Thanksgiving 2015 talk

Thanksgiving talk 2015

Today Chip and I talked in church about gratitude. Here are the remarks I wrote:

Share experience about car trIp home with little girls
Christmas 1982, clairice 2 ½, Britta 9 months
old car - 1970 Plymouth Satellite
We had made a surprise trip home to Sidney for christmas and brought my brother and his wife who were going to school in Bozeman at the time.
way back to Logan we stopped and dropped off my brother and his wife and spending the night at their teeny tiny married student housing apartment and were almost to Big Sky when our car made a horrible noise
We knew we had to stop at Big Sky and see what it was
At that time Big Sky consisted of a restaurant/bar, a laundromat and a garage
We stopped  at the garage and the mechanic looked at it and announed it was wheel bearing
He could fix it but couldn't get the part from bozeman until the next day
Spent the day with the babies at the laundromat.  Not fun.
Mechanic gave the 4 of us a ride back to my brothers apartment where we spent a 2nd night on a cold linoleium floor.
Mechanic picked us back up in the morning with the part and we all went back to spend a 2nd day at the laundromat while he fixed the car
Later in the day the car was fixed and we were all packed back up in our car and pulling out of the garage when the guy started flagging us down! I was like, Chip, just keep driving, don't stop!!
The mechanic could see that wheel was crooked and the wrong part had been put in the car and it had to be fixed.
We all drove back down to my brothers tiny apartment for the 3rd night in a row with our babies in the mechanic's car - I don't think my brother was especially happy to see us all again - and then back up to Big Sky the next morning for a 3rd day at the laundromat.
Later that day the car was fixed  (and we had maxed out our credit card and cleaned out what little we had in savings)and driveable and we were headed back to Logan.
 I felt so grateful and happy that we had finally made it home safely!

One of the very first things we did when we got back to Logan was dump that old green Plymouth and buy a new Toyota Tercel.  For weeks and months after that stressful and unpleasant experience I thanked God for our little Tercel that was dependable and never left us stranded!
I was unhappy, frustrated and unpleasant a good part of these 3 days. I did not handle this situation well 

In the scheme of things this is a minor inconvenience and a funny story AFTER it happens.  We all have days like this - the cookies burn, your kid tells you the night before its due he has to do a science project, etc.
Many things are much more serious anad are never funny
Day Chip came home when I was pregnant with Jessie, our 4th and announced a bunch of people were  laid off.
Chip looks in the mirror and notices he has a lump on one side of his throat and it turns out to be cancer

Many of you have been through much more serious things than this - things that tear your heart out.
Nevertheless, this is part of life isn't it? We all experience heartache, pain, sorrow, frustration and unhappiness - some because of our own actions and some because of others.  No one gets through life scott free and without suffering.

a wise woman, a BYU professor said
I have learned that, regardless of circumstance, for some people there is no joy; for others there is only joy. Some of us experience catastrophe in our lives; others create catastrophe in our lives. For some, there are a few bad days; for others there are only bad days.

What makes the difference?
1. We must make the decision to be happy! How can we make the decision to be happy when things are just not going well or we are facing trials and difficulty? Can we choose to be happy?

Let me give you an example of how we can:  If you are having an argument with your spouse or yelling at your kids  and all the sudden the doorbell rings, what do you do? Put on happy face and go to the door and say hello! You act pleasant! You chose to change your attitude - just like that! 

Here's another example: Let's say I offered you $10,000 a week to not be in a bad mood and act happy.  Could you do it! I bet you could and would! 
We've all heard the expression “Fake it till you make it.” Act happy, and you’ll be happier.“

It is How we act that affects others, not how we feel.

 Does your happiness affect others? Ask a child that grows up in a home with an unhappy parent. Ask a spouse that lives with an unhappy mate. Ask a person that works day in and day out with an unhappy coworker. We may not be free to control whether we feel happy all the time, but we can control whether we act happy present a happy countenace to others regardless of our circumstances. I think this part of
Alma 5:14

14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?

