This past General Conference has been very insightful and inspiring. Many wonderful talks with very key points that I felt the church members needed to hear were given. I wish to review most of the talks briefly and my observations about them. I must warn that I will be blunt with my opinion, as some of my thoughts and feelings may not be the most popular in the "village square", but are my honest thoughts concerning the topics and my concerns about the members of the Church today. I am not however claiming to be perfect or to know everything, I am far from that, trust me!
To start out the October 2015 General Conference weekend,President Dieter F. Uchtdorf hits the nail on the head. He addressed one of the biggest issues I think that exists for members of the church today. We could have ended conference after his talk and I would have been satisfied. I have a lot of feedback about his talk, so I have hidden it in a spoiler tag to save space and allow you to quickly scroll to other parts of this post with ease. To view my feedback, click on Show/Hide.
His focus was on the simplicity of the Gospel and how we as members may be over-analyzing the unnecessary trivial things and allowing our imperfect knowledge and understanding to overtake our faith, hope and testimony. He started out with a hilarious yet true quote.
"Not long ago I saw a quote that made me stop and think. It went like this: “Tell a man there are trillions of stars in the universe, and he’ll believe you. Tell him there’s wet paint on the wall, and he’ll touch it just to be sure.”"
He goes on to tell about a recent medical procedure he undertook and how despite the advice and instructions from medical professionals, he still had some doubt and was convinced that if he searched the Internet, he would find information that they were hiding from him for personal gain or whatever.
"It took me a little while before I realized the irony of what I was doing. Of course, researching things for ourselves is not a bad idea. But I was disregarding truth I could rely on and instead found myself being drawn to the often-outlandish claims of Internet lore.
Sometimes, the truth may just seem too straightforward, too plain, and too simple for us to fully appreciate its great value. So we set aside what we have experienced and know to be true in pursuit of more mysterious or complicated information. Hopefully we will learn that when we chase after shadows, we are pursuing matters that have little substance and value."
Isn't that the truth? I think we all find ourselves wondering at times if the church is really true, if God is real. If He loves us. If the Gospel has been restored. If Joseph Smith was a true prophet. If we have the Priesthood authority of God on the Earth today. These questions can stir the heart and soul of anyone who sincerely questions. And I believe it is okay to ask questions! Sometimes the question will not be answered immediately, and that can be of concern to us. This topic reminds me a lot of Elder Holland's remarks at a Seminary and Institute Devotional this past February of 2015. What he said in that broadcast still resonates with me to this day.
"In the meantime, I have a question. What conceivable historical or doctrinal or procedural issue that may arise among any group could ever overshadow or negate one’s consuming spiritual conviction regarding the Father’s merciful plan of salvation; His Only Begotten Son’s birth, mission, Atonement, and Resurrection; the reality of the First Vision; the restoration of the priesthood; the receipt of divine revelation, both personally and institutionally; the soul-shaping spirit and moving power of the Book of Mormon; the awe and majesty of the temple endowment; one’s own personal experience with true miracles; and on and on and on? Talk about a question! It is a mystery to me how those majestic, eternal, first-level truths so central to the grandeur of the whole gospel message can be set aside or completely dismissed by some in favor of obsessing over second- or third- or fourth-level pieces of that whole. To me, this is, in words attributed to Edith Wharton, truly being trapped in “the thick of thin things.”
I readily acknowledge the very legitimate inquiries of many who are perfectly honest in heart. I also readily acknowledge that everyone has some gospel question or other yet to be answered. Nevertheless, we would hope, for skeptic, believer, and everyone in between, that humility, faith, and the influence of the Holy Spirit would always be elements of every quest for truth, that foundational truths would always be the reference points in that quest, and that all other issues which may yet need resolving are pursued “by study and also by faith.” At the end of the day, all of us must make distinctions between the greater and the lesser elements of our testimony. For me the greater pillars include those majestic truths mentioned earlier, their irreplaceable centrality in my life, and the realization that I simply could not live, I could not go on without them or without the blessings I have known or without the promises we have all been given in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
To paraphrase the above lengthy quote, Elder Holland basically asks, are we going to allow every nit-picky trivial skeptical dirty secret in church history, doctrine or culture to impact whatever spiritual experiences we have had? Should knowing how Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon using a stone change our spiritual confirmation from the Holy Ghost that the book is true? Should learning about polygamy, blacks and the Priesthood and every other political and legal situation that the church always seemed to be thrown under the bus about, challenge our testimony of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and of modern revelation through person prayer, scripture study and inspired words from our living Prophets and Apostles?
If it has affected your testimony, if it has caused doubt and fear, skepticism and uncertainty, don't be afraid. You will NOT go to hell for asking, being curious, concerned, worried, confused, scared or otherwise hesitant of testimony. If Joseph Smith wasn't confused, curious, concerned, worried and skeptical about religion, about which church was right, would he have studied the bible and sought an answer through prayer?
What do you do about your testimony if it is weak or non-existent, if you want to know the truth, as Joseph did? I will get to that in a second, but first let's review.
Again, President Uchtdorf said, "Sometimes, the truth may just seem too straightforward, too plain, and too simple for us to fully appreciate its great value. So we set aside what we have experienced and know to be true in pursuit of more mysterious or complicated information." We are far too used to complex scientific ideas, cultural and historical facts and other mind-boggling trivia that when a simple answer is given, it seems too good to be true. We want to touch that wet paint, just to be sure it's actually wet. So how do we overcome this natural man, this struggle that we all face in various levels every day?
Uchtdorf answers that,
"One way is by asking the right questions—the kind that help us ponder our progress and evaluate how things are working for us. Questions like:
“Does my life have meaning?”
“Do I believe in God?”
“Do I believe that God knows and loves me?”
“Do I believe that God hears and answers my prayers?”
“Am I truly happy?”
“Are my efforts leading me to the highest spiritual goals and values in life?”"
He goes on to ask,
"I wonder if we as Church members might also benefit from asking ourselves from time to time: “Is my experience in the Church working for me? Is it bringing me closer to Christ? Is it blessing me and my family with peace and joy as promised in the gospel?”"
I think he not only means those with a struggling testimony or with doubt, fear and skepticism, but also those of us who are trying to be good people. Who keep the commandments, who go to church, who read our scriptures, who pray and pay our tithing and all the other good things we should be doing. Are we so busy "doing good" that we lose sight of the meaning behind why we actually are and should be doing these things?
President Uchtdorf goes on to list several key points that I just cannot make enough noise about.
"First: are we making our discipleship too complicated?
This beautiful gospel is so simple a child can grasp it, yet so profound and complex that it will take a lifetime—even an eternity—of study and discovery to fully understand it.
