How many times have you heard someone say—or even said yourself—“If I could just get organized…”? Maybe what people really mean is, “I’d like to create order…”

Is there a difference between getting organized and establishing true order in your life?

Recently, a friend mentioned to me she was feeling a bit overwhelmed about moving. Jokingly she said, with a hint of seriousness, “Maybe I should hire Marie Kondo.” This got me thinking about the “stuff” I need to sort through in my closets and cabinets. Since Marie Kondo has been labeled as the master home organizer and is the creator of the KonMari Method, I thought perhaps a peek at her website might help me with my own mess.

So, I decided to take an in-depth look at Marie Kondo’s method. From what I viewed, Marie has done more than merely help people organize their belongings, her KonMari method helps them establish a more orderly home. Is there a vast difference?

Seeking Organization or Order

“Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house . . .” (D&C 88:119)

After moving to North Carolina nearly six years ago and downsizing from a five-bedroom home with an attic to store such things as holiday decorations, boxes upon boxes of genealogy, financial records, keepsakes, and so forth; I now live in a home with three small bedrooms and zero storage space, except for the bedroom closets designated for clothes.

Giving away nearly all my furniture, shredding numerous boxes of papers, and donating books, clothing, and household items, before arriving in North Carolina, I still had 200 boxes left to sort through. I managed to wade through those within a year by scanning and sending boxes full of genealogy to a trusted cousin, giving my new neighbor all my cherished Halloween decorations, donating more stuff, scanning pictures then sending the originals off to whom would care for them, until we had whittled down to what would fit into our space.

With our belongings in place, I felt we were off to a great start until the papers in our office/bedroom began to pile up and new “stuff” began to appear. This is when I began reflecting upon decisions I had made before I left Maryland.

First, I promised myself I would no longer house my office in my bedroom. Since I desire my bedroom to be a place of sparsity, lightness and relaxing, to look at my computer, financial papers, and projects, is disruptive to my sanity. Secondly, I thought with this much smaller space I could perhaps, miraculously keep it perfectly tidy and organized.

At least one lesson I have learned and relearned from all of this is, if your home is occupied by more than just you no matter the size, it takes unity in purpose and obedience to principles to establish a tidy and organized home. Yet, I have also learned through many life lessons, the scriptures, and seeking counsel from the Lord, it begins with commitment and staying focused on the end game or final results.

Organization to Order

“[A] house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God . . .” (D&C 88:119)

As I continued to reflect, I opened Marie Kondo’s website as I considered Jesus Christ’s instructions to the early Saints in the 1830’s. First, the Lord instructed them to “organize yourselves”, then to “prepare every needful thing”. As they were accomplishing those things, He counseled them to establish spiritual houses with the purpose of creating a house of God. The first house being a house of prayer and continuing to the sixth house, a house of order. (see D&C 88:119)

What I found exploring Marie Kondo’s website, was the discovery of her KonMari Method ‘s 6 Rules for Tidying and how tidying begins with a prayer. After meeting clients in their home, Marie greets “the house” in a silent ritual. First, Marie kneels “formally on the floor in the center of the house. . . and address[es] the home in [her] mind. Next, she “asks for guidance, for help in creating a space where its inhabitants can enjoy a happier life.” Lastly, Marie expresses gratitude by bowing and “acknowledging that I honor the house and that I am grateful for its protection.” This is an essential part of the KonMari Method.

KonMari Method and Its Spiritual Parallels

As I continued to navigate Marie‘s website, I learned that her method centers on choosing what to keep, rather than focusing on what to discard. I love that principle; especially when considering my own home and moving forward in my spiritual growth. This approach, that Marie embraces, seems to parallel the spiritual journey of stepping on the covenant path to finding joy in the journey by applying correct principles.

With that thought, let’s take a look at the basics of the 6 Rules for Tidying in the KonMari Method.