The decision to be happy is reflected in our countenance.

Most of our trials come to us unsolicited. We surely haven't aske for them but we do have the agency to choose our attitude towards them.

Abrahm Lincoln said "We are as happy as we decide to be”

Why am I talking about happiness when I was asked to talk about Gratitude? Because they go hand in hand.  

After you make a decision to be happy and find joy in any circumstance then the next step is to be grateful. Gratitude is the gateway to happiness and joy.
one of my favorite authors Dennis Prager said:

“All happy people are grateful. Ungrateful people cannot be happy. We tend to think that being unhappy leads people to complain, but it’s truer to say that complaining leads to people becoming unhappy.” 

President Uchtdorf: It might sound contrary to the wisdom of the world to suggest that one who is burdened with sorrow should give thanks to God. But those who set aside the bottle of bitterness and lift instead the goblet of gratitude can find a purifying drink of healing, peace, and understanding.… . We can choose to be like the Prophet Joseph Smith, who, while a prisoner in miserable conditions in Liberty Jail, penned these inspired words: “Dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.” … . Being grateful in times of distress does not mean that we are pleased with our circumstances. It does mean that through the eyes of faith we look beyond our present-day challenges.

 D&C 78:19 And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.

Gratitude is a decision just as is happiness.  Something changes in our countance when we decide to feel gratitude and to be happy. President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives.”

When you make a decision to be happy and grateful you look different. People look better to you. Life looks better to you and you look better to those around you. You reflect happiness and gratitude back to those you live and associate with and make their lives better. You become a light to to others and magnet for good things.

I have a dear dear friend of many years whose life did not go down the path she thought it would. She wanted marraige and children and that didn't happen for her. We often talked about why Heavnely Father made her go through this and why was this happening to her? Over the years there were lots of tears and sorrow and often a negative attitude about the church and families and what she was lacking in her life and the thought that she couldn't be happy because of her circumstances. Thankfully this changed! She started reading some talks, and books about the power of choice and choosing to be happy and grateful for the blessings you have and stop compaining and feeling sorry for yourself.  A marvelous change occured! Her attitude and countenace became happy and positive and she stopped feeling sorry for herself and started feeling grateful for her many blessings! Amazingly, she has been blessed with an abundance in so many areas of her life that she never expected.  I truly believe that all these blessings were waiting for her but didn't come until she looked at her life differently and made a conscious decision to feel gratitude and to be happy.

President Monson:
We can lift ourselves and others as well when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues. Someone has said that “gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” 

Close by expresing my gratitude for my Savior Jesus Christ, who is the author of all blessings and happiness.

If you are prepared, you shall not fear

Hi Family,

This morning on the church website I found this:

https://www.lds.org/topics/food-storage?cid=HP_TU_11-17-2015_dWEL_fMRMN_xLIDyH-2_&lang=eng

Watching it totally brought back exactly how I felt when Dad lost his job in Phoenix. At first I was absolutely terrified and so afraid.  It felt like the bottom of our whole world had dropped out and we were working without a net! But we were okay because we worked together as a family and we had our food storage and paid our tithing.  We were so blessed that were able to sustain ourselves, pay our bills and not have to rely on the gov't or the church for help because we were prepared.  

Do you all remember how Britta and I delivered that shopper paper while Clairice babysat Eric and Jessie so I could do that? Oh gosh - it was scary sometimes and it was hard, but Britta and I had a lot of fun together inspite of it and Reesy was a better babysitter than any of the older teenage girls we had come. Brit, you had to lay on top of the papers in the back seat the car was so full! You were only 10 or 11 Rees! You guys were just little kids but Dad and I relied so much on you and you all came through! Kids can do amazing things if we let them!

Eric, do you remember going to Kathy Spargo's with me to play while I helped her with her crazy dog chew business? She and her husband were a godsend to let me come work with them when we needed cash. Dad worked off and on for Larry Turley and his software business and did odd jobs whenever they came around until he got a job.  

