Quick to Observe

It's been 11 years since my grandmother died.  I remember because Mikey was just learning to walk.  He flew to Utah on my lap for her funeral.  I was so lucky to have a grandma live to be 97.  She taught me so much.

Being an only child, my dad had to decide what to do with all of her things.  I have several pieces of her jewelry and clothes.  One thing my dad shocked me with was giving her scriptures to Lucy.  I don't know how long after her death it was--a year or 2 maybe, but even so Lucy would've only be 5 or 6 at the most.  Grandma had large print, leather scriptures in a zippered case.  My dad wrote in the front that he wanted Lucy to have them because like Mormon, she was a "sober child."  (Mormon 1:2.)

I've always thought of dad and grandma when reading that scripture ever since.  Recently I heard a knew take on the verse.  I listened to a talk by Elder Bednar on a Sunday morning before church.  He was referencing another old apostle's talk.  This time it was Marvin J. Ashton speaking on unique spiritual gifts.  He listed off several including the ability to weep.  Mikey said he has that one.  Anyway, Elder Bednar riffed on the idea with the verse from Mormon.  He focused on being "quick to observe."  He had really cool insights.  He talked about how observe has 2 meanings:  to see and to obey.  You can observe events, but you can also observe commandments.  He explained how we need to be quick with both.  We need to see and recognize the needs of others and what the Holy Ghost is telling us and we need to be quick to do what we are told to do.

2 And about the time that Ammaron hid up the records unto the Lord, he came unto me, (I being about ten years of age, and I began to be learned somewhat after the manner of the learning of my people) and Ammaron said unto me: I perceive that thou art a sober child, and art quick to observe;

He shared a story I remember hearing before.

Sister Bednar and I are acquainted with a returned missionary who had dated a special young woman for a period of time. This young man cared for the young woman very much, and he was desirous of making his relationship with her more serious. He was considering and hoping for engagement and marriage. Now this relationship was developing during the time that President Hinckley counseled the Relief Society sisters and young women of the Church to wear only one earring in each ear.
The young man waited patiently over a period of time for the young woman to remove her extra earrings, but she did not take them out. This was a valuable piece of information for this young man, and he felt unsettled about her nonresponsiveness to a prophet’s pleading. For this and other reasons, he ultimately stopped dating the young woman, because he was looking for an eternal companion who had the courage to promptly and quietly obey the counsel of the prophet in all things and at all times. The young man was quick to observe that the young woman was not quick to observe.
Now before I continue, I presume that some of you might have difficulty with my last example. In fact, this particular illustration of the young man being quick to observe may even fan the flames of controversy on campus, resulting in letters of disagreement to the Daily Universe! You may believe the young man was too judgmental or that basing an eternally important decision, even in part, upon such a supposedly minor issue is silly or fanatical. Perhaps you are bothered because the example focuses upon a young woman who failed to respond to prophetic counsel instead of upon a young man. I simply invite you to consider and ponder the power of being quick to observe and what was actually observed in the case I just described. The issue was not earrings!

He said the gift of being quick to observe precedes the gift of discernment.

Let me now address the question of why the spiritual gift of being quick to observe is so vital for us in the world in which we do now and will yet live. Simply stated, being quick to observe is an antecedent to and is linked with the spiritual gift of discernment. And for you and for me, discernment is a light of protection and direction in a world that grows increasingly dark.
Much like faith precedes the miracle, much like baptism by water comes before the baptism by fire, much like gospel milk should be digested before gospel meat, much like clean hands can lead to a pure heart, and much like the ordinances of the Aaronic Priesthood are necessary before a person can receive the higher ordinances of the Melchizedek Priesthood, so being quick to observe is a prerequisite to and a preparation for the gift of discernment. We can only hope to obtain that supernal gift of discernment and its light of protection and direction if we are quick to observe—if we both look and obey.

One of the best things he said was a quote from Elder Packer. 

“If all you know is what you see with your natural eyes and hear with your natural ears, then you will not know very much.”

I printed it out and framed it for Mikey when he got the priesthood.  (Packer is Mikey's favorite apostle.)

I need to work on this gift.  Sometimes I get impressions.  Sometimes I understand them.  Sometimes I act.  I may have the sober part mastered--at least my kids think I'm serious too much of the time.  It would be great if I could feel that I was quick to observe.  I think I own this scripture now.  I don't think I earned it or inherited it.  It wasn't given to me personally.  Maybe this is one I acquired by theft.  I took Elder Bednar's insight and made it my own--completely unbeknownst to him.

Here's the link to the talk.  It's worth the read.