Prepare Every Needful Thing
The following was modified from a talk I gave in church on this topic. I wish that I could remember exactly what I said when I gave this talk. I said so much more that what I had written. I would encourage anyone that is interested in this topic to read the entire devotional "Wisdom and Order" by Neal A. Maxwell. If you are interested in a less spiritual prospective on this topic the second Maxim in Mansfield's Book of Manly Men is an excellent resource.
In December of 1832 the Lord directing his saints to build a temple said to "organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing". At this time the Church did not have the robust temple building program that we now have. The saints at this time were anything but a resource rich people. The Chapter entitled "A House for Our God" in the book Revelations in Context states "Joseph Smith and the Saints in Kirtland began acting on this instruction almost immediately, but, as the June 1 revelation indicated, they still had only a dim understanding of what it would ultimately mean or of the enormous sacrifices it would require."
The instruction from the Lord to "prepare every needful thing" can seem a daunting directive. At first reading we may take this as commandment to prepare everything. But if we focus on the specific words used by the Lord we see that we need only prepare what is needful. This allows us to change our focus from all the things we could be doing to just what is needful. Elder K. Brett Nattress of the seventy illustrated this point by comparing our attention to a river. A river that is a mile wide but only an inch deep has much less moving power than a river with the same volume that has been focused and directed into a more focused flow.
If we find ourselves trying to do everything for everyone we are in good company. Moses, after leading the Israelites out of Egypt, received wise counsel from his father-in-law about doing what was needful and allowing others to help with the rest.
17. And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
18. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
22. And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. (Exodus 18:17-18, 22)
In Luke we read of a time Jesus was visiting Mary and Martha.
38. Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
39. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
40. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42. But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:28-42)
What was that one thing that was needful? King Benjamin taught his people to “see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order” (Mosiah 4:27). The one thing that was needful was to turn to the source of wisdom and He who set the universe in order.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell, in a devotional to BYU students "Wisdom and Order", said, “we unwisely often write checks against our time accounts as we never would dare do, comparably, against our bank accounts. Sometimes we make so many commitments, they become like the vines in the allegory of Jacob, threatening to ‘overcome the roots,’ including the roots of family relationships, friendships, and relationships with God”.
We as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints often hear and share experiences relating to doing more that we thought we had time or energy to accomplish. This may push us to feel that if we are not "careful and troubled about many things" that we are less faithful than others. In that same devotional shared about a time when he went late one afternoon to give blessings to three individuals in two different hospitals. By the end of the night he was worn out and he said “the last person really didn’t get much from me”. He recalls that “those blessings would have been better given over two or three days, and I would have had more empathy and energy. Somehow, giving unhurried time is a greater gift even if the minutes or hours are technically the same as when hurried”.
John Wooden advised "don't let good become the enemy of best". When we bind ourselves with chains of duty we do exactly that. When we become so concerned all the things we should be doing we end up not doing anything well. Eric Hoffer said that "the soul is like a violin string; it makes music only when it is stretched". We therefore must find balance between overstretching to the point we damage or break the string and stretching to play in tune with the Master.