Remember how much fun we had at Christmas making our own wrapping paper and gifts for our family all without hardly spending any money? 

I feel so much love for all of you when I think about this. It was one of the worst times in our family but so much good came out of it and I believe it did because we tried hard to keep the commandments - pay our tithing, have our food storage, stay out of debt as much  as possible.  I NEVER want to go through that again and I hope none of you ever has to either, but we all know stuff happens that we can't foresee and the Lord gives us counsel and guidance to help us prepare when these things happen.

I love you all very much and hope that putting money away for a rainy day and working on getting your food storage will be a part of your plan for this coming year. 

Can't wait to see you all in about a month!  Yay!

have a great weekend.

Love,

Mom

About Anger

This morning I read the following in “Love is a Choice":

To those who say, “But I can’t help myself,” author William Wilbanks responds, “Nonsense.” “Aggression . . . suppressing anger, talking about it, screaming and yelling, are all learned strategies in dealing with anger. We choose the one that has proved effective for us in the past. Ever notice how seldom we lose control when frustrated by our boss, but how often we do when annoyed by friends or family?”
In his sophomore year Wilbanks tried out for the high school basketball team and made it. On the first day of practice his coach had him play one-on-one while the team observed. When he missed an easy shot, he became angry and stomped and whined. The coach walked over to him and said, “You pull a stunt like that again and you’ll never play for my team.” For the next three years he never lost control again. Years later, as he reflected back on this incident, he realized that the coach had taught him a life-changing principle that day: anger can be controlled. 

In the Joseph Smith Translation of Ephesians 4:26, Paul asks the question, “Can ye be angry, and not sin?” The Lord is very clear on this issue. “He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away” (3 Ne. 11:29–30). This doctrine or command from the Lord presupposes agency and is an appeal to the conscious mind to make a decision. He expects us to make the choice not to become angry. 

Reading the Savior’s words—“This is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger . . . but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away”—changed my life. As a young father I had been in elders quorum meetings where more seasoned fathers emphasized the Old Testament phrase “spare the rod and spoil the child” and endorsed anger and spanking. When I read the insights shared above by William Wilbanks—that anger is a decision—it impacted me profoundly. I decided I would no longer discipline that way.

My oldest son was the brunt of much of my anger. When he was a teenager and doing things that caused me great concern, I would get angry. The angrier I got, the more counterproductive it became. Rather than helping him I was driving him away. The day I learned that anger is a decision, I took him aside and shared this new insight with him. I sincerely apologized for the many occasions on which I had become angry with him. I asked him if he would please forgive me, with the promise that I would never get angry with him ever again. He forgave me, and I kept my promise. It changed his life and it changed mine. He also dramatically reduced his own anger. He served a wonderful mission, married in the temple, has a beautiful family, and is valiant in the gospel. But I think about how close I came to possibly losing him because of my foolishness in not following the example of the one perfect parent.”

After reading this I wonder how it turned out that I have such a good relationship with my children, because I was often very angry and blamed their behavior for me loosing my temper and getting angry. I think I knew all along that it was wrong and so I did apologize - a lot. (Perhaps their forgiveness is what saved our relationship.) They may have acted out and disobeyed, been smart with me, etc., but as a parent it was my responsibility to act in a more Christlike way and refrain from being angry and just deal with the problem. I think the kids have all forgiven me, but I’m sure life at home would have been much more pleasant if I had learned this lesson as a young mother. I’m not sure I have learned it now. Currently, my children and their children don’t make me angry, but my dad and my brother sure can and I need to learn to control it and act in a different way. I'm not sure why it is so difficult for me to remain calm when Dad and Phil disagree and come at me with something they are upset about. I think I feel like they are attacking me and my decisions, or Chip and his decisions and I immediately get my hackles up and become really defensive and angry. I hate that I do that and know that if I can remain in control of myself the whole situation will be different. I don't have to agree with what they are saying, but I do need to react calmly and rationally.

This book is a really good way to learn about myself and reflect on my actions now and in the past. Hopefully, I can do better going forward.

