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.
• I’m filled with remorse this morning. No cinnamon rolls. No donuts. Gonna be bard to feel the Spirit.
• President Eyring is conducting sitting down. I like it – he looks chill.
Elder Ronald A. Rasband. “Words matter. They are the bedrock of how we connect. They represent our beliefs, morals and perspectives.”
- Listen to the words of the Lord. “Believing and heeding the word of God will draw us closer to Him.”
- Listen to the words of the Prophet. Including “Think Celestial.”
- Our own words. “Thank you,” “I am Sorry,” and “I love you.” “Let me suggest three simple phrases that we can use to take the sting out of difficulties and differences, lift and reassure each other: ‘Thank you,’ ‘I am sorry,’ and ‘I love you.’…do not save these for a special event.” “Our words on the internet, texting, social media or tweets take on a life of their own. So be careful what you say and how you say it.”
I promise if we ‘feast upon the words of Christ’ that lead to salvation, our Prophet’s words that guide and encourage us and our own words that speak of who we are and what we hold dear, the powers of heaven will pour down upon us.”
Sister Susan H. Porter, speaking to children. “The gifts of Prayer”
- Pray to know. “When you know that Heavenly Father is real and that He loves you, you can live with courage and hope! ‘Pray, he is there; speak, he is listening.”
- Pray to Grow
- Pray to Show your love for others.
“Your prayers may not be answered when or how you want them to be, but never stop praying.”
Sweet story of how from a little girl, prayed for her non-member father who ended up getting baptized at 86.
“Perhaps you are praying for blessings for your family and others you love. Don’t give up. Heavenly Father will show you what you can do.”
Elder Dale G. Renlund on Spiritual Momentum.
“Hubris never bodes well, does it?”
Told the story of a kayak trip in Hawaii when he was capsized by a tiny wave. Got so tired he had to be helped by the guide, who then towed him until he was able to go on his own. “If you keep paddling, and maintain your momentum, you’ll be fine.”
The principle of momentum applies to our spiritual life. “We become vulnerable when we slow down and especially when we stop.”
“Enduring to the end is repeatedly and iteratively applying the other elements of the doctrine of Christ, creating the ‘powerful, virtuous cycle’ that President Nelson described.”
Momentum is speed and direction.
Maintaining momentum is a daily thing: “Our faith in Jesus Christ needs to be nourished daily. It is nourished as we pray daily, study the scriptures daily, reflect on the goodness of God daily, repent daily, and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost daily.”
“Its not spiritually healthy to restrict our testimony nourishing behaviour to one day a week–the important part is that we do not give up”
“Forward spiritual momentum also propels us to make additional covenants with God in the House of the Lord.” “Multiple covenants draw us closer to Christ.” Covenants create a conduit for blessings.
“Spiritual momentum is built up over a lifetime”
“Most people know when they are struggling.” “We shouldn’t be judgmental. Our judgement is neither helpful nor welcome and it is most often ill-informed.”
“Comparing ourselves to others can lead us to make pernicious errors, especially if we conclude that we are more righteous than those who are struggling.”
“The Savior’s job is to heal. Our job is to love – to love and minister in such a way that others are drawn to Jesus Christ.”
I love his focus on the Doctrine of Christ and the Virtuous Cycle.
Super talk.
Elder Paul B. Pieper: “The Crazy Trust Exercise” (Trust Fall)
“Trust is the foundation of all relationships.”
Has to work both ways: “A relationship forms only when people are willing to place trust in each other. It is not a relationship if one person trusts completely, but the other does not.”
“A relationship with God can only be built when we choose to trust Him”
“If prior loss of trust is keeping you from trusting God…patiently continue to learn about Heavenly Father, His character, His attributes and His purposes.”
“God invites us to grow by trusting His spiritual tutoring through soul-stretching experiences.”
Nephi trusted God and was able to get the plates, this strengthen his trust in God, as did further experiences.
“Each time we accept and act on an invitation, our trust in God grows. If we ignore or decline an invitation, our progress stops until we are ready to act on a new invitation.”
“The good news is that regardless of the trust we may or may not have chosen to place in God in the past, we can choose to trust God today and every day going forward.”
• I’ve noticed that only three speakers have referenced what they’ve done for a living – all three were lawyers. 🙂
• Hope the choir sings slowly – back in a minute.
Elder Patrick Kearon. (He sounds like Loki)
Began with a story of watching a policeman blocking a road.
“Everything about the Father’s plan for His children is designed to bring everyone home.”
Plan of Salvation, Redemption, Happiness.
“God is in relentless pursuit of you. He wants all of His children to return to Him and will employ every possible measure to bring you back.”
“Christ’s great atoning gift removes every roadblock of physical and spiritual death that would separate us from our eternal home.”
“The intent of the Father’s plan of salvation is in fact your salvation in the celestial kingdom of glory as you receive the testimony of Jesus Christ and offer your whole soul to Him. It is not to keep you out.”
