LDS General Conference Discussion Thread

[Xuzi]

Back in 1995 my hometown got it's first Chapel, and for whatever reason, when we started holding meetings there, they didn't have enough new hymn books, so we had to use some of the pre-1985 ones that had some how ended up in our new building's library. There were quiet a few people who weren't willing to give up using them when we finally got enough of the "new" ones. There were some gorgeous hymns in there!

 

And my ward could do better with the singing, too. Our main problem is that many in the congregation just WON'T sing! It's one of my few peeves with my ward. I love Stake Conference because so many people are singing, and I once went to a Stake Temple night where we sang in one of the upper chapels of the Portland Temple, and oh. my. word. it sounded heavenly!

[Live2Ride]

Anyone serious about hymns keeps a copy of the old hymnal. ;) I know my dad has several as well as two dozen copies of the score to Handel's Messiah (Schirmer's edition only). :tongue_smilie:

 

I got the old one from my dear friends home that I helped her children clean out after she passed away. I love it. It is unfortunately missing two pages...I was totally bummed to see that. I don't think they should remove any, only add to it :D

 

Sorry we are taking detours again lol. I did try and do a good conference post a page or two back :)

[MamaSheep]

There's one line from that talk that popped out at me when I first heard it, and popped out at me when I read it:

 

"That solid basis for a foundation of faith is personal integrity."

 

I've been pondering on it for a while, and have been trying to puzzle out what he means.

 

I went to my favorite unofficial "standard work", the Marion Webster Dictionary ;) and found this definition of integrity:

 

 

The words at the end of the definitions (incorruptibility, soundness, and completeness) particularly struck me, and I think I'm starting to see what Pres. Eyring meant. Can someone have a strong foundation of faith in Christ if they willfully and unrepentantly make choices contrary to His commandments? Does doing so impair us? Does it cause us to be incomplete and divided? I think it does.

 

This from his talk spoke to me...a couple of years ago, my husband and I went through a very hard time in our marriage...repentence is a wonderful gift. Service towards others helped me to move forward and find that I was a loved daughter of Heavenly Father. That I was able to bless others with some of my time and talents made me feel better about myself and in turn I was strengthened. My faith grew, my testimony grew and I was stronger than I was before.

 

From Elder Eyrings talk:

 

"Now, I wish to encourage those who are in the midst of hard trials, who feel their faith may be fading under the onslaught of troubles. Trouble itself can be your way to strengthen and finally gain unshakable faith. Moroni, the son of Mormon in the Book of Mormon, told us how that blessing could come to pass. He teaches the simple and sweet truth that acting on even a twig of faith allows God to grow it:

 

“And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.

 

“For it was by faith that Christ showed himself unto our fathers, after he had risen from the dead; and he showed not himself unto them until after they had faith in him; wherefore, it must needs be that some had faith in him, for he showed himself not unto the world.

 

“But because of the faith of men he has shown himself unto the world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things which they have not seen.

 

“Wherefore, ye may also have hope, and be partakers of the gift, if ye will but have faith.”7

 

When hard trials come, the faith to endure them well will be there, built as you may now notice but may have not at the time that you acted on the pure love of Christ, serving and forgiving others as the Savior would have done. You built a foundation of faith from loving as the Savior loved and serving for Him. Your faith in Him led to acts of charity that will bring you hope.

 

It is never too late to strengthen the foundation of faith. There is always time. With faith in the Savior, you can repent and plead for forgiveness. There is someone you can forgive. There is someone you can thank. There is someone you can serve and lift. You can do it wherever you are and however alone and deserted you may feel.

 

I cannot promise an end to your adversity in this life. I cannot assure you that your trials will seem to you to be only for a moment. One of the characteristics of trials in life is that they seem to make clocks slow down and then appear almost to stop.

 

There are reasons for that. Knowing those reasons may not give much comfort, but it can give you a feeling of patience. Those reasons come from this one fact: in Their perfect love for you, Heavenly Father and the Savior want you fitted to be with Them to live in families forever. Only those washed perfectly clean through the Atonement of Jesus Christ can be there. "

 

Thank you, both.

 

Xuzi, that's a really interesting point. I've been thinking about faith in terms of integrity since I read your comment yesterday but didn't have time to comment. I think you're right. And it's led me to some related thoughts I can't quite articulate yet. Which is good, I like things like that to chew on.

Edited April 6, 2012 by MamaSheep

[MamaSheep]

My parents have a stack of old hymnbooks too. I think the branch gave them away to whoever wanted them when the new ones came out. As a non-stellar pianist I like the new one better (or better yet, the simplified version...lol...). But I like some of the ones that were in the old version, and didn't make it to the new one. Also, some of the new ones they put in seem kind of awkward to me. My guess is they were picked because of the subject matter more than the skill with which they were written. But it's a guess. I wonder when we'll get another update.

[TexasRachel]

Dh would love to get his hands on an old Spanish hymnal. It was updated after his mission (early 90s). There's one song he really wants, but apparently there's also songs about brushing your teeth and Santa as well.

[MamaSheep]

This morning I listened to Elder Holland's talk from Saturday afternoon. Actually I played it through a couple of times, and new things grabbed my attention each time through. REALLY good talk. I think it's been discussed a little here already, but I'll just throw in some of the snippets that stood out for me.

 

I loved his retelling of the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. I had not thought before about the stress that must have been experienced by those laborers who were not chosen to work until the last hour of the day. Certainly that is something an unfortunate number of people can related to in the current economy. Of course their relief must have been great to get ANY work late in the day. But it must have been overwhelming when they realized that they were to receive a full day's wages. I wonder if while they'd worked that hour they'd wondered how much food an hour's worth of wages might buy to feed their children, or whether the children might have to go without while they watched their father eat the bread so that he could have the strength to work the next day...if he could find the work. At any rate, I have to agree with the Savior, and Elder Holland, that those who spent the day assured of a full day's wage, which they then justly received, should not be jealous if the landowner decides to also be merciful to those who came later. The good fortune of the later laborers took nothing away from those who came first.

