Time, the effective use of time
by President Spencer W. Kimball
Proper use of time, by President Kimball
- “The time of life is short; to spend that shortness basely were too long.” (King Henry IV, part 1, act 5, scene 1)
- “Time is the subtle thief of youth.” (John Milton, in Sonnet to the Nightingale)
- “Procrastination is the thief of time.” (Edward Young, in Night Thoughts)
- “Remember that time is money.” (Benjamin Franklin)
- “Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.” (Benjamin Franklin)
- “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise!”
- “Solon was under a delusion when he said that a man, when he grows old, may learn many things — for he can no more learn much than he can run much — youth is the time for any extraordinary toil.” (Plato)
- “An idle brain is the Devil’s workshop.”
- Speaking of those who were to return to Zion of the Elders, the Lord said, “Behold, they have been sent to preach my Gospel among the congregations of the wicked, I give unto them a commandment, thus, ‘thou shalt not idle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury thy talent that it may not be made known’ “. (Doctrine and Covenants 60:13)
- Instructions given to Elders in January of 1832: “Behold I say unto you that it is my will that you should go forth and not tarry, neither be idle but labor with your might, lifting up your voices with the sound of a trump, proclaiming the truth according to the revelations and commandments which I have given you.” (Doctrine and Covenants 75:3-4)
- December 27, 1832, Kirtland, Ohio: “…cast away your idle thoughts and your excess of laughter far from you.” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:69)
- To the brethren in the School of the Prophets: “See that ye love one another; cease to be covetous; learn to impart one to another as the gospel requires. Cease to be idle, cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary, arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:123-124)
- “And the inhabitants of Zion also shall remember their labors, inasmuch as they are appointed to labor, in all faithfulness; for the idler shall be had in remembrance before the Lord.” (Doctrine and Covenants 68:30)
- Time plus tools plus testimony equals missionary success!
- Babe Ruth hit 714 home runs, but he also struck out 1330 times! Working through hardship leads to success.
- Preparation, then inspiration, then perspiration bring a harvest beyond belief in the missionary field.
- Sins of omission: “But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first and said; ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not’. But afterward he repented and went. And he came to the second and said likewise, and he answered and said, ‘I go, sir: and he went not.’ Whether of the twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, ‘The first’. Jesus saith unto them, ‘Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.’ ” (Jesus was talking to the Chief Priests and elders. They were hypocrites, not doing the work of the Lord, but making pretenses that they were.)
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