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.
Yesterday was such a full day. I fell asleep and awoke with a burning deep inside. Fortunately, I had some Tums. I need to cut back on my late-night snacking.
Choir is finishing up Music & The Spoken Word. I always love a good Alelujah.
Just saw a hilarious commercial with a young couple watching conference on a smartphone while sitting on a rock. Cracked me up. Heavens! Don’t let conference get in the way of a good hike!
Welcome to the “Peacemaker Conference.”
Off and running with President Oaks conducting…
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: Told story of Christ applying mud to a blind man’s eyes.
“How important evidence is, opposed to wishes or argument or even malice in opposition to the truth.”
“How grateful we are for evidence to sustain our declarations of truth.”
Christ used spit and dirt, which shows us, “God can bless us by whatever method he chooses.”
“How easy it is for us to dismiss the source of our redemption because of the ingredients or the instruments seem embarrassing or plain.”
“So what if the answers to our prayers come in plain or even convoluted ways?”
—> My website just crashed – distracted but it’s back now. Sorry.
“Should our ancestors be penalized because they lived at a time when the gospel was unavailable?”
“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has sacred, dedicated houses of the Lord in which merciful, salvific work is being done vicariously every day and night”
(How nice to hear about salvation for the dead – temple work has mostly been taught to be “self-help” lately)
Talked about receiving his witness to the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon: “The impact, in my life, of the Book of Mormon is no less miraculous than was the application of spit and dirt on a blind man’s eyes. It has been for me, a rod of safety for my soul.” “It has been for me a transcendent and penetrating light of revelation and an illumination of the path I must walk when mists of darkness come, as surely they have and as surely they will.”
“I have been on the edge of death and back…At times I have been overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit of God. I trust that my witness should be given at least some consideration here.”
Concluded with part of Amazing Grace. “I was blind, but now I see.”
• Oh my! What an amazing, unapologetic, powerful testimony!l
Elder James E. Evanson spoke on service. Two talks in a row that started with stories of Christ with blind men.
When asked, “Who is my neighbour?,” Christ shared the parable of the good Samaritan with a charge to “Go, and do thou likewise.”
“Every worthy young man and woman who desires to serve a full-time mission for the Lord can do so, with very few exceptions.”
“You don’t need to have a service assignment or wear a name tag to do good. Every act of service is recognized by the Savior.”
“When you or a family member is blessed with a call as a service missionary, that is a moment to celebrate.”
“If teaching missionaries are the Lord’s mouth then service missionaries are the Lord’s hands”
“As we serve others, we show forth good examples unto them and they desire to know the reason of the hope that is in us.”
“Service is the life-blood of disciples of Christ.”
“Service has the power to open hearts to the gospel and allows all of us to give our whole soul to Christ. It changes our hearts to become more like Him and in the process, we lift others.”
“Go and do likewise.”
Elder Ulisses Soares. Temperance. Talked about the SLC temple’s need for structural reinforcement. “We also need to take extraordinary measures —perhaps measures we have never before taken — to strengthen our own spiritual foundation of Jesus Christ.”
“The Gospel of Jesus Christ provides us with divinely inspired and effective means to prevent the spiritual erosions of our souls.”
Spoke about temperance and how it strengthens other traits we need to develop. Temperance also helps stop the spiritual erosion. “Disciples of Christ who strive to cultivate this Christlike attribute become increasingly humble and full of love. A serene strength arises in them, and they become better at restraining anger…”
Less impulsive. (Yeah, that’s directed at me.)
“Temperance is an essential reinforcement for a firm foundation in Jesus Christ.” “Temperance strengthens other Christlike attributes”
“True spiritual strength is not expressed in impulsive reactions but in temperate, thoughtful attitudes aligned with the Lord’s wisdom.”
(Interesting correlation here between cultivating temperance and being peacemakers)
“The gospel of Jesus Christ invites us to exercise this virtue especially in times of challenge, for it is precisely on these occasions that the true character of an individual is revealed.”
“I extend an earnest invitation to all of us to adorn our minds and hearts with the Christ-like attribute of temperance.”
Elder Peter M. Johnson: “Now is the time for us to make our discipleship our highest priority.”
Ministering to the one.
Spoke about his experience in learning about the priesthood ban while on his mission, and how it caused him problems feeling the Spirit. He was able to get through it by being ministered to and remembering God’s love for him. “Because I remembered, I again was able to recognize the Holy Ghost and to understand more fully that Jesus is the Christ, and I am His disciple.”
“At times we will have unanswered questions and feelings of being unimportant, discouraged, alone, and unseen; however, my friends, we must press forward with faith in Jesus Christ.”
