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What do you think?

For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7

Who are you?

I think that we, in the Latter-Day Saint tradition, are fairly good at understanding the need to read the scriptures and to pray fervently. But how are we at thinking about what we've read?

The injunction from the Savior is to read, ponder, and pray. We seem to skip the second step.

Because, let's be honest, it's hard.

We have so many distractions, so many things demanding our mental attention - even value-added things - that we find ourselves at the end of our day with our bodies tired and our minds full, but with no spiritual rejuvenation.

Our physical bodies are a good example of this. Food we eat does not pass immediately from our mouth to our (ahem) nether regions. It spends time inside of us. Our bodies are specifically designed to garner every possible nutrient from the things we put in our mouth. Some things don't even pass into our stomach before being assimilated for immediate use by the body (candy, sugar, etc.) But if we spent all of our time eating nothing but sugar (or other things easily assimilated into our bodies) we would find our bodies becoming atrophied and weak. We must partake of a wide variety of nutritional food in order to keep our bodies healthy.

I think there's a parallel with this. Some people may feel that if they read the scriptures and pray about them that is sufficient. But there is much to be gained from carefully considering the scriptures we read. Even if it's only one verse, one phrase. Let that passage work within you. This word has come to you across the millenia and has cost the blood of the prophets. This is the record of God's dealing with man, containing the miracles and foibles of the ages. Each word is a ray of sunlight that can and should lighten our minds. We must let this light reach the farthest corners of our minds, illuminating and brightening. We may also find that we are able to become inspired by such illumination to know things that transcend the written word. This is where the scriptures come to live for us. This is where they have their meaning. It's not enough to read holy writ; we must find a way to make it a part of us.

How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalms 119:103

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