 

I think this part has already been posted, but I think it bears repeating, so here it is again:

 

"Furthermore, envy is a mistake that just keeps on giving. Obviously we suffer a little when some misfortune befalls us, but envy requires us to suffer all good fortune that befalls everyone we know! What a bright prospect that is—downing another quart of pickle juice every time anyone around you has a happy moment! To say nothing of the chagrin in the end, when we find that God really is both just and merciful, giving to all who stand with Him “all that he hath,” as the scripture says. So lesson number one from the Lord’s vineyard: coveting, pouting, or tearing others down does not elevate your standing, nor does demeaning someone else improve your self-image. So be kind, and be grateful that God is kind. It is a happy way to live."

 

I like this part too:

 

"My beloved brothers and sisters, what happened in this story at 9:00 or noon or 3:00 is swept up in the grandeur of the universally generous payment at the end of the day. The formula of faith is to hold on, work on, see it through, and let the distress of earlier hours—real or imagined—fall away in the abundance of the final reward. Don’t dwell on old issues or grievances—not toward yourself nor your neighbor nor even, I might add, toward this true and living Church. The majesty of your life, of your neighbor’s life, and of the gospel of Jesus Christ will be made manifest at the last day, even if such majesty is not always recognized by everyone in the early going. So don’t hyperventilate about something that happened at 9:00 in the morning when the grace of God is trying to reward you at 6:00 in the evening—whatever your labor arrangements have been through the day.

 

We consume such precious emotional and spiritual capital clinging tenaciously to the memory of a discordant note we struck in a childhood piano recital, or something a spouse said or did 20 years ago that we are determined to hold over his or her head for another 20, or an incident in Church history that proved no more or less than that mortals will always struggle to measure up to the immortal hopes placed before them. Even if one of those grievances did not originate with you, it can end with you. And what a reward there will be for that contribution when the Lord of the vineyard looks you in the eye and accounts are settled at the end of our earthly day."

 

And, of course:

 

"I do not know who in this vast audience today may need to hear the message of forgiveness inherent in this parable, but however late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.

 

Whether you are not yet of our faith or were with us once and have not remained, there is nothing in either case that you have done that cannot be undone. There is no problem which you cannot overcome. There is no dream that in the unfolding of time and eternity cannot yet be realized. Even if you feel you are the lost and last laborer of the eleventh hour, the Lord of the vineyard still stands beckoning. “Come boldly [to] the throne of grace,”3 and fall at the feet of the Holy One of Israel. Come and feast “without money and without price”4 at the table of the Lord.

...

My beloved brothers and sisters, to those of you who have been blessed by the gospel for many years because you were fortunate enough to find it early, to those of you who have come to the gospel by stages and phases later, and to those of you—members and not yet members—who may still be hanging back, to each of you, one and all, I testify of the renewing power of God’s love and the miracle of His grace. His concern is for the faith at which you finally arrive, not the hour of the day in which you got there."

 

And this is the talk that had the part in it addressed especially to men that I mentioned earlier, that I'm fairly sure kicked off the whole gender discussion:

 

"I especially make an appeal for husbands and fathers, priesthood bearers or prospective priesthood bearers, to, as Lehi said, “Awake! and arise from the dust … and be men.”5 Not always but often it is the men who choose not to answer the call to “come join the ranks.”6 Women and children frequently seem more willing. Brethren, step up. Do it for your sake. Do it for the sake of those who love you and are praying that you will respond. Do it for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ, who paid an unfathomable price for the future He wants you to have."

 

And at the risk of posting the whole thing it snitches and snatches, one last snippet:

 

"It underscores the thought I heard many years ago that surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful, especially to those who don’t expect it and often feel they don’t deserve it."

 

It occurs to me that this is a thrill available to all of us, on a more limited scale. We certainly can find someone in our life to whom we can be unexpectedly merciful.

 

Good talk. A good way to start the day. :)

Edited April 6, 2012 by MamaSheep

[MamaSheep]

I kept thinking I'd heard another reference to pickle juice somewhere recently, and finally decided to sit down and see if I could figure out where that was, because it was just nagging at me. It turns out it was in a BYU devotional by Gordon B. Hinckley from 1974. The sentiments are (almost frighteningly) pertinent to the current cultural climate, though. Here's the part I was thinking of (I added the bolding for emphasis, of course, it's not in the original):

 

 

"Recently I spent the better part of a week in Washington, D.C., living in a hotel room. Each morning I watched the early news on television and then read the morning paper while eating breakfast. President Ford had just granted a pardon to his predecessor. The amount of venom that spewed from the mouths and pens of the commentators was unbelievable. They were aflame with indignation. In all that week of morning watching and reading I never heard nor read among the commentators and editorialists a single paragraph of positive thought. The speakers were brilliant. They were men of incisive language, scintillating in expression. The columnists were masters of the written word. With studied art they poured out the sour vinegar of invective and anger, judging as if all wisdom belonged to them. At the conclusion of that week, I too made a negative observation. Said I, "

Surely this is the age and place of the gifted pickle sucker.

"

 

The tragedy is that this spirit is epidemic. Criticism, fault-finding, evil speaking--these are of the spirit of the day. They are in our national life. To hear tell these days, there is nowhere a man of integrity among those holding political office. In many instances this spirit has become the very atmosphere of university campuses. The snide remark, the sarcastic gibe, the cutting down of associates--these, too often, are of the essence of our conversation. In our homes wives weep and children finally give up under the barrage of criticism leveled by husbands and fathers. Criticism is the forerunner of divorce, the cultivator of rebellion, sometimes a catalyst that leads to failure. Even in the Church it sows the seed of inactivity and finally apostasy.