“God wants for us a radical reorientation of our selfish and prideful impulses, the eviction of the natural man, for us to ‘go, and sin no more.’”
—–> “If you are prone to worry that you will never measure up or that the loving reach of Christ’s infinite atonement covers every one else but you, then you misunderstand. Infinite means infinite. Infinite covers you and the ones you love.”
HE IS SO RIVETING! Excuse me – back to the notes.
“The Father’s plan is not about roadblocks. It never was. It never will be.”
“Are there things we need to do, commandments to keep, aspects of our natures to change? Yes. But with His grace, those are within our reach, not beyond our grasp.”
• Remarkable first-time-as-an-apostle talk.
Elder Brian K. Taylor: Why do some receive their miracle quickly, while some wait on the Lord? (Great question!)
“God, who sees the end from the beginning, reassures, ‘thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment,’ and shall be ‘consecrated for thy gain.’”
“Life’s trials ‘prove us.’ Even the Savior ‘learned obedience by,’ and was made ‘perfect through sufferings.’”
“Coming to trust in God’s divine purposes breathes hope into weary souls and kindles determination in seasons of anguish and heartache.”
“Stronger faith comes by putting Jesus Christ first.”
Perspective comes into play: “Brighter hope comes by envisioning our eternal destiny.”
“To avoid the darkness of discontent and instead find great peace, hope and even joy during life’s difficult challenges” follow these three principles:
- Stronger Faith comes from putting Jesus Christ first.
- Brighter hope comes by envisioning our eternal destiny.
- Greater power comes by focusing on joy.
“I testify that our Heavenly Father hears your tearful pleadings and will always respond in perfect wisdom.”
“I see in so many of you this joy, which ‘defies mortal comprehension,’ even though your bitter cups have not yet been removed. Thank you for keeping your covenants and ‘standing as witnesses’ for God.”
(Lovely talk, but still didn’t have answer to the age-old question he posited at the start.)
President Dallin H. Oaks spoke about temples.
“A vocal minority oppose institutional authority and insist individuals should be free from any restrictions to their personal freedom.”
“Personal commitments are essential to the regulation of our individual lives & to the functioning of society.”
Gave some covenant responsibilities that keep our societies functioning: Doctors, judges, military, police, fire, missionaries. They wear distinctive clothing to show their purpose, and to remind the wearers of their responsibilities. “There is no magic in their distinctive clothing or symbols, only a needed reminder of the special responsibility the wearers have assumed.”
Wedding rings show covenants.
Spoke of scriptural covenants between man and God. Importance of Abrahamic covenant.
“(The Book of Mormon) is the restoration’s major source for the fullness of the gospel, including God’s Plan for His children, and the Book of Mormon is filled with references to covenants.” ” The Book of Mormon is the essential source for the restoration of the fullness of the gospel and the making of covenants.”
“Covenants are inherent in each of the ordinances of salvation and exaltation this restored Church administers.” Starting with baptism, the sacrament.
Regarding temple covenants: (Especially a strong reminder about the wearing of garments)
—–> “Persons who have been endowed in the temple are required to wear a sacred garment.”
“The garment reminds endowed members of the sacred covenants they have made and the blessings they have been promised in the holy temple.”
“Because covenants do not take a day off, to remove one’s garments can be understood as a disclaimer of the covenant responsibilities and blessings to which they relate.”
“Persons who wear their garments faithfully and keep their temple covenants affirm their role as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
“The Church of Jesus Christ is known as a church that emphasizes making covenants with God.”
Drew the distinction between Celestial Kingdom and Exaltation:
“The ordinance of baptism and its associated covenants are the requirements for entrance into the celestial kingdom.”
“The ordinances and associated covenants of the temple are requirements for exaltation in the celestial kingdom, which is eternal life, the greatest of all the gifts of God.”
• Classic Oaks. Timely, straightforward. Meticulous detail and cohesive structure.
• Winding down to the last session. Lots of good stuff.
• Kearon was terrific, and I loved hearing Renlund be funny.
• “Hubris never bodes well.”
• Have a lovely break and enjoy your Sabbath.
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I’m surprised to didn’t mention the perfect match of Elder Kearon’s tie to the flower behind him. It was amazing. As is his accent. He is a powerful speaker.
Enjoying your synopsis of all the sessions.
I was too busy swooning over his dreamy accent.
I thought he sounded like Loki too!
Everything so far has been about covenants it seems, to some extent. Taking them on, keeping them, remembering them, and relying on them through times of difficulty. Every talk has been amazing.
Elder Taylor didn’t answer his own question probably because it is unanswerable, unless you’re God. What he did is give us ways to cope and endure faithfully to the end when all will be revealed.
Such a wonderful session of conference!
Elder Kearon was our stakes visiting General authority a couple of months prior to his call as an apostle. He was wonderful! I had a chance to visit briefly with him personally. I noticed that he sat forward in his seat, listening so intently to every talk. And his message was centered around us being happy and finding joy in the gospel. I was not at all surprised by his call to the quorum of the twelve.