But sometimes we take the beautiful lily of God’s truth and gild it with layer upon layer of man-made good ideas, programs, and expectations. Each one, by itself, might be helpful and appropriate for a certain time and circumstance, but when they are laid on top of each other, they can create a mountain of sediment that becomes so thick and heavy that we risk losing sight of that precious flower we once loved so dearly."
I gave a talk at church earlier this year about the Doctrine of Christ. It was basically about the five principles of the Gospel, they being faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. Before I focused on faith, I gave this quote.
"Elder Ronald E. Poelman in the November 1984 Ensign states, “Understanding the proper relationship between the gospel and the Church will prevent confusion, misplaced priorities, and failed expectations and will lead to the realization of gospel goals through happy, fulfilling participation in the Church. Such understanding will avoid possible disaffection and will result in great personal blessings”"
I am so very happy that President Uchtdorf decided to focus on this very issue again, over 30 years later. The point of my talk's quote and his point is simple, we over-complicate the simple things in the Gospel, and if we want our testimony to be planted on firm soil with solid roots (or I suppose, following his analogy, if we want to see our flower) then we must stop making the Gospel what it is not and let it be what it is.
He proceeded to give an example of a Relief Society Sister who, bless her heart, was doing her best to exercise her calling to the fullest. To sum it up, she spent more time sewing a backdrop for her than time would have expected. I feel that many, especially the Sisters, might have felt this as a rebuke or poke from Uchtdorf saying to not make backdrops in RS lessons or other excessive work for a church calling. I don't think he is saying that. What he is saying, however, is to not put so much effort into a trivial aspect of your calling to the point where it overrides the priorities of not only the important parts of your calling, but also your personal life, family, friends, work, school, and just being happy.
That's not to say to avoid going above and beyond your calling. Before my mission I was called to be a primary teacher and I decided to dress up as the main character in each week's lesson. I was a hit in primary! I may have gone too far with my custom-made board game that I used GIMP to make and print out, with player pieces that featured each student's face (if my memory serves me right), but I still had fun and it was something I knew they would remember forever. It's not wrong to work extra hard and outside the box to fulfill your calling. However, if I spent 6 hours a day reviewing costumes on the Internet and hiring a professional sewer to made each costume custom-fit for myself instead of reviewing the lesson, scriptures and practice teaching it, perhaps Uchtdorf's point could be very well applicable to me.
With that hilariously long and lengthy rant/opinion about the simple truths of the Gospel out of the way, let's move on to answer a previously asked question. What do you do about your testimony if it is weak or non-existent, if you want to know the truth, as Joseph did? Uchtdorf answers,
"Brothers and sisters, living the gospel doesn’t need to be complicated.
It is really straightforward. It could be described like this:
• Hearing the word of God with earnest intent leads us to believe in God and to trust His promises.
• The more we trust God, the more our hearts are filled with love for Him and for each other.
• Because of our love for God, we desire to follow Him and bring our actions in alignment with His word.
• Because we love God, we want to serve Him; we want to bless the lives of others and help the poor and the needy.
• The more we walk in this path of discipleship, the more we desire to learn the word of God.
And so it goes, each step leading to the next and filling us with ever-increasing faith, hope, and charity.
It is beautifully simple, and it works beautifully."
It may take time to fully gain a testimony. Everyone is different. Do not assume that your first time praying or reading the book of Mormon or asking if the church is true will result in a miraculous spiritual manifestation like Joseph received. I will not deny its possibility, if it's God will it will happen. But for most of us, we often will find ourselves feeling a warmth come upon us, or even nothing at all. That is okay. God trusts us, He loves us. He wants us to grow and if allowing us to make a faith-driven decision is the best way for us to develop a Testimony, that's what He will do. We are all different and cannot compare each other's experiences and make assumptions on our spiritual progress based on such.
Which leads me to his second suggestion, "start where you are". He goes on to say,
"Sometimes we feel discouraged because we are not “more” of something—more spiritual, respected, intelligent, healthy, rich, friendly, or capable. Naturally, there is nothing wrong with wanting to improve. God created us to grow and progress. But remember, our weaknesses can help us to be humble and turn us to Christ, who will “make weak things become strong.” Satan, on the other hand, uses our weaknesses to the point that we are discouraged from even trying...
God will take you as you are at this very moment and begin to work with you. All you need is a willing heart, a desire to believe, and trust in the Lord...
My dear brothers and sisters, if we look at ourselves only through our mortal eyes, we may not see ourselves as good enough. But our Heavenly Father sees us as who we truly are and who we can become. He sees us as His sons and daughters, as beings of eternal light with everlasting potential and with a divine destiny."
I think as members of the church, we all fall into the trap of eternal progression racing. We look at each other and compare who's had more callings in the church, who's had less struggles, who's more knowledgeable in the scriptures. We see this as a race, and we worry that we are losing, that God is at the finish line waiting for the most righteous and humble members to cross first so He can celebrate while we all catch up and are greeted by Christ or just angels.
If it makes you feel any better, I've had this mentality since like, forever. I still struggle with this, I still look up to those who are Bishops, Stake Presidents, Apostles and Prophets and think, man I wish I read my scriptures more. Man, I wish I had better habits praying. Man, I wish I were more humble. Then the Lord would find me more worthy to be called to more "righteous people" callings than my "needs to progress first" callings. Boy is this a wrong mentality to have.
Look at the Prophet and Apostles. Have they "finished" their progression yet, now that they are at the "top"? I beg to differ. They are still progressing like you and me, and the callings the Lord has given them now are for them to learn from, still. I have much more to say about this, but I will save it for further commentary down the road as we are still talking about the first talk in the Saturday Morning Session!
To conclude his talk, Uchtdorf says,
"Exaltation is our goal; discipleship is our journey.
As you exercise a little faith and begin your walk as a peaceable follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, your heart will change. Your whole being will be filled with light."
And how true that it. Still with me? Good, thanks for hanging on. :)
Elder Ballard spoke next with a continuation of a talk he gave last year about the "Old Ship Zion". The point of his talk was to emphasis key principles of the Gospel that we should "hold on" to and have faith in. I'm personally never a big fan of analogies with Gospel topics, for the most part they seem cheesy or over-done or over-stretched. Occasionally one will be clever and I suppose it helps other members of the church remember the doctrine better, and makes for catchy Mormon memes. But at least for me, it seems to annoy more than help. Maybe my heart is hardened, maybe I don't think through analogies as easily. But I love to hear the doctrine spelled out in front without the extra shavings.
Anyway, he compares the church to the "old Ship Zion". Using terms related to ships and the sea, he says the Lord is at the helm and steers the ship, and it's our job to get on and hold on. He does go on to list key truths of the Gospel in clear ways, which was nice.
