Brain Sweat

In the Doctrine and Covenants, section 100 we read:

5 Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be confounded before men;

6 For it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I love the comfort that this scripture gives to me when I am prompted to share my testimony of certain principles of the gospel with others. But, as comforting as it is, I believe at times this scripture may be used by some as a way to excuse their lack of study of the scriptures themselves.

Elder B. H. Roberts, who was one of the seven presidents of the seventy during his life time, who also wrote the Comprehensive History of the Church, and was known as the “war horse” for the church, shared his thoughts on this scripture in this way.

“He constantly reminded the Brethren that the Spirit would not draw on an empty well. The divine promise, which he took literally, ‘it shall be given you in the very hour’ what you shall say, had an absolute precondition: ‘Treasure up in your minds continually the words of life.’ He stressed the ‘continually.’ ‘Mormonism is for thinkers!’ he often said. He loved the statement of the Prophet on the things of God: ‘Time and experience and careful and ponderous and solemn thoughts can only find them out.’ To him that meant ‘brain sweat.’ ‘Eternal, restless thought that keeps out from the frontiers of discovery is as much a weariness to the slothful, as it is a joy to the alert and active and noble minded.’ (As taken from the book Defender of the Faith, The BH Roberts Story by Truman G. Madsen)

From one who hates to sweat from physical exertion, “brain sweat” seems like a great form of exercise to me.