LOVE IS A CHOICE

I’ve been reading this book called "love is a choice" by Lynn G Robbins.  It's a church book I got from Deseret Book about improving marriage and family relationships and how love really is a choice - in our marriage and in our family.  He is a General Authority, but he was one of the founders of The Franklin Institute, which taught time management etc and sold Franklin Planners, which of course later combined with Stephen Covey and become Franklin Covey.  Pretty cool ( I had to work that in somewhere.)  Anyway, way I'm on the 2nd chapter.  The first chapter was "Agency & Love in Marriage" and this chapter is called "Love and 100% responsibility.

 I wanted to share what he called "The Anti-Responsibility List" which I'm pretty sure all of us use at some time of our lives. I thought it was worth posting.  Marriage and family is hard. (Jess and Matt - you might not realize this yet, but you will.) I recognize myself in a lot of these excuses and justifications and I bet everyone that reads this will  see themselves in some of these also. I want to work to eliminate the "anti-responsbility list" from my life - at home, at work, and at church - but especially at home.  It's easy to make excuses as to why we aren't as happy as we'd like to be, why we have the problems we have, why we do the things we do, but this part of the book is really helpful for taking full responsibility for our behavior and what we can do to change rather than asking others to change and hope our problem or situation gets better without us doing anything. We all know that we can't force others to change - our spouse or our children, our brothers, sisters, parents, etc. But we do have the power to change ourselves. That's usually the hardest thing to do.

 It's a great resource for raising kids and teaching them to be responsible for their own behavior and helpful to us as adults to get out of the habit (which I know I have) of blaming our spouse, our boss, our situation, etc for why we can't succeed or making excuses when we fail - which we all do that too.

Here is a list of examples from the scriptures of "the anti-responsibility list":

• Blame others—Saul blames others for his disobedience: “But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen” (1 Sam. 15:21; emphasis added).
• Self-justify—Saul justifies his disobedience: “To sacrifice unto the Lord . . . And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? ” (1 Sam. 15:21–22; emphasis added).
• Make excuses—“Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur, saying: How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us?” (1 Ne. 3:31; emphasis added).
• Hide—“And Adam and [Eve] went to hide themselves from the presence of the Lord” (Moses 4:14; emphasis added).
• Cover up—The prophet Nathan rebukes David: “Thou hast killed Uriah . . . and hast taken his wife to be thy wife . . . For thou didst it secretly” (2 Sam. 12:9, 12; emphasis added).
• Flee/Avoid—“But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord” (Jonah 1:3; emphasis added).
• Abandon—Alma to his son Corianton: “Thou didst do that which was grievous unto me; for thou didst forsake the ministry” (Alma 39:3; emphasis added).
• Deny/Lie—“And Saul said . . . I have performed the commandment of the Lord. And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears . . . ?” (1 Sam. 15:13, 14; emphasis added).
• Rebel—Samuel rebukes Saul: “For rebellion . . . Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king” (1 Sam. 15:23; emphasis added).
• Complain/Murmur—“And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and . . . said . . . Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt!” (Num. 14:2; emphasis added).
• Find fault and get angry—“And it came to pass that Laman was angry with me, and also with my father; and also was Lemuel” (1 Ne. 3:28; emphasis added).
• Make demands/entitlements—“We will not that our younger brother shall be a ruler over us. And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel did take me and bind me with cords, and they did treat me with much harshness” (1 Ne. 18:10, 11).
• Doubt, Despair, Give up, Lose hope, Quit—“They began to murmur against me, saying: Our brother is a fool . . . for they did not believe that I could build a ship” (1 Ne. 17:17–18).
• Wallow in self-pity—“Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy (1 Ne. 17:21).
• Undecided—“And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him” (1 Kgs. 18:21; emphasis added).
• Procrastinate—“But behold, your days of probation are past; ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late” (Hel. 13:38; emphasis added).
• Enable—Eli does not discipline his sons for their sins: “Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and . . . honourest thy sons above me . . . ?” (1 Sam. 2:22, 29; emphasis added).
• Fear—“And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth. . . . His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant” (Matt. 25:25–26; emphasis added).

