I mentioned the experience I had at the April 1986 General Conference in my lesson post about prophets. That experience gave me a perspective about this every six months meeting I never had before. Nevertheless, it wasn't until I was serving in the mission field that general conference truly took on a new perspective. Up until then, it was a meeting I could attend in my pajamas as I sat in the living room of my home. Mom and Dad would turn the Sunday morning and afternoon sessions on TV and encourage us to watch them, but I don't have any specific memories of wanting to sit and watch/listen to the talks on Saturday. Interesting how a little spiritual seasoning can change one's perspective. Once I "caught the vision" of general conference, I didn't want to miss any of the sessions. Now, I anticipate the first weekends in April and October, and we do everything we can to make sure our schedule is clear in order to watch all the sessions of conference.
When Ben and Isaac were old enough to attend the meetings, I wanted very much to take my family to see a session live. We were able to attend General Conference in October of 2011 and very much enjoyed the experience. While I had attended conference before, this was my first time doing so in the Conference Center and it was Jen, Ben and Isaac's first time period. I will post a couple of pictures from that day (Saturday afternoon of the conference) as well as the other pictures I have chosen to add to this post.
I wanted to write about some of the talks that stood out to me during the two days of conference. To do so, I decided to wait a little while in order to let the experience sink in better and to allow the video and print feeds to be posted on lds.org in order to link to them (I'll add Ensign information if it's available by the time I post this--I'm trying to catch up to present day with a modicum of success :/). There were many talks I could have chosen, but I've narrowed it down to four for the sake of keeping this post from becoming a book--or a Star Trek post. :) Without further ado, I'll jump right in and get started.
With the greater emphasis on missionary work since the lowering of the missionary age and the influx of missionaries, it isn't difficult to find talks on this subject. I found two of talks from this last conference helpful to this endeavor and my calling as the ward mission leader: one was obvious, the other was more subtle. The "obvious" talk was Elder M. Russell Ballard's titled "Following Up". Elder Ballard has given multiple talks with a missionary theme; the first I'm aware of was given in the October 1984 conference concerning writing down a date and praying about sharing the gospel by that date. For his recent address, Elder Ballard focuses on the idea of "following up" and how it applies to missionary work, but also to other aspects of life. To emphasize this point, he related his first experience of meeting the "beautiful sophomore named Barbara Bowen" who eventually became his wife. Because his mission experience had taught him to "follow up" and "be persistent even in the face of discouragement" he was "eventually able to convince her that [he] was the only true and living returned missionary--at least as far as she was concerned" (Ensign, May 2014, 78).
As I mentioned, Elder Ballard has encouraged members to invite others to hear the missionary discussions since before he was called as an Apostle. With this talk, he reminded me that "there is much more to missionary work for members than simply extending invitations to people to listen to the missionaries. It also includes follow-up with the missionaries in the cultivation of faith, the motivation to repentance, the preparation for making covenants, and enduring to the end " (ibid, 79). It has been nearly a year since I was called as ward mission leader and I've noticed how missionary work can easily be compartmentalized by ward members. Missionary work is the "job" of the missionaries. What I've seen, however, is if missionaries and members work together, so much more can be accomplished. As President Monson has taught, "Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together, to labor in the Lord’s vineyard to bring souls unto Him" (Ensign, Nov. 2013, 4, emphasis added).
How do we share the gospel? This is where Elder Richard G. Scott's address comes into play. The longer I listened to him as he was at the podium, the more I realized he was giving a blue-print of how to share the gospel, but in a way that completely snuck up on me. He began by relating his relationship with his grandmother and his wife (future wife in the story). After doing so, he stated that both of these influential women "loved me enough to share their conviction that the ordinances of the gospel and serving Father in Heaven would bless my life. Neither of them coerced me or made me feel bad about the person I was. They simply loved me and loved Father in Heaven. Both knew He could do more with my life than I could on my own. Each courageously helped me in loving ways to find the path of greatest happiness" (Ensign, May 2014, 33). To my mind, this is the way we should look at those with whom we desire to share the gospel. If we see any of these people as a project, we won't get very far with them and our relationship will be false. On the other hand if we seek to see people as Heavenly Father sees them, we will treat them with the love and respect they deserve and will seek to share the gospel to them to better their lives. In this way, we will be following the example of the Savior.
The first of the other two addresses I want to mention is President Boyd K. Packer's talk titled "The Witness." I've always liked Pres. Packer's talks because they are so straightforward. One of the aspects of this talk that struck me was his desire to gain a personal testimony after entering the armed forces during World War II. "I had left my home in Brigham City, Utah, with only embers of a testimony," he said, "and I felt the need for something more. . . . While stationed on the island of Ie Shima, just north of Okinawa, Japan, I struggled with doubt and uncertainty. I wanted a personal testimony of the gospel. I wanted to know! " (Ensign, May 2014, 94).
