rewcox Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 President Uchtdorf mentioned Simplification, told a story of overdoing.What are your thoughts?I've said to my wife before, "Why do we have to take the house for a RS lesson?" I also know many men do not prepare to teach priesthood lessons.Have you simplified? What did you do? What should a person, couple, family do to simplify?
BTH&T Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 I feel your pain! We do tend to go overboard on things.We only need to look at the example of the Savoir, his life was about the Important things. No mention about distractive behaviors'.Life today seems like one big distraction, almost becoming 24/7. Maybe part of the reason for the push to make a better Sabbath day observance. 1
VideoGameJunkie Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 I constantly think about eternal matters and how everything works in the eternities instead of just focusing on being a good person now. 1
Rivers Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 Keep meetings short, sweet, and to the point. 2
Bee Sweet Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 My husband was in the High Priest group leadership. I used to die laughing at how they called each other on Sunday morning asking who had the lesson. It went like this, " I thought you had the lesson, no I thought you had the lesson"?We women just don't function that way, however, if I had it to do over again concerning raising my children, I certainly would simplify. When I was YW President, I was startled at how our Wednesday night activities were secondary. The honor choirpracticed on wed. night. I asked the teacher, who was a Mormon, if she really needed the Wed. night practice after she had them everyday for an hour during the school week. She wouldn't budge a bit. Volleyball, basketball, softball, everything took precedence to YW, When the girls became laurels, they worked on wed. nights at the Dairyqueen or Arby's. It was so frustrating. We women have a difficult time saying no. If I had it to do over again, I would definitely learn to say no. Working in the Temple on Saturday's, teaching primary on Sunday, sometimes I went home instead of going to R.S. One sister asked me about,I told her that I now call my own shots. If I'm tired, I go home, that's just the way it is. I felt like my children were never home. If I had it to do over again, they would not be involved in every sport and activity the school offers. My oldest daughter was on the diving team and practiced at 6:00 A.M. every morning. One morning she was running a high fever, with chills, so I called the coach and told her she wouldn't be at practice. She told me their policy was that the person come and sit on the bench, or her grade would be lowered. They think they own our children, they monopolize their time. They don't allow for sickness or even funerals sometimes. I told this diving coach to just give her an "F" because she wouldn't be back. My daughter was actually relieved. She was tired of being pushed so hard. I could go on and on, but I won't. We need to take back our lives and the lives of our children, I actually saw young women who were depressed they had such hectic scedules. How do we focus when we are so tired we barely function? If only I had it to do over again! 3
Ginger Snaps Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 I had mixed feelings about that talk. I felt like the story painted women as a little silly. I personally have never known anyone to go to such ridiculous lengths for a RS lesson. That said, I have been in RS lessons that were bigger on production than on substance. Fancy visual aids, cutesie hand outs, playing of some sappy LDS contemporary song carefully calculated to draw tears. When I was an RS teacher (I should say during my many rounds as RS teacher. . . I've held the calling three times now and subbed several times more), I prefer to put my effort into the "meat" of the lesson. I don't usually bother with visual aids--at most maybe a gospel picture from the library that goes along with the lesson. I'm not saying my way is the "right" way--that's just what simplify would mean to me in this instance. I also think it means to cut back on non-necessary meetings and activities. Families are pulled so many directions these days. I spend a lot of time just running my kids to one thing or another during the week. We live in a ward that is very geographically spread out, so people tend to simplify and combine activities anyway to minimize driving time. 1
BTH&T Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 I think Elder Oaks talk "Good, Better, Best" sums up some of our inconsistencies.Looking forward to 25 posts Bee!https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/good-better-best?lang=eng 2
rewcox Posted October 11, 2015 Author Posted October 11, 2015 My husband was in the High Priest group leadership. I used to die laughing at how they called each other on Sunday morning asking who had the lesson. It went like this, " I thought you had the lesson, no I thought you had the lesson"?We women just don't function that way, however, if I had it to do over again concerning raising my children, I certainly would simplify. When I was YW President, I was startled at how our Wednesday night activities were secondary. The honor choirpracticed on wed. night. I asked the teacher, who was a Mormon, if she really needed the Wed. night practice after she had them everyday for an hour during the school week. She wouldn't budge a bit. Volleyball, basketball, softball, everything took precedence to YW, When the girls became laurels, they worked on wed. nights at the Dairyqueen or Arby's. It was so frustrating. We women have a difficult time saying no. If I had it to do over again, I would definitely learn to say no. Working in the Temple on Saturday's, teaching primary on Sunday, sometimes I went home instead of going to R.S. One sister asked me about,I told her that I now call my own shots. If I'm tired, I go home, that's just the way it is. I felt like my children were never home. If I had it to do over again, they would not be involved in every sport and activity the school offers. My oldest daughter was on the diving team and practiced at 6:00 A.M. every morning. One morning she was running a high fever, with chills, so I called the coach and told her she wouldn't be at practice. She told me their policy was that the person come and sit on the bench, or her grade would be lowered. They think they own our children, they monopolize their time. They don't allow for sickness or even funerals sometimes. I told this diving coach to just give her an "F" because she wouldn't be back. My daughter was actually relieved. She was tired of being pushed so hard. I could go on and on, but I won't. We need to take back our lives and the lives of our children, I actually saw young women who were depressed they had such hectic scedules. How do we focus when we are so tired we barely function? If only I had it to do over again!With school activities combined with church activities combined with social media, pretty intense for everyone. Men should be more serious on lessons.I'm in a new stake and it seems like the stake leaders are competing for more activities and events.
