Sunday Morning Session
Henry B. Eyring spoke on charity and love of one another. Elder Eyring advocated that we would feel the Spirit each time we act kindly toward something else. He said that “in time, feelings of charity become part of our very nature." We promise to be charitable at baptism. It is one of our covenants and we should not overlook it. He also spoke of feasting on the Book of Mormon. James and I do not read the scriptures enough, and I am afraid that we are spiritually “anorexic” when it comes to feasting upon the word. That will change… we are putting together a reading chart so we can get on the ball.
Robert D. Hales also spoke of loving each other and being a Good Samaritan. He said that you should love your spouse as the Savior loves us all. Kindness to each other is essential. He reminded us that Christ said, “Whatever ye shall do to the least of my brethren, ye have done it unto me”. In the dawn of our increased faith and understanding, we arise and choose to wait upon the Lord, saying, ‘Thy will be done.” He reminded us of what we have been reminded of all weekend. The Lord loves us. He knows our struggles. "Every one of us is more beloved to the Lord than we can possibly understand or imagine." That seems to have been a common theme all weekend. No complaints here!
Tad R. Callister spoke and reminded me of Elder Holland’s testimony of the Book of Mormon. He testified that the Book of Mormon could not have been written by the devil… so it must be from God. He quoted, “…if ye shall believe in Christ then ye shall believe in these words- for these are the words of Christ". He elaborated on the purpose of The Book of Mormon and said, "The Book of Mormon acts as a confirming, clarifying, unifying witness of the doctrines taught in the Bible". It really does! We do not believe in a “different” bible, guys! The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. It is an additional form of scripture that testifies that Christ is our Savior and Redeemer.
Elaine S. Dalton gave one of my favorite talks all weekend. She posed a question to us all: How can a father raise a happy, well adjusted daughter in today’s toxic world? The answer? Love her mother. Through such a simple act, you will teach her of love and devotion. You will show her exactly what kind of traits she should look for in a husband. Remind her she is a daughter of God, and that marriages are celestial and worthy of great efforts. Even though the Church teaches the Young Women the importance of the temple covenants and eternal marriage, fathers are the best teaching route. As fathers, men should preside over their families with love and righteousness- as guardians of their homes, their wives, and their children. The personal purity of a father influences his daughters. Father should encourage their daughters to get an education, dress modestly, listen to good music: be active in her life. Be your daughter’s hero, and remember that daughters will live like you do. *cue John Mayer music*
M. Russell Ballard gave a great talk. What’s in a name? More than we think! The 115th section of D&C officially calls the church The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It is important to realize that we have taken the name of Jesus Christ upon ourselves. Do your actions reflect that great responsibility? M. Russell Ballard and Boyd K. packer have both encouraged members to stray away from the term “Mormon” this year. He worries that the use of the term will cause the public to confuse us with people who have left the church, or even polygamists who call themselves “Fundamentalist Mormons”. They are in no way affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We should always stress we are members of the Church of Jesus Christ. It lets people know who we are and what we believe. We should stand as witnesses of Him at all times, and in all things, and in all places.
President Thomas S. Monson is truly a prophet of God. As soon as he speaks I am overwhelmed with the Spirit. He is just so…so… REAL. I love that he is informal when he wants to be. I almost died when he made a personal shoutout to Elder Hales. He was at the pulpit and said, “We love ya, Bob!” He then started speaking on the undeniable growth of technology and how it has caused immoral actions to be considered acceptable. People are starting to view the Ten Commandments as the Ten Suggestions, and that isn’t going to get them far in the eternal perspective. He stressed that morality is not passé. He said, "We're spending moral capital with the same abandon we do our financial capital." Although the beginning of his talk was effortlessly hilarious, I am pretty sure he did not mean it to induce so much laughter. He was speaking about some serious stuff. We all need to start living our lives with the gospel at our core and the love of Jesus Christ in our hearts. “Stand Ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord hath come”. President Monson’s talk was easily my favorite all day long.
Sunday Afternoon Session
Russell M. Nelson spoke of the difference between legal and Heavenly covenants with our Lord. God's promise to Abraham was a Covenant. Abraham's Covenant applies to us today as well, but only if we keep the commandments! We must seek the Lord, and if we do not, we miss out on the blessings that come with those sacred covenants. This talk seemed like it was a little heavier than other talks, but I was glad about that. You can always count on Elder Nelson to give everyone a reality check. I specifically enjoyed when he discussed the importance of upholding our temple covenants. I know that by doing so, we are going to reap many blessings in heaven.