 

I come this morning with a plea that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that we "accentuate the positive." I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still our voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and effort. I am not asking that all criticism be silenced. Growth comes of correction. Strength comes of repentance. Wise is the man who can acknowledge mistakes pointed out by others and change his course. I am not suggesting that our conversation be all honey and blossoms. Clever expression that is sincere and honest is a skill to be sought and cultivated.

 

What I am suggesting and asking is that we turn from the negativism that so permeates our society and look for the remarkable good in the land and times in which we live, that we speak of one another's virtues more than we speak of one another's faults, that optimism replace pessimism, that our faith exceed our fears.

 

When I was a boy our father often said to us:

 

Cynics do not contribute.

 

Skeptics do not create.

 

Doubters do not achieve."

 

[ETA: OH, I meant to include a link: http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1065]

Edited April 6, 2012 by MamaSheep

[Xuzi]

Ooooh, me likey this! (and I think it'll be making an appearance shortly on my Facebook! :lol: )

 

"Cynics do not contribute.

 

Skeptics do not create.

 

Doubters do not achieve."

 

I also like "pickle sucker". :lol:

 

Aaaaand, I miss Pres. Hinkley. :(

[garddwr]

Dh would love to get his hands on an old Spanish hymnal. It was updated after his mission (early 90s). There's one song he really wants, but apparently there's also songs about brushing your teeth and Santa as well.

 

Have you checked ebay? Here's one from 1942--don't know if they updated between then and when the new one came out in the 90's. You could do an ebay watch for "himnos de sion" and receive an email when one is posted.

 

Actually, I just found some on Amazon, newer and cheaper. This would be the one he used. How about a father's day gift if his birthday isn't coming up soon?

 

--Sarah

[TexasRachel]

Have you checked ebay? Here's one from 1942--don't know if they updated between then and when the new one came out in the 90's. You could do an ebay watch for "himnos de sion" and receive an email when one is posted.

 

Actually, I just found some on Amazon, newer and cheaper. This would be the one he used. How about a father's day gift if his birthday isn't coming up soon?

 

--Sarah

 

Oh you rock! Just got him his fathers day gift. He'll love it. Thanks so much!

[MamaSheep]

Listened to Elder Hales today. Loved this part:

 

In addition to the spiritual self-reliance we have been discussing, there is temporal self-reliance, which includes getting a postsecondary education or vocational training, learning to work, and living within our means. By avoiding debt and saving money now, we are prepared for full-time Church service in the years to come. The purpose of both temporal and spiritual self-reliance is to get ourselves on higher ground so that we can lift others in need.

 

Whether we are young or old, what we do today determines the service we will be able to render and enjoy tomorrow. As the poet reminds us, “Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘It might have been!’”

12

Let us not live our lives in regret of what we did or did not do!

Possibly because I've got a child heading into those years where he'll be making important decisions about things like vocation and education.

 

I also liked his commentary on the ending of the parable of the Prodigal Son:

 

Beloved brothers and sisters, the young man spoken about by the Savior, the one we refer to as the prodigal son,

did come home.

His father had not forgotten him; his father was waiting. And “when [the son] was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and … kissed him.”

13

In honor of his son’s return, he called for a robe, a ring, and a celebration with a fatted calf

14

—reminders that no blessings will be withheld if we faithfully endure in walking the path back to our Heavenly Father.

With His love and the love of His Son in my heart, I challenge each of us to follow our spiritual desires and

come to ourselves.

Let’s have a talk with ourselves in the mirror and ask, “Where do I stand on living my covenants?” We are on the right path when we can say, “I worthily partake of the sacrament each week, I am worthy to hold a temple recommend and go to the temple, and I sacrifice to serve and bless others.”

 

I share my special witness that God so loves each one of us “that he gave his only begotten Son”

15

to atone for our sins.

He knows us and waits for us, even when we are a great way off.

As we act on our desires and come to ourselves, we will be “encircled about eternally in the arms of his love”

16

and welcomed home. I so testify in the holy name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.

I found the bolded bit especially comforting.

Edited April 7, 2012 by MamaSheep

[MamaSheep]

Next up for me, David S. Baxter of the Seventy. So much to like in this talk to single parents! (Not the least of which is that gorgeous Scottish accent! Somehow listening to that while thinking about what to post on this particular forum made me think of kilts...go figure.)

 

Anyway, good stuff. I really liked this part. I think it can apply to most difficult circumstances in life--and we all have them--not just to single parenthood. But I'm sure it applies there too.

 

 

Although you may at times have asked, why me? it is through the hardships of life that we grow toward godhood as our character is shaped in the crucible of affliction, as the events of life take place while God respects the agency of man. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell commented,

we cannot do all the sums or make it all add up because “we do not have all the numbers

.â€

1

I have never experienced single-parenthood, but I can say that I stand in awe of some of the single parents I know. And I wholeheartedly agree with this statement of Elder Baxter's:

 

 

Please never feel that you are in some kind of second-tier subcategory of Church membership, somehow less entitled to the Lord’s blessings than others. In the kingdom of God there are no second-class citizens.

And this one has me pondering what I might be able to do better:

 

 

Members and leaders, is there more that you could do to support single-parent families without passing judgment or casting aspersions? Might you mentor young people in these families, especially providing for young men examples of what good men do and how good men live? In the absence of fathers, are you providing role models worthy of emulation?

 

 

And what a beautiful story this is. I haven't faced this exact scenario, at least not for the same reasons, but that "I just can't do it tonight" emotion of the thing is one I can definitely relate to. Autism is hard.