rewcox Posted October 11, 2015 Author Posted October 11, 2015 I had mixed feelings about that talk. I felt like the story painted women as a little silly. I personally have never known anyone to go to such ridiculous lengths for a RS lesson. That said, I have been in RS lessons that were bigger on production than on substance. Fancy visual aids, cutesie hand outs, playing of some sappy LDS contemporary song carefully calculated to draw tears. When I was an RS teacher (I should say during my many rounds as RS teacher. . . I've held the calling three times now and subbed several times more), I prefer to put my effort into the "meat" of the lesson. I don't usually bother with visual aids--at most maybe a gospel picture from the library that goes along with the lesson. I'm not saying my way is the "right" way--that's just what simplify would mean to me in this instance. I also think it means to cut back on non-necessary meetings and activities. Families are pulled so many directions these days. I spend a lot of time just running my kids to one thing or another during the week. We live in a ward that is very geographically spread out, so people tend to simplify and combine activities anyway to minimize driving time.Like your approach. 1
rewcox Posted October 11, 2015 Author Posted October 11, 2015 I think Elder Oaks talk "Good, Better, Best" sums up some of our inconsistencies.Looking forward to 25 posts Bee!https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/good-better-best?lang=engWhat does the green arrow on the right hand side of a post do?
Tacenda Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 What does the green arrow on the right hand side of a post do?Reputation point, if you like someone's comment you click on it. Check out your profile and see "reputation". You may have some already. 1
rewcox Posted October 11, 2015 Author Posted October 11, 2015 Reputation point, if you like someone's comment you click on it. Check out your profile and see "reputation". You may have some already. Thanks!
iWriteStuff Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 What does the green arrow on the right hand side of a post do?It's like a Thank vote as per that other place.I use a chalkboard during my lessons and I'm pretty useless without. One Sunday I took away all the cell phones and handed out a printed version of the talk. Pretty sure I pissed off a few elders that day, but the Spirit was a lot stronger than usual so I'll call that a win. As per life in general, I wish to high heaven I could simplify it more but sometimes there's no "simple" way through. 1
rewcox Posted October 11, 2015 Author Posted October 11, 2015 It's like a Thank vote as per that other place.I use a chalkboard during my lessons and I'm pretty useless without. One Sunday I took away all the cell phones and handed out a printed version of the talk. Pretty sure I pissed off a few elders that day, but the Spirit was a lot stronger than usual so I'll call that a win. As per life in general, I wish to high heaven I could simplify it more but sometimes there's no "simple" way through.Good point. Can you message more than 1 person at a time?