He nudged the idea that Prophets and Apostles, although divinely called, are not perfect and are just like any other member of the church; vulnerable to sin and imperfections,
"The Church of Jesus Christ has always been led by living prophets and apostles. Though mortal and subject to human imperfection, the Lord’s servants are inspired to help us avoid obstacles that are spiritually life threatening and to help us pass safely through mortality to our final, ultimate, heavenly destination...
While neither perfect nor infallible, these good men and women have been perfectly dedicated to leading the work of the Lord forward as He has directed."
A bit later he is more straightforward about the imperfections of church leaders,
"It has always been a challenge for the world to accept living prophets and apostles, but it is so essential to do so in order to fully understand the Atonement and the teachings of Jesus Christ and to receive a fulness of the blessings of the priesthood that are given to those He has called.
Too many people think Church leaders and members should be perfect or nearly perfect. They forget that the Lord’s grace is sufficient to accomplish His work through mortals. Our leaders have the best intentions, but sometimes we make mistakes. This is not unique to Church relationships, as the same thing occurs in our relationships among friends, neighbors, and workplace associates and even between spouses and in families.
Looking for human weakness in others is rather easy. However, we make a serious mistake by noticing only the human nature of one another and then failing to see God’s hand working through those He has called.
Focusing on how the Lord inspires His chosen leaders and how He moves the Saints to do remarkable and extraordinary things despite their humanity is one way that we hold on to the gospel of Jesus Christ and stay safely aboard the Old Ship Zion."
Ah, I see what you did there Elder Ballard! To stay on the Old Ship Zion we need to not question the imperfections of the church leaders and instead reflect upon the Atonement and love of Jesus Christ. I do agree with that. This isn't the Church of President Monson of Latter-day Saints, it's the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Far too many people take the important element of a Testimony, that being of Joseph Smith and modern day Prophets, and set aside other elements, using this one as their base.
Let me be a hypocrite and give you an analogy. Imagine a line of dominoes. The first one closest to you is your testimony of the Prophet. Following in a line are other parts of your testimony, such as the Book of Mormon, Jesus Christ, the Priesthood, etc. If a human error is discovered and your testimony of Joseph Smith or President Monson does get affected, it will fall and hit your testimony of the Book of Mormon, then of other elements, until you are filled with doubt and disbelief.
Heavenly Father doesn't want that, He wants us to have faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, as only He is able to save us. He gives counsel and direction to His servants, the Prophets. But they are not perfect and any mistake they make shouldn't be immediately connected with doctrinal Gospel truths.
Elder Ballard continues his talk, pointing out key truths about the Gospel that we should hold onto in the "Old Ship Zion". Many good points about the family and plan of salvation. Then he gets to a pet peeve of mine... sharing testimonies. This is part of his emphasis on the Sabbath Day observance, which has been a main theme in the church this past year.
"Fast and testimony meeting is a time to share brief inspirational thoughts and bear solemn testimony. It is not a time to give a speech.
Young children should practice sharing their testimonies in Primary and with their parents in family home evening gatherings until they understand the important meaning of a testimony."
Thank you Elder Ballard! You may have heard the Mormon joke about the different kind of testimonies? There's the
share-monies (here's a great experience I had last week that reminded me of a gospel principle),
cry-a-monies (it's okay to get emotional and even to cry when sharing something deep in your heart. But do your best to let it out and then explain your testimony, then mumbling and leaving people to wonder what made you cry. I am a softy toward these people though, sometimes you cannot control your emotions and the spirit can help us to know that isn't not important what the are sharing.),
travel-a-movies (we went to Utah/the East and did a bunch of stuff. Let me read you my blog entry about it!),
speech-a-movies (I wish to share with you a 5 minute recap of a talk I read and my thoughts about it),
false-doctrine-monies (you're just lecturing and warning us about your opinion on something that isn't doctrine),
brag-a-monies (my son won the BYU sport thingy! My daughter just baptized her 10th investigator on her mission! I just read the whole book of mormon for the 4th time and can now check that off my list!),
apology-a-monies (I cannot apologize for what I said to my husband or child or random member of the ward in private, so I will embarrass myself and him/herself and do it at the stand),
guilt-invitation-monies (I invite my wife/students/so-and-so to come up and bear their testimony... only if they want to! but of course now you feel guilty if you don't, so you better!)...
and so on.
Is this list excessive and perhaps ridiculous? Yes, perhaps. Is this list inappropriate and mocking those who are still struggling to learn how to share a testimony correctly? No, I am just categorizing what other people have invented to make a quick list of the "kinds" of testimonies there are. If you did fall into one of these, I'm not judging you at all. No one is perfect, and to be honest I rarely share my testimony on Fast Sundays anyway so I guess I have no right to judge. I just like to list things out and this has been humorous to me.
His suggestion for members to practice their testimony is so important. Not just to children, but to everyone, young and old. Think about what you truly believe, and stick with that. You don't need a 5 minute testimony about every doctrine that exists, especially if you don't fully believe everything yet. Stick with that you do know, and work from there.
Elder Ballard continues about the importance of the Sabbath day and concludes with the importance of staying on the Old Ship Zion. It was a very good talk with valid points. Do I agree with the idea of a "ship zion"? No, it sounds funny and perhaps culturally influenced (does the ship serve green jello and funeral potatoes?), but his points are still valid and true.
Elder Richard J. Maynes focused on living a life with Christ at our center. (Hmm,,, seeing a pattern here? Uchtdorf talks about the simple Gospel, Ballard says to focus on the key principles, Maynes says to live a life centered on Christ...) He used an analogy (which, while I found borderline cheesy since we've had the clay and pottery analogy before, I forgave since his principle was important) of how we need to have Christ at the center of our lives so He can shape us to become what He knows we can. The analogy was, you guessed it, clay. I will not get into the details of it, you can read it yourself if you want. I wish to focus on the principles that personally helped me more than the analogy.
His talk quoted scriptures in the Book of Mormon. I fully admit, I found it hard to focus just because of the anticipation of him tying up the stories to the analogy throughout the talk. But his point was clear, we all need Christ in the center of our lives or we will not withstand the storms of the adversary.
Sister Marriottgave a talk about opening our hearts to the Lord and how and why me can and should achieve this. First and foremost, yes I loved that accent! Myself having served a mission in Houston Texas, found joy in hearing a southern voice testify of the truth.