 

 

In the general Relief Society meeting of September 2006, President Gordon B. Hinckley related an experience shared by a divorced single mother of seven children then ranging in ages from 7 to 16. She had gone across the street to deliver something to a neighbor. She said:

 

 

 

“As I turned around to walk back home, I could see my house lighted up. I could hear echoes of my children as I had walked out of the door a few minutes earlier. They were saying: ‘Mom, what are we going to have for dinner?’ ‘Can you take me to the library?’ ‘I have to get some poster paper tonight.’ Tired and weary, I looked at that house and saw the light on in each of the rooms. I thought of all of those children who were home waiting for me to come and meet their needs. My burdens felt heavier than I could bear.

 

 

 

“I remember looking through tears toward the sky, and I said, ‘Dear Father, I just can’t do it tonight. I’m too tired. I can’t face it. I can’t go home and take care of all those children alone. Could I just come to You and stay with You for just one night? …’

 

 

 

“I didn’t really hear the words of reply, but I heard them in my mind. The answer was: ‘No, little one, you can’t come to me now. … But I can come to you.’â€

2

 

 

 

 

 

[Xuzi]

“I didn’t really hear the words of reply, but I heard them in my mind. The answer was: ‘No, little one, you can’t come to me now. … But I can come to you.’â€2

 

 

[/indent]

 

This part, and the part about the father running to the prodigal while "yet a great way off" both made me tear up the first time I heard them. I think it can be easy to fall into the habit of not realizing just how there the Father is. That if our trials aren't easily made simple, or if things don't workout just the way they ought to, then that means we've been left alone.

 

We've had a not-too-horrible-but-sad-for-us trial this week, in DH not getting his "dream job" where things just seemed to be aligning themselves left and right in such a way that we thought for SURE he was going to get it, and then *poof*, gone. It was hard, and I had to really pull my attitude around to bring my focus back to the blessings I *did* have, rather than focusing on the one I *wanted* to have that had just been snatched from me, and I'm starting to feel SO grateful.

 

And I'm not sure now if that little story exactly fits in with what you wrote, but it's what came into my mind. :tongue_smilie: I just need to remind myself: if I'm breathing, God is near.

[MamaSheep]

This part, and the part about the father running to the prodigal while "yet a great way off" both made me tear up the first time I heard them. I think it can be easy to fall into the habit of not realizing just how there the Father is. That if our trials aren't easily made simple, or if things don't workout just the way they ought to, then that means we've been left alone.

 

We've had a not-too-horrible-but-sad-for-us trial this week, in DH not getting his "dream job" where things just seemed to be aligning themselves left and right in such a way that we thought for SURE he was going to get it, and then *poof*, gone. It was hard, and I had to really pull my attitude around to bring my focus back to the blessings I *did* have, rather than focusing on the one I *wanted* to have that had just been snatched from me, and I'm starting to feel SO grateful.

 

And I'm not sure now if that little story exactly fits in with what you wrote, but it's what came into my mind. :tongue_smilie: I just need to remind myself: if I'm breathing, God is near.

 

 

I think you're exactly right. And frankly I don't care if what you write fits in with what I said, you should say what's on your mind. It's a good reminder for me today, as "stuff" is happening here too. :grouphug:

 

Also, thanks for chiming in, I was starting to feel like I was talking to myself. I think maybe the thread is winding down and interest is drifting elsewhere. It was fun talking stuff over with you ladies, though. :)

 

ETA: And if you're NOT breathing, God is also near. My mom used to say (when I'd call her up to whine about what a hard day I was having with ds, before he was diagnosed), "Well, Amy, you've never had a day yet that you didn't live through. And we will only ever have to deal with ONE of the other kind." Kind of puts things in perspective...lol.

[Live2Ride]

Can't comment much today. I have been out most of the day for Saturday Church Ball tournament. Let me say that watching the 7 girls that showed up with matching team t-shirts they'd made that night (team name 'Mormon Swag'), play the deacons (atleast 15 of them), was just way too funny! The boys were told that the girls wouldn't be receiving foul calls. Oh boy, was that a hoot. The girls were wrangling balls from the boys. It was hilarious. The boys were having a grand time too with it. They had to play smarter, because they could not play rough at all or risk getting called on a foul for the girls, lol. We laughed so hard :D...of course Team Mormon Swag won :tongue_smilie:

[Caitilin]

Sorry to horn in, but can one of you lovely ladies explain to me what the a general Conference is and what it is for? I cannot quite get the sense from your conversation. :) Thank-you!

[MamaSheep]

Can't comment much today. I have been out most of the day for Saturday Church Ball tournament. Let me say that watching the 7 girls that showed up with matching team t-shirts they'd made that night (team name 'Mormon Swag'), play the deacons (atleast 15 of them), was just way too funny! The boys were told that the girls wouldn't be receiving foul calls. Oh boy, was that a hoot. The girls were wrangling balls from the boys. It was hilarious. The boys were having a grand time too with it. They had to play smarter, because they could not play rough at all or risk getting called on a foul for the girls, lol. We laughed so hard :D...of course Team Mormon Swag won :tongue_smilie:

 

:lol:

[MamaSheep]

Sorry to horn in, but can one of you lovely ladies explain to me what the a general Conference is and what it is for? I cannot quite get the sense from your conversation. :) Thank-you!

 

Thanks for horning in, the conversation was getting laggy and I was starting to worry that I'd have to go find something constructive to do. ;)

 

 

General Conference is a meeting of the worldwide church. Most of us "meet" by broadcast, because only about 21,000 fit in the conference center (not to mention travel expenses, and the hassle of finding someplace to park). It's held the first weekend of April and October every year.