What fascinated me about Pres. Packer's story is that it echoes my own. No. I wasn't in a bunker on the island of Ie Shima when I sought my own personal testimony, but the emotion was the same. I had a moment in my life when I wanted to truly know if the gospel taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was true. That desire, like Pres. Packer's, lead me to take specific actions that helped me obtain my own personal testimony. From the opening of his address, I was reminded that Pres. Packer is no different than any other member of the Church who desires to know this truth. His calling as an Apostle sets him apart because of the unique office and duties, but he had to go through the same process as any other person to obtain his personal witness.
The talk that touched me the most, however, was given by Elder David A. Bednar. He began his talk by telling a story of a friend who wanted a truck and, after obtaining it, wanted "to demonstrate [to his wife] the utility of the truck and validate his reasons for wanting to purchase it" by driving into the mountains to cut firewood and got stuck in the snow" (Ensign, May 2014, 87). After failing to extricate himself despite his truck's four-wheel drive capabilities, Elder Bednar's friend decided to cut the wood he'd come for and see what he could do afterward. Having lived in Wyoming and seen similar situations, I immediately realized the load of wood would help get the man out of his predicament. I was correct in my analysis, but it is how Elder Bednar used this story to teach a principle that touched me.
"Each of us also carries a load," Elder Bednar taught. As we "periodically and prayerfully assess our load" we should ask ourselves if our load is "producing the spiritual traction . . . to press forward with faith in Christ . . . and . . . ultimately . . . return home to Heavenly Father" (ibid, 88). He then added that happiness in life is not the absence of a load because "bearing a load is a necessary and essential part of the plan of happiness" (ibid, 88). Personally, Elder Bednar reminded me that I need not bear my load alone. Through the Atonement, Jesus offers me (all of us) the capacity to carry my load with His help. It is sometimes easy to forget that the Savior not only saves me from my sins if I rely on His Atonement, but He also took upon Himself "the pains and the sicknesses of his people . . . that he may know . . . how to succor his people according to their infirmities" (Alma 7:11-12). Thus, as Elder Bednar testified, "There is no physical pain, no spiritual wound, no anguish of soul or heartache, no infirmity or weakness you or I ever confront in mortality that the Savior did not experience first. In a moment of weakness we may cry out, 'No one knows what it is like. No one understands.' But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and borne our individual burdens. And because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice (see Alma 34:14), He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy. He can reach out, touch, succor, heal, and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do relying only upon our own power. Indeed, His yoke is easy and His burden is light" (ibid, 90).
I am grateful for the things I learned and the things I was reminded of over the course of the two days of conference. A few days ago, LDS Living linked to another blog I've read on occasion (Middleaged Mormon Man) where he talked about members using conference or Sacrament meetings as a way to grade themselves, and how they come away feeling discouraged rather than uplifted. I've never considered using these meetings as a way to flagellate myself. What would be the point? It's a waste of time and effort and is quite unproductive. Instead, as I mentioned in my April 5th post, I've tried to use conference talks (as well as "regular" Sunday lessons and talks) to help me become a better son of my Heavenly Father. When I don't do a good job of it, I try to repent and do better, but to constantly berate myself for supposed failures is what Satan, not Father, would want me to do. I'm grateful for the men and women leaders Father has called at this time to assist me in my quest and am grateful for His forgiving nature--without it, I truly would be a mess.
When Ben and Isaac were old enough to attend the meetings, I wanted very much to take my family to see a session live. We were able to attend General Conference in October of 2011 and very much enjoyed the experience. While I had attended conference before, this was my first time doing so in the Conference Center and it was Jen, Ben and Isaac's first time period. I will post a couple of pictures from that day (Saturday afternoon of the conference) as well as the other pictures I have chosen to add to this post.
I wanted to write about some of the talks that stood out to me during the two days of conference. To do so, I decided to wait a little while in order to let the experience sink in better and to allow the video and print feeds to be posted on lds.org in order to link to them (I'll add Ensign information if it's available by the time I post this--I'm trying to catch up to present day with a modicum of success :/). There were many talks I could have chosen, but I've narrowed it down to four for the sake of keeping this post from becoming a book--or a Star Trek post. :) Without further ado, I'll jump right in and get started.