“Study the Book of Mormon…I LOVE this book”
“My study of the Book of Mormon and partaking of the sacrament minimizes feelings of discouragement, escalates my determination to minister to the one in the Savior’s way, and helps make discipleship my highest priority.”
—–
Elder D. Todd Christofferson. Talked about the tragedy in Lesotho where 15 young women and leaders were killed in a traffic accident.
“Jesus Christ loves us and is with us even though our hearts hurt.”
“The Young Women president from the neighboring Leribe Branch, Mampho Makura urged: ‘Turn to the Lord and find the strength to accept His will. Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our faith. Don’t look away but look to Him.’”
“The counsel ’look to God and live’ has meaning for us not only in eternity, but also makes all the difference in the character and quality of our mortal lives.”
“It is only by looking to God that individuals, families, and even nations can flourish.”
Encourages us to look to the scriptures to look to the Lord and…”For the Strength of Youth” manual. (Didn’t see that segue coming.)
“Few things will complicate your life more than violating the law of chastity”
“Immorality is one of the quickest ways to lose your testimony.” (President Nelson)
“Public opinion is not the arbiter of truth.”
“Remember that in the Book of Mormon promise the opposite of prosperity was not poverty — it was being cut off from the presence of the Lord.”
“Looking to God means that He’s not just one of our priorities. It means, rather, that He is our one highest priority.”
“In looking to God we can find peace in difficulty and our faith can continue to grow even in times of doubt and spiritual challenge.”
Sister Andrea Nunoz Spannous 2nd Counselor Young Women.
The woman of Shunem. ( A lesser-known story in the O.T. about Elijah.) She recognized Elijah was a prophet and was “willing to build a room in her house so the prophet passing through her city would have a place to stay.”
“We too can receive a personal testimony of God’s prophets today and open our hearts and minds, our house, to the message that our Heavenly Father has for us in these latter days.”
“Prophets are seers and revelators. That means they can see what others cannot see and they can prophesy of future events.”
“Each member of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is a prophet, seer, and revelator.”
“Dear youth, I invite you to ask yourself this question: Do I have a personal testimony of God’s living prophets?”
“We too can receive a personal testimony of God’s prophets today and open our hearts and minds—our house—to the message that our Heavenly Father has for us in these latter days.”
“Parents, in this world where there are many voices and sometimes much darkness, God Himself has commanded us to raise our children in light and truth.”
Invitation to the youth: “In the coming days, I invite you to kneel, open your hearts, and pray with faith to Heavenly Father, asking Him to confirm to you that His chosen Prophet and Apostles are His voice on the earth today.” <— Wise counsel makes life SO much easier.
“The world’s wickedness is growing, but the Church of Jesus Christ and His kingdom are stronger than ever.”
• She was awesome! And her counsel was on point.
Elder Henry B. Eyring: (Weird to type that – I’m so accustomed to typing “President.”)
Talked about feeling discouraged when studying physics in school. As he prayed he felt the Lord say, “‘I am proving you but I am also with you.’ I did not know then, all that those words meant, but I knew what to do; I went to work.”
“The Lord proves us in much the same way to strengthen us. That proving does not come in moments of ease or comfort. It comes in moments when we feel stretched beyond what we thought we could bear.”
Talked about different meanings of the word “proofing.”
“To prove something is not only to test it; it is to increase its strength.”
We become spiritually stronger when we forge through trials and suffering with unyielding faith.
“When we continue to have faith in Jesus Christ—even when things might feel impossible to us at the moment—we become spiritually stronger.”
Spoke about Moroni’s struggles as he was alone. and how he spent his time writing for us. He was proved and became more pure. Witnessed by his writings – especially his promise in Moroni 10.
“Moroni’s testimony was refined in loneliness, but it shines with light to guide all generations to seek our Father in Heaven and the Savior Jesus Christ.”
Spoke about Joseph’s suffering in Liberty Jail. Christ is the greatest example of being “proved.”
“Because of His glorious Atonement, Jesus Christ can strengthen us in our times of trial.”
“Your proving and strengthening may not look like Moroni’s, or Jacob’s, or the Prophet Joseph’s. But it will come. It may come quietly, through the trials of family life. It may come through illness, or disappointment, or grief, or loneliness.”
“[God] is making you strong enough to carry the weight of eternal life.”
“One day, we will look back and see that those very trials were evidence of His love. We will see that He was shaping us to be able to stand with Him in glory.” <– beautiful
Choir concludes with a pretty “Called to Serve.” Another classic.
• Personally, I typically feel that the Sunday AM sessions a bit of a let-down after the Saturday sessions. This year, I feel like they took yesterday’s momentum and added to it.
• Yesterday: Elder Brown was amazing! Today: Elder Holland: Hold my soda.
Back to wrap up in few hours. Enjoy the spiritual deluge!
Discover more from Thus We See...
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