Marie’s tidying method is about choosing what to keep – not what to get rid of

  1. Rule 1: Commit Yourself to Tidying Up – not a quick fix – commit to following its principles. You’ll also be on the path to establishing your ideal lifestyle. (stepping on the covenant path)
  2. Rule 2: Imagine Your Ideal Lifestyle – Choose Joy – a way that will spark joy in your life and change it forever. [I]magine your ideal lifestyle . . . clarifying why you want . . . envisioning your best life . . . seriously consider the ideal lifestyle to which you aspire. (choose joy as you envision your “best life”)
  3. Rule 3: Finish Discarding First – focus on what you want to keep. Cherish the items that bring you joy, and let go of the rest with gratitude. (focus on things that bring you joy and express gratitude)
  4. Rule 4: Tidy by Category, Not by Location – When you tidy each place separately, you’re repeating the same work in many locations. You can never grasp the overall volume of each type of thing you own – The result is that you become locked in a never-ending cycle of tidying. (see the big picture while learning the principles)
  5. Rule 5: Follow the Right Order – has proven to be the most efficient and effective. By starting with clothes (relatively easy) and ending with sentimental items (challenging), you hone your decision making skills as you go; by the end, choosing what to keep seems simple. Throughout the process, you gain a deeper understanding of the method – and of yourself. (honing skills and gaining understanding)
  6. Rule 6: Ask Yourself If It Sparks Joy – Through the process of selecting only those things that inspire joy, you can identify precisely what you love – and what you need. Only you can know what kind of environment makes you happy – this is the underlying principle.  It’s also what sets it apart from other tidying techniques that rely on strict guidelines instead of personal criteria. (inspire joy through principles to make one happy using their moral agency)

The KonMari method builds upon each rule or principle taught in a specific order. I believe no matter who you are, for those who deeply desire to find truth, the Lord will teach the principles needed and how to apply them. As Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “So how can we find truth? I believe that our Father in Heaven is pleased with His children when they use their talents and mental faculties to earnestly discover truth. Over the centuries, many wise men and women—through logic, reason, scientific inquiry, and, yes, through inspiration—have discovered truth. These discoveries have enriched mankind, improved our lives, and inspired joy, wonder, and awe.”¹

Since I know the Lord never does anything randomly; I look for the divine purposes in His instructions; especially those I have sought and prayed for. This is one reason I believe the principles of building temporal and spiritual houses are set in a unique order, naturally building upon one house to the next. For example, building a “house” of prayer seems to lead to fasting “as it intensifies your prayers”². Fasting also opens up pathways to help develop spiritual strength and self-mastery (temporal), particularly from those things you no longer need or desire in your life. Combining the two principals of prayer and fasting, lead to exerting faith, “. . . the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

Purpose of Establishing An Orderly House

“That your incomings may be in the name of the Lord; that your outgoings may be in the name of the Lord; that all your salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with uplifted hands unto the Most High.” (D&C 88:120)

We learn from the scriptures, building spiritual houses through the established principles the Lord has set, lays the foundation for creating order. I have always been intrigued with Section 88:119-120 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Where I have often said to myself, “If I could just get organized . . .” , these verses clearly reveal that organization is an initial step not the final stage or state of being.

With the lasting desire to create a more orderly home, I continued to search for information about the KonMari Method. Surprisingly, I discovered that after the birth of Marie Kondo’s third child, Marie made the decision that motherhood exceeded top priority over the perplexities of business and a clean house. She decided to devote her time to family. Perhaps her seeking to spark joy in her life led to her decision.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf stated, “The witness of truth from the Holy Ghost is available to all, everywhere, all around the globe. All who seek to know the truth, who study it out in their minds (see Doctrine and Covenants 9:8), and who ‘ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, [will know] the truth … by the power of the Holy Ghost’ (Moroni 10:4).”³

Why do we desire an orderly home, orderly space, order in our spiritual and temporal lives? For me, the answer is peace. When my life is in chaos, because of my own doings or unexpected events, if I have aspired to create a spiritual house of God, I know who to turn to and what principles to follow. I may never fully succeed in having an orderly, tidy home, but my hope lies in building spiritual houses, even a house of God.

 

Notes:  

  1. Uchtdorf, Dieter; 5 Truths about Truth; ChurchofJesusChrist.org; September 2021 YA Weekly; https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ya-weekly/2021/09/5-truths-about-truth?lang=eng; accessed Apr. 2025 – [From a devotional address, “What Is Truth?,” given to students at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, USA, on January 13, 2013. Read the full text at speeches.byu.edu.]
  2. As President Russell M. Nelson has taught: “Fasting helps your spirit to develop dominance over your physical appetites. Fasting also increases your access to heaven’s help, as it intensifies your prayers” (Oct. 2013 general conference[Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 107]).
  3. Uchtdorf, Dieter; 5 Truths about Truth; ChurchofJesusChrist.org; September 2021 YA Weekly; https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ya-weekly/2021/09/5-truths-about-truth?lang=eng; accessed Apr. 2025 – [From a devotional address, “What Is Truth?,” given to students at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, USA, on January 13, 2013. Read the full text at speeches.byu.edu.]