The Fast Track

I came across an April 2001 General Conference talk by Elder Dallin H. Oaks called "Focus and Priorities." Much of his talk focused on how modern technology has advanced to give us "far more discretionary time than our predecessors."

Interestingly, one of the first things he stated was that "it is timely to ask ourselves what we are going to strive to become because of what we have heard from the Lord's servants." This goes quite well hand-in-hand with our Attributes of Christ projects we have in our Book of Mormon class in the Pathway program in which we are striving to become more like Christ.

I was happy to read that Elder Oaks said:

"I hope that these cautions on the need to focus will not be understood as hostile to selective use of the new technology that has put such a wealth of information at our fingertips. In this I echo Brigham Young, who declared: 

"Every discovery in science and art, that is really true and useful to mankind, has been given by direct revelation from God. ... We should take advantage of all these great discoveries ... and give to our children the benefit of every branch of useful knowledge, to prepare them to step forward and efficiently do their part in the great work." (Deseret News, 22 Oct 1862, 129.)

So many times we well-meaning people try to throw the baby out with the bath water. Television, computers, the Internet all get labeled as a "bad" thing sometimes. That opinion is usually delivered with a bit of a haughty attitude. Personally, I love computers and TV. I strive to not use them to excess. I wouldn't be in college without them! However, we need to beware, as Alma counseled his son Coriantun:

"Seek not after riches nor the vain things of this world; for behold, you cannot carry them with you."

Elder Oaks indicated the "'vain things of the world' include every combination of that worldly quartet of property, pride, prominence, and power." How many times did we see these things become the downfall of the Lamanites and the Nephites, especially in the book of Helaman?

The "Pride Cycle" in this section of the Book of Mormon is astounding in how quickly things changed. It's akin to watching a tennis tournament--back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. It's enough to give you whiplash!

The Lamanites and Nephites get puffed up in pride with their property of gold and silver, fine clothes, great herds, etc. Our modern-day gold and silver, since it's used in the manufacture, quite literally comes in forms of electronic toys. We have designer-label jeans, sneakers, and handbags, and our "herds" have several thousand horsepower.

People in this world cheat, lie, steal, and sometimes murder in order to gain prominence and power. We sometimes take too much pride in things from our children to sports teams--whether they've earned it or not.

We need to be careful with these wonderful resources we have been given. We will be held accountable to how we used these gifts. We can use them to uplift and improve, not only ourselves, but also those around us--our families, our communities, all the way up to our world depending on how far we can and want to take our efforts. Of course, they can especially be used to enlarge the knowledge of the gospel of ourselves and those around us.

Go give Elder Oaks' talk a gander. It's definitely one thing that's well worth the use of these great resources and time.

"Focus and Priorities" by Dallin H. Oaks, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Drawn Out in Prayer Continually

Long ago I'd read an article in the Ensign, "Drawn Out in Prayer Continually."  You know how some things just stick with you? This article was one of those things, and since I'm a Reader (yes, with a capital R), when something sticks out of all the things I've read, it really means something. That article was written in 1987, but even before that I'd received a lesson in being "drawn out in prayer continually," and that article just confirmed those truths that you don't have to formally be on your knees, hands clasped and eyes closed, to pray.

In 1980, I was a year out of high school and had finished vocational school with a Secretarial Diploma. I had been working for a temp agency, but not knowing if I'd have a job to go to day in and day out was wreaking havoc on my nerves. I was still living at home, so I wasn't worried about my parents throwing me out of the house, but I had expenses that I couldn't ask them to pay, and I wanted to become more independent and eventually move out.

I went to an employment agency to get help in finding a job. They set me up with an interview for a clerical position for the shoe company that made K-Mart shoes. It sounded like it was a really good fit for me (pun intended). The company was in Compton (yes, THAT Compton), California, 25 miles and four freeways away, but in six weeks it would be moving to the closer, safer, and much less scary, Fountain Valley, only five miles away. I could handle it for just six weeks--no problem.

I prayed out loud, while driving, while switching lanes and freeways, all the way to the interview. I ended up giving the best interview of my life! The person I was in that office didn't seem like it was me. Before I had even gotten home afterwards there was a message on the answering machine from the employment agency that I'd been offered the job.

As Amulek put it to the Zoramites in Alma 34:

Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.

Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him.

Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks.

Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.

Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.

Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.

Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.

Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase. 

But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness. 

Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you. (Alma 34:18-27)

Apparently praying in your car in Southern California traffic works as well.

A more recent event, of a heart drawn out in prayer, came just two weeks ago. After Christmas, my 25-year-old son was on his way to Salt Lake City to work for H&R Block during his semester off from BYU-Idaho. He stopped in Southern Utah at my late parents' home to drop off some items for the caretaker of the property. He had stopped there on his way to California in the middle of December and his car had sustained some minor damage when the snow on the quarter-mile gravel driveway was too deep for his car.

With fresh snow on the driveway again, and not wanting to chance it again, he opted to leave his car at the end of the driveway and walk to the house. However, to his chagrin, when he got back to his car he discovered that he was stuck in the snow on the side of the road. His car couldn't get any traction and started sliding towards the shallow ditch. The caretaker is partially disabled and doesn't have a car, so he couldn't help. While I was on the phone with my son discussing what the next step should be and who I could call to help, he thought maybe he could push the front end enough laterally for it to get hold of the road. While I waited on the phone the prayer went out to keep him safe--I was picturing the car rolling over him as it slid into the ditch. Just then I heard him talking to somebody. He told me to hang on. Someone had stopped to help! I felt a surge of the Spirit telling me my prayer was heard and answered. I immediately looked skyward and said, "Thank you."

I heard them all laughing in the background and in another couple of minutes my son was back on the phone with me with his car back on the road. The Good Samaritan arrived in a four-wheel drive truck--with a winch, no less--and a shovel in the back. All that was needed was the shovel, but apparently the Lord provided for all contingencies. I told my son about the prayer and the answer, and laughed saying, "The Lord loves mothers. He listens very closely to their prayers."

What were they all laughing about? When the truck's driver saw the Green Bay Packers license plate frame on my son's car, he said, "Well, I don't know if I can help you if you're a Packers fan. I'm a Vikings fan myself." :)