Instant Post Conference Thoughts: Saturday P.M.

Note:  These are the instant, 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. Please check back later for that, after I have had some time to process.

• Adorable Primary choir. Did I mention that I got to do that twice when I was a kid?  What a great experience.  They did a great job. (Surprised it was all unison- all the time. Back in my day…)

 

• I love sustaining people in the comfort of my own home. I don’t think I did that as a kid.

 

• Here it is… the new Apostles are:

1)  Ronald Rasband  (I called that one! He was first on my radar back in 2012 when he gave a talk on Suffering. Link)

2) Gary Stevenson

3) Dale Renlun

Here’s a Church News article already posted about them: Link.

Excited for them, and for us! I’ll bet that is a long walk up to their new seats on the podium.

Looks like all the predictions for an international shift were premature.

 

• Man, I miss President Packer…weird not having him sustained as President of the Quorum of the Twelve.

 

• Elder Robert D. Hales spoke about, and to, the young adults.  I listened closely, because I have 4 of them. I sure hope they were listening because this is “it.”

“Straighten up and fly right.”  Yeah, I heard that plenty when I was young.

“Never deliberately fly into a thunderstorm.”

OK – I was too engrossed to take notes. Everything he is saying is awesome. THIS is the wisdom of the aged. THIS is what 83 years of living a consecrated life will teach you. THIS is what a mouthpiece of God sounds like.  Amazing.

 

• This session’s beverage of choice is Coke Zero with cherry.

 

• Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. on Motherhood:  “No love in mortality comes closer to approximating the love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love a mother has for her child.”

“Most mothers know instinctively that motherhood is a sacred trust of the highest order.”

“Believe in God and yourself. You are doing better than  you think you are.” What a great message! (I think I’m gonna sneak in and write it on my wife’s bathroom mirror.)

I am missing my mom a lot after that – but loving my EC even more.

 

• Hang on! Did he just say we would be hearing from Inigo Montoya? I can’t wait!

 

• Elder Bradley D. Foster regarding the children of the Church and started off with a bang: “We cannot let society give our families a makeover in the image of the world.”

 Nice change of pace to hear someone teach about dads being influential – most of the time it is about the mothers.

“It is never too early, and never too late to lead guide and walk beside our children, because families are forever.”

Great talk about parenting and teaching kids. Will need to re-read it several times.

Now I’m missing both my Mom and my Dad.

 

• Elder Hugo Montoya. “Es-Smile.”  I love it. (Brings back memories of my mission.)

For the record: He is NOT Inigo Monotya – he is Hugo Montoya. (Don’t be critical of me – you were thinking it, too.)

Another Sacrament shout out.

What a good man. He feels kind. Basic, crucial doctrines about the Atonement and Savior simply taught.  President Uchtdorf should be pleased.

 

• Meanwhile, over on Twitter, LDS Conference is being beaten by “That’s so Raven,”  537K tweets to 57K tweets.    #snort

 

• Elder Vern B. Stanfill presented a wonderful analogy (with pictures) about depending on the light of others as our own light grows.

Always great to hear counsel to hearken unto apostolic voices.

As applied to personal apostasy, he said, ‘To ignore and discount past spiritual experiences will distance us from God.”  EXACTLY!  (I wrote a post about how some re-write their histories in order to accommodate distancing themselves from the Savior and the Church.)

I’m glad he took at shot at the internet naysayers who deliberately try to destroy faith.

“May we choose the light of the Savior.”  Nice finish.

 

• Holy Smokes this session is going fast!

 

• Elder James B. Martino. I don’t know if I just haven’t paid close enough attention before, but I don’t recall a Conference where so many speakers have been self-identified as converts to the Church.  I love converts!

(As he was talking about Laman and Lemuel, and the chances they had to gain better understanding, it made me think that the if they had gained better testimonies, the Book of Mormon would have been a very different book.)

Lack of spiritual habits can cause us to forget past spiritual experiences – definitely a second witness to what Elder Stanfill just finished talking about.

“We must make scripture study a daily part of our lives to open the door to personal revelation.”

DAILY scripture study, prayer, fasting – it doesn’t get much more basic than that.

 

• Elder Oaks up next. One nice thing about being bald is that you never seem to age,

 

• Elder Dallin H. Oaks for the big finish.

(Sometimes I think that every session should end with a powerful talk about the Atonement because all the other talks point ehre in one way or another.)

“The Savior has the power to succor and help every mortal pain and affliction.”

 “Sometimes his power heals – sometimes he succors by giving us the strength or patience to endure.”

Elder Oaks mentioned the pain of depression and singleness, and that the Savior offers strength to bear it. He is totally in touch with today’s world.

“Having descended beneath it all. He is perfectly positioned to lift us and give us the strength to endure our afflictions. We only need to ask.”

Scriptural Mastery on display here.

What a hope-filled talk. Thanks Elder Oaks.

 

• Closing prayer? Best. Voice. Ever.

• If that boy who was swaying back and forth was yours, please give him a high five from MMM.

• Tonights Priesthood notes will be late – taking my boys out to dinner.