Near the beginning she stated something that I appreciate admitted,
"My own change of heart started when, as a 12-year-old, I began to search for God. Other than saying the Lord’s Prayer, I didn’t really know how to pray. I remember kneeling, hoping I could feel His love, and asking, “Where are You, Heavenly Father? I know You must be out there somewhere, but where?” All through my teen years, I asked. I did have glimpses of the reality of Jesus Christ, but Heavenly Father, in His wisdom, let me seek and wait for 10 years."
You mean not everyone gets the answer to their honest sincere prayer as quickly as we are sometimes led to believe in other talks that share miracles stories? I appreciated her honesty, that's a long time waiting for the truth to be revealed. I hope it gives comfort to those who are seeking this truth and have not received the answer we teach about, at least not yet.
"When our delightful, worthy, 21-year-old daughter, Georgia, was hospitalized in critical condition following a bike accident, our family said, “It will all work out.” As I flew immediately from our mission in Brazil to Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, to be with her, I clung to our family motto. However, our lovely daughter passed into the spirit world just hours before my plane landed. With grief and shock running through our family like a current, how could we look at one another and still say, “It will all work out”?
Following Georgia’s mortal death, our feelings were raw, we struggled, and still today we have moments of great sorrow, but we hold to the understanding that no one ever really dies. Despite our anguish when Georgia’s physical body stopped functioning, we had faith that she went right on living as a spirit, and we believe we will live with her eternally if we adhere to our temple covenants. Faith in our Redeemer and His Resurrection, faith in His priesthood power, and faith in eternal sealings let us state our motto with conviction."
Amen Sister Marriott! Although I have not personally been affected by any loss of close family members or friends yet, I know that it is so critical to be true to our covenants, be it baptism for those recent converts, or our Temple covenants be it life long members. It doesn't matter how many covenants we have made, but if we follow all of them.
"President Gordon B. Hinckley said: “If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God. … The Lord will not forsake us.”
Our family motto doesn’t say, “It will all work out now.” It speaks of our hope in the eternal outcome—not necessarily of present results."
This reminds me of Elder Holland's fantastic talk given a few years back. In it he said,
"...Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead...
It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come...
Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come."
With that truth in mind, going back to her talk, Sister Marriott continues and focuses on the Sabbath Day saying,
"When we open ourselves to the Spirit, we learn God’s way and feel His will. During the sacrament, which I call the heart of the Sabbath, I have found that after I pray for forgiveness of sins, it is instructive for me to ask Heavenly Father, “Father, is there more?”"
Is there more for us to do? Have we done enough? Do we even ponder these things or ponder at all when partaking of the Sacrament? Don't be surprised if the Holy Ghost gives you an answer you weren't expecting or didn't want to be revealed.
"For example, perhaps I have a carefully guarded resentment toward someone. When I ask if there is more to confess, that “secret” comes clearly to my memory. In essence, the Holy Ghost is whispering, “You honestly asked if there was more, and here it is..."
It's hard, it truly is hard to open our hearts to God. It may seem like a lot to ask, especially if we've had major sins, addictions or other struggles in our lives preventing us from progressing. but as she points out, "The healing of our heart begins when we submit to and worship God".
Near the end of her talk, she says,
"I have struggled to banish the mortal desire to have things my way, eventually realizing that my way is oh so lacking, limited, and inferior to the way of Jesus Christ. “His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come.” Can we love Jesus Christ and His way more than we love ourselves and our own agenda?
Some may think they have failed too many times and feel too weak to change sinful acts or worldly desires of the heart. However, as covenant Israel, we don’t just try and try on our own to change. If we earnestly appeal to God, He takes us as we are—and makes us more than we ever imagined."
How absolutely true. I've been there, I've done that. I've been there again, I've re-learned, I've understood more clearly, and I've applied the Atonement. It is real because He loves us.
Elder Lawrence spoke next, focusing on how the Holy Ghost can guide and direct us throughout our lives. He talks about his conversion and then points out something that hurt/scared me,
"We have to ask some difficult questions, like “What do I need to change?” “How can I improve?” “What weakness needs strengthening?”"
I have sometimes intentionally avoided asking these specific questions because I know the Lord will answer and I may not like it. It's tough, it really is. Elder Lawrence gives a biblical example of a rich young ruler who was faced with the same dilemma. He was a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, who obeyed the commandments, and wanted to know what else he needed to do.
"Jesus answered immediately, giving counsel that was intended specifically for the rich young man. “Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and … come and follow me.”
The young man was stunned; he had never considered such a sacrifice. He was humble enough to ask the Lord but not faithful enough to follow the divine counsel he was given. We must be willing to act when we receive an answer."
Are we sometimes humble enough to ask the Lord but not faithful enough to obey His answers? It's like going through the motions to have a sincere heart and real intent, but not being willing to act upon the answer we are seeking. He goes on to quote Harold B Lee, and then give several very interesting examples of the answers the Holy Ghost gives,
"President Harold B. Lee taught, “Every one of us, if we would reach perfection, must [at] one time ask ourselves this question, ‘What lack I yet?’”
I knew a faithful mother who humbled herself and asked, “What is keeping me from progressing?” In her case, the response from the Spirit came immediately: “Stop complaining.”...
A humble young man who couldn’t seem to find the right young woman went to the Lord for help: “What is keeping me from being the right man?” he asked. This answer came into his mind and heart: “Clean up your language.”...
A single sister bravely asked the question: “What do I need to change?” and the Spirit whispered to her, “Don’t interrupt people when they are talking.”...
One returned missionary found himself stressed with a very heavy schedule. He was trying to find time for work, studies, family, and a Church calling. He asked the Lord for counsel...: “How can I feel at peace with all that I need to do?” The answer was not what he expected; he received the impression that he should more carefully observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy....
The Holy Ghost doesn’t tell us to improve everything at once. If He did, we would become discouraged and give up. The Spirit works with us at our own speed, one step at a time, or as the Lord has taught, “line upon line, precept upon precept, … and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, … for unto him that receiveth I will give more.” For example, if the Holy Ghost has been prompting you to say “thank you” more often, and you respond to that prompting, then He may feel it’s time for you to move on to something more challenging—like learning to say, “I’m sorry; that was my fault.”
This was so perfect, I liked the example he gave and the variety of responses we could get that truly are customized for ourselves. "He is a completely honest companion and will tell us things that no one else knows or has the courage to say".
And then came the challenge,
"I would like to suggest that each of you participate in a spiritual exercise sometime soon, perhaps even tonight while saying your prayers. Humbly ask the Lord the following question: “What is keeping me from progressing?” In other words: “What lack I yet?” Then wait quietly for a response. If you are sincere, the answer will soon become clear. It will be revelation intended just for you...
