Doctrine and Covenants- Lesson 1: First Vision

President Gordon B. Hinckley said of Joseph Smith's First Vision of God and Jesus Christ: 

"This transcendent experience opened the marvelous work of restoration. It lifted the curtain on the long-promised dispensation of the fullness of times.

For more than a century and a half, enemies, critics, and some would-be scholars have worn out their lives trying to disprove the validity of that vision. Of course they cannot understand it. The things of God are understood by the Spirit of God. There had been nothing of comparable magnitude since the Son of God walked the earth in mortality. Without it as a foundation stone for our faith and organization, we have nothing. With it, we have everything." (Gordon B. Hinckley,Ensign, November 1984, p. 52; or Conference Report, Oct. 1984, p. 68.)

Jospeh Smith History 1:12-13

Never did any passage of ^ascripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed ^bwisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects ^cunderstood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.

 13 At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in ^adarkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would ^bgive liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture.

I've read these scriptures over and over many times, especially while on my mission.  However, I never noticed how much time and pondering Joseph Smith put into this verse. He stated how he was filled with the Holy Ghost so intensely when he read the words.  I assumed that those feelings he felt had been sufficient to move him to prompt action to go and pray.  However, he didn't go immediately.  He "reflected on it again and again" and then as he stated twice, he "at length" came to the conclusion to that he must ask God in prayer.  

I have to ask myself, do I ponder like Joseph did.  When I have big and important decisions to make do I search the scriptures for an answer and more importantly do I ponder upon that answer and ask the Lord if there is anything else that he would like me to know.  

One of the ways that I do ponder things is by writing them down (thus the blog).  I can't deny that more than once in my life I have been described as being "flighty"--not exactly a compliment.  But it's true, I've always had a hard time collecting my thoughts and slowing down my racing mind.  But I've learned in life that when I have to write it down it helps to slow down my mind and finish a thought before moving onto the next.  I feel like writing has really helped me to think more clearly.