This mantra almost borders on being a pet peeve. How so? I am a believer in preparation. Whether preparing a talk or lesson or attending choir rehearsals or preparing to pray or making dinner or whatever . . .we need to prepare. I'm afraid that sometimes we think we can skip over preparing and it will still be alright. Sometimes it does work out okay, but when we slide by, we're missing valuable blessings. There is truly consecration in preparation. There are blessings available only to those who truly put their best into something. Let me give a couple of examples:
I love the story President Eyering told about preparation- at least that's the message I got from it. He was asked to speak at graduation services at a university. The university president had wanted President Gordon B. Hinckley, but he was unavailable, so Elder Eyering got the job by default. He was a junior member of the quorum of the 12 apostles at the time. When the person who invited him to speak found out that it was his duty to be a witness of Jesus Christ, she got very anxious. She called him and told him in very firm tones that he was not to do that when he spoke at the graduation. "This university respects people of all religious beliefs, including those who deny the existence of God. You cannot fulfill your duty here."
Here is what happened in President Eyering's words (notice the preparation):
"I hung up the phone with serious questions in my mind. Should I tell the university that I would not keep my agreement to speak? It was only two weeks before the event. My appearance there had been announced. What effect would my failing to keep my agreement have on the good name of the Church?
I prayed to know what God would have me do. The answer came in a surprising way to me. I realized that the examples of Nephi, Abinadi, Alma, Amulek, and the sons of Mosiah applied to what I was. They were bold witnesses of Jesus Christ in the face of deadly peril.
So the only choice to be made was how to prepare. I dug into everything I could learn about the university. As the day of the talk grew closer, my anxiety rose and my prayers intensified.
In a miracle like the Red Sea parting, I found a news article. That university had been honored for doing what the Church has learned to do in our humanitarian efforts across the world. And so in my talk I described what we and they had done to lift people in great need. I said that I knew that Jesus Christ was the source of the blessings that had come into the lives of those we and they had served.
After the meeting the audience rose to applaud, which seemed a little unusual to me. I was amazed but still a little anxious. I remembered what happened to Abinadi. Only Alma had accepted his witness. But that night, at a large formal dinner, I heard the university president say that in my talk he heard the words of God."
I love this story and think it's such a great example of humble preparation. Elder Eyering could have just said, "Okay, Spirit. Tell me what to do." But instead, he went to work with intense preparation. I can't help but think the miracle that happened was a direct blessing for that preparation.
I have been a church choir director for many, many years. I've also led a women's singing group for many years. There have been many dedicated singers in those groups over the years. But, there have also been those who are really "good" who don't think they need to attend the rehearsals. They're good enough that they can just slide in at the end and it will be fine. And it will be fine. But what they don't ever realize is the blessings they could have had had they faithfully attended the rehearsals. There is a peace and confirmation that comes- a kind of "seal of approval" that makes the singing experience so much more fulfilling and spiritual if we prepare. Right now, the Keynotes group is full of preparers. I am constantly amazed at the level of preparation for every, single rehearsal. It pushes me beyond my limits to stay ahead of them. When we do get to performances, every word, note, and rhythm is memorized and our music can go so far beyond what it could down in that "technical only" level. I am so grateful to see this contrast and to see the consecration of preparation. We still make mistakes. The way we're blessed isn't necessarily that we can perform perfectly. But I see other blessings that come because we did our part. It's a sweet experience.
I didn't mean this to be "The Sermon on the Blog." Well, maybe I did. I guess I just feel passionate about preparation (sometimes a little TOO much. My next mantra post will be the rebuttal to this one.) I guess you could say it's one of my mantras!
To read other of my mantras, click here.
