Have you seen the latest organizing phenom? Her name is Marie Kondo and she is helping people clean up their lives. I’ve been hearing amazing things about her show, Tidying Up, and finally sat down to watch a few episodes. I was blown away with how relatable her methods are to what Relief Society can be to our sisters. No kidding! We have it all and more!

The KonMari Method:

• Give thanks and offer a blessing over the house.
• Commit to the task of tidying up.
• Set concrete goals. One, her website suggests, “I want to live like a Goddess, surrounded by beauty and harmony.”
• Be willing to throw out anything that does not “spark joy” in you.
• Touch every item you discard and thank it for being in your life.

This is really a sweet and wonderful concept. By following her method people may recognize the difference between worldly wants and joyful necessities. Many complain there isn’t enough time in the day to do anything monumental like cleaning their homes, but her method demands people step away from the world and show gratitude and reconnect with things that truly make them happy. That is not a bad thing.

Now, because I am always thinking about how Relief Society can act to help us bring the gospel more into our lives, I, seriously, was blown away at the ideas that kept coming to me as I watched Marie’s show. Relief Society is a place where sisters can help one another, share tips, tricks, thoughts, and impressions. We can inspire one another, help one another, and motivate one another. Besides all that, we can minister to one another. Using the points from above, here they are in gospel terms:

Jesus’ Method:

• Bless your home with the power of the priesthood (Either through your husband or your ministering brother—but also every time you enter or leave your home). Pray often and thank the Lord that you have a home and that you are willing to take care of it. Thank the Lord often for your family and promise that your home will be filled with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Commit to the task of cleaning your home. Cleanliness is next to Godliness, but face it, we all really do feel better when the house is clean—at least occasionally. But more importantly, commit to teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to yourself and to your children.
• Set concrete goals. I love this idea of wanting to live like a Goddess. Not as the world sees one, but as a real plan in achieving exaltation. How does that view change our outlook in life? Teaching the gospel in a happy home involves regular family prayer, scripture reading, FHE, and now Family History, Temple and Come Follow Me. These are important goals that can become life-changing habits.
• Decluttering is everyone’s problem, not just in material items but also in our busy schedules. Pres. Nelson has asked us to sacrifice our time in order to perform those responsibilities necessary for our exaltation.
• Pres. Monson told us over and over again that we need to be more grateful. God has given us so much and to be honest we really need so little. Gratitude for those things that are most important will help us stay focused and appreciative of all things.

I’m not done. My thoughts continued to explore. During this recent conference, we were told to repent daily, to change for the better, and to seriously focus on strengthening ourselves and our families in the gospel of Jesus Christ. How do we do this? Where do we even start?

Outcomes from Marie Kondo’s cleaning methods caused families to be more grateful, enjoy working together as a family and appreciate the progress. These are the very things that can help us repent and strengthen our spiritual selves.

Truly Ministering to One Another

We can’t all be visited and motivated by Marie Kondo. But we do have ministering brothers and sisters. Why don’t we ask them to help us change our bad habits into good ones? Why don’t we ask them to help by holding us accountable to our family prayers, scriptures and Family History? Why don’t we help one another with emergency preparedness, gardening, scripture study, anything we want to strengthen?

Everything we need is at our fingertips. Sometimes, we just need a little help getting us off our couches. But think of the great accomplishment of our obedience—the joy that we will feel.

Scot Proctor, of Meridian Magazine, put together a list of blessings and promises offered during General Conference. This is a great help to me to know what to look for as I go through the talks again more carefully. Each blessing and promise given is contingent on our action, our obedience. Let’s use one another to find that motivation to change, to do better, and be better. Now is the time. In Pres. Nelson’s words, “Please do it now. Time is running out.”