Slow Down, Be Still and Know That He is God

"In his widely acclaimed essay As a Man Thinketh, James Allen reinforced what Jesus so beautifully proclaimed. Mr. Allen wrote:

“Man is made or unmade by himself; in the armoury of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself; he also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace. By the right choice and true application of thought, man ascends to the Divine Perfection; by the abuse and wrong application of thought, he descends below the level of the beast. Between these two extremes are all the grades of character, and man is their maker and master. …

“All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts.” (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., n. d., pp. 8–9, 34.)"*

"We are constantly reminded through the scriptures 

that we should give the things of God much more than usual 

superficial consideration. 

We must ponder them 

and reach into the very essence of what we are 

and what we may become."*

Doctrine and Covenants 138:1–2, 11

"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;

As I pondered over these things which are written, the eyes of my understanding were opened, and the Spirit of the Lord rested upon me."*

"Jesus counseled, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” *

(Matt. 6:21.)

*Excerpts from the talk:

Pondering Strengthens the Spiritual Life

By Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

Of the First Quorum of the Seventy

1982