Here are some more reasons we don't take responsibility:

To avoid shame or public ridicule. He doesn’t want to appear wrong and be embarrassed in front of others. He hopes it will keep others from examining his behavior. It makes his unsatisfactory behavior or performance seem acceptable or tolerable.


To eliminate guilt. Shame is embarrassment before others; guilt is shame before God. It is the internal pain or private awareness and disappointment in oneself. Rather than repent to eliminate the guilt, Satan tempts the natural man to go to the list to displace it. Doing so gives guilty parties a false sense that someone else is to blame, and therefore, they are still in alignment with God’s will.

To avoid stress, distress, and anxiety. However, the list is a false sedative, and only masks the true problem.

To justify inaction. If he is not responsible, then there is no wrong to correct and no repentance needed.

To take an easy path. It is easier to do nothing—the natural man is lazy and takes the path of least resistance.

The anti-responsibility list could also be called the anti-faith list, because it halts progress dead in its tracks. Pride paralyzes progress with fear. It is a cunning strategy used by Satan to cause a person to subtly surrender his or her agency. The person is no longer in control or “acting;” rather, he or she becomes a victim who is being acted upon, and Satan cleverly begins to take control. Using this list is a form of self-deception and self-betrayal.

Eliminate the Anti-Responsibility List from Your Life

It doesn’t help a student to blame the teacher for a poor report card, even if the teacher is mediocre. Blaming is a form of self-pity and usually involves a surrendering of one’s initiative and control over positive outcomes.

It doesn’t help the teacher to blame a student for poor performance. Even if the students are uncooperative or lack motivation, the moment the teacher blames them she or he surrenders power to improve the class, because the burden to improve now rests upon the students.

Poor results in a missionary companionship should never be blamed on a lazy companion. The moment a missionary blames a companion (or the area, or the ward, or the weather, etc.) for lack of success; his or her own victim mentality allows failure to become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Even if your spouse manages money poorly or is not as neat and orderly as you are, you lose control over possible happy outcomes when you conclude that he or she is the one who must change before you can be happy. In what ways can you be more responsible for happier outcomes?

Even if your spouse is not as romantic as he or she used to be, or is a poor communicator, or seems more interested in business, hobbies, sports, or socializing than the family, you lose control over possible happy outcomes when you think your spouse is the only one that needs to change. There may be many creative solutions to these challenges when you begin to ponder on things you can do to improve the situation rather than hoping all positive change must come from the other person.

Summary

• Agency and responsibility are inseparable. With 100% agency we are also 100% responsible.
• Trying to separate agency and responsibility is one of Satan’s most cunning strategies.
• We have all used the anti-responsibility list and will continually be tempted to use the      devices on it.
• When we avoid being responsible, we limit our own agency.
• Responsibility is as much a gift as agency, with increased blessings given to those who are responsible for their choices.
• The anti-responsibility list is self-deceptive and self-destructive and damages relationships with others.
• When we are not responsible before God, Satan begins to take control. 
• The law of justice demands 100% responsibility for sin.
• Not being responsible is to deny the Lord’s justice and mercy.
• Not confessing serious sins is not being responsible. 
• Not forgiving is self-defeating and self-destructive.
• Forgiving is a requirement to partake of the sacrament worthily.
• We must forgive even if the offender is unrepentant, and until we do so, we will not access the Lord’s grace and find healing and peace.

This is a great book, well worth your time to read and discuss.

