Editor’s note: “The Spoken Word” is shared by Derrick Porter every Sunday during the weekly Tabernacle Choir broadcast from Temple Square. This is the 5,054th episode broadcast on Sunday, July 26, 2026.
Note: Reservations are required to attend Music and the Spoken Word at the Salt Lake Tabernacle. Click here for more information on how to make a reservation.
A while back, I was visiting with a friend who had a very tight schedule and was full of pressure to always be on his toes. I asked him how he manages his time, gets all his daily tasks done, and how he makes room for the things that matter most in life.
Without hesitation, he answered, “Eliminate distractions.”
If you think about it, distractions are everywhere. From relentless notifications to constant news and media, these and countless other temptations can take up far more of our time than they should. Without realizing it, we can be distracted from the things that are most important and become distracted by things that may seem important but ultimately are of little importance.
One of the secrets to this man’s success is that he understands that eliminating distractions creates space for the things that matter most to happen. When we conscientiously say “no” to distractions, we are truly saying “yes” to the things and people that matter most.
The busy father, giving the impression of being quiet for the sake of simplicity, decided one evening to decline his scheduled attendance duties and stay home. He spent most of that night alone, wondering if he had made the right choice. But then one of the children approached him and hesitantly asked if they could talk. And we talked about what they did, what was important, what was important. In those quiet moments, conversations were born, trust deepened, and relationships were strengthened. This is something that might never have happened if I had spent my time elsewhere.
We do our part to help God communicate with us more easily as we strive to reduce the daily drumroll of distraction. He does not compete with the noise and brilliance of external influences. Instead, God waits patiently for us to make time for Him, that is, to choose Him. As we do so, we hear God’s voice more clearly, feel His presence more fully, and more easily recognize God’s hand in our lives.
As religious leader President Ezra Taft Benson once said, “When we put God first, everything else either falls into place or falls out of our lives.” (See “The Great Commandment—Love the Lord,” President Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, May 1988, p. 4.)
When we try to eliminate distractions, the time we regain becomes sacred, making space for the things that matter most.
Tuning…
“Music & the Spoken Word” broadcasts are available on KSL-TV, KSL News Radio 1160AM/102.7FM, KSL.com, BYUtv, BYUradio, Dish and DirecTV, SiriusXM (Ch. 143), tabernaclechoir.org, youtube.com/TheTabernacleChoir, and Amazon Alexa (skills must be enabled). The program will be broadcast live on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Mountain Time on these stations. Find airing information by state and city at musicandthespokenword.com/viewers-listeners/airing-schedule.