The Spirit can show us our weaknesses, but He is also able to show us our strengths. Sometimes we need to ask what we are doing right so that the Lord can lift and encourage us. When we read our patriarchal blessings, we are reminded that our Heavenly Father knows our divine potential. He rejoices every time we take a step forward. To Him, our direction is ever more important than our speed."
Have you taken this challenge up yet? I have, and it's incredible how much my own life has changed with just one question.
Elder Viñas then gave a talk about the pleasing word of God. Like my comment on the General Woman's broadcast, this talk didn't (and upon reviewing it, still doesn't) really impact me much. Again, it's not that this talk is bad or that I am closed minded (but perhaps there is some of the latter), but that it isn't something I need to or am ready to hear yet. Perhaps for one of you it really influenced your life, and that's fantastic! Don't feel bad, in fact feel excited that the Lord spoke to you through one of His servants!
Elder Cook was the final speaker for the Saturday Morning Session. I will admit by this point I was personally fed from the prior talks and was eager to have lunch and prepare for the remaining session that day. So most of his talk was just filler for the remaining time. I was listening, and did feel the spirit. However, one thing that did catch my attention was this.
"I believe that sometimes our loving Father in Heaven must view us with the amusement we feel when we watch our own small children as they learn and grow. We all stumble and fall as we gain experience.
I appreciated the conference address President Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave in 2010 about the famous marshmallow experiment conducted at Stanford University in the 1960s. You will remember that four-year-olds were given a single marshmallow. If they could wait for 15 or 20 minutes without eating it, they would receive a second marshmallow. Videos have been produced showing the contortions that many children used to avoid eating the marshmallow. Some did not succeed.
Last year the professor who conducted the original experiment, Dr. Walter Mischel, wrote a book in which he said the study grew in part out of his concerns about self-control and his own addiction to smoking. He was particularly concerned after the U.S. Surgeon General’s report of 1964 concluded that smoking caused lung cancer. After years of study, one of his professional colleagues reported that “self-control is like a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger it gets. Avoiding something tempting once will help you develop the ability to resist other temptations in the future.""
Yes, I did remember that talk vaguely. How fascinating to find out more about that experiment and to learn of the origins of it. I have to agree that avoiding temptation will help you avoid it stronger and more powerful the next time it comes. I fight temptations everyday, many that I tell myself I will stop and not do again. But then I do it again. And I tell myself I'll stop. But I do it again. But through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and my honest open heart and desire to change, I have been able to conquer challenges, even if I do screw up yet again, He is always ready to forgive. He wants to forgive.
He also brought up the importance of the Sabbath day a bit. I won't get into it much, but I appreciate the emphasis of recognizing the importance of the Sabbath day and try to keep it Holy. It's clear that we as members need to think about what we do and find ways to improve.
Well, that was Saturday Morning Session of the 2015 October General Conference! I hope you enjoyed reading my review and my thoughts on each talk. I really enjoyed this session and look forward to reviewing the next four sessions (Priesthood exists Ladies ;) ). Again, if you have any comments at all, feel free to reply below. I am curious to know what you think of my thoughts and what you got from these talks.
Stupid comment box will only let me post so much so sorry its split up so much.
President Uchtdorf – Loved, loved, loved this talk! This is one that I felt was especially for me. I guess part of the problem is that I tend to like complicated things. I like to watch movies and TV shows that make me think rather than just being entertaining. I guess that’s why I spend so much time watching shows like The Blacklist and super deep dramas than watching Disney movies. And I feel soooo different than every other Mormon that seems to be so obsessed with Disney movies. I’m not saying I don’t like them, but it’s not usually my first choice unless I’ve had a hard day and want to watch something light-hearted. But most of the time, they are too simple for me to truly enjoy. Anyway, I understand what President Uchtdorf was trying to say – accept simple things. Don’t dismiss them because they seem too simple. And I loved what he said about if the gospel is working for you. The gospel is working for me. It gives me opportunities to serve others, have fun with people my age, and most importantly work on becoming a better disciple of Christ. I enjoy church and the messages taught. They help me become a better person.
I guess the one thing I will still struggle with on this topic is that not every problem in the gospel is so “simple” or “Nit-picky.” The differing accounts of the first vision, the book of Abraham historicity, same sex attraction – the church has spoken on these issues but there really aren’t simple answers to them. I don’t know if I will ever be comfortable with issues like these. However, I stay active because the benefits that I receive from the church outweigh the questions. (Okay that sounded a little selfish but by benefits I mean being a better person and helping others so that’s not so selfish right?) This talk was such a great kick-off to conference.
And oh my goodness!!! I loved your story about teaching primary. You are so adorably nerdy. I love it!
I hope that all the members watching or listening to his talk took notice of it. It was very specific. Imagine if everyone applied that to their everyday lives? Would make Sunday School and other church programs more interesting and less stressful. I watch movies and always notice plot holes, or the over-dramatic and unrealistic events or endings. And as I am studying movie making I notice things even more than ever, so I often annoy my family or friends with my often negative or critiquing comments when watching movies (Disney or church made).
And speaking of Disney movie obsession, I don't understand that either. I love Disney in general and am fond of their classics, but I can't quote lines from the movies, or burst into song from Lion King or whatever. Those movies never impacted me as much as Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter or the "sketchy" ones like Hunger Games or Taken.
"Sketchy" because it has been implied by many members that liking and watching those kind of movies aren't good. Yes, Hunger Games has to do with killing people, and Taken is about a girl who gets kidnapped so she can be raped. Yet I watch those movies for the action, for the story. Not because I'm some sexual pervert. In fact, during Taken I was almost emotional. I had spent the hour and a half watching the father do everything in his power to find his daughter. When they reunite but he's at gunpoint by the raper, I was so freaked out!
Excellent observation. Yes, there are different accounts of the first vision. We talked about that in institute once. And that's when you've got to really put your faith not in the details but in the main story. Arguably one can say well, if the details change then the story is faked. If we wish to argue that, then okay. Let's review every general conference talk ever and analyze if there are any plot holes or problems with their stories. I can tell you from personal experience that I have found several on my mission and there was even one in this very general conference that confused me. It's the fact that are are not perfect and that God has to deal with us being imperfect that makes it difficult.
If you look at the church gospel topics, they are starting to open up and reveal more deep doctrine and give talks from the 1950s and before, when things weren't as taboo or difficult to explain in general conference. Before they had Elder Holland and Bednard to "give the tough topics to". It's really neat seeing that. You can notice that also with the church showing their video of the garments, of them revealing the stone that Joseph used to translate the book of mormon (often in a hat) and so on. These strange truths and historical events often confuse members, such as yourself. And that's normal. We don't seem to talk about them because as Ufchtdorf points out, we shouldn't focus on them if it confuses our testimony and our worship. Does it REALLY matter the details on how the book of mormon got translated, or if it is a true record given from God to Joseph Smith for us to read? Is it REALLY important to know why blacks were banned from the Priesthood, or polygamy was a commandment, or that Joseph used to chew tobacco? Or is it more important to recognize that God has a plan that sometimes will NOT make sense or seem fair to us at all, but we HAVE to trust Him and know that He loves us. He loves us. That's the key, which is what i learned on my Mission and helps me to keep going today.