Dallin H. Oaks opened his talk by asking “What think ye of Christ?” He challenged us to ponder what we believe about Christ and to adjust what we are doing to uphold that belief. Some people believe that he is a great teacher, but not the Messiah. Christ said, “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him will have everlasting life.” It was emphasized that Christ is the bread of life and the source of eternal nourishment. Near the end of the talk, the spirit of contention was discussed. Anything that brings a spirit of contention into your home also invites Satan into your home. These things should be avoided so that a spirit of love and devotion can dwell in its place. My dad said that the whole time I was growing up, and I am glad I can now fully understand what he meant by that.
Matthew O. Richardson gave an interesting talk. He opened by discussing how to be “real”. He then discussed the elements of a good teacher. He advocated that we need to teach in ways that do not restrict learning. This talk had an impact on me because I am studying to be a teacher. Teaching is not limited to my career though. As a leader, mother, wife, sister, daughter, and friend I am able to teach those around me. You can teach others simply by being a good example. Adults, youth, and even the primary children can have impacts on those around them. We should use that ability to our advantage, not our demise.
Kazukiho Yamashita gave a great talk on missionary work. (A talk on service to others- again!) He said that missionaries go to the rescue of others, and I couldn’t agree with him more. They rescued Brother Yamashita, they rescued my husband and I, and they rescue thousands of others every day. I hope each missionary out there knows how special he or she is. He said, “Missionaries, your message is one of love, hope and faith. Your attitude and actions invite the Spirit.” Rah rah LDS missionaries!!!
Randall K. Bennett opened his talk by stating that our decisions determine our destiny. He quoted President Monson when saying, “You can’t make eternal decisions without eternal consequences.” We knew there would be trials, suffering, and pain before we ever came to Earth, but we also knew that we could continue to make good choices, ultimately capturing eternal life. He advocated that many of us would like to play, eat only ice cream and never go to bed- but if we do that we must deal with malnourishment and exhaustion. Our choices come with consequences, and we can’t afford to make the wrong choices. The eternal consequences would be too dire. When we do, however, we can always repent. He said, "When we sincerely and fully repent, we can be forgiven of our mistakes. And the savior remembers our sins no more." Whew, what a relief. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I have messed up once or twice. I’m glad not all is lost.
J. Devin Cornish spoke on the power of prayer. Sometimes are prayers go unanswered for a long time, but we need to remember that God answers in his own time and in his own ways. Elder Cornish said, “When I pray, the Spirit often nudges me to admit there is more that I can do on my own before God steps in”. We do not need to hit our knees and pray for every little thing. Maybe instead of praying and asking for the Lord to land you a job with a firm, you could instead ask for the ability to be strong during the application process. We need to be sure we are helping ourselves before we plea for help from the Lord.
Quentin L. Cook gave a talk on tragedy. He knows what we are going through. The story of the Titanic can easily be used as a metaphor for life. We must not speed hastily through dangerous waters. We are sure to hit an iceberg no matter how unsinkable we are feeling. The Lord knows that we will get prideful, and that sometimes we are likely to be reckless in dangerous waters. He provided us with a safety net for such occasions. Even though there were not enough lifeboats aboard the Titanic, the Savior’s atonement offers all of the lifeboats that we will ever need in life. We should be grateful for such tender mercies of the Lord. It is important that we have a spirit of gratitude in our hearts. The loss of life on the Titanic was catastrophic, but it was of an accidental nature. We now experience tragedy as a result of evil nature. It is not promised that things will get better during this life, but we know that these tragedies are for our own good! Elder Cook quoted my absolute favorite scripture!
“And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.” (D&C 122:10)
Final Thoughts:
We have a Father in Heaven who knows us personally, and loves us completely. This concept and the themes of service, kindness, good parenting, and avoiding the evils of today’s world were prevalent in the talks all weekend. I am so grateful to belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I am grateful for the Lord and all that he does for me. I know that my Redeemer lives and I am preparing to meet Him someday. Until then I will follow the council of the prophets and general authorities that I was able to listen to this weekend. I say these things, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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