Note: These are the instant, post-conference, mildly-filtered things that ran through my brain and heart as I watched this session of General Conference. If you are looking for deep, spiritual analysis, this is not the place. Drive on.
• Good morning! This should be interesting today. I’m assuming that since most talks are submitted for review and translation a couple of weeks in advance that the passing of President Nelson won’t alter what was plannned. We shall see.
President Elder Eyring (sounding frail) started with a sweet tribute to President Nelson, calling him a “force for good in the world. He went on to explain how the Quorum of the First Presidency dissolved with his death, and the keys are secure with the Twelve. It is known as an Apostolic Interregnum. (New term to me.)
• The #tabcats open with a rousing rendition of High on a Mountain top. A classic.
President Dalin Oaks now speaks to us as the President of the Quorum of the Twelve and immediately answers my question: “We now go forward with this semiannual general conference, proceeding as planned and with speakers and music assigned by President Nelson after months of preparation.”
Only exceptions are his introductory comments and closing remarks.
“We have therefore asked that all our conference speakers hold any such tributes to (President Nelson) a minimum, deferring elaborate tributes for the funeral, which we have already begun to plan.”
“I love Russell M. Nelson and have learned more about the gospel and gospel leadership from my long friendship and association with President Nelson than from any other person I have personally known. He is our model as a servant and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Wow! What a remarkable statement.)
• Drastically different sustainings. Didn’t read the names of the new Area Seventies – Elder Eyring simply said they were previously called, and you can look it up. I was wondering when they would move to that, as it was growing unwieldy. But it sure felt good to sustain the Brethren.
Elder Gary E. Stevenson “Blessed are the Peacemakers” Acknowledges the MIchigan shootings.
Quotes the Savior at the Sermon on the Mount. “Turn the other cheek, love your enemies. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”
Can I be a peacemaker when the world is commotion, my heart is filled with fear and peace feels far away? Yes.
Calls out road rage and social media “pile-ons.”
Peacemaking begins with our hearts -> homes -> neighborhoods -> communities -> nations -> the world. “Peace is impossible in any other way.”
“To be peacemakers, we forgive others and deliberately build others up instead of tearing them down.“We are all born with divine inclinations toward kindness and compassion.”
“Peacemaking demands action”
- contention-free home zone. When contention starts, pause and reboot.
- digital bridge building. “Before posting, replying, or commenting online, ask, ‘Will this build a bridge?’ If not, stop. Do not send. Instead, share goodness. Publish peace in the place of hate.”
- repair and reunite. Reach out and fix strained relationships.
“Peacemakers are sometimes labeled naïve or weak—from all sides. Yet, to be a peacemaker is not to be weak—but to be strong in a way that the world may not understand.”
“Peacemaking requires courage and compromise but does not require sacrifice of principle. Peacemaking is to lead with an open heart and not a closed mind. Extend with open hands not closed fists.”
“We fulfill our diving role as children of a loving Heavenly Father as we strive to become peacemakers.”
• President Nelson would have loved that talk.
Sister Tracy Browning – 2nd Counselor Primary. She talked about how Primary music is a huge part of religious and doctrinal instruction for the kids.
“A song that is learned at 6 years old can teach us again sometime later…” “Primary songs can become a child’s first spiritual language”
“Sacred music can help write the doctrine of Christ into the soul and prepare us to receive His ordinances. It links the Savior’s doctrine to our memory and that memory to our discipleship in Him.”
(I read that when Elder Bednar visited the Grand Blanc ward in Michigan on Tuesday, they sang “Gethsemane”. Twice.)
“I testify that Primary songs teach eternal truths and doctrines that lead us to Jesus Christ and His gospel.”
“Friends, Jesus still wants us for a sunbeam.” <—Awesome. Awesome talk.
Elder Ronald M. Barcellos of the Seventy. David and Goliath teaches us that to accomplish his purposes and for us to become what he wants us to become.
(Mentioned heart tests – which is what I was doing alst conference.)
Spiritual heart tests:
- Our focused priorities and motives.
- Our willingness to obey God’s commandments.
- Our diligence in studying the scriptures and receive revelation.
- Our thoughts and words.
“The quality of our thoughts and words is a good indicator of the purity of our hearts.”
“The Savior has provided excellent spiritual medication and treatment to help you. He has even promised to give you a new heart.”
Activities that will increase the health/strength of our heart spiritually:
- Work on relationship with Christ through daily prayer and scripture study. “As we dedicate time daily to come closer to Christ, our hearts are changed.”
- Align your will with His. “If you love me, keep my commandments.”
- Serve God and others with all your heart.
“Brother and Sisters, I invite you to give your whole hearts to the Savior today.”
Choir sings “Now Let us Rejoice.” Love that they are bringing the classics today.
• Sipping on my protein shake and practicing delayed gratification as Chrissie made KILLER cinnamon rolls that are waiting in the kitchen. (I know because I ate more than one last night)
Elder Brik V. Eyre ‘Our lives will fundamentally change if we better understand who we really are’
“The first point of doctrine that our missionaries teach is that God is our loving Heavenly Father. Every subsequent truth builds on the foundational understanding of who we really are.”