You are not selfish by enjoying the benefits. You are completely in your right to want that, because that is what God wants. That men might have joy. He wants you to be happy. If you aren't, He is sad as well.
Haha, thanks! I try and usually fail, but occasionally I succeed.
Elder Ballard – Okay, I’m going to be honest. I was not a fan of his “Old Ship Zion” talk from last October’s conference. I felt like he was being too black and white with that talk and I don’t see the church as black or white at all. He made it sound like you’re either on the boat and okay with every part of the church or off the boat and unaccepting of every part of the church. I don’t see things that simply, but I also tend to overcomplicate things as mentioned earlier. I liked this talk from Elder Ballard so much more. I love that he emphasized that prophets and apostles aren’t perfect. We shouldn’t be looking for weakness in our leaders. They definitely have them, but it’s not something we should be focusing on. I believe the apostles truly are amazing individuals. They receive revelation from God. However they are still human and can be influenced by the time and place they grew up (Hence why Brigham Young was such an advocate for slavery. Unfortunately he brought this viewpoint to his sermons.) In some ways I have some major issues with Brigham Young. He taught some really weird stuff, but I guess I can’t judge without having been living in that time period. I can however focus on the amazing things that he DID do – like leading the trek to Utah. That is a really big deal! I can appreciate his dedication to helping the saints find a safe and happy place to live and worship freely.
I totally enjoyed your little rant about testimonies. This is one of my pet-peeves in my new ward. I feel like a lot of the testimonies are the ones you described and it drives me nuts – especially when they say stupid or incorrect stuff when investigators are at church. I don’t share my testimony that much because I don’t really know what to say. I know I am guilt of doing some share-a-monies and travel-a-monies. So Robert, I’d like to ask you – what does a model testimony look like to you? I’m still trying to figure that out, but I do have to say that one of my favorite people in your ward to listen to was Mike Dieffenbach. He was great at sharing simple, but powerful testimonies.
This is all I have time to comment on tonight, but I'll keep sharing my thoughts and thanks for posting yours.
I plan on giving a "rant" about this when I make it to Sunday's session (because of the major deal of the new apostles and the viral stories about Monson almost collapsing) and I will talk about your point that they aren't perfect and are human beings. I have a few talks to give great examples. I look forward to sharing that, because I have some great feelings and thoughts about it that I think you and others need to hear and will appreciate. But alas, I need to get through Saturday and Priesthood session first. Probably will finish by Christmas, haha.
I'd like to share a story. 4th of July I had friends come over and we had a lot of fun. They are from Chicago and so I stayed up past midnight waiting to hear that they made it safely home. So I was very tired and didn't get much sleep. I became grumpy Sunday morning. I was not feeling social, I was easily irritated. I wasn't looking forward to it being a Fast Sunday. And to go through testimonies... but then when it was our turn to share testimonies after the Sacrament, I felt the spirit say to go up and share my testimony. I resisted. I didn't want to. I was grumpy. But I did get up. I did go over and share my testimony. I honestly don't remember exactly what I said, but it was not planned. The spirit was strong, and I felt great afterward.
My family has been teaching about the five points of a Testimony. https://www.lds.org/friend/2008/10/testimony-glove?lang=eng They are
"1. I know that God is our Heavenly Father and He loves us. 2. I know that His Son, Jesus Christ, is our Savior and Redeemer. 3. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. He restored the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth and translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God. 4. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s Church on the earth today. 5. I know that this Church is led by a living prophet who receives revelation."
How did you feel as you read each of those points? Did you feel the spirit? Did you nod your head in agreement? Did you hesitate? Did you feel uncertain? This is a great way to know where our testimony is and to ask God to help us improve and strengthen it.
I think that you should share what you KNOW and not what you SHOULD know. Elder Holland pointed that out in a conference a few years ago. If all you KNOW is that the Book of Mormon is true, then share that. Did God answer a simple prayer the other day? Share (briefly) that you prayed the other day, and testify that He answers prayers. Mike was a good example by sharing the honest truth and nothing else. I love that kid. Adam recently went up and the spirit was very strong. He testified of the Atonement and I knew that he had experienced it very strong recently. It was powerful. He didn't say much, but it was perfect.
In short, share what doctrine, what truth you have experienced and know (or want to know) is true. Honestly, if everyone did that, I wouldn't mind the crying as much, the quick stories, even the bragging. If it's done humbly and with real intent, then great! The spirit will be there and everyone can be edified. The model testimony is thus, a testimony from the heart. What you believe is true. Use the guidelines above to start out, then you can find more specific things as you go through experiences and trials. I hope this helped.
Thanks for responding, I hope I can get started on the afternoon session next week. :)
Richard J. Maynes - I liked this talk and the message was clear - center your life around Christ. I like what he said about living after the manner of happiness. I not saying that you can't be happy if you aren't Mormon or Christian but there is a different kind of happiness you can experience when you have the spirit with you.
Sister Marriott – I loved her accent too! Usually the women that speak at general conference have the Utah Mormon accent and I liked to see things switched up a bit. I think this talk helps remind people that even if you are living right, things sometimes still go wrong. I think members need to know this. A few weeks ago at church a sister was talking about how she believed that she wasn’t pulled over while speeding during a road trip because she is getting ready to serve a mission and she is living her life right. Fortunately, several people then raised their hands and mentioned how this is not always (and often) the case. I used to have this mentality to a degree. I remember growing up learning about how happy we can be if we live the gospel. Well, I struggled with depression and definitely was not happy 90% of the time. Did this mean that I wasn’t living the gospel? No. In fact I was reading my scriptures every day (much more than I do now), praying every day, writing in my journal, going to church and church meetings, etc.) I was doing what I was supposed to. When I first started speaking to my bishop at the time I told him about my depression and some of the dark thoughts I was having, he immediately started asking me worthiness questions which was soooo wrong! Don’t assume that because someone isn’t happy or is going through something really difficult it means that they aren’t worthy. Fortunately over the next couple years my bishop did more than enough to make up for this mistake he made right towards the beginning, but I remember questioning my worthiness at the time because of it. Looking at my life right now things did “work out” but they didn’t work out right then. In fact, they didn’t work out for almost a decade of my life. Some problems don’t go away at all in this lifetime but we can take comfort in knowing that one day they will work out and we will be blessed for our efforts.
