A grandfather sat at home, trying to complete last-minute paperwork for his law practice before spending time with his daughter and her children, who were visiting from out of town.

But he couldn't get his work done. The man's 4-year-old granddaughter was sitting by him at the table and talking about everything that was on her mind.

After a few minutes the grandfather interrupted his granddaughter. He told her he was sorry, but had work to do and didn't have time to talk at the moment.

The little girl replied, "Oh, that's OK. You don't need to talk to me. All you need to do is listen."

Listening is a skill that has been recognized across time and culture.

An African proverb states: "Much silence makes a powerful noise."

Native American traditions teach: "Listen or thy tongue will keep thee deaf."

And a Welsh proverb communicates: "He understands badly who listens badly."

But perhaps the greatest counsel comes from the Lord Himself: "Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise" (Proverbs 19:20).

Still, listening is a skill that, according to research from the University of Missouri, is underutilized.

According to the research, most people spend 70 to 80 percent of their waking hours in some form of communication; 45 percent of that time is spent listening.

Yet, according to researchers, most people are inefficient listeners. Immediately after listening to a 10-minute oral presentation, the average listener has heard, understood and retained only 50 percent of what was said. Within 48 hours, that dropped another 50 percent to a final level of 25 percent efficiency. In other words, the average person comprehends and retains only one-fourth of what he or she hears (extension.missouri.edu/p/CM150).

Church leaders have long taught the importance of listening.

President Thomas S. Monson said a good leader must learn to listen. "Listening is not a passive activity," he said. "To actively listen to another person requires willpower, concentration, and great mental effort. Its rewards are many, because only then do we really learn to understand" ("Building Bridges," New Era, November 1985, p. 63).

The Church has given Latter-day Saints a guide for how to be more effective listeners. In a chapter dedicated to listening in a manual, Teaching, No Greater Call, members are told to:

Ask questions. Questions can show that you care about an individual's ideas and feelings.

Pause. Do not be afraid of silence. People often need time to think about and reply to questions or to express what they are feeling.

Attend to what the speaker is saying. Sometimes people have the tendency to think of what they are going to say rather than listening to what others are saying.

Attend to the speaker's unspoken messages. People often communicate their feelings by the way they sit, their facial expressions, what they do with their hands, their tone of voice and the movements of their eyes.

Restate what the speaker says. After listening to spoken and unspoken messages, you may want to restate what you have understood to make sure you understood it correctly.

Remember that listening is one way to show love (Teaching, No Greater Call, lesson 15).

President Spencer W. Kimball said the Savior Jesus Christ is a perfect example of one who listens.

"Jesus was a listening leader," he said. "Because he loved others with a perfect love, he listened without being condescending" (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 481).

During his April 1991 general conference address, Elder Russell M. Nelson asked Church members to learn to listen.

"Your soul will be blessed as you learn to listen, then listen to learn from children, parents, partners, neighbors, and Church leaders, all of which will heighten capacity to hear counsel from on high," he said.

Elder M. Russell Ballard said in his October 2009 general conference address, that listening is an important part of parenting.

Although he was speaking directly to fathers and sons, his advice can be applied in all worthwhile relationships.

He said, "Listen to your sons — really listen to them. Ask the right kind of questions, and listen to what your sons have to say each time you have a few minutes together. You need to know — not to guess but to know — what is going on in your son's life. …

"As they share with you what is going on, you will have to listen very carefully without being judgmental in order to understand what they are thinking and experiencing."

During his April 2005 general conference address, President Monson asked parents to listen to their children. "I would say to each mother, each father — be a good listener. Communication is so vital today in our fast-paced world. Take time to listen. ...

"I would encourage you to be available to your children. I have heard it said that no man, as death approaches, has ever declared that he wished he had spent more time at the office."

President Monson's advice to parents is something that has been repeated across time and culture.

It is the lesson a grandfather learned recently from his little granddaughter, who didn't need her grandfather to talk — but to listen.

And it is a lesson communicated from the Lord to His children: "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear [and] slow to speak" (James 1:19).