So, I’m going to just start
posting; not all at once, but a few at a time.
I’ll begin where I left off, with my look back on April Conference. As has become common, Elders Bednar, Holland,
and Renlund made it onto my list for this conference—Elder Bednar’s talk about
how we can strive to always retain a remission of our sins was amazing; Elder
Renlund used one of my favorite Book of Mormon verses to discuss how we can
come unto Christ without feeling entitled; and Elder Holland’s concluding address was wonderful reminder that “the great thing about the gospel is we get
credit for trying, even if we don’t
always succeed.” However, that is as
much as I will recap their addresses.
This time I’m going to touch on four talks from speakers other than
these brethren that made an impact on me.
"Where
Are the Keys and Authority of the Priesthood?" – Elder Gary E. Stevenson: This
was Elder Stevenson’s first full address as an apostle. I liked the way he began his remarks with a
personal story of misplacing his keys during a family skiing outing and then
using that story to highlight that the keys of the Priesthood are found in the
Church. I also liked his focus on the
appearance of Moses, Elias and Elijah in the Kirtland Temple and the importance
of the priesthood keys of missionary work, the Abrahamic covenant, and the
sealing power which caused the priesthood keys “of this dispensation [to be]
committed in [the] hands” of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Those same priesthood keys are now “safely in
the possession of prophets, seers, and revelators. They are conferred,
delegated, and assigned to others in accordance with the Lord’s will, under the
direction of the President of the Church.” (full talk)
“Do
I Believe?” – Bonnie L. Oscarson: A few years ago, Sister
Oscarson gave a talk that centered on becoming converted to the gospel; this
time, she focuses on believing the things we have been converted to. “Do we sometimes become so accustomed to the
blessings we have been given as members … that we fail to fully comprehend the
miracle and majesty of discipleship in the Lord’s true Church?” After listing things that we claim and
believe as Church members (ordinances, priesthood authority, prophets: to name
a few), she then asked the question, “We have a knowledge of these things,
but do we believe them?” At
the end of her talk, she focused on Lehi’s dream, specifically, those who
partake of the fruit and then turn away from the tree in shame. “We need only to keep feasting and not heed
those who would make fun of our beliefs or those who delight to create doubts
or those who find fault with Church leaders and doctrine.” This was a reminder to me of how important it
is to not only become converted to the gospel but to daily strive to
continuously strengthen my belief in the things I’ve become converted to. (full talk)
“A
Pattern for Peace” – Bishop W. Christopher Waddell: Bishop
Waddell offered D&C 19:23 as a pattern to find peace in Jesus Christ
(learn, listen and walk). As he talked
about “listen,” he also turned to Lehi’s dream and focused on the two groups
who had partaken of the fruit. His focus
deepened what Sister Oscarson had already mentioned in that he discussed as he
stated, “A key difference between those who were ashamed … and those who did
not heed the mocking from the building … is found in two phrases: first, ‘after
they had tasted,’ and second, ‘those that were partaking.’” If we desire to be a part of the group that
does not heed the mocking and dissenting voices, then we will take our cue from
the group who continuously partook of the fruit after first tasting it. “These
individuals ignored the commotion from the building, stood by the prophet, and
enjoyed the accompanying safety and peace. Our commitment to the Lord and His
servants cannot be a part-time commitment.”
This was a reminder to me that as the dissenting voices become louder
and more insistent, as long as my focus is one the tree, I will more easily be
able to “heed them not.” (full talk)
“See
Yourself in the Temple” – Elder Quentin L. Cook: Because
I have been teaching the temple preparation classes for so long, about halfway
into this talk, I turned to Jennifer and said, “It’s as if Elder Cook is
summarizing all of the lessons.” Almost
everything he said after talking about how the members in Thailand were so
excited about the announcement of a temple in Bangkok, seemed to come from the
various temple prep lessons. He said: “My
challenge this morning is for each of us, wherever we live, to see ourselves in
the temple.” The blessings of the temple
are so important in these latter days.
Temple attendance is another way to consistently partake of the fruit of the tree and stay near to the love of
God. If we strive to make the “harder
right” choices as President Monson talked about, we will be worthy to enter the
house of the Lord and receive the blessings He has in store for us there. Elder Cook also remarked: “Please know how
earnestly we desire that everyone make any necessary changes to qualify for the
temple.” (full talk)
Quick Hits: Isaac
mentioned how cool it was that President Monson could give such powerful
messages in just 5 minutes or less (here and here) and I'd have to agree. I don't know how much
longer the Lord will allow him to tarry with us, but like last conference, I
noticed that his talk served as the center point of many of the other talks
given throughout the conference. During the sustaining, I noted that W.
Mark Bassett, the Area Seventy who accompanied Elder Johnson and helped
reorganize our stake presidency, was called as a General Authority Seventy.
I had to chuckle at that. This is the second time that an Area
Authority Seventy has attended our stake conference and then been called as a
General Authority Seventy about a month later. The first one to have this
happen was Elder (now Bishop) Waddell. If this keeps up, our stake may
begin to get a reputation. J
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