Elder Lawrence – This talk reminded me of the challenges I would give during Sunday school. When it came down to it, the challenge was the same every week – take what you learned today, pray and ask Heavenly Father how you can take the message into your life to make you better, and then do it. Do it for 1 week, 2 weeks, 2 months, a year, etc. until you have improved a little. This is what life is about – progressing. I have taken Elder Lawrence’s challenge but I don’t feel like I’ve had a clear answer yet so I’m continuing to ask this question.
Elder Vinas – There was one point in his talk that I really liked and it was this – “It also gives us the security that, after we have lived a faithful life, we will not lose any blessing for not having done certain things if we were never given the opportunity to do them. If we have lived faithfully until the time of our death, we “will have all the blessings, exaltation, and glory that any man or woman [who has had that opportunity] will have.”
Elder Cook – I really liked the quote that you shared from this talk – “I believe that sometimes our loving Father in Heaven must view us with the amusement we feel when we watch our own small children as they learn and grow. We all stumble and fall as we gain experience.” Someone in my ward gave a wonderful testimony about this. We don’t shame a child when they fall while trying to learn how to walk. Instead, we keep working with them and celebrate the successes they do have. Likewise, Heavenly Father doesn’t think less of us when we fall and make mistakes. He works with us from where we are at and celebrates our successes.
Stupid comment box will only let me post so much so sorry its split up so much.
ReplyDeletePresident Uchtdorf – Loved, loved, loved this talk! This is one that I felt was especially for me. I guess part of the problem is that I tend to like complicated things. I like to watch movies and TV shows that make me think rather than just being entertaining. I guess that’s why I spend so much time watching shows like The Blacklist and super deep dramas than watching Disney movies. And I feel soooo different than every other Mormon that seems to be so obsessed with Disney movies. I’m not saying I don’t like them, but it’s not usually my first choice unless I’ve had a hard day and want to watch something light-hearted. But most of the time, they are too simple for me to truly enjoy. Anyway, I understand what President Uchtdorf was trying to say – accept simple things. Don’t dismiss them because they seem too simple. And I loved what he said about if the gospel is working for you. The gospel is working for me. It gives me opportunities to serve others, have fun with people my age, and most importantly work on becoming a better disciple of Christ. I enjoy church and the messages taught. They help me become a better person.
I guess the one thing I will still struggle with on this topic is that not every problem in the gospel is so “simple” or “Nit-picky.” The differing accounts of the first vision, the book of Abraham historicity, same sex attraction – the church has spoken on these issues but there really aren’t simple answers to them. I don’t know if I will ever be comfortable with issues like these. However, I stay active because the benefits that I receive from the church outweigh the questions. (Okay that sounded a little selfish but by benefits I mean being a better person and helping others so that’s not so selfish right?) This talk was such a great kick-off to conference.
And oh my goodness!!! I loved your story about teaching primary. You are so adorably nerdy. I love it!
I hope that all the members watching or listening to his talk took notice of it. It was very specific. Imagine if everyone applied that to their everyday lives? Would make Sunday School and other church programs more interesting and less stressful. I watch movies and always notice plot holes, or the over-dramatic and unrealistic events or endings. And as I am studying movie making I notice things even more than ever, so I often annoy my family or friends with my often negative or critiquing comments when watching movies (Disney or church made).
DeleteAnd speaking of Disney movie obsession, I don't understand that either. I love Disney in general and am fond of their classics, but I can't quote lines from the movies, or burst into song from Lion King or whatever. Those movies never impacted me as much as Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter or the "sketchy" ones like Hunger Games or Taken.
"Sketchy" because it has been implied by many members that liking and watching those kind of movies aren't good. Yes, Hunger Games has to do with killing people, and Taken is about a girl who gets kidnapped so she can be raped. Yet I watch those movies for the action, for the story. Not because I'm some sexual pervert. In fact, during Taken I was almost emotional. I had spent the hour and a half watching the father do everything in his power to find his daughter. When they reunite but he's at gunpoint by the raper, I was so freaked out!
Excellent observation. Yes, there are different accounts of the first vision. We talked about that in institute once. And that's when you've got to really put your faith not in the details but in the main story. Arguably one can say well, if the details change then the story is faked. If we wish to argue that, then okay. Let's review every general conference talk ever and analyze if there are any plot holes or problems with their stories. I can tell you from personal experience that I have found several on my mission and there was even one in this very general conference that confused me. It's the fact that are are not perfect and that God has to deal with us being imperfect that makes it difficult.
If you look at the church gospel topics, they are starting to open up and reveal more deep doctrine and give talks from the 1950s and before, when things weren't as taboo or difficult to explain in general conference. Before they had Elder Holland and Bednard to "give the tough topics to". It's really neat seeing that. You can notice that also with the church showing their video of the garments, of them revealing the stone that Joseph used to translate the book of mormon (often in a hat) and so on. These strange truths and historical events often confuse members, such as yourself. And that's normal. We don't seem to talk about them because as Ufchtdorf points out, we shouldn't focus on them if it confuses our testimony and our worship. Does it REALLY matter the details on how the book of mormon got translated, or if it is a true record given from God to Joseph Smith for us to read? Is it REALLY important to know why blacks were banned from the Priesthood, or polygamy was a commandment, or that Joseph used to chew tobacco? Or is it more important to recognize that God has a plan that sometimes will NOT make sense or seem fair to us at all, but we HAVE to trust Him and know that He loves us. He loves us. That's the key, which is what i learned on my Mission and helps me to keep going today.
You are not selfish by enjoying the benefits. You are completely in your right to want that, because that is what God wants. That men might have joy. He wants you to be happy. If you aren't, He is sad as well.
Haha, thanks! I try and usually fail, but occasionally I succeed.
Elder Ballard – Okay, I’m going to be honest. I was not a fan of his “Old Ship Zion” talk from last October’s conference. I felt like he was being too black and white with that talk and I don’t see the church as black or white at all. He made it sound like you’re either on the boat and okay with every part of the church or off the boat and unaccepting of every part of the church. I don’t see things that simply, but I also tend to overcomplicate things as mentioned earlier. I liked this talk from Elder Ballard so much more. I love that he emphasized that prophets and apostles aren’t perfect. We shouldn’t be looking for weakness in our leaders. They definitely have them, but it’s not something we should be focusing on. I believe the apostles truly are amazing individuals. They receive revelation from God. However they are still human and can be influenced by the time and place they grew up (Hence why Brigham Young was such an advocate for slavery. Unfortunately he brought this viewpoint to his sermons.) In some ways I have some major issues with Brigham Young. He taught some really weird stuff, but I guess I can’t judge without having been living in that time period. I can however focus on the amazing things that he DID do – like leading the trek to Utah. That is a really big deal! I can appreciate his dedication to helping the saints find a safe and happy place to live and worship freely.