 

The speakers are church leaders at the "general" or worldwide level, so we'll hear from the Prophet and his counselors, some of the Apostles, members of another governing body called the "Seventy" (modeled after the seventy men chosen by Moses to help with administrative duties), the Presiding Bishopric, members of the general Relief Society, Young Women, Primary, and Sunday School presidencies, and so forth. My understanding is that each speaker chooses his or her own topic on which to speak.

 

As President Monson put it in his opening remarks this weekend:

 

"We meet each six months to strengthen one another, to extend encouragement, to provide comfort, to build faith. We are here to learn. Some of you may be seeking answers to questions and challenges you are experiencing in your life. Some are struggling with disappointments or losses. Each can be enlightened and uplifted and comforted as the Spirit of the Lord is felt."

 

We also have the opportunity to offer a sustaining vote in which we demonstrate our support for, and confidence in church leadership, and have the opportunity to express opposition should we desire to do so (there are other opportunities on a more local level as well, at different times during the year such as stake conference, and ward or branch conference, which makes investigating objections and whatnot a bit more practicable). Changes in church leadership staffing are made--this time we got a new general Relief Society presidency, for example. A brief auditing report and statistical report are read. Announcements pertinent to the church as a whole are made, such as deaths of prominent church members (I was saddened to hear of the death of Chieko Okazaki, a former counselor in the general Relief Society presidency).

 

That sort of thing.

[Xuzi]

Sorry to horn in, but can one of you lovely ladies explain to me what the a general Conference is and what it is for? I cannot quite get the sense from your conversation. :) Thank-you!

 

General Conference is a bi-annual meeting of the *entire* body of the church. It spans an entire weekend (first weekend in April and first weekend in October) and is spread out between five 2-hour sessions: One each morning, one each afternoon, and an evening one on Saturday for all Priesthood holders. (Each Conference there's also a general women's meeting, in April it's for the Young Women ages 12-17, and in October it's for the Relief Society, which is ages 18+. It's typically held the Saturday the week prior to General Conference)

 

General Conference is held in the Conference Center across from Temple Square in Salt Lake City and broadcast to the entire church body across the world. You can watch it live in television, on the internet, or on the radio, OR if those aren't available in your area recordings and transcripts are made available. Every effort is made to make sure EVERY member of the church has access to General Conference. You can also watch it live at the Conference Center, but you have to get (free) tickets from your Bishop, and only limited amounts are given to them to hand out (because it's simply not possible to host all 13 mil. of us in a single building! :tongue_smilie: )

 

What happens in General Conference is such:

*Announcements of any new Temples

*Announcements of church stats (how many members, how many converts, how many missionaries, how many temples in operation, etc.)

*Statement from the Church Auditing Department

*Any church business that relates to the church at large (sustaining or releasing of General Authorities, such as Prophets, Apostles, and Auxiliary leaders [Presiding Bishops, General Relief Society Presidencies, General Young Women's Presidencies, etc.)

 

The bulk of the Conference, however, is given over to Talks (Sermons) given by General Authorities. The Prophet and each of his two councilors (which makes up the First Presidency of the Church), as well as each member of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, addresses the church at large on some Gospel topic. In addition to them, selected members of the Quorums of the 70, and auxiliary presidencies also speak on Gospel topics.

 

There is also singing by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at some of the sessions, in addition to congregational hymns, and at least one session has music performed by special choirs, sometimes being made up of singers from local LDS congregations, or other "special populations" in the church, such as THIS Conference which had a choir from the Missionary Training Center in Provo, UT provide the music for one of the sessions. That's where the picture of David Archuleta comes from, as he's currently in the MTC preparing for his two year mission to South America. :D

 

And I think that covers it.

[MamaSheep]

I guess we were simul-typing...lol.

 

(Hmmm....my parents went into the MTC the Monday after conference. I wonder if they'd have a clue who David Archuleta was if they happened to trip over him. My guess would be not.)

Edited April 8, 2012 by MamaSheep

[Xuzi]

I guess we were simul-typing...lol.

 

(Hmmm....my parents went into the MTC the Monday after conference. I wonder if they'd have a clue who David Archuleta was if they happened to trip over him. My guess would be not.)

 

Unless he's the one with all the state-side Elders swarming over him to sign their Book of Mormons that they'll be handing out on their missions. "Let us teach you about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and get a FREE Book of Mormon signed by David Archuleta!" :lol:

 

(okay, I need to lay off the Easter candy :tongue_smilie: )

[prairiewindmomma]

Hey, this is off-topic, but what's the name of the church video about Easter? I can't seem to find it in our DVD collection and I'm trying to look for it online...

[MeaganS]

Lamb of God?

[Xuzi]

Hey, this is off-topic, but what's the name of the church video about Easter? I can't seem to find it in our DVD collection and I'm trying to look for it online...

 

Lamb of God?

[MamaSheep]

I liked this bit from Ulysses Soares's talk:

 

President Thomas S. Monson once said: “May I provide a simple formula by which you can measure the choices which confront you. It’s easy to remember: ‘You can’t be right by doing wrong; you can’t be wrong by doing right’†(“Pathways to Perfection,†Liahona, July 2002, 112; Ensign, May 2002, 100). President Monson’s formula is simple and direct. It works the same way as the Liahona given to Lehi did. If we exercise faith and are diligent in obeying the Lord’s commandments, we will easily find the correct direction to follow, especially when we face our day-to-day choices.

 

The Apostle Paul exhorts us about the importance of sowing in the Spirit and being aware of not sowing in the flesh. He said:

 

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

 

“For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

 

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not†(Galatians 6:7–9).

[Xuzi]

Lamb of God?

