On the third of October, in the year nineteen hundred and eighteen, I sat in my room pondering over the scriptures;

  And reflecting upon the great atoning sacrifice that was made by the Son of God, for the redemption of the world;

  And the great and wonderful love made manifest by the Father and the Son in the coming of the Redeemer into the world;

 That through his atonement, and by obedience to the principles of the gospel, mankind might be saved. 

D&C 138 1-4

Pondering, for most of us, is not something we do easily. It is much more than drifting or daydreaming, for it focuses and stirs us, not lulls us. We must set aside time, circumstances, and attitude in order to achieve it. In Alma’s words, we must “give place” (Alma 32:27). The length of time involved in pondering is not as important as the intensity given to it. Reflection cannot be achieved in the midst of distraction. ~ Neal A Maxwell (That Ye May Believe [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1992], 183)

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