General Conference highlights

We had a great weekend watching the LDS General Conference.  I love the opportunity we have twice a year to hear from a prophet of God.  There is so much wisdom and counsel poured out to us in two days’ time.  It’s almost overwhelming, but I look forward to it.  I need it.  Grandma and Poppa joined us for the Saturday morning session. DH came home from his business trip Saturday night and we all watched together on Sunday.  I can’t wait to read and start studying all of the talks again, but until then, I thought I’d join in the general conference blog share Stephanie is hosting at Diapers and Divinity (which is the home of the general conference book club which I always intend to participate in, but never do….maybe this go-around!)

General Conference Highlights, October 2011

1.  Who were your three favorite speakers?

• President Eyring, Elder Andersen, and President Monson  (I also always love to hear Elder Holland speak, no matter the topic, but he spoke in the priesthood session this time so I’ll have to listen to him later.)

2.  Which talk spoke to you the most?

• I loved Elder Bednar’s on family history and getting our children involved and I also loved Elder Andersen’s on the importance of families and children.

3.  What was your favorite Hymn and why did it move you?

• I love how the Tabernacle Choir sings “We Ever Pray for Thee, Our Prophet Dear.”  They sing it so quietly and reverently that it feels just like a prayer.

4.  Which speaker was the best dressed?  (Come on, we can have a little fun.)

• Well, Pres. Uchtdorf didn’t speak on Sunday, but I loved his sunny yellow tie on Sunday morning.  Elder Nelson also had a great black and white striped tie that looked sharp and I liked Elder Ballard’s blue star design.  (How do you compare men in suits?  I just thought I’d look for ties I like and I usually never notice their ties so this was a fun thing to watch for!)

5.  Were there any topics that you felt like were repeated often?  Any conference “themes”?

• Reading and studying the scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon
• The divinity of Christ
• Praying more often and more sincerely, and seeking personal revelation so we can put our lives in line with Heavenly Father’s will for us

6.  Share a few of your favorite quotes from any of the talks (paraphrasing is fine).

• Elder Scott: Memorizing scripture is like assembling a filing cabinet of friends
• Elder Bednar: There is no age limit in the scriptures for assisting in the work of salvation, it is a duty and a blessing to seek out our ancestors
• Elder Cornish: Like medicine, prayer only works when used as directed; we need to live as we pray
• Elder Andersen: “Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.” (quoting this blog post.)

7.  Name something(s) that made you smile or laugh during conference.

• President Monson’s “Hello!”  at the beginning of his talk on Saturday and his wondering who he could have called to substitute for him.  I also had to smile at the picture of Sis. Dalton’s three baby granddaughters.

8.  Was there any evidence that your children paid attention?

• Oh, yes!  D identified our most recent memory scripture (Prov. 3:5-6) when Pres. Packer quoted it and when Elder Nelson talked about the Abrahamic Covenant, C mentioned that we just discussed that in scripture study last week.  D also mentioned that we had to be sure and tell Daddy about the new Provo Temple!

9.  What doctrine did you learn as you listened to the choir(s) sing?

• I really liked hearing the choir sang “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go.”  It just seemed to fit what we were being counseled to do.  It was neat to hear the Primary choir sing “Families Can Be Together Forever.”  It reinforced the doctrine of the plan for families.

10.  Did the music enhance your General Conference experience? How?

• It seems like I spent a lot of this conference dealing with children during the music–getting drinks, getting snacks, changing diapers, but I still enjoyed hearing all of the hymns.  Music can convey the spirit in a way that words alone cannot.  The Primary choir was so fun to watch.  They were wiggly and got distracted by the cameras, but they still sounded beautiful.  And I love it when we all sing “We Thank Thee, O God, For a Prophet” together at conference time.  I also really liked “High on the Mountain Top” which was played as a postlude for one of the sessions.  A always wants to turn the tv right off, and I have to stop him so I can listen for as long as they keep broadcasting.

11.  What are some of your post-conference goals?

• Read all the talks over again!
• More and deeper scripture study
• Prioritize my time better
• Pray more often for guidance on how to spend my time so I can accomplish the things of most worth
• Teach A how to type so he can really help me with our family history