Talked about Moses’ conversation with God (Moses 1 PofGP) God established His relationship with Moses, which gave Moses power to stand against Satan.
“While our Heavenly Father consistently and lovingly reminds us that we are His children, the adversary will always try to label us by our weaknesses.”
We won’t let people label us by our weaknesses if we know who we really are.
“We need to seek validation vertically, not horizontally.” <—Awesome
2 ways to help solidify the relationship:
- Prayer “I have found that the quality of my prayers improves as I take a few minutes to prepare to talk to my Father.” Spiritually prepare each day before we pray. Show gratitude. Don’t go rote.
- “Come to know that Jesus is the Christ.” As we come to know Him “who is mighty to save,” we will come to understand that we, as children of God, are His joy, His most important focus, and are indeed each worth saving.
“The greatest manifestation of Heavenly Father’s love for us as His children is the reality that He sent His Son, our own personal Savior, to help us come home. Therefore, we need to come to know Him.”
“I promise you that your Heavenly Father knows you, loves you and wants to hear from you. He wants to communicate with you. He wants you to remember who you are.”
Elder Kelly R. Johnson spoke about the word “Reconcile” which caught he eye in the scriptues as a forensic accountant.
“To be reconciled to God means to be brought back into harmony with God, or to restore a relationship with God that has been strained or broken because of our sins or actions.”
More simply put: “Aligning our will and actions with God’s will.”
“Reconciliation signifies the restoration of a broken relationship, particularly between God and humanity, by removing the barrier of sin.”
Talked about harvesting cherries with a shaker machine, (I adore cherries) and how cherries fall because the stems of ripe cherries are weakened by ethylene. Some cherries wouldn’t fall because they were “unshakeable.” Cherries fall because of a weakened connection to the tree. <- Great analogy.
Easily shaken = ripe for destruction. “The antidote to becoming ripe for destruction is to do those things that will strengthen our connection to Jesus Christ.”
“We can reach a point where we are unwilling to change.”
“Making and keeping covenants makes our connection to the Savior strong.”
Choir sings Primary song “Because.” New to me. Pretty.
• I always feel bad for those saints who discount Saturday conference and miss out on these amazing messages in real time.
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf to wrap up. Starts by talking about being a pilot. (He was a pilot? Who knew!)
He visited the Lufthansa offices and they offered him the opportunity to try the flight simulator after a long time away. Funny story.
“Getting good at anything – whether it be flying, rowing, sewing, or knowing – takes consistent self-discipline and practice.”
Use it or lose it. “It also applies to becoming a disciple of Christ.” “Discipleship takes self-discipline. It’s not a casual endeavor. It takes effort. It’s a conscious choice that takes effort.”
Brought up the parable of the talents, and how God was us to use our talents to bless the lives of others.
“The fire of yesterday’s testimony can only warm us for so long. It requires constant nurturing. God gives us gifts… and He wants us to use and amplify them to bless us and His children. Our gifts multiply only if we put them to use.”
“Your origin story is divine – and so is your destiny.”
“You are a blessed being of light. The spirit child of an infinite God. And, you bear within you the potential beyond your own capacity to imagine.”
“He doesn’t expect us to take a superhuman leap to get there…Remember that it was Jesus Christ who already did the superhuman part when He conquered death and sin. Our part is to follow Christ. It is our part to turn away from sin, turn toward the Savior…”
That is how we get refined.
“We know that our efforts alone cannot make us celestial. But they can make us loyal and committed to Jesus Christ, and He can make us celestial.” <— awesome, especially with the current kerfuffle about faith vs works.
“The blessings are within reach. The promises are in place. The door is wide open. It is our choice to enter and begin.”
Choir sings “Rejoice the Lord is King” – another classic.
• I was hoping the closing prayer would ask for “Eagle Powers”
• What a great start! Every talk was so good. I’m pumped.
• Off to watch a grandson play football on a beautiful day here in Zion. (Arizona)
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Excellent reviews on an excellent conference!! I agree with your comments about Elder Brown. Best talk I have ever heard in conference. I had not ever heard of him, and I hope he comes back often. If you find a tee-shirt with “IYKUK” on it, let me know where you got it.
Were you ill Sunday? I didn’t receive any reviews.
They are all on the website. For some unknown reason, the emails didn’t go out. A glitch in the Matrix.
Thank you! This was a great summary. I appreciate it.
It was a sweet session. Agree that you miss a lot if you miss the Saturday sessions! Such good talks.
Not sure what you mean by the current “kerfuffle” about faith and works.
Our Evangelical friends sometimes disparage our doctrine as “works based”, implying that we think we can earn our way into heaven by our works. They say it is the grace of Jesus Christ that saves us, not our works.
Ex-evangelical here (baptized LDS in 1994). To the best of my memory, the evangelical doctrine I was most exposed to claims that believing we should obey somehow “minimizes” Christ’s sacrifice for us, and they firmly believe that all sins past, present, and future are washed away when one “accepts Christ” (says a prescribed prayer), so the “convert” cannot lose that version of “salvation” no matter what they do afterward. I wonder why they think Christ bothered to give commandments and moral teachings, just to hear Himself talk?
Great explanation and lol
Thank you. Reading your comments lifts me almost as much as hearing the talks. Almost.