Oh how I love General Conference! I love being in my home with my children gathered around... watching Conference... hearing our leaders and prophet speak inspiring and spiritually led talks that we all need to hear. It always helps me.... I always find great direction and motivation to continue becoming a better Christ like person and doing all the things the Lord needs of me.
Here is the link if your interested in hearing all the great talks...
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2014/04?cid=HPSU040614654&lang=eng
The week before Conference, my husband and I were able to go to the temple... and there I found great peace. I always do and love it there...
While there all the people in our session were reminded to keep our covenants and the commandments with exactness.... during a prayer. I have pondered on that since... how can I be more exact with everything I strive to do.... from scripture reading, to prayer, serving others and fhe. I can see where I need to grow and do better. I am trying now to do just that...
Well in conference it sounded like the same theme.... to me anyhow... maybe because I am focused on this right now.
The Prophet talked about being true to the faith.... and being very much involved in doing the Lord's work
I loved Elder Hollands talk.. so very powerful! He talked about many things... but everything was with conviction and such spirit. He talked about how Jesus was tormented and treated badly by others, how he suffered... and yet he was always thinking of others... putting their needs first....
I want to be like that... I have several people in my life who I have to be apart of their life because we are family. And as sad as I am that family would treat me and my family as poorly as they sometimes do.... I want to be like Christ. I want to still remember its a reflection of them and I need to be Christ like.. forgive them... find the good in them and still love them. Its hard... sometimes my heart aches so.... the things they do or don't do hurts ...but this trial will make me a better person if I just continue to strive to be like Jesus.
Elder Holland talked about how the world wants an easy God... one that says its ok.. go have fun, eat drink and merry.... live whatever life style you want... just be happy.... so on and so forth... He hit the gay/lesbian part well I thought, so well that I felt compassion for those striving to live the laws of GOD and not of the world.... How hard it must be for those in the church , who know that God made man and woman to become one and no other combination. How my heart aches for those who struggle with the desire to be with the same sex ... what a trial and yet they stand strong, hopefully in holy places. How not only does the world come at them but I am sure the gay/lesbian community as well...
Elder Holland was firm... and yet so honest and loving... I love that about his talk. Its probably his nature and I am sure many of us can learn from his example. To STAND STRONG in what we KNOW to be true... no matter the cost. I feel that the times will get hard... that people will treat us differently in the near future and we will have to stand strong... that is why its important now to get our testimonies in the right place.... to know the scriptures... to have the spirit of the Lord with us... so that we may be directed at all times... in all things as we do stand as a witness of God and his principles and gospel truths.... :)
Elder Ronald Rasband's talk was a wonderful reminder of the needs of many and how we need to serve others... bearing one anothers burdens... lifting one anothers spirits..... and how we will be blessed if we do the Lord's work
88 And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.
How we have to take upon us the discipleship and be that servant to the Lord and to our brothers and sisters in the world.... I want that blessing in the scripture... to have god on my right and left side... and to have his spirit in my heart always... To have angels around me... what a blessing!
I loved Robert Hales talk on be careful who you follow... Oh how I hope that some of my friends heard that one... I am worried about some of them... they seem to be following nonsense from people who claim to have talked to ANGELS and they are using fear to sell oils and such... and my friends are caught up in it... so much that they will not hear me if I try to help them... and I might have to just distance myself from them for a while till they can see clearly.
If GOD wanted the world to know something it will be in our scriptures or told from the Prophet... if there is some specific revelation for you or your family than the leader in your home will receive such divine inspiration and revelation for your family.... its just how it works and it saddens me to see many fall away from truth and righteousness because they are longing for something in their life... Satan is surely a tricky one... ready to ensare us all.... with a little truth and a whole lot of lies... Fear is not of God either.. and I would hope that they would get that.... but I guess its their trial..and all I can do is pray for them.
Elder Hales also spoke words that reminded me of the temple session... "IF YOU LOVE ME KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS" How many of us put so much before us... .a check list of things to do... and where in that check list is scripture time, ponder time... prayer time... family time.... the things that matter the most? Service to others? I know its made me really rethink and prioritize my lists.... I hope to be better at showing Christ my love for him...
There were so many wonderful talks..I am just reviewing my notes...
Elder Claudio D. Zivic gave a wonderful talk on keeping the commandments as well and reminded us how Jesus is everything... everything we have or are able to do is because of him and how we need to remember him always.... thanking him always.... dedicating our every move and action to him.... He reminds us to repent and often.
I loved his talk and how he said let no corrupt communication erupt from our mouthes... WOW did that one hit home...I know myself .. I am not always so sweet and our children to each other at times are quit harsh... and even my husband and I in our frustrated moments of disciplining our children are quick and harsh. THERE IS A LOT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THIS ONE AREA ALONE!
