Last session. Always bittersweet. It has been a great conference, but I learned long ago that the mind can only comprehend that which the seat can endure.
• It is so poignant to watch these good brethren age. It feels like I have been watching Elder Hales speak for most of my life.
• That said, his talk is perfectly timely, and important. Not only religious freedom, but freedom to declare it.
• Looks like setting an example is not enough – we need to get involved.
• Elder Pearson looks so young and energetic, and starts off with a bang: “‘Hang in there’ is NOT a principle of the Gospel,” then launches into a detailed discussion on enduring to the end. He’s moving fast, so I’m going to just sit back and soak it in. Gonna need to read it – he crammed 30 minutes of excellent material into 10 minutes.
• The conference is almost over, and not ONE of the speakers has been cool or fashionable enough to sport a beard, or even some scruff.
• Elder Pino with dubbed audio. Man, I wish it were in Spanish. Here is his bio. Score one for Venezuela.
• I like the expression “tactical hopes.”
• The analogy using Michelangelo’s statue of David is powerful. (If you ever get chance to see the real thing in Florence, Italy, I highly recommend it.)
• Elder Anderson might want to consider going tie shopping with President Uchtdorf.
• Fascinating discussion of the new temples in Haiti, Thailand and Ivory Coast. I had the great pleasure of attending church in Bangkok a few years ago, and I would never have guessed that they would have a temple this soon.
• I love Elder Anderson’s counsel to look for the Lord’s hand in our lives. I think that is one of the things I miss the most of my time as bishop: I got to see His hand is so many lives, so often.
• Elder Zeballos is from Chile. Yes, that is where I served my mission. Here is his bio. I actually served for six months in the town “Ovalle,” where he was born and lived – I wonder if I knew him…? Would love to hear him speak- Chilean Castellano is different from other Spanish.
• “…narrow is the way…and few be there that find it” should give us all pause.
• Losing a child. I can’t fathom. Yet so many have had to endure it.
• Elder Sitati is from Kenya. Here is his bio. Discussing attributes of our Divine Nature. 1) Be fruitful, 2) Multiply, 3) Subdue the Earth.
• Surprising that a Kenyan accent makes “covenant” sound a lot like “coconut.”
• Elder Russell M. Nelson: Oh good! The Sabbath Day. My attitude and behavior regarding the Sabbath is a sign between me and God. Yikes. His teaching represent a much higher law than that of making lists of dos and don’ts.
• Thankfully, he then went on to teach us some “dos” Family time, as discussed in the Family Proclamation, Family History work, rendering service to others, be examples to others.
• Elder Anderson provided a nice, upbeat ending to this wonderful Conference.
I am looking forward to digging in deeper as the talks are released. I need to read them, and really work them through to get full appreciation. When I listen, I enjoy it while it is happening, but my retention is terrible. (That is one of the reasons I do these summaries – to help me retain.)
Have a great Sabbath, and a great week. Best of luck maintaining the Post-Conference High.
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https://www.lds.org/general-conference/watch?lang=eng&clang=spa Elder Zeballos starts speaking at about minute 40 🙂
Looking forward to the CD, so I can listen in my car.
Not only has General Conference April 2015 come to an end . . . MMM’s post conferences updates as well. Many similar takeaway’s that I have felt. For me . . . I can and will be better at incorporating the attributes of the Savior in my life. Can’t wait for the written versions to appear. Thanks again, and next time pass me a Diet Cherry Coke.
Kristin
Having also served a Chileno mission, I had the same reaction, and wished I could have heard Elder Zeballos speak in Castellano. I’ve been able to return to Chile several times (though not to my mission areas, only to Santiago), and even had time to attend an endowment session at the temple there once, and it was a marvelous experience. Even though I’m a thousand miles away, I wanted to give Elder Zeballos un abrazo grande! The other speakers were pretty good also ;-).
I had the same thought about Elder Pearson. Each bullet point could have been a fabulous talk. I loved it, I wrote fast, but listened slow. Awe, so sad….I haven’t seen my friend, Elder Hales for 6-7 years 🙁 last time I saw him he was recovering from open heart surgery. I found out that my missionary will be in Mexico when the temple is rededicated. So excited for him!
Tie shopping….classic….and could be helpful
Enjoyed all 5 sessions. As MMM stated, I now need to written version to work with to better understand. Oh, MMM, your mention of mind and seat is a disease called….ready for it….opticrectumitis. As the CC here was in the medical field, I feel ok passing this medical term on.
Again, thanks for your insights. Helps me to deepen what I hear and see.
Fabulous Conference-again. I have been spiritually fed and loved every minute. Sadly my family can relate to Elder Nielson’s talk w/a lost family member. I am grateful to Susan for allowing her story to be shared.
Now the fun part of my comment: Dear MMM, I take EXTENSIVE NOTES, pausing my DVR to get the quotes that inspire me exactly right. I have pages and pages from the 6 sessions (I am in including the Women’s Mtg last Saturday). These writtne words will carry me through. The fun part-I referred back to my notes of each session, pulled up your posts on each and added your comments (in a different color ink, of course) to my notes. Now they are complete! Even though you weren’t mentioned or quoted in Conference, you are indelibly honored in my notes which I share with others, by request.
