MAKE EVERY MINUTE COUNTS

For almost the last 6 months we have tried to “turn to the fathers” in obeying a beautiful teaching we learned. Not many people like Brigham Young, but for me and my house we love him. One of his teachings that we have begun to pay closer attention to with exactness is about using our time wisely, how every single hour is accountable for, and we will have to report on our time used someday. Brigham said:

“Time is given to you; and when this is spent to the best possible advantage for promoting truth upon the earth, it is placed to our account, and blessed are you; but when we spend our time in idleness and folly it will be placed against us (DBY, 290).

As a mother, I have thought much about these words over the years and I have seen another family take this inspired teaching and apply it. I have seen over the years the amount of work that comes out of their home, how so much can be done and everything is organized. I have watched how satan seems to be bound more by this one little teaching than anything else. I would often wonder if I, too, could get ‘more’ out of my children and give more to God if I did this. I wondered what would happen if we put “every hour” into something better with a return and report system in place, would it really cast out the devils, would idleness, selfishness, and even forms of contention disappear? What would be the fruit in my home produced by following this ‘father of the Restoration’ with exactness?

In our home, we have two daughters still living with us. Both of age, (22, and 24) could live as they wish according to the laws of the land. My husband and I have really good children (maybe I am too biased) and so when this teaching was shared how we would use time differently in the home, nobody ran to the hills, and everyone was in agreeance to do it. I was shocked at how these kids were okay with it, and to follow such strictness.

Obedience is the first law in heaven, without it, nothing can get done. It is part of our covenants yet so many of us idle away valuable time not not following this council. I know as a mom I wasted so much time, not understanding both how obedience and idleness go hand in hand and how to train my young children with it. I would spend my entire day(s) hounding, nagging, and begging my older children to work all for me to step in and finally do it. I never taught my children what work really was, along with discipline to do it. When I raised my children we never worked together beyond a few small chores. Work is what I did, and my children I sent to the TV or friends to avoid the conflict. Things got done, and there was no chaos, I just became so tired and worn out. However, that all changed years ago when we began taking other inspired teachings of the prophets and began applying them. My faith grew as I watched how their words and our obedience together blessed our lives.

So, in our attempt to live the covenant stronger in “turning to the fathers,” and our desire to really help in building the Kingdom of God even more, we set up our schedules and put in place a reporting system, along with consequences for not using time and accomplishing what was being asked. The entire home became a working machine from sunup to sundown. Everyone was to report in at 6:30 am, 12:30 pm, and again at 6:30 pm with what was ACCOMPLISHED in detail, and what was NEXT.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF CHECKING IN?

• This is a time to evaluate how we are using our time for the day.
• This makes us stop and think about time. “what have I gotten done, what have I not gotten done?”
• This will train the brain to always be checking on progress
• At the end of the day you or a parent with children can evaluate “what didn’t get done”, and “why” by looking at the log sheet.
• So what are the fruits this year so far?

I can testify that idleness kills our children and the spirit in the home. I understand now completely why Brigham spoke so much on this topic. My home was plagued, probably like yours too, with the devil many times knocking at the door. Selfishness and pride always showed up, and most of all the ‘woahs’. But by doing this, we have seen so much good fruit. Better spirit, and more abundantly. More work is being accomplished, no casual jobs are finished, and things are done timely. The skills we have desired are now in view, peace, and love have deepened as we share the common workload, and our only want now is how to find even more time, to do more.

If you have a home that needs order, I promise you this is the best thing to do with your entire family. Every hour of the day should be used for good, in lifting and building others, building the Kingdom of God, developing skills to help others, and learning the attributes of Jesus Christ and so much more.

Again, President Young said:

“Idleness and wastefulness are not according to the rules of heaven. Preserve all you can, that you may have abundance to bless your friends and your enemies (DBY, 290).

So parents if idleness is not in heaven, isn’t it time we use these teachings that have been revealed to us, to put our homes in order and create heavenly living now?