 

Gee, I'm just not coming up with any original ideas to post in this thread tonight, am I? :lol:

[MamaSheep]

Unless he's the one with all the state-side Elders swarming over him to sign their Book of Mormons that they'll be handing out on their missions. "Let us teach you about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and get a FREE Book of Mormon signed by David Archuleta!" :lol:

 

(okay, I need to lay off the Easter candy :tongue_smilie: )

 

:lol::lol::lol:

[prairiewindmomma]

Thanks! My brain is not working tonight.. I found this great talk by Elder Holland on Easter

but I couldn't remember the movie title.

[meggie]

This is not really related to General Conference, but I was wondering if any other LDS moms have experienced this.

 

I find myself drifting toward apathy about the church and the gospel. It all started about 3 1/2 years ago when I found out my dad was leaving and did a lot of truly evil things. I had so much anger towards him that I didn't want to be anywhere the Spirit was.

 

Then three years of postpartum depression and more anger. We've only been to church a couple of times this year, mostly out of pure laziness of not wanting to go to bed early, get up early, get children ready, etc. And now I worry that I'm past the apathy stage and drifting closer to the unbelieving stage.

 

If you've ever been in a funk like this, how did you get out?

[Xuzi]

This is not really related to General Conference, but I was wondering if any other LDS moms have experienced this.

 

I find myself drifting toward apathy about the church and the gospel. It all started about 3 1/2 years ago when I found out my dad was leaving and did a lot of truly evil things. I had so much anger towards him that I didn't want to be anywhere the Spirit was.

 

Then three years of postpartum depression and more anger. We've only been to church a couple of times this year, mostly out of pure laziness of not wanting to go to bed early, get up early, get children ready, etc. And now I worry that I'm past the apathy stage and drifting closer to the unbelieving stage.

 

If you've ever been in a funk like this, how did you get out?

 

I haven't, personally, been in a funk like this, but perhaps the discussion earlier in this thread about being "active in the Gospel" rather than "active in the Church" is pertinent. Personal scripture study, personal prayer, etc. Getting back to attending Church meetings would help as well, but I think making the Gospel more than just a Sunday thing would be the best advice, I think, for breaking out of the "funk".

 

Or (something that just popped into my head here), if you feel sort of aimless (like "which scriptures to read?) maybe find a book written about the Gospel (like something written by Pres. Hinkley, or Sheri Dew, etc.) to give you some focus. Maybe look up the scriptures they mention or look up the topics they're discussing in the Topical Guide of your scriptures and see what turns up. This is kind of my version of "Feasting on the Scriptures", and I find it very helpful at "lighting the fire" when a chronological reading of the Holy Scriptures seems daunting or unappealing (which generally happens to me when I go for too long a stretch without reading them).

[meggie]

 

Or (something that just popped into my head here), if you feel sort of aimless (like "which scriptures to read?) maybe find a book written about the Gospel (like something written by Pres. Hinkley, or Sheri Dew, etc.) to give you some focus. Maybe look up the scriptures they mention or look up the topics they're discussing in the Topical Guide of your scriptures and see what turns up. This is kind of my version of "Feasting on the Scriptures", and I find it very helpful at "lighting the fire" when a chronological reading of the Holy Scriptures seems daunting or unappealing (which generally happens to me when I go for too long a stretch without reading them).

 

 

Thank you. That's a great idea. I'll have to see if I can find any good ones at the library.

[prairiewindmomma]

I'm with Xuzi on this one. Find a great general conference talk, watch a great church video, read from 3 Nephi...and do it being open to letting the Spirit work within you.

 

I'll also add that when we couldn't go to church for several months because my daughter was immunocompromised from her cancer treatments....it is very easy to feel disconnected the longer you stay away. My dh still had his stake calling, and the bishop brought the sacrament by most weeks for us....but I really felt like I wasn't a part of the ward, and I think I was weaker spiritually for not being in a place where I could be uplifted spiritually by others. It was hard going back at first--I felt like this big raw open wound and everyone was having "normal" lives--but healing came, and it came a lot quicker than I expected.

[Xuzi]

Thank you. That's a great idea. I'll have to see if I can find any good ones at the library.

 

Well, if the location in your profile is accurate, you'll probably find plenty. :lol:

[meggie]

I'm with Xuzi on this one. Find a great general conference talk, watch a great church video, read from 3 Nephi...and do it being open to letting the Spirit work within you.

 

I'll also add that when we couldn't go to church for several months because my daughter was immunocompromised from her cancer treatments....it is very easy to feel disconnected the longer you stay away. My dh still had his stake calling, and the bishop brought the sacrament by most weeks for us....but I really felt like I wasn't a part of the ward, and I think I was weaker spiritually for not being in a place where I could be uplifted spiritually by others. It was hard going back at first--I felt like this big raw open wound and everyone was having "normal" lives--but healing came, and it came a lot quicker than I expected.

 

Thank you for your advice. Yes this is exactly what is going on. Which is kind of funny because now I have more friends in the ward than I did one year ago, but that's because I've been going to the other activities: book group, enrichment, Zumba, etc. Church is just so easy to stay away. I'm not there for any social reason, so no one is counting on me. I don't have a calling, so I don't HAVE to go. 9am church makes me cry my eyes out. I think I scared DH with all my negative talk; I think he realizes how bad I am so he's trying extra hard to make it happen.

 

Well, if the location in your profile is accurate, you'll probably find plenty. :lol:

 

Oh yes, I am at the HEART of the bubble. Just a few blocks away. DH was at the library earlier. I wish I had gathered my braves sooner and had the courage to ask sooner. Now they're closed til Monday :glare: Maybe I'll see if there are any good ones on the Kindle.

[Forget-Me-Not]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Meggie. I agree with the others. Read something. You can open your scriptures now. You can get onto lds.org and stream a conference talk right this minute. Open that door a little bit and let the light stream in. When you do check something out, I really love Believing Christ by Stephen E Robinson.