"Miracle Mornings"

Dear Family,

Clairice and I have been reading and discussing a book titled “The Miracle Morning” about the benefits of rising early and starting out the day with certain practices - pondering, visualizing, reading, journaling and repeating affirmations.  The premise of the book is that if you will get up early and start your day in this positive way it will lead to success in all areas of your life. Getting up early is the real key to this. This morning as I was reading on the church website I came across this amazing article about the blessings of arising early so I have copied it into my journal and want to share it with you on our blog.  When I was a very young mother I read a book by Daryl Hoole entitled “The Art of Homemaking”.  It seems kind of funny now because our society has changed so much and the idea of “homemaking” seems very dated, but I sure learned a lot from that book.  I did not know how to keep a home and make it a pleasant place.  One very important thing I did learn from that book was that if I wanted to stay ahead of my children I needed to get up and get ready for the day before they got up. That was probably one of the best and most useful things I learned from reading that book. I don’t remember when exactly I started doing that and I don’t remember it being easy but I do know I did start doing it and it made a difference in my attitude about my children, our family and my ability to manage everything. I don’t know if I started out life as a “morning person” or not, but I think I am one now probably because I’ve been getting up “early” (which is a relative term) for so many years, it’s just a habit. I sure do get a lot of things done though.  The problem now is that even when I got to bed earlier (before 11:00 lets say) I don’t fall asleep and have trouble staying asleep so I feel a lot tireder in the morning.  That’s a function of age I think, and will most likely not be changing anytime soon.

Here’s the article:

Filled with Life and Energy
By Randal A. Wright
The author lives in Texas, USA.

What one practice, if followed consistently and with discipline, would help you have better health, energy, and inspiration?

Imagine for a moment that a friend comes to you seeking advice on ways to receive personal revelation. If you could offer only one idea, what would it be?

As a new General Authority, Elder Marion G. Romney (1897–1988) felt inadequate in fulfilling his important calling, so he sought advice from his friend Elder Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The counsel offered that day both surprised and motivated Elder Romney. Elder Lee said: “If you are to be successful as a General Authority, you will need to be inspired. You will need to receive revelation. I will give you one piece of advice: Go to bed early and get up early. If you do, your body and mind will become rested and then in the quiet of those early morning hours, you will receive more flashes of inspiration and insight than at any other time of the day.”

Years later, reflecting back on that experience, then-President Romney said: “From that day on, I put that counsel into practice, and I know it works. Whenever I have a serious problem, or some assignment of a creative nature with which I hope to receive the influence of the Spirit, I always receive more assistance in the early morning hours than at any other time of the day.”1

When I first read this account, I too was surprised by the advice Elder Lee gave. I would never have connected an early daily schedule with revelation. However, I now know that there is a direct correlation. I have also learned that actions traditionally associated with receiving revelation like prayer, scripture study, fasting, temple attendance, and service are greatly enhanced when I go to bed early and get up early.

Scriptural Examples
Inspired men and women of all ages have followed this divine counsel concerning sleep. “Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord” (Genesis 19:27; emphasis added). “Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone” (Exodus 34:4; emphasis added). “And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord” (Joshua 6:12; emphasis added).

How did the Lord begin His day during His mortal ministry? Mark records, “In the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35). Mary, a devoted disciple, followed His example and in doing so taught us a powerful lesson: “The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre” (John 20:1). In the early morning she became the first mortal to see the resurrected Lord.

Blessings of Arising Early
Great leaders in our day also use the early-morning hours to receive revelation. Some time ago I heard a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy mention in a stake conference talk that he was an early riser. After the meeting, I spoke to him briefly about his early-morning ritual, then asked how many of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve kept a similar schedule. He replied, “They all do!” It was a powerful moment, and the Spirit testified to me that going to bed early and getting up early can be indeed connected to receiving revelation.

Additional blessings are pledged to those who follow the Lord’s counsel on sleep. Consider these incredible promises: “Cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated” (D&C 88:124; emphasis added). Invigorate means “to fill with life and energy.”

The ancient philosopher Aristotle suggested other benefits to those who keep an early schedule: “It is well to be up before day-break, for such a habit contributes to health, wealth and wisdom.”2 Early U.S. statesman Benjamin Franklin later put that thought into his well-known maxim: “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”3 Most people put health, wealth, and wisdom toward the top of things most desired in life.

