Two sessions already over. Going too fast. So much to consider. So many exclamation points.
Here are some more non-spiritual observations from this afternoon:
1) Those BYU kids looked so wholesome that I feel like I need to go use my EC’s exfoliating facial scrub.
2) I wonder if they put up the names of the people praying on the TV screen. I’ve never peeked because I’m too reverent for that.
3) I figured out the ratio: It is 2.5. For example, if something someone says to you at work would rate a “3” on the funny scale between 1 to 10, the same thing said in General Conference it would get the response of a “7.5.”
4) Elder Scott’s voice is so soothing that he should have done Melatonin commercials in his earlier life.
5) I wonder if any of the Apostles dial the cellphone of the one that is speaking – just to see if he turned his off.
6) I got into an argument with one of my kids right before two Apostles spoke about having peace in the home. D’oh!
7) Imagine how hard it would be to speak in General Conference if you were severely allergic to flowers.
8) Elder Ellis’ yellow “Virtue” tie is my favorite of the day.
9) I am grateful that when Elder Bednar described the “Natural Man” he didn’t put my picture on the screen.
10) To those of you who have hated President Packer for the past 40 years, I would like to introduce you to Elder David Bednar.
I love these men with all my heart. Can’t wait until tonight’s no-girls-allowed session.
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Hahaha! You are totally cracking me up!
“To those of you who have hated President Packer for the past 40 years, I would like to introduce you to Elder David Bednar. “
Thank heaven for our dear, unflinching leaders.
AuntSue
As to the flowers, I asked one of the flower placer people, (should be their official title) and he said that almost all of the greenery and flowers are artifical to avoid problems with allergies. According to a speaker in church last week, it is just very hot on the stand, and eyes tend to sweat.
Bednar can totally ROCK IT!! Love that talk – keep tellin’ it like it is!! The world came down like a ton of bricks on Packer the last time he blasted out this message – I’m surprised I haven’t seen them do the same to Bednar.
Out of morbid curiosity, I checked out the response on some of what I call the Mormon ‘ark-steadying’ blogs. There was consistent (and sadly not unexpected) denigration and belittling of not only the comments, but of the apostle himself.
Regarding the “No Girls Allowed” session….I have a radio that receives what is going on in the chapel nearby. I listened to the priesthood session. Girls, they definitely did NOT say we had to make more cookies for the men. And no secrets were revealed. What a disappointment after all these years of wondering. At least it was inspirational!
Lol!
I was at BYU-Idaho the last year or so that Elder Bednar was president, and whenever he comes on I remember a time when we were in line for a banquet, getting our food buffet style, when I heard then-Pres. Bednar comment on the eclairs, “These would be great for a food fight.” So when I hear him lay down he law like Pres. Packer and Elder Holland it’s a little easier for me to remember that he still has a sense of humor.
That being said, I love it when the apostles tell it like it is so there is no room for argument. I have to restrain myself from pointing out to certain member friends, “See! You’re wrong! The apostles said so!” and cultivate a more humble spirit.
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I have a piece of non-spiritual Apostle trivia for you. One of Elder Nelson ear’s has a prosthesis. He lost a piece of it, and by “it” I mean his ear, helping a friend start his car during the middle of a Minnesota winter. Frostbite. He told me the story, I didn’t ask to see the ear. But he did say “There is literally a piece of me, left in Minnesota.” Then he smiled.
As my wife calls it…Welcome to the Elder Bednar Smackdown!
#10!! For sure!!
Elder Bednar sure told it straight! Loved that talk!
S. Ann, I grew up in Sedro Woolley! I was a Bergstrom 25 years ago….I told my kids, “hey! Elder Dickson used to be my stake president!” They gave me a polite “that’s cool” 🙂 oh yeah, mmm, excellent as always!
Wait–I think you were in my ward when you were younger! Your mom’s blackberry dessert is famous at my house. Unfortunately, the recipe has been lost for a few years. (Morton Ward. I was a Hornby.)
Guilty of #6. (Quiet! We can’t hear!) “A home should be full of peace…” oops.
Tabitha
(who gets to post because Tom is at National Camp School.)
Raise your hand if you know someone in that BYU choir. Or if one of your kids knows someone in the choir.
My favorite non-spiritual moment was listening to Pres Uchtdorf read off all those names in his German accent. Especially the Spanish names. I could listen to him say his own middle name all day.
