success leads us to wonder if it's worth it to keep trying at all. Our loving Heavenly Father understands how hard our lives can seem at times, and is ever willing to give us what He gave Nephi:

Encouragement.

Just as Nephi pondered the promises given him, and the unshakeable testimony that he possessed, if we can learn to turn our thoughts to God in moments of apparent failure, He will let us know that it is worth it. That we shouldn't give up. That He's proud of us. In His way He'll tell us, "Blessed art thou, for those things which thou hast done." Truly, pondering is great for encouragement.


It is important that we ponder. Pondering allows us to put things into perspective. Our lives are often chaotic and confusing and fast-paced and downright hard. It's important to take time on a daily basis--take a timeout! Take a step back from all the chaos to deeply meditate what's happening around us and why. If we can do that, things will be a lot less stressful--it'll be a lot harder for us to question God's intentions with us. Why? Because when we ponder life, love, and the gospel, we are humbly inviting the Spirit to help us understand.

The late Elder Richard G. Scott wrote, "Find a retreat of peace and quiet where periodically you can ponder and let the Lord establish the direction of your life. It may seem difficult to find time to meditate with the daily pressures of life. Yet a moment of thought will confirm that no matter how fast you move forward, if you are on the wrong path, it will avail to nothing.”

If we can take that time, we will recognize our faults and make plans to correct them, we will find direction in spite of the chaos, and we will find the encouragement to press forward when it seems that things aren't going right.