Health
The average age of a chief executive officer in America is 55 years old.4 Would it surprise you to discover that the CEO of an international organization was a 97-year-old man? What if you also learned that he still traveled the world giving speeches, training leaders, meeting with government officials, and being interviewed by major media organizations at this advanced age? What if his two top VPs were very active 79- and 87-year-olds? And yet that was exactly the situation toward the end of the administration of President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) as President of the Church. It seems likely that an early schedule, while not the only contributor, is among the factors leading to the longevity of our Church leaders.

Former Brigham Young University president Ernest L. Wilkinson suggested that keeping an early schedule is associated with health benefits. Referring to President David O. McKay (1873–1970), President of the Church at the time, he said: “One of the great reasons, I am sure, why President McKay has lived to such a good, ripe, and vigorous old age has been the fact that as a young man he developed habits of retiring to bed early, arising early, generally before sun up, when his mind was clear and his body vigorous, to do the day’s work.”5

Connections have also been made between keeping an early schedule and mental and emotional health. Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has said, “To those who feel defeated and downtrodden, look to the early hours of the day for your rescue.”6

Wisdom
The connection between sleep patterns and wisdom is not just a theory. A study conducted by researchers at Brigham Young University states: “Students who habitually go to bed late and sleep late the next day have lower grade point averages (GPAs) than students with early-to-bed and early-to-rise sleeping habits. The later students slept in the morning, the lower their grades tended to be. Out of all the factors studied, weekday and weekend wakeup times had the strongest association with students’ GPAs. Each hour over the average that students slept in on weekdays was associated with a 0.13-point drop on the GPA (0.0–4.0 scale).”7

Not long ago I surveyed 203 Latter-day Saint college students about their sleep patterns. On average these students awoke at 7:30 a.m. on school days and 9:15 a.m. on weekends. Their average bedtime was midnight on school nights and 1:00 a.m. on weekends. These students are going directly against the research connecting an early schedule with knowledge acquisition. Perhaps the finding that a higher GPA is the result of an early schedule is too simple to believe. Have we become like the children of Israel, who refused to follow the Lord’s antidote for snakebites “because of the simpleness of the way”? (1 Nephi 17:41; see also Helaman 8:14–15).

Consider the counsel President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, gave related to gaining wisdom: “I counsel our children to do their critical studying in the early hours of the morning when they’re fresh and alert, rather than to fight physical weariness and mental exhaustion at night. I’ve learned the power of the dictum, ‘Early to bed, early to rise.’”8 Perhaps this is one reason full-time missionaries follow an early-to-bed and early-to-rise schedule.

Other Blessings
Writing with his wife, Barbara, Elder Joe J. Christensen, emeritus member of the Seventy, suggested even more blessings to those who follow the Lord’s counsel on sleep: “There must be an excellent reason for the injunction to retire and arise early [see D&C 88:124]. … The world is a more beautiful place early in the morning. Life is so much more calm. Much more can be accomplished in a shorter amount of time.”9 During a fireside address at Brigham Young University, Elder Christensen further stated: “Some of you are not getting the rest that you need. Some are habituated to going to bed late and sleeping much longer than your system really needs, thus missing out on some of the personal inspiration you could be receiving.”10

President Hinckley added another promise to the obedient: “If you go to bed at 10:00 and get up by 6:00 a.m., things will work out for you.”11

Following the Lord’s counsel on sleep may seem like a small thing, yet “by small means the Lord can bring about great things” (1 Nephi 16:29). I have a testimony that following an early schedule brings many blessings into our lives, including revelation. It’s amazing how much more I get accomplished in a day when I retire early and arise early. The benefits of this self-discipline far exceed the effort required. When we win the first battle of the day against the mattress, we are far more likely to win more battles during the day. We are also more likely to be filled with life and energy.

