How we roll during General Conference:
Rus and Beau nap on Sunday afternoon.
Bekah, in her princess dress, distributes the appropriate amounts of candy to herself and Jacob, a reward for listening.
We reposition the furniture to face our tiny 17" computer monitor.
Bekah makes "scary eyes" at a jelly bean. She is wearing makeup - she begged, I conceded.
Last week was General Conference for our Church. So for two wonderful days - eight hours all together - we got to sit and listen as a family and be inspired and taught and uplifted. And when I say "listen," of course I mean something like this:
Mom - "Beau, sit
down!"
Bekah - "Ug! Mom! Jacob is kicking my head!"
Jacob - "I just need to stretch! How am I supposed to stretch with your head there?!"
Mom - "Jacob, stretch in a different direction. Beau! Quiet! I can't hear!"
Bekah - "Mom what does
adultery mean?"
Mom - "Beau, go sit with your dad. He's falling asleep."
And of course each talk was punctuated by the candy count - each child counting up their tally marks for the word they had been listening for and getting the corresponding number of m&ms or skittles. This year I felt sort of genius when found the mini m&ms at Walmart and used those for their treat. That way when Bekah heard "family" 48 times in one talk she was really only eating the equivalent of three bites of chocolate.
I really do love conference. I know that if I take the time to listen to each talk, I will be uplifted, and the counsel isn't just good for a day, it's planted in my brain for when I really need it.
Here are some of my favorite highlights: (click on the name for the link to the talk)
Cheryl A Esplin's talk about teaching for understanding. She said to create an atmosphere where our children can feel the Spirit and then help them recognize what they are feeling. As children learn gospel principles, they will be more self reliant, more responsible, and they become part of the solution to family problems.
Donald L. Halstrom's talk about the Church vs. the Gospel. I loved this talk, in large part because I don't remember it being talked about so clearly before. He warned that it is possible to be active in the church and inactive in the Gospel. He gave three different ways to strengthen our Gospel foundation.
Jeffrey R. Holland's talk about the laborers in the vineyard. I loved how he shared the parable of the laborers from the bible and summed up the master's words at the end: "Why should you be jealous because I choose to be kind?" Then Elder Holland talked about envy - and I just loved this whole paragraph so I'm quoting it here:
"Furthermore, envy is a mistake that just keeps on giving. Obviously we suffer a little when some
misfortune befalls
us, but envy requires us to suffer all
good fortune that befalls
everyone
we know! What a bright prospect that is—downing another quart of pickle
juice every time anyone around you has a happy moment! To say nothing
of the chagrin in the end, when we find that God really is both just and
merciful, giving to all who stand with Him “all that he hath,”
as the scripture says. So lesson number one from the Lord’s vineyard: coveting, pouting, or tearing others down does
not elevate
your
standing, nor does demeaning someone else improve your self-image. So
be kind, and be grateful that God is kind. It is a happy way to live."
Also, I loved this quote: "It underscores the thought I heard many years ago that surely the thing
God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful,
especially to those who don’t expect it and often feel they don’t
deserve it."
And: "It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines."
Great talk. Click on the link, read it.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk, "The Merciful Obtain Mercy." I, along with everyone else watching, appreciated when he shared a bumper sticker he had seen that said, "Don't judge me because I sin differently than you." SO TRUE!
He also said (and I paraphrase), we all depend on the mercy of God. How can we deprive any of the mercy of grace that we wish for ourselves.
Ronald A Rasband's talk "Special Lessons." I loved this quote: "Thus another special lesson learned: If you come upon a person who is
drowning, would you ask if they need help—or would it be better to just
jump in and save them from the deepening waters? The offer, while well
meaning and often given, “Let me know if I can help” is really no help
at all."
This talk was on my mind a few nights ago when I was exhausted, it was late, and I wanted to go to bed but I needed to wake and feed Marianne so that she would sleep through the night. Rus asked if I wanted him to do it and I said no, frustrated that he was
asking. I thought it was obvious that his help would be appreciated; he thought he covered his bases by asking me if I needed help. This happens repeatedly in our marriage. I think that you should just help when you see a need, and Rus thinks that you need to ask for help if you need it. So he gets mad at me - for being mad at him for not just helping me - because I didn't ask him. (Read it slowly. Twice. It might make sense then.) I realized that most of us
will jump in when we see someone obviously drowning. The problem comes when the person is drowning
and no one can see it. Thus it is our own responsibility to ask for help, even if it's hard and humbling to do so.
M. Russell Ballard's talk "That the Lost May Be Found." He said that there is no service greater than that which promotes the home to a divine institution. I love it when our leaders remind us and refocus us on the importance of our homes. Life is so busy and hectic, I need the reminder that my family and home are first and everything I do should elevate or at least support my family.
He also said, "Now, if for any reason you individually or as a family have lost your
way, then you need only apply the Savior’s teachings from Luke, chapter
15, to correct your course. Here the Savior tells of the effort of a
shepherd searching for his lost sheep, of a woman searching for a lost
coin, and of the welcome received by the prodigal son returning home.
Why did Jesus teach these parables? He wanted us to know that none of us
will ever be so lost that we cannot find our way again through His
Atonement and His teachings."
None of us will ever be SO lost that we cannot find our way again through His Atonement. What wonderful and hopeful words those are!
Larry Y Wilson's talk "Only upon the Principles of Righteousness." I loved this quote, "Our children are in our homes for a limited time. If we wait until they
walk out the door to turn over to them the reins of their moral agency,
we have waited too long. They will not suddenly develop the ability to
make wise decisions if they have never been free to make any important
decisions while in our homes. Such children often either rebel against
this compulsion or are crippled by an inability to make any decisions on
their own." He also said to help our children establish their own connection to heaven.
And finally, I loved the hymns that were sung during conference. They sang two of my absolute favorite hymns, Praise to the Lord the Almighty" and "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing." My favorite lyrics from the first are, "Ponder anew what the Almighty can do..." My favorite lyrics from Come Thou Fount are, "Take my heart, O take and seal it, seal it in thy courts above."
