Pondering, a Lifetime Affair

In the October 1971 General Conference Bruce R. McConkie stated, “To worship the Lord is to study the gospel, to treasure up light and truth, to ponder in our hearts the things of the Kingdom, and to make them part of our lives. It is to pray with all the energy of our souls, to preach by the power of the spirit, to sing songs of praise and thanksgiving.” I love how he tells us to ponder in our hearts, and make them a part of our lives. This alludes to us not just to pondering for a little while, but to pondering for a life time. Pondering lasts our whole lives. When we ponder something, we are really interested in it, and we ponder that subject multiple times throughout our lives as the Spirit touches us, and as we learn, that knowledge enhances, and is enhanced by other knowledge.

Pondering is the key by which I understand most things, and come to many conclusions. My mind is often left unsatisfied with the typical answers to life’s most important questions, so I ponder them a lot. Questions like, “Why is it important for us to have the gospel?”, “How did God create the universe?”, and “How does one choose their favorite football team?” I am often alleviated at first with a spirit of comfort to know that God is in charge of these things, or of their level of importance in the scheme of things. Then it is usually some time later that I come back to the question, mostly because I’ve been introduced to new knowledge from the scientific community, or elsewhere. Then I study the new learning, and compare it to scripture, and pray for answers on how the two connect.