Last weekend was General Conference where we get to hear the prophet speak and also hear from members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and other Church leaders. I love Conference. It's so refreshing to hear about things that help me to keep an eternal, positive perspective on life. I always hear something that makes me want to better.
So here are a few of my favorite highlights:
(Sorry, this post ended up a little bit longer than I meant it to...feel free to pick and choose your way through!)
One of my favorite talks was by
Elder Bednar. He mentioned three things that need to be done in the home. 1. Express
love and show it. 2. Bear
testimony and live it. 3.
Consistency. Then he mentioned how scripture and prayer, Family Home Evening, etc sometimes went in his home...when spiritual efforts were interrupted by his children making comments like, "He's touching me. Make him stop looking at me. He's breathing my air!" I immediately thought...oh good...my family's normal! But, he also went on to say that although righteous habits didn't seem to immediately yield the results he and his wife wanted, that their adult children would now say that what they remember is that as a family they were consistent. He also went on to compare consistency to a painting...how individual brush strokes work together to make a beautiful painting, that each scripture study and prayer can lead to significant spiritual results laying the foundation of a great work. Wow, what comfort.
I also really enjoyed
Elder Uchtdorf's message of love. Every other Commandment hangs on the principle of
love, that Divine love transforms reluctant compliance into consecration...a life with meaning and wonder. Love is the way of the disciple of Christ.
I liked
Elder Callister's talk about
modern revelation. He asked: "Does God still love us?" "Does God still have the same power as in days of old?" "Do we need him as much as in days of old?" Yes. He is the same today, yesterday and always. Through the restoration of the Gospel, Joseph Smith helped put the pieces together in the Gospel. Were there not angels and visions in Christ's time? So are there today.
Elder Anderson had a great analogy of
repentance. He said that for most people repentance is more of a journey than a one-time event...that repentance is like climbing a tree-covered mountain...sometimes we don't see our progress until we get to the top. Healing requires time. Repentance always means that there is greater happiness ahead...it brings peace to our conscience.
President Monson talked about
love of the Gospel and of others. He said that often we live side by side but don't communicate heart to heart. At baptism, we covenanted to bear one anothers burdens to make them light. He asked, "How often have you intended to help, but left it to others...getting caught up in the busyness of life...finding that we've immersed ourselves in the thick of thin things. We're the Lord's hands here on earth.
Elder Holland spoke boldly in defense of the truthfulness of
the Book of Mormon. Before Joseph Smith was martyred, he bore powerful testimony of the truthfulness of the book to the guards that held him. Elder Holland then asks...would Joseph Smith and the men held with him blaspheme before God...never mind that their wives and children would be left without them...whether in this hour of death these men would quote from and find solace in the Book of Mormon if it was false...they would rather die than deny the truth of this book. The Book of Mormon has been examined and attacked like no other book in religious history and still it stands. Elder Holland's grandfather said that no wicked man could write such a book and no good man would unless he was commanded of God.
Elder Cook talked about living a life of
virtue and chastity. He said that opposite to the saying "What happens in a certain city, stays in a certain city" that he saw a sign that said, "What happens in Shaver County, Utah you can share with your friends." I love that!
Elder Christofferson talked about how in today's world when we call sin wrong, it's called a value judgment...self-discipline has eroded...there's a lack of internal control in society. Gentlemanly behavior used to restrain...now restraining orders are used to stop sexual harassment. Then he said that societies will struggle in vain until sin is called sin.
Moral discipline is learned at home. We must declare the need to keep the commandments. The pure Gospel of Jesus Christ must go into the hearts of our children through the Holy Ghost for them to become truly converted. They will become true disciples of Christ. Then he said that children shouldn't have to learn through sad experience that wickedness never was happiness. All of us experience temptation...so did the Savior, but He gave no heed to them.
President Monson concluded the Conference saying may we say with the people of King Benjamin (in the Book of Mormon) that we
believe because of the Spirit which has wrought a mighty change in us that we have no disposition to do evil, but good continually.
Here are the kids in their "tent" just like the people in King Benjamin's time (in the Book of Mormon) turned their tents towards the temple to listen to the prophet speak. The kids were actually really good for Conference. They played Bingo with M&Ms and listened for Church-related words to be said. Gavin got really into it because every time they got Bingo, they got to eat their candy. He'd start yelling out random words like, "in there, gospel, testimony, true." And I'd say, those are all great words and I'm really glad you're listening, but those aren't the pictures on your Bingo. It was really cute.
Here are the kids Conference Activity Books that we made the day before Conference.
