first things first

I gave a relief Society lesson today and thought to myself, "Hey, why don't I put it on the blog?". There are some really good quotes in it and who knows--maybe someone has to give a lesson and could use some shortcuts. Thanks to Becca who gave me some great quotes too--and to my Fabulously talented friend Haley who sang "When all is said and Done" by listening to the CD and figuring it out on the piano. (and thanks to clipart for the picture of Mary and Martha).


Elder Oaks gave a talk called Good, better, Best last year. He talked about how as a boy growing up on a farm, they would look at the Sears Catalog to order things they needed. The catalog would give 3 degrees of quality i.e. men’s shoes would be labeled good $1.84, better $2.98, best $3.45. He pointed out that even though a particular choice is more costly, its far greater value may make it the best choice of all.

Our lives are all about choices. Our free agency, or ability to make choices for ourselves was the reason that the Savior is our Savior. If Satan had his way, none of us would have the ability to choose. Today we are going to zoom in on what we choose to do with the time we have here on this earth.

Scripture:
D & C 60:13
Thou Shalt not idle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury thy talent that it might not be known.

This scripture is modern revelation for us—it is a commandment. How can we know that we are keeping this commandment? It’s easy to know if we are stealing or not—or murdering, etc. One talk mentioned that if it comes between visiting teaching or robbing a bank—we know the right choice. But how can we know that we are choosing the “Best” over something that is good?

I want everyone to be thinking right now about how you make this choice and how you have taught this or how you will teach this principle to your family or a friend. We’ll discuss at the end of the lesson

Object Lesson:

Explain that the container represents time - it is a limited thing. We cant make the container bigger. The rice represents everything that we need to get done (work, cleaning, cooking, bills, etc.—stuff that we HAVE to do to survive) and the rocks represent the “best” things (other choices we can use our time on, i.e. temple work, scriptures, time with kids, charity, etc.). Pour the rice into the container and then rocks and try to close the lid (it shouldn't fit). Then demonstrate the other way around with the rocks first and the rice second ice to make sure it gets down around the rocks), and it should all fit in and the lid can be put on. When we choose to manage our time and not let time manage us, and as we put the most important things in first, then everything else that we have to get done will fit in.

Write on the board: “rocks” or “the Best”
We’ll list these as we discuss the following topics in groups.
Should we all have the same things listed? I think we’ll find that sometimes what is best for one person isn’t necessarily for another—but there are basic things that are universal.


*Group work—Discussions*
Split the class into groups of about 5 people and have them discuss their quote and comment about it. I printed the quotes 2x and had 2 different groups do each quote because there were too many people.

Write on the board as the important things are discussed


Closing:

How many times do we complain or hear others say that time is going too fast, or if we just had more time? I have a testimony that what we have learned from the scriptures and prophets today are true—the words that they teach us are inspired of God. Our ultimate priority is to be able to live with Heavenly Father again—and help others as well. If we don’t put the MOST important things in our lives first, then we won’t become who we need to be. I have faith in repentance and I know we can start today to seek out the best and choose the good part for our lives so we can accomplish our goals and become like our Savior.


Group #1

Mary and Martha.
From Luke 10: 38-42. Martha lived in the small village of Bethany, where she “received [Jesus] into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his word.” 3Both women loved the Lord. And “Jesus loved Martha, and [Mary].” 4 In fact, their relationship breached convention, for at that time women were not usually able to discuss the gospel with men.
On one occasion Martha was making dinner and, as the scripture says, “was cumbered about much serving.” 5 In other words, she was stressed out!
Mary, on the other hand, “sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word,” 6 while Martha became increasingly upset that no one was helping her. Does that sound familiar? Do you think she was thinking, “Why is Mary sitting there while I’m sweating over this stove?” So Martha turned to Jesus and said, “Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.” 7
The Lord’s gentle invitation to Martha may have surprised her. “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” 8
The Savior’s response strikingly clarified what mattered most. On that evening in Martha’s home, the good part was not in the kitchen; it was at the Lord’s feet. Dinner could wait.---from a talk given by Bonnie D. Parkin


Group # 2
J Ballard Washburn said in a conference talk:
I hope you will not think it simplistic to suggest that it is the “little things” like family prayer and family home evening that are important. Little things like a father helping his children say their nightly prayers and telling them a bedtime story instead of watching TV. Little things like making time in the family schedule for reading the scriptures. Little things like a husband being big enough to say, “Sweetheart, I’m sorry. I should not have said that. I’m going to do better.” Or a mother saying to a child, “I’m sorry I became angry. Please forgive me.” Yes, it is the little things that we do each day and each week that make the difference.
By keeping the temple covenants, all of God’s children may be exalted. I say again that we go to the temple to make the covenants, but we go home to those covenants.
Group#3
Mothers who know do less. They permit less of what will not bear good fruit eternally. They allow less media in their homes, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home. Mothers who know are willing to live on less and consume less of the world’s goods in order to spend more time with their children—more time eating together, more time working together, more time reading together, more time talking, laughing, singing, and exemplifying. These mothers choose carefully and do not try to choose it all. Their goal is to prepare a rising generation of children who will take the gospel of Jesus Christ into the entire world. Their goal is to prepare future fathers and mothers who will be builders of the Lord’s kingdom for the next 50 years. That is influence; that is power.—Julie Beck Nov. 2007


Group # 4
A wise man once distinguished between “the noble art of getting things done” and “a nobler art of leaving things undone.” True “wisdom in life,” he taught, consists of “the elimination of non-essentials” (Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living [New York: Reynal and Hitchcock, 1937], 162, 10). May I suggest that you periodically evaluate how you are doing in this area? What are the nonessential things that clutter your days and steal your time? What are the habits you may have developed that do not serve a useful purpose? What are the unfinished or unstarted things that could add vigor, meaning, and joy to your life?
Sometimes we make the mistake of neglecting the essentials of life. The Savior had harsh words for the scribes and Pharisees of His day: “Woe unto you,” He told them, “for [you] have omitted the weightier matters of the law, [justice], mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done” (Matthew 23:23).--- Elder Uchtdorf BYU Commencement Address 2009

Group #5
Consider how we use our time in the choices we make in viewing television, playing video games, surfing the Internet, or reading books or magazines. Of course it is good to view wholesome entertainment or to obtain interesting information. But not everything of that sort is worth the portion of our life we give to obtain it. Some things are better, and others are best. When the Lord told us to seek learning, He said, “Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom” (D&C 88:118; emphasis added). --Elder Dallin H Oaks