 

I've been in those funks. Maybe not as deep as what you describe, but I've definitely been in places where I feel apathetic. I find that resuming my personal study and prayer helps so much.

 

And I hear you on the 9 a.m. church. Esp with kids. Every. Single. Sunday last year was a struggle and I'm so glad we're on the 11 a.m. schedule right now! I did find it helped to sort of prep the night before--get everyone's clothes ready, have church bags packed and ready to go, and playing primary hymns in the house while we're getting ready seems to help.

[meggie]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Meggie. I agree with the others. Read something. You can open your scriptures now. You can get onto lds.org and stream a conference talk right this minute. Open that door a little bit and let the light stream in. When you do check something out, I really love Believing Christ by Stephen E Robinson.

 

I've been in those funks. Maybe not as deep as what you describe, but I've definitely been in places where I feel apathetic. I find that resuming my personal study and prayer helps so much.

 

And I hear you on the 9 a.m. church. Esp with kids. Every. Single. Sunday last year was a struggle and I'm so glad we're on the 11 a.m. schedule right now! I did find it helped to sort of prep the night before--get everyone's clothes ready, have church bags packed and ready to go, and playing primary hymns in the house while we're getting ready seems to help.

 

Thank you. I went ahead and bought the Kindle version. In the review it said the book's thesis statement is: They believe in Christ, but they do not believe Christ. This has been my problem for far too long (even before my parent's divorce). I'm going to go ahead and start reading.

[Forget-Me-Not]

Thank you. I went ahead and bought the Kindle version. In the review it said the book's thesis statement is: They believe in Christ, but they do not believe Christ. This has been my problem for far too long (even before my parent's divorce). I'm going to go ahead and start reading.

 

:grouphug: I hope you like it. I just finished it and it really helped me with some things :)

[MamaSheep]

Trying this again without the oversharing..heh. You might consider talking with a therapist through LDS family services about your dad and the rest. They can be very helpful with untangling and sorting out complicated feelings. :grouphug:

Edited April 8, 2012 by MamaSheep

[Amira]

We just watched the Sunday morning session and enjoyed it.

 

I liked Elder Nelson (think it was him) who said that while God is the same always, that we are different. Sometimes I think we put too much on God instead of taking responsibility either as individuals or humankind for a variety of things.

[LittleIzumi]

This is not really related to General Conference, but I was wondering if any other LDS moms have experienced this.

 

I find myself drifting toward apathy about the church and the gospel. It all started about 3 1/2 years ago when I found out my dad was leaving and did a lot of truly evil things. I had so much anger towards him that I didn't want to be anywhere the Spirit was.

 

Then three years of postpartum depression and more anger. We've only been to church a couple of times this year, mostly out of pure laziness of not wanting to go to bed early, get up early, get children ready, etc. And now I worry that I'm past the apathy stage and drifting closer to the unbelieving stage.

 

If you've ever been in a funk like this, how did you get out?

 

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: For me, listening to Conference talks (and taking notes in Word while I listen, and praying first to try and feel which talk I really need to listen to) helps a lot, but going to the temple helps the most by far. I'll go with you sometime if you'd like/can. :) :grouphug::grouphug: I also really like reading A Marvelous Work and a Wonder.

Edited April 8, 2012 by LittleIzumi

[Murmer]

Thank you. I went ahead and bought the Kindle version. In the review it said the book's thesis statement is: They believe in Christ, but they do not believe Christ. This has been my problem for far too long (even before my parent's divorce). I'm going to go ahead and start reading.

 

There is a website the red headed hostess that I have been going to. She has great ideas for scripture journalling that has changed my level of scripture study and made it much much much more meaningful. The other thing has been reading about other religious beliefs and g the bible and seeing that I really do believe the bible points to things that I believe as a Mormon more than what I have read about other religions (not saying others are wrong just that ready this way have validated my beliefs as lds belief rather than mainstream beliefs)

[MamaSheep]

There is a website the red headed hostess that I have been going to. She has great ideas for scripture journalling that has changed my level of scripture study and made it much much much more meaningful. The other thing has been reading about other religious beliefs and g the bible and seeing that I really do believe the bible points to things that I believe as a Mormon more than what I have read about other religions (not saying others are wrong just that ready this way have validated my beliefs as lds belief rather than mainstream beliefs)

 

This has also been my experience. One reason I so enjoy learning about other people's perspectives is that it makes me see my own from another point of view. :)

[dangermom]

Here's a total hijack--my 11yo daughter was given Easter candy at church today (like every other kid). She carefully picked through it to make sure that none of it had her allergens. But one piece of candy looked just like a Cadbury mini-egg (safe), and was full of peanut butter. She got sick and it was no fun. Her system goes into full reverse, luckily, so that is unpleasant but much better than anaphylaxis.

 

So we've had a more stressful Easter than we had hoped for. She's feeling better now, though--just tired and ready for bed.

 

It has been several years since she ran into a peanut, so we've been very fortunate. I suppose it had to happen one of these days.

[MamaSheep]

This afternoon I listened to Elder Cook's talk from Saturday afternoon. Here are some things he pointed out:

 

 

Those of us with public affairs assignments are acutely aware that many opinion leaders and journalists in the United States and around the world have increased their public discussion of the Church and its members. A unique confluence of factors has raised the Church’s profile significantly.1

 

Many who write about the Church have made a sincere effort to understand our people and our doctrine. They have been civil and have tried to be objective, for which we are grateful.