Hide References

Notes

  1. See Joe J. Christensen, To Grow in Spirit: A Ten-Point Plan for Becoming More Spiritual (1989), 27–28.
  2. Aristotle, in Wit and Wisdom of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, ed. N. B. Sen (1967), 100.
  3. Selections from the Writings of Benjamin Franklin, ed. U. Waldo Cutler (1905), 16.
  4. See Forbes magazine, “Emerging Culture, Worldwide Success,” Oct. 25, 2012.
  5. Ernest L. Wilkinson, Lifting One’s Sights, Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year (Oct. 1, 1963), 4.
  6. Russell M. Nelson, “Joy Cometh in the Morning,” Ensign, Nov. 1986, 70.
  7. Journal of American College Health 49 (2000): 125–30.
  8. Boyd K. Packer, Teach Ye Diligently (1975), 205.
  9. Joe J. and Barbara K. Christensen, Making Your Home a Missionary Training Center (1985), 33.
  10. Joe J. Christensen, “Resolutions” (Brigham Young University fireside, Jan. 9, 1994), 5, speeches.byu.edu.
  11. Gordon B. Hinckley, in Sheri L. Dew, Go Forward with Faith: The Biography of Gordon B. Hinckley (1996), 166–67.

Ricks Devotional 1976 - Stephen R Covey

Hi Family,
I wanted to share something with you that I've  been thinking about. I often think of ideas, concerns, ponderings that I'd like to talk to you all about, but you all aren't here so I decided to write you all an email. I may do this from time to time along with posting it on our family blog (you all do remember the family blog, right? (http://giffords08.blogspot.com)

For some reason about a week ago something made me think about a talk I heard when I was at Ricks. It was by Stephen Covey. It had a big influence on my life and I've remembered it ever since. Thanks to the Internet I was able to find it in the archives for BYUI devotionals! 

https://byui-media.ldscdn.org/byui_ft/devo_audio/1976_09_28_ADV_Covey.mp3

28 Sep 1976 - Devotionals

Spiritual Rewards Come From Prayer and Reading Scriptures 

Brother Stephen R. Covey

Mission Rep. of the Council of the Seventy

I was predisposed to be interested and excited about this devotional because when I was in high school Ross Wight, the branch president in Sidney when I joined the church, used Covey's book "Spiritual Roots of Human Relations" as the text for many of his Bishops Youth Discussions.  I bought and read that book several times. The premise of his devotional is that if we will each spend 20-30 minutes a day in the presence of the Lord in prayer and  scripture study we will be changed from the inside out and will spend eternity with the Lord. Being a fairly recent convert to the church (baptized in May of 1974, went to Ricks in the fall of 1975 and heard this talk in September of 1976) I didn't have a regular program of scripture study. It wasn't emphasized then the way it has been since you guys were little. We didn't have the new scriptures where all the texts are tied together through footnotes, etc. It made a big impact on me and I can say that while I have not read every single day since that time, I've been pretty consistent over the years and haven't gone weeks or months without picking up my scriptures. 

Brother Covey taught at the Marriott School of Management at the Y and established the Masters program for Organizational Behavior, which having been a psych major I also found compelling.  I found another tie to him when we lived in Logan. He was a mission president in the British Isles and our Bishop in Logan, Kent Wallis was his assistant. Kent met his wife. Loreen while he was on his mission as she also worked in the Mission office. He often talked about what he learned from President Covey in discussions with the youth, in Sacrament and in ward council meetings. I'm sure you've heard of "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" which I've read a couple times and loaned out and lost.  He also wrote a similar more gospel oriented book titled "The Divine Center" which focuses on putting the Savior at the center of our lives and thereby putting everything else in it's proper place. If you've heard of "FranklinCovey" planners and organizers, seminars, etc. that's a combination of a company he started and merged with Franklin Quest.  I've always loved planners and when I knew he created a company that used his 7 habits idea in a planner I bought one! He died a couple years ago and would have been a little younger than Bumpa. 

Anyway, I wanted to share this with you. I've been thinking about it for awhile. I hope you'll take 40 minutes or so in the car or around the house to listen to this talk and think about me being a 19 year old new convert and the impression it made on me.  I hope it makes one of you also.

Love you all

Mom