Ponder It In Your Hearts

In what we term “Moroni’s promise” at the end of the Book of Mormon, Moroni gave this invitation: “Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts” (Moroni 10:3). This invitation to ponder came right before the more well-known next verse that invites us to pray to know if the book is true, and this sequence suggests that pondering the things of the Lord precedes revelation from Him. We have to take time to stop and think and meditate upon the word of the Lord and His dealings with us if we want to open the way for the Holy Ghost to teach us. We see this same principle in the story of Nephi when he sought to understand and see the things that his father had seen. He wrote, “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). He first desired and pondered the things of God before the Spirit came and revealed a great vision to him. Although Nephi didn’t specify how long he was in that state of pondering, I believe the revelation did not come as immediately as the verse might suggest. Nephi wrote just prior to this that to have the mysteries of God revealed, we must “diligently seek” (1 Nephi 10:19). Surely part of that diligently seeking means taking time to really ponder and think upon the things of God.

                A few other passages in the Book of Mormon connect pondering with receiving revelation. After Nephi the son of Helaman had miraculously announced the death of the chief judge and taught the people of their wickedness, he “went his way towards his own house, pondering upon the things which the Lord had shown unto him. And it came to pass as he was thus pondering—being much cast down because of the wickedness of the people of the Nephites, their secret works of darkness, and their murderings, and their plunderings, and all manner of iniquities—and it came to pass as he was thus pondering in his heart, behold, a voice came unto him saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done” (Helaman 10:3-4). He first pondering upon what the Lord had done for him and shown him, and this led to a great revelation as the voice of the Lord came to him and told him what he was to do next. In another instance, after the Savior spent many hours with the Nephites teaching them, He said, “Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again” (3 Nephi 17:3). He wanted the people to ponder the things which He had taught, praying to understand, so that He could reveal it to them. Again the act of pondering was meant to lead to revelation and understanding. A final reference in the Book of Mormon, though, gives us a caution about pondering. Nephi wrote, “And now, behold, my beloved brethren, I suppose that ye ponder somewhat in your hearts concerning that which ye should do after ye have entered in by the way. But, behold, why do ye ponder these things in your hearts?” Apparently, they were pondering what they should do after they entered the way, but it appears from the verses following that they were pondering without studying the word of God or praying (2 Nephi 32:1). And so, our pondering should be accompanied by prayer and the study of the scriptures for it to lead to the revelation we seek: “Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark. For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:3-5). As we study the words of the scriptures, pray, and ponder, the Holy Ghost will “manifest the truth” unto us.