With the greater emphasis on missionary work since the lowering of the missionary age and the influx of missionaries, it isn't difficult to find talks on this subject. I found two of talks from this last conference helpful to this endeavor and my calling as the ward mission leader: one was obvious, the other was more subtle. The "obvious" talk was Elder M. Russell Ballard's titled "Following Up". Elder Ballard has given multiple talks with a missionary theme; the first I'm aware of was given in the October 1984 conference concerning writing down a date and praying about sharing the gospel by that date. For his recent address, Elder Ballard focuses on the idea of "following up" and how it applies to missionary work, but also to other aspects of life. To emphasize this point, he related his first experience of meeting the "beautiful sophomore named Barbara Bowen" who eventually became his wife. Because his mission experience had taught him to "follow up" and "be persistent even in the face of discouragement" he was "eventually able to convince her that [he] was the only true and living returned missionary--at least as far as she was concerned" (Ensign, May 2014, 78).As I mentioned, Elder Ballard has encouraged members to invite others to hear the missionary discussions since before he was called as an Apostle. With this talk, he reminded me that "there is much more to missionary work for members than simply extending invitations to people to listen to the missionaries. It also includes follow-up with the missionaries in the cultivation of faith, the motivation to repentance, the preparation for making covenants, and enduring to the end " (ibid, 79). It has been nearly a year since I was called as ward mission leader and I've noticed how missionary work can easily be compartmentalized by ward members. Missionary work is the "job" of the missionaries. What I've seen, however, is if missionaries and members work together, so much more can be accomplished. As President Monson has taught, "Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together, to labor in the Lord’s vineyard to bring souls unto Him" (Ensign, Nov. 2013, 4, emphasis added).How do we share the gospel? This is where Elder Richard G. Scott's address comes into play. The longer I listened to him as he was at the podium, the more I realized he was giving a blue-print of how to share the gospel, but in a way that completely snuck up on me. He began by relating his relationship with his grandmother and his wife (future wife in the story). After doing so, he stated that both of these influential women "loved me enough to share their conviction that the ordinances of the gospel and serving Father in Heaven would bless my life. Neither of them coerced me or made me feel bad about the person I was. They simply loved me and loved Father in Heaven. Both knew He could do more with my life than I could on my own. Each courageously helped me in loving ways to find the path of greatest happiness" (Ensign, May 2014, 33). To my mind, this is the way we should look at those with whom we desire to share the gospel. If we see any of these people as a project, we won't get very far with them and our relationship will be false. On the other hand if we seek to see people as Heavenly Father sees them, we will treat them with the love and respect they deserve and will seek to share the gospel to them to better their lives. In this way, we will be following the example of the Savior.The first of the other two addresses I want to mention is President Boyd K. Packer's talk titled "The Witness." I've always liked Pres. Packer's talks because they are so straightforward. One of the aspects of this talk that struck me was his desire to gain a personal testimony after entering the armed forces during World War II. "I had left my home in Brigham City, Utah, with only embers of a testimony," he said, "and I felt the need for something more. . . . While stationed on the island of Ie Shima, just north of Okinawa, Japan, I struggled with doubt and uncertainty. I wanted a personal testimony of the gospel. I wanted to know! " (Ensign, May 2014, 94).What fascinated me about Pres. Packer's story is that it echoes my own. No. I wasn't in a bunker on the island of Ie Shima when I sought my own personal testimony, but the emotion was the same. I had a moment in my life when I wanted to truly know if the gospel taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was true. That desire, like Pres. Packer's, lead me to take specific actions that helped me obtain my own personal testimony. From the opening of his address, I was reminded that Pres. Packer is no different than any other member of the Church who desires to know this truth. His calling as an Apostle sets him apart because of the unique office and duties, but he had to go through the same process as any other person to obtain his personal witness.The talk that touched me the most, however, was given by Elder David A. Bednar. He began his talk by telling a story of a friend who wanted a truck and, after obtaining it, wanted "to demonstrate [to his wife] the utility of the truck and validate his reasons for wanting to purchase it" by driving into the mountains to cut firewood and got stuck in the snow" (Ensign, May 2014, 87). After failing to extricate himself despite his truck's four-wheel drive capabilities, Elder Bednar's friend decided to cut the wood he'd come for and see what he could do afterward. Having lived in Wyoming and seen similar situations, I immediately realized the load of wood would help get the man out of his predicament. I was correct in my analysis, but it is how Elder Bednar used this story to teach a principle that touched me.I am grateful for the things I learned and the things I was reminded of over the course of the two days of conference. A few days ago, LDS Living linked to another blog I've read on occasion (Middleaged Mormon Man) where he talked about members using conference or Sacrament meetings as a way to grade themselves, and how they come away feeling discouraged rather than uplifted. I've never considered using these meetings as a way to flagellate myself. What would be the point? It's a waste of time and effort and is quite unproductive. Instead, as I mentioned in my April 5th post, I've tried to use conference talks (as well as "regular" Sunday lessons and talks) to help me become a better son of my Heavenly Father. When I don't do a good job of it, I try to repent and do better, but to constantly berate myself for supposed failures is what Satan, not Father, would want me to do. I'm grateful for the men and women leaders Father has called at this time to assist me in my quest and am grateful for His forgiving nature--without it, I truly would be a mess.
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