ReplyDeleteI totally enjoyed your little rant about testimonies. This is one of my pet-peeves in my new ward. I feel like a lot of the testimonies are the ones you described and it drives me nuts – especially when they say stupid or incorrect stuff when investigators are at church. I don’t share my testimony that much because I don’t really know what to say. I know I am guilt of doing some share-a-monies and travel-a-monies. So Robert, I’d like to ask you – what does a model testimony look like to you? I’m still trying to figure that out, but I do have to say that one of my favorite people in your ward to listen to was Mike Dieffenbach. He was great at sharing simple, but powerful testimonies.
This is all I have time to comment on tonight, but I'll keep sharing my thoughts and thanks for posting yours.
I plan on giving a "rant" about this when I make it to Sunday's session (because of the major deal of the new apostles and the viral stories about Monson almost collapsing) and I will talk about your point that they aren't perfect and are human beings. I have a few talks to give great examples. I look forward to sharing that, because I have some great feelings and thoughts about it that I think you and others need to hear and will appreciate. But alas, I need to get through Saturday and Priesthood session first. Probably will finish by Christmas, haha.
DeleteI'd like to share a story. 4th of July I had friends come over and we had a lot of fun. They are from Chicago and so I stayed up past midnight waiting to hear that they made it safely home. So I was very tired and didn't get much sleep. I became grumpy Sunday morning. I was not feeling social, I was easily irritated. I wasn't looking forward to it being a Fast Sunday. And to go through testimonies... but then when it was our turn to share testimonies after the Sacrament, I felt the spirit say to go up and share my testimony. I resisted. I didn't want to. I was grumpy. But I did get up. I did go over and share my testimony. I honestly don't remember exactly what I said, but it was not planned. The spirit was strong, and I felt great afterward.
My family has been teaching about the five points of a Testimony. https://www.lds.org/friend/2008/10/testimony-glove?lang=eng They are
"1. I know that God is our Heavenly Father and He loves us.
2. I know that His Son, Jesus Christ, is our Savior and Redeemer.
3. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. He restored the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth and translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God.
4. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s Church on the earth today.
5. I know that this Church is led by a living prophet who receives revelation."
How did you feel as you read each of those points? Did you feel the spirit? Did you nod your head in agreement? Did you hesitate? Did you feel uncertain? This is a great way to know where our testimony is and to ask God to help us improve and strengthen it.
I think that you should share what you KNOW and not what you SHOULD know. Elder Holland pointed that out in a conference a few years ago. If all you KNOW is that the Book of Mormon is true, then share that. Did God answer a simple prayer the other day? Share (briefly) that you prayed the other day, and testify that He answers prayers. Mike was a good example by sharing the honest truth and nothing else. I love that kid. Adam recently went up and the spirit was very strong. He testified of the Atonement and I knew that he had experienced it very strong recently. It was powerful. He didn't say much, but it was perfect.
In short, share what doctrine, what truth you have experienced and know (or want to know) is true. Honestly, if everyone did that, I wouldn't mind the crying as much, the quick stories, even the bragging. If it's done humbly and with real intent, then great! The spirit will be there and everyone can be edified. The model testimony is thus, a testimony from the heart. What you believe is true. Use the guidelines above to start out, then you can find more specific things as you go through experiences and trials. I hope this helped.
Thanks for responding, I hope I can get started on the afternoon session next week. :)
Richard J. Maynes - I liked this talk and the message was clear - center your life around Christ. I like what he said about living after the manner of happiness. I not saying that you can't be happy if you aren't Mormon or Christian but there is a different kind of happiness you can experience when you have the spirit with you.
ReplyDeleteSister Marriott – I loved her accent too! Usually the women that speak at general conference have the Utah Mormon accent and I liked to see things switched up a bit. I think this talk helps remind people that even if you are living right, things sometimes still go wrong. I think members need to know this. A few weeks ago at church a sister was talking about how she believed that she wasn’t pulled over while speeding during a road trip because she is getting ready to serve a mission and she is living her life right. Fortunately, several people then raised their hands and mentioned how this is not always (and often) the case. I used to have this mentality to a degree. I remember growing up learning about how happy we can be if we live the gospel. Well, I struggled with depression and definitely was not happy 90% of the time. Did this mean that I wasn’t living the gospel? No. In fact I was reading my scriptures every day (much more than I do now), praying every day, writing in my journal, going to church and church meetings, etc.) I was doing what I was supposed to. When I first started speaking to my bishop at the time I told him about my depression and some of the dark thoughts I was having, he immediately started asking me worthiness questions which was soooo wrong! Don’t assume that because someone isn’t happy or is going through something really difficult it means that they aren’t worthy. Fortunately over the next couple years my bishop did more than enough to make up for this mistake he made right towards the beginning, but I remember questioning my worthiness at the time because of it. Looking at my life right now things did “work out” but they didn’t work out right then. In fact, they didn’t work out for almost a decade of my life. Some problems don’t go away at all in this lifetime but we can take comfort in knowing that one day they will work out and we will be blessed for our efforts.
Elder Lawrence – This talk reminded me of the challenges I would give during Sunday school. When it came down to it, the challenge was the same every week – take what you learned today, pray and ask Heavenly Father how you can take the message into your life to make you better, and then do it. Do it for 1 week, 2 weeks, 2 months, a year, etc. until you have improved a little. This is what life is about – progressing. I have taken Elder Lawrence’s challenge but I don’t feel like I’ve had a clear answer yet so I’m continuing to ask this question.
ReplyDeleteElder Vinas – There was one point in his talk that I really liked and it was this – “It also gives us the security that, after we have lived a faithful life, we will not lose any blessing for not having done certain things if we were never given the opportunity to do them. If we have lived faithfully until the time of our death, we “will have all the blessings, exaltation, and glory that any man or woman [who has had that opportunity] will have.”
Elder Cook – I really liked the quote that you shared from this talk – “I believe that sometimes our loving Father in Heaven must view us with the amusement we feel when we watch our own small children as they learn and grow. We all stumble and fall as we gain experience.” Someone in my ward gave a wonderful testimony about this. We don’t shame a child when they fall while trying to learn how to walk. Instead, we keep working with them and celebrate the successes they do have. Likewise, Heavenly Father doesn’t think less of us when we fall and make mistakes. He works with us from where we are at and celebrates our successes.