bluebell Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 I think that simplifying just means to do what is necessary and not do what isn't. 2
Bernard Gui Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 (edited) I call the Simplify Talks the "Wink-Wink Talks." I've been hearing them since the early 70s. Soon after the talks, we start getting the winks....we wink at this extra meeting, wink at that new activity, wink at this new program, wink at that really good idea, and the stuff just keeps on multiplying. Today we had ward temple trip, youth temple baptism trip (separate from the adults' trip), Relief Society Super Saturday, the stake child of records baptisms, and a memorial service. Edited October 11, 2015 by Bernard Gui 2
sunstoned Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 For me simplification really took hold when I learned how to filter requests on my time. Often times this meant politely saying no. At first this was very hard because I cultured by a family measured their self worth by how much and how hard they worked. 2
Tacenda Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 I like the message to simplify, for years I didn't heed it. People don't need all the fluff really, a lot of times like with gifts/handouts, they just get trashed. 1
Senator Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 I call the Simplify Talks the "Wink-Wink Talks." I've been hearing them since the early 70s. Soon after the talks, we start getting the winks....we wink at this extra meeting, wink at that new activity, wink at this new program, wink at that really good idea, and the stuff just keeps on multiplying. Today we had ward temple trip, youth temple baptism trip (separate from the adults' trip), Relief Society Super Saturday, and a memorial service. Someone who gets it! 1
janderich Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 Our culture almost demands that we be continually engaged. If we are eating breakfast we must also be reading something, if we are driving we must also be talking on the phone, if we are on vacation we must be working. Even if we are at work we must make it seem like our schedules are overflowing. It is such a problem that for some even to propose slowing down seems to them like committing sin. In their heads they think things like, "I have to be productive", "I have to be accomplishing something". But perhaps in our constant doing we are accomplishing almost nothing of value. Perhaps in our mad rush to be continually busy we are losing the moment. Thoreau challenges us on this matter, he says: There were times when I could not afford to sacrifice the bloom of the present moment to any work, whether of the head or hand. I love a broad margin to my life. ...I grew in those seasons like corn in the night, and they were far better than any work of the hands would have been. They were not time subtracted from my life, but so much over and above my usual allowance. (Walden, Ch 4)I wonder if we realize how much we can grow in moments when our minds are at peace. Why do we continue to sacrifice the present moment, for some vague notion of being "productive"? What is interesting is that as we chase this concept through we will find that we can live our lives in the peace of the present moment. That simplifying is involved with doing less, but is more involved with an inward stillness, even when we our working. To me that is the ultimate end of what President Uchtdorf is reminding us. 3
BTH&T Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 (edited) Being pulled into the ways of the world is our challenge, the underlying question of living in the world and not being part of it. Edited October 11, 2015 by BTH&T
Rain2 Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 For me it is a combination of "Good, Better, Best" and putting God first. Really the same thing. If I am putting God first then he will help me know when work is the best thing to be doing or family or church or even fun stuff. Like someone mentioned this is a big part of our culture - being busy. That being busy is good. But it is not. It just means you are busy.When you do the best or important things first then sometimes that is all you can get done. Some will look at it and think, "you only got one thing done. You aren't busy like I am." But I find I am happier, fill fulfilled and am actually more effective. 1
Rain2 Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 I had mixed feelings about that talk. I felt like the story painted women as a little silly. I personally have never known anyone to go to such ridiculous lengths for a RS lesson. That said, I have been in RS lessons that were bigger on production than on substance. Fancy visual aids, cutesie hand outs, playing of some sappy LDS contemporary song carefully calculated to draw tears. When I was an RS teacher (I should say during my many rounds as RS teacher. . . I've held the calling three times now and subbed several times more), I prefer to put my effort into the "meat" of the lesson. I don't usually bother with visual aids--at most maybe a gospel picture from the library that goes along with the lesson. I'm not saying my way is the "right" way--that's just what simplify would mean to me in this instance. I also think it means to cut back on non-necessary meetings and activities. Families are pulled so many directions these days. I spend a lot of time just running my kids to one thing or another during the week. We live in a ward that is very geographically spread out, so people tend to simplify and combine activities anyway to minimize driving time.I'm ok with you doing you lessons on what feels right for you. I think the Spirit matters most and you are the one to have his guidance when giving your lessons.I just wanted to put out their that for some the visual aid is most important. There are more visual learners than audio learners so for some teachers the visual will come first. Then there are only about 10% touch first learners, but a teacher may have more of them in a given classroom. One way to simplify in a classroom is using Teaching, No Greater Call. It has quite a few effective methods. One friend of mine who is a teacher and does everything he can to learn about teaching in his profession said that it is the best teaching book he knows. I think a lot of teachers do the performance thing because they have not felt how it feels when you teach effectively. They just don't know how to do it so they bring everything in trying to get to that point. In other words, "you'll never get enough of what you don't need."Others don't get to that point because they also don't know how to teach so they under do it. They feel they are simplifying, but really are just not putting forth the effort on learning how to teach. NOT saying that is how YOU do it. Just saying that I have heard the comment many times when I have talked about Teaching, No Greater Call that "if you just use the Spirit you will be fine" implying that using this church approved resource to better teach is doing something past simplifying. 1
Bernard Gui Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 Bernard Gui, on 10 Oct 2015 - 11:03 PM, said: I call the Simplify Talks the "Wink-Wink Talks." I've been hearing them since the early 70s. Soon after the talks, we start getting the winks....we wink at this extra meeting, wink at that new activity, wink at this new program, wink at that really good idea, and the stuff just keeps on multiplying. Today we had ward temple trip, youth temple baptism trip (separate from the adults' trip), Relief Society Super Saturday, and a memorial service. Someone who gets it!I forgot to mention that in addition to the above, we also had the Stake monthly child of record baptisms. I can think of a few ways we could have simplified this Saturday.Unfortunately, it is not atypical.
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