Tag Archive for: be prepared

Prepare with Purpose

Lately, my life has been full of preparation.
Starting a new job, planning for Kyle and Emily’s wedding, upcoming talks, lessons and workshops, some travel, visitors, many meetings and the Christmas Light the World Charity Machines initiative.
Every morning, I prepare myself spiritually through prayer, scripture study, and journaling to plan for and prepare for the day ahead.
For me, preparation is everywhere right now.
But more than schedules and events, I’ve been thinking about how we prepare our hearts, for the future, for the Lord Jesus Christ, His second coming, and for the things that truly matter.

It’s Time

James E. Faust once told the story of a restaurant clock that stopped a few minutes after noon. The owner left it there because people kept coming in, thinking they were hungry just by looking at it.
It’s a reminder that some people are guided by broken clocks, or false signals that distract from what’s real, responding to external cues rather than internal conviction.
Are you living with broken clocks in your life?
We live in a world full of distractions, and yet I know that preparation helps me stay grounded.
Ezra Taft Benson taught that the Book of Mormon has given us a pattern for preparing for the Saviour’s second coming.
A significant part of the book focuses on the years just before Christ appeared in the Americas.
In that record, we see both destruction and deliverance.
Some were ready.
Some were not.
And what made the difference?
It was simply preparation.
Not just physically, but importantly, spiritually.
This morning, I am reminded of a verse in Alma 34:32: “This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God.”
That’s a key focus of preparation and it should be our why.
So, whatever you’re preparing for, a new semester at university, a new role, a major life event, or the quiet work of daily discipleship, my invitation is to prepare with intention.
Prepare with faith.
And prepare with the Spirit.
What are you doing today to prepare for what matters most?

Be Prepared

“Remind me again, what did he wear on the old scooter?” I asked mum, as we laughed together.

So, it was last night as we reminisced about dad’s scooter.  Growing up in Dunfermline in the late 1960’s I recall my dad in his train driver uniform leaving for work.  By the end of the 60’s all of the steam trains were replaced with diesel engines.  As the engines changed, dad also had to switch depots and ended up having to travel to Alloa for every shift, a round trip of 35 miles or so.  Dad never passed his driving test until the early 80’s, so every journey was made on his little scooter.

In the wintertime, the ride was not only treacherous on the old country roads of the time, but it was also a very cold one.  Before he set off for a night shift, on the chilliest of evenings, I recall dad padding and lining his jacket, sleeves, and trouser legs with old newspapers to lessen the biting winter cold and the piercing winds.  A simple old-fashioned way to stay warm, and his preparation was key.

A few years later as a young boy scout, I remember learning the motto of “be prepared”, which has remained as a constant with me throughout my life in all that I do.

Our world of 2021 is filled with uncertainty and I am sure for all of us, many more chilly and difficult nights are still ahead as we journey through the challenges life will bring.

So, are you ready for the next challenge and what can you do right now to be better prepared?