Thank heavens this life we are training to become perfect and not actually expected to be perfect... :)
Elder Russel Nelson's talk was great and along the same theme of being committed to keeping the commandments with exactness.... He said, "scriptural knowledge provides security" and I believe this statement to be true....
He reminds us that God's laws must ever be our standards. And to continue to liken our scriptures unto our lives.
We need to have courage to stand for principle and to let our faith show who we are :)
We grow line upon line and precept upon precept... and that is important to remember.
Richard Scott's talk basically said if we commit to obeying all of God's commandments than our families will be strengthened... that is a beautiful promise and I know this to be true for when our family is working hard at being Christ like and doing all we can to be good... we have more peace and harmony with in our home...its almost like being at the temple :)
There is more love too
Another talk that really hit home was Elder Michael John U. Teh's ... he said something that really struck me.... he shared a touching story of woman who was poor and she stated... "SHE ACCEPTS ALL THINGS THE LORD HAS HER GO THRU.. in trials... and ALL THAT HE ASKS HER TO DO" that one... was A WOW to me... how many times have I complained in my times of trials? TOO MANY! I need to be more willing to accept my trials.... and do it with gratitude and do it with humility and happiness... it can always be worse.... and my trials (some are hard for me) are for the bettering of ME! :) Its the refiners fire :) I have to keep this one in mind.....
He also touched on our treasures on earth verses the ones in heaven... and which are we focusing on... It was really good food for thought stuff :)
Elder D. Todd Christofferson ... can I just say I LOVE THIS MAN!!! his talks always inspire me.... He said something I never really thought about before...its so true but I just never thought about Christ like this...... THAT NO MAN TOOK HIS LIFE... HE LAID IT DOWN! I just was in awe over that thought... .its true... Christ prayed... asked God 3 times... did he have to go thru with this... then he said they will be done... and he ALLOWED THE PEOPLE TO DO ALL THAT THEY DID... and HE was the one who finally said to his father to take him...he had enough... he could of endured more... *not that I would of wanted that...* but he also didn't have to allow those people to take him... to sacrifice him or do all that they did.... he had the power to stop them and chose to not.... that made me see things differently. It was something I have contemplated since he said it.
Then another favorite.. *I think I love them all* President Dieter F. Uchtdorf He talked about GRATITUDE!!!!!
" We can be GRATEFUL ; Set a side the bottle of bitterness and instead lift up the bottle of gratitude. We can find a purifying drink of healing, peace and understanding"
that prompted me to immediately write a post on FB about how grateful I am for the many people in my life who have taught me many things.... and have helped me *either good or bad* in becoming the person I am today.... and his talk also reminded us to bring back GRATITUDE PRAYERS at night for family prayers... so that is what we will do. :)
HE too reminded us all to be thankful in our trials and to not MURMUR against God... especially during those times... that the many people in the scriptures are great examples of NOT MURMURING against God during such times of trial... to be thankful... and to praise God.... I hope to actually one day be able to do this... it sounds hard...but we all must be able to do this for we are God's children created in his image with great potential :)
Elder Ballard encouraged us to read PREACH MY GOSPEL as a family... so for FHE I might try to incorporate it... I haven't yet even looked at this book but I will now.
Jean A. Stevens said a beautiful thing ... that I loved... and want to remember ... THE GOSPEL IS WINGS ... IT CARRIES US! I love that... so many people feel overwhelmed by doing all the things the Lord expects us to do... along with daily life .. work... family and extra curricular activities.... and they seem to put everything else first.. because we are in the world.. and naturally we just do the day to day living stuff...but if we remember the Lord and his things come first...the blessings will be great!!!!!!!!
Another Talk that said a lot of the theme of Obey Gods Commandments and do the things we have to do... was Bishops Gary Stevensons talk. He reminded us this life is the time to prepare to meet God... Run the Race that we may obtain the Prize.... To have self discipline.... and OBEY
Elder Bednar's talk was great... and talked about our daily loads.... and how they can help us become better even they seem heavy... and he encouraged us to study the Saviors Atonement.
The Prophet reminded us all to treat others with kindness and the most important commandment out there is to LOVE THEY GOD and TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER :)
Those were the ones that impressed me the most.. .but there were many more... :) If you did not hear it... or see it... I encourage you to go to LDS.ORG and watch General Conference :) It is a great blessing to have these great leaders direct our paths on the straight and narrow! I know all the things that they shared to be true. I might not do it all perfectly but I am striving to do them... and hopefully with exactness :)
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