#ponderizing

In the October 2015 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Devin G. Durant gave a suggestion that can be applied for every faith. His suggestion was to “ponderize,” as he named it, one scripture every week. Ponderizing is 80% pondering and 20% memorizing. “As you make this effort,” he promises, “You will feel an increase in spirituality. You will also be able to teach and lift those you love in more meaningful ways.  If you choose to ponderize weekly, you may feel a bit like a person who has enjoyed snorkeling in the past but has now decided to try scuba diving. With that decision, a deeper understanding of gospel principles will be yours and new spiritual perspectives will bless your life.”

“The primary goal of ponderizing” Elder Durant explains, “is to provide an uplifting place for your thoughts to go—a place that keeps you close to the Spirit of the Lord.”

“The Savior said, “Treasure up in your minds continually the words of life.”5Ponderizing is a simple and edifying way to do just that.”

However, ponderizing is not a replacement for daily personal scripture study. Rather, it is supplemental. If you haven’t studied scriptures on your own before, this may be a great way to get started. If you already study the scriptures, though, please do not stop and only study one verse every week.

Some books or sources you might ponderize from are… The Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, talks from General Conference, the Hymn book… There are many more! You can find them!

How do you Ponderize?

1)  Choose a verse of scripture each week and place it where you will see it every day.

2)  Second, read or think of the verse several times each day and ponder the meaning of its words and key phrases throughout the week.

Some Ideas you Might Like:

- Put your ponderizing scripture as your home screen on your phone or computer.

- Put your scripture in your car, or on the fridge

- Choose your week’s verse(s) with a friend and share lessons from the scripture you chose throughout the week.

- Discuss the scripture you chose with your children. Elder Durant says, regarding his children, “It seems to make it more comfortable for them to share their thoughts with us about the word of God.”