Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Talk: Priorities and Power (Sis. Beck - 2010)


Here is a talk I found from the BYU Women’s Conference 2010 by Sis. Julie B. Beck, but I think it applies equally well to the men of the Church as well.

She lays out a pretty simple starting framework for setting out the way we prioritizing our time and find those things that will bring us closer to the Lord.

Here are some links to a video presentation of the talk:
http://broadcast.lds.org/relief-society/training/2010-04-1020-how-to-prioritize-768k-eng.wmv
http://broadcast.lds.org/relief-society/training/2010-04-1020-how-to-prioritize-768k-eng.mp4

Here is an excerpt of the main points in cause you have problems seeing the videos:

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Sisters, you are each like the lioness at the gate. This means that there has to be some prioritizing. I was taught years ago that when our priorities are out of order, we lose power. If we need power and influence to carry out our mission, then our priorities have to be straight.



...

Years ago I began using a system that works for me, and maybe it will work for you. There was a time when I needed to prioritize, and in one of those sacred meetings between me and the Lord, He gave me three categories that I have worked from, and they have been a guide in my life. The categories are the essential things, the necessary things, and the nice-to-do things. I started writing those things down. I asked, “What has to go in the category of essential?” What things must be taken care of, and if I don’t take care of them, the blessings of eternal life won’t be mine nor will they be my family’s.

I wrote at the top of the essential list revelation. I have to be able to know the mind and will of God. Therefore, I have to do the things in my life that put me in a position to hear His voice.

Reading the scriptures ... Personal prayer ... Taking time to ponder and fast with sincerity ... Making covenants and keeping covenants  ... Going to sacrament meeting and repenting every week ... Going to the temple ... Sharing the gospel ... Service took on added meaning.

The Lord said if you want eternal life, give all that you have and follow me. So those things went on my essentials list. The list wasn’t very long, but there were essential things that I could see to and make sure that they were taken care of.

On my necessary list, then, went some other things. I started thinking about my home and family and what was necessary to create an environment or climate where the Spirit of the Lord would be.

Homemaking took on a new meaning for me. I wanted to make a home where the Spirit of the Lord was present ... mundane tasks like picking things up and cleaning ... Cooking meals for my family ... teach[ing] my children to pray and walk uprightly before the Lord ... family home evening ... time recreating with our family  ... be[ing] kind to my husband and to support him in his heavy responsibilities ... Loving one another goes on the necessary list and a few other things.

You can make your own list of what is necessary, but there are things that are essential and things that are necessary in order for us to fulfill our responsibilities in the house of Israel and to fulfill our mission.

The third category has to do with the nice-to-do things. Those are crafts and hobbies and recreational reading and movies and travel and lunches with friends. A lot of women call this “time out.” These things won’t save us. They add variety to our lives, but they won’t save us. When our priorities are on that list, and our time is devoted to those nice-to-do things, our priorities are out of order, and we lose power.

To walk with the Lord, we have to know what is essential, what is necessary, and what is nice to do. There is a lot to do, but I find that it is amazing how much I get to do on my nice-to-do list. The Lord blesses us with those mercies, but only if the other priorities are in order.
 

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