Remembering to consider my priorities, words and actions "that all may be benefitted"

 I read this today in a talk given by Robert D. Hales (citation below). It caused some personal reviewing of my personal priorities in life.

"In section 46 of the Doctrine and Covenants, we are told to

"'beware lest ye are deceived; . . . seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given;' (verse 8)

"'For verily I say unto you, they are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, . . . that all may be benefited '. . . . (verse 9)

"In June of 1965, a group of brethren in the Physical Facilities Department of the Church was doing some work outside the Hotel Utah apartment of President David O. McKay. As President McKay stopped to explain to them the importance of the work in which they were engaged, he paused and told them the following:

"'Let me assure you, Brethren, that some day you will have a personal priesthood interview with the Savior, Himself. If you are interested, I will tell you the order in which He will ask you to account for your earthly responsibilities.

"'First, He will request an accountability report about your relationship with your wife. Have you actively been engaged in making her happy and ensuring that her needs have been met as an individual?

"'Second, He will want an accountability report about each of your children individually. He will not attempt to have this for simply a family stewardship but will request information about your relationship to each and every child.

"'Third, He will want to know what you personally have done with the talents you were given in the pre-existence.

"'Fourth, He will want a summary of your activity in your Church assignments. He will not be necessarily interested in what assignments you have had, for in his eyes the home teacher and a mission president are probably equals, but He will request a summary of how you have been of service to your fellowmen in your Church assignments.

"'Fifth, He will have no interest in how you earned your living, but if you were honest in all your dealings.

"'Sixth, He will ask for an accountability on what you have done to contribute in a positive manner to your community, state, country and the world.'

[From Notes of Fred A. Baker, Managing Director, Department of Physical Facilities]

"May we be able to meet these tests with affirmative answers and receive a loving welcome home from the Lord, who we hope will say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

"It is my fervent desire that each of us will use our God-given intelligence to gain the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in our hearts to meet life’s tests and trials and to endure to the end. May each of us use our gifts and talents to protect, love, and lift others in a caring way..."

Excerpt from

"Understandings of the Heart"

Robert D. Hales

BYU Devotional

15 March 1988

Considering stewardship and personal accumulation

 Luke 3:10-11 

"And the people asked him [John the Baptist], saying, What shall we do then?

"He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise."

John tells them to be generous. He tells them to give away excess possessions; to start decluttering and giving, and to simplify, so that others will have what they need.

Notice that this is more than just one of ten shirts, it's one of two. There is some personal sacrifice involved in order to bless someone else.

Later, in 2nd Corinthians, chapter 8, 12-15, Paul writes about such generosity, and about the consideration that is part of the determination as to how much to give to others in need:

"For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

"For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:

"But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

"As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack."

It seems to be a choosing to provide instead of to simply accumulate.  It is providing resources and tools where they may be needed instead of accumulating them.

How to personally decide a wise way to do that?  In chapter 9: 7-8, he writes 

"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

"And God is able to make all grace (His ready willingness to help) abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:"

The decision is made personally and freely with your heart, implying personal counsel with the Lord as to the wise use, or the making available, of those extra things with which he has blessed us. It is about our personal stewardship

This isn't tithing. This is free-will, generosity; contributions of items or assets (to individuals or to organizations that provide access to things that others are in need of) that is inspired by personal revelation that we receive as we counsel with the Lord about the divine stewardship over the things (stuff) we have have acquired or that we have individually been given.

The challenge, in this modern age, is to avoid using our stewardship to acquire and keep extra things, and, also, when we find that we have done so, (it's part of our consumer culture) to actually take the time to seek revelation as to what are the ways to provide those things to others in need, in order to bless.

A sobering study.

 The effect of cell phones on memory and cognition

https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/691462

The abstract from the report on this study:

Abstract

Our smartphones enable—and encourage—constant connection to information, entertainment, and each other. They put the world at our fingertips, and rarely leave our sides. Although these devices have immense potential to improve welfare, their persistent presence may come at a cognitive cost. In this research, we test the “brain drain” hypothesis that the mere presence of one’s own smartphone may occupy limited-capacity cognitive resources, thereby leaving fewer resources available for other tasks and undercutting cognitive performance. Results from two experiments indicate that even when people are successful at maintaining sustained attention—as when avoiding the temptation to check their phones—the mere presence of these devices reduces available cognitive capacity. Moreover, these cognitive costs are highest for those highest in smartphone dependence. We conclude by discussing the practical implications of this smartphone-induced brain drain for consumer decision-making and consumer welfare.

The whole report is definitely worth reading.