 

We also recognize that many individuals are not in tune with sacred things. Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks of England, speaking to Roman Catholic leaders last December at the Pontifical Gregorian University, noted how secular some parts of the world have become. He stated that one culprit is “an aggressive scientific atheism tone deaf to the music of faith.â€2

 

The great introductory vision in the Book of Mormon is Lehi’s prophetic dream of the tree of life.3 This vision starkly describes the challenges to faith that exist in our day and the great divide between those who love, worship, and feel accountable to God and those who do not. Lehi explains some of the conduct that destroys faith. Some are proud, vain, and foolish. They are interested only in the so-called wisdom of the world.4 Others have some interest in God but are lost in worldly mists of darkness and sin.5 Some have tasted of the love of God and His word but feel ashamed because of those mocking them and fall away into “forbidden paths.â€6

 

Finally, there are those who are in tune with the music of faith. You know who you are. You love the Lord and His gospel and continuously try to live and share His message, especially with your families.7 You are in harmony with the promptings of the Spirit, have awakened to the power of God’s word, have religious observance in your homes, and diligently try to live Christlike lives as His disciples.

 

...

 

 

It needs to be taught and understood that we love and respect all of the people whom Lehi described.8 Remember, it is not up to us to judge. Judgment is the Lord’s.9 President Thomas S. Monson has specifically asked us to have the “courage to refrain from judging others.â€10 He has also asked every faithful member to rescue those who have tasted of the gospel fruit and then have fallen away, as well as those who have not yet found the strait and narrow path. We pray that they will hold to the rod and partake of the love of God, which will fill their “soul

with exceedingly great joy.â€11

 

A couple of comments on this part. I think the news media has done a better job of discussing us this time around than in the last election cycle. What are your thoughts?

 

Also, I loved that he pointed out that we are to love and respect all the people symbolically represented in Lehi's vision, even those who are mocking from the "great and spacious building". It's not always easy, waving "Hate the Haters" signs and tossing insults back and forth at each other doesn't accomplish anything constructive.

 

 

I also really liked the example he used of how to involve children who don't read yet in family scripture time with the finger signals. I wish I'd thought of that when dd was younger. :)

 

And I found this story interesting as well:

 

Before I served a mission, a university professor quoted Mark Twain’s statement that if you took “And it came to pass†out of the Book of Mormon, it “would have been only a pamphlet.â€19

 

A few months later, while I was serving a mission in London, England, a distinguished Oxford-educated teacher at London University, an Egyptian expert in Semitic languages, read the Book of Mormon, corresponded with President David O. McKay, and met with missionaries. He informed them he was convinced the Book of Mormon was indeed a translation of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians for the periods described in the Book of Mormon.20 One example among many he used was the conjunctive phrase “And it came to pass,†which he said mirrored how he would translate phraseology used in ancient Semitic writings.21 The professor was informed that while his intellectual approach based on his profession had helped him, it was still essential to have a spiritual testimony. Through study and prayer he gained a spiritual witness and was baptized. So what one famous humorist saw as an object of ridicule, a scholar recognized as profound evidence of the truth of the Book of Mormon, which was confirmed to him by the Spirit.

 

The essential doctrine of agency requires that a testimony of the restored gospel be based on faith rather than just external or scientific proof. Obsessive focus on things not yet fully revealed, such as how the virgin birth or the Resurrection of the Savior could have occurred or exactly how Joseph Smith translated our scriptures, will not be efficacious or yield spiritual progress. These are matters of faith. Ultimately, Moroni’s counsel to read and ponder and then ask God in all sincerity of heart, with real intent, to confirm scriptural truths by the witness of the Spirit is the answer.22

 

All things considered, I thought he covered quite a bit of territory for such a short amount of time.

[MamaSheep]

Here's a total hijack--my 11yo daughter was given Easter candy at church today (like every other kid). She carefully picked through it to make sure that none of it had her allergens. But one piece of candy looked just like a Cadbury mini-egg (safe), and was full of peanut butter. She got sick and it was no fun. Her system goes into full reverse, luckily, so that is unpleasant but much better than anaphylaxis.

 

So we've had a more stressful Easter than we had hoped for. She's feeling better now, though--just tired and ready for bed.

 

It has been several years since she ran into a peanut, so we've been very fortunate. I suppose it had to happen one of these days.

 

OH NO!!!

 

I hope she's feeling better very soon. :grouphug:

[Amira]

Here's a total hijack--my 11yo daughter was given Easter candy at church today (like every other kid). She carefully picked through it to make sure that none of it had her allergens. But one piece of candy looked just like a Cadbury mini-egg (safe), and was full of peanut butter. She got sick and it was no fun. Her system goes into full reverse, luckily, so that is unpleasant but much better than anaphylaxis.

 

So we've had a more stressful Easter than we had hoped for. She's feeling better now, though--just tired and ready for bed.

 

It has been several years since she ran into a peanut, so we've been very fortunate. I suppose it had to happen one of these days.

 

I'm glad she's feeling better now.

[blondeviolin]

Here's a funny for y'all! I was just sustained as our ward's primary president. We got set apart this afternoon. My husband was explaining to the kids that Mom would be the new primary president. My four-year-old looked very confused and said, "But I thought our church president was Thomas S. Momson?!" LOL

[MamaSheep]

Here's a funny for y'all! I was just sustained as our ward's primary president. We got set apart this afternoon. My husband was explaining to the kids that Mom would be the new primary president. My four-year-old looked very confused and said, "But I thought our church president was Thomas S. Momson?!" LOL

 

:lol: Too cute!

[DianeW88]

Here's a funny for y'all! I was just sustained as our ward's primary president. We got set apart this afternoon. My husband was explaining to the kids that Mom would be the new primary president. My four-year-old looked very confused and said, "But I thought our church president was Thomas S. Momson?!" LOL

 

That's an awesome calling!! So much fun...enjoy it. And LOL about your son's comment. :lol:

[prairiewindmomma]

Dangermom: :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

We have BTDT and I'm sorry it happened....