I love that so many others are as moved as I am by the spoken words.
P.S. I LOVE all the music. I am a music person and it is powerful. The spirit speaks through music powerfully. I feel bad that you didn’t enjoy it as much as me.
I am a paper person too. If it is important to learn from, I need it to be on paper. So I appreciate MMM’s comments that I can print out immediately and save to re-read along with the talks in the Ensign. I am also trying to take my own notes during the talks, again to compare and study with the originals. (Boy, have I lost a lot of skill in fast note taking since college.) Interestingly, the harder I work at this, not only do I learn more, but the more I have come to love and appreciate all the various speakers. When the magazine comes, I try to mark the most important points of each talk and type them into a document of significant (to me) church pieces. I don’t always manage to get to that last bit, so I am still very imperfect. But I still am learning how to do better. I’m not a very speedy learner, so after more than 50 years in the Church, I’m still plodding but trying. Better than giving up, right?
By the way, one of the things it took me many years to learn was not to watch conference in the chapel where they keep the lights low. I couldn’t take notes in those years. I also fell asleep as soon as they turned the lights off. Doing much better now that I have BYU tv in my home.
Missed Elder Scott; he must not be well. Also missed the Prophet’s concluding remarks and challenge to go and do all the things we’ve just been taught. Pres. Hinckley was good at that.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865625720/President-Monson-to-speak-at-LDS-general-conference-both-Saturday-and-Sunday.html?pg=all
In this article from the Deseret News, it was reported that Elder Scott would be watching conference from home, due to health reasons. It also mentions the change in plans for President Monson’s fewer speaking spots. Interesting comment about Twitter feeds about conference, too.
And where was Elder Scott this conference?!? I counted…14 of the 15 prophets spoke. He’s given some GREAT talks in the recent past.
I heard he wasn’t feeling well.
Loved ALL of the session! I, too, was touched by the tear on the male choir member’s face. I’m also with you — I am so touched by the talks as they are given, but then I really need to read, study, read again, digest, put into action. The Ensign NEVER gets here fast enough! I am really grateful that the time is so much faster now that each of the talks are available on lds.org — within days. Sometimes that means a lot of printing, because I prefer to study them with paper in hand.
I noticed several things different about this conference. President Monson usually welcomes everyone, speaks in the Priesthood session, in the Sunday morning session, and wraps up very briefly in the last session. The open and close were both missing. He did look much more tired during the priesthood session but looked better this morning. Also, this is the first conference that I remember seeing the members of the congregation frequently as background during talks. It was a little distracting to me, but I am not the director.
BTW — Where was Elder Scott? This is the first conference that I have ever noticed that one of the Twelve did NOT speak during one of the five sessions. I wonder if he is ill? Several of the Twelve are looking quite aged. I will miss each of them as they move on (graduate, as it were).
Elder Sitati = bold, uncompromising in speaking truth. “Stuff” just got real. There were a couple “mic-dropping” moments this conference. LDH – Latter-day Hypocrites.
One of my favorite non-spiritual moments of Conference is when Pres. Uchtdorf strted speaking German when he was introducing the hymn. It made me chuckle. One of my favorite talks( those they were all awesome) was Elder Nelson’s talk on how to better cherish the Sabbath.
Loved all sessions.Feel spiritually fed.
One thing that touched me in the afternoon session..during the choir number “He sent His Son” as the camera’s were scanning the choir,at one point I noticed when the camera scanned a young man singing,a tear was slipping down his cheek as he sang. It choked me up,as I can so identify.Songs about Jesus make me emotional too. It was very sweet that he let his emotion of the song, and love of the Savior come thru.
I loved Bro.Pearsons talk.”When adversity comes about something you don’t understand..don’t let the things you do understand unravel”. I also liked how he reminded us, “Our daily discipleship will determine our eternal destiny”. Good stuff!
I got a kick of how Pres.Uchtdorf started speaking in his “native tongue” of German. It’s cool to see how the first presidency have a sense of humor,besides being spiritual.
Am I having a faulty memory..or does the Prophet usually get up in the last session at the end for a few minutes and give closing remarks ? I really missed that.
How wonderful and fitting to have conference on Easter, so we can really focus our attention where it should be on his glorious day! Happy Easter, all, and thanks and praise to my Savior.He lives!!
Frustrated. I want all the talks in print right NOW! My brain knows for certain that I only absorbed a minute fraction of what was poured out to us. But it also knows that I’ll have to study these talks VERY diligently and BEG for the Holy Spirit to open them up to me.
Each conference gets more and more intense, without ever becoming scary. The joy and the anticipation meters are pegged out!
We weren’t able to see any of Conference, yet already planned to watch/read what we missed. We were really hoping there wouldn’t be an announcement at the end like “All members report to your respective meetinghouses @5pm to board the buses that will take you to safety. And don’t tell anyone who didn’t hear this message.” …..they didn’t say that, right??
Um. Chris… bad news.