I think they have him do the sustainings every time because he is the only one who can actually pronounce his own name correctly! 🙂
I loved listening to his accent as he would pronounce all the names. Except the “American” names sounded so bland compared to all the others!
One of our daughters was in that afternoon choir. We all sat around the TV unblinking and watching for her. She said it was an amazing experience to be there taking it all in… being so close to President Monson and all our leaders, sitting near those massive organ pipes, and getting a tour of the very cool labrynth of rooms and passageways in the not-for-the-commoners parts of the Conference Center. She was particularly impressed with Sister Dalton, who was so friendly and gracious. I guess she turned around each time the choir had finished singing and winked at them in appreciation. She’s a class act. Irrelevant but impressive fact — I just learned she’s 66 years young!
I’m also glad that the BYU choir wore classy black dresses, as opposed to, oh, say, Pepto-Bismol pink!
I love Conference weekend! I’m ready to ramp it up, spiritually speaking.
There are people who hate President Packer?
#10…your best yet.
Conference always goes by too fast for me. Sis Dalton’s talk was so inspiring. Elder Bednar rocks!!!
I love your #10.
“I wonder if they put up the names of the people praying on the TV screen. I’ve never peeked because I’m too reverent for that.”
No, they don’t. But the person conducting does announce their name the last time he stands up.
I will go and repent now.
Hahahaha, I always wondered about the names during prayers thing. I actually tried to sneak a peek today to check but I didn’t see anything so I closed my eyes again. Nice to know I don’t have to peek next time.
I’m one of those people who doesn’t close their eyes during prayers. They used to display the names of the person giving the prayer, but they stopped doing it several years ago…
When I was in seminary our teacher had us take notes, including the names of the people who gave the prayers. (We also had to take notes on the prayer, something they were grateful for and something they asked for I think.) It’s hard work to listen for it before the song! I always wished the put them up.
I peeked today. They don’t display it, but if you have captioning on then it is listed. I’ve found my kiddos understand and absorb more if the captioning is on. Plus I don’t get any “What did he say?” interruptions. Especially if whoever is speaking has a heavy accent.
My #1 observation of the non-spiritual variety….The young sisters singing in the BYU choir have grown up viewing the MTC”s sorrowful taste in dress colors and opted for black. I would give them an Emmy for that.
Being a true Western Washington implant, I vote for John Dickson for whatever is up for vote.
Yes to Elder Bednar inheriting the mantle of giving the This Is How It Works talks. Yes to Elder Ellis looking like RW would look if he held and honored the priesthood. Yes to taking notes on Virtue ?= Yellow??? Yes to thoroughly enjoying both sessions and taking pages of notes and marking some with ! or a ☆. And also adding about two feet to the length of the scarf I am knitting while simultaneously festooning myself with random bits of fugitive angora. Have fun storming the castle, boys!
Virtue = Gold 🙂
-Paige
I know that virtue=gold. But that tie was yellow.
On the upside, we can still download the men’s session from the website. No secret is safe!
When a friend inquires of her husband what was discussed in the super- secret- no-girls-allowed session, he *always* tells her that the Prophet said that wives should bake more cookies for their husbands.
Priesthood session was on April fools day when my brother was engaged. When he came home he in all seriousness told his new convert fiance, that polygamy had been reinstated.
Miraculously they are still married almost 20 years later.
Amen on Elder Bednar! The man has POWER.
During Elder Cook’s talk he mentioned a woman “literally” dissolving in tears. I said, horrified, “I hope not!”
Only one person got it. That was my non-inspiring contribution to Conference.
I loved that part. I kept trying to picture what that would look like. It was quite distracting.
I loved Elder Ellis’ talk, but it was kind of like having Robin Williams speaking at general conference. Kept cracking my spouse and I up.
My husband had the same observation.
my husband thought so, too!!
I cant imagine anyone hating Pres. Packer. I’ve always loved him and appreciate his “understanding” more than ever. Elder Perry has mentioned before about the flowers and allergies as he wiped his nose at the podium. Love your comments again and love you for making them.
Unfortunately, he has received death threats. But if satan fights that hard against an Apostle, it should actually be a little comforting, eh? Not that I would want any of our prophets to get death threats! Just trying (poorly) to twist the bad into something good?