General Conference

Last weekend was one of my favorite weekends of the year. Every six months, we (as Latter-day Saints) are blessed to hear from our beloved prophet (and president of the church)...Thomas S. Monson as well as the twelve modern-day apostles, and other general authorities and church leaders. It involves 4 two hour sessions on Saturday and Saturday (both in October, and in April). Since we watched the sessions live, that meant we watched them from 6-8 pm and 10-midnight on Saturday and Sunday. So it was a little harder than normal to stay awake, but I love General Conference so much that it was absolutely worth it! I truly do have such a testimony that the Lord teaches us (His children) what we need to know and do to be happy, and He does it through revelation to His servants, (the prophet and apostles). They really are the Lord's messengers for us, and if we obey, follow, and apply their counsel (which is really the Lord's counsel), we will be blessed, and we will be happy! If you'd like to read, listen to, or watch any of the conference addresses (which I highly recommend!) here is the web address that will take you there: 

                              http://www.lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2012/10?lang=eng

But here are some of my favorite themes/thoughts from this weekend. Sorry it's long...there were SO many wonderful things that I heard and felt! I wish I could have gone into more details/feelings about each of the topics, but I have WAY too many notes, that this is more of a summary of what stood out to me. Hopefully it's not too scattered...

-First off, obviously I need to address the BIG change that was announced at the start of conference. For those less familiar with the LDS church, young men and young women have the opportunity to serve a full-time mission at the ages of 19 (for the young men) and 21 (for the young women). However, President Monson announced that the ages have been changed to 18 (for the young men) and 19 (for the young women). This is HUGE! This changes so many things for so many people, and for the church as a whole. I think it's a wonderful change, and I know it's inspired. This way, more missionaries will have the opportunity to serve. I remember when I was 19, wishing so badly I could serve a mission, and knowing that since I had to wait until I was 21, that opportunity might not come. If I could have served when I was 19, I would have gone in a heartbeat. Now obviously I'm getting married (which, don't get me wrong, is even MORE wonderful, and I wouldn't trade it for everything!) but many of my friends who are 19 or 20 now suddenly don't have to wait like they thought they had to. They can go now! I can't imagine the excitement I would feel if I was in their position. Missionary work is so essential and so rewarding, and I'm so excited for all my friends who will now receive the blessings from serving a full-time mission, sooner than they were expecting. I know they will bless the lives of soo many! I have a LOT of thoughts on this new policy change, but we'll leave it at this for now: I'm so excited about this change, and I'm so excited for all of the willing young men and young women who will continue to help in the cause of spreading this incredible gospel to the world! :)

-Never forsake the Master. He will never forsake me. God is never hidden, but sometimes we are. God is never unwilling to communicate with us, but sometimes we are unwilling to listen. He is always watching over us, and He is always caring about us. He has never forgotten me. I should never turn away from the Lord, or let my own pavilions cover God's active role in my life. Rather, I need to turn to Him and tell Him my deepest feelings. We often feel our Father's love most when we sincerely say, "Not my will but Thine..."We can't insist on our time table when the Lord has His own. The Lord ALWAYS keeps His promises. 

-All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement. This was emphasized in several of the talks. Each of us experience sadness, heartache, frustration, loneliness, anger, etc. But there is no burden that Heavenly Father cannot lift. Even when things are lonely and/or painful, we can gain a new perspective and a new heart, as we turn to our Father. Feelings of bitterness can change to sweetness. The Atonement is the greatest evidence we have of the Father's love for us.

-Trials can make us bitter or better, closer to God or futher. It's a choice. Whatever you do, don't distance yourself from the church and the Lord. You are only hurting yourself...the church helps us protect our faith! Every person is eventually backed up to the wall of faith and must make a stand. Do all within our power to protect and defend our faith. Looking back on trials can make us grateful. Often it is during trials that we become closer to our Savior. Often during difficult times we learn and grow the most.

-My marriage and my children should be my priority...even now! Being endowed with power on high and having eternal families is worth EVERY sacrifice and EVERY effort. Hearing counsel about marriage and parenting was really neat for me this conference, because I now know who my eternal companion is, and am excited to prepare individually as well as with Dallin for both roles (as a spouse and as a parent). It was said in conference that "Marriage can bring more joy than anything else in mortality". I can already see the truth in this statement. I'm not married to him yet, but being with Dallin has brought incredible joy into my life, and I'm excited for it to continue getting better and better. :) As husband and wife, we need to always help each other in our sacred duties. 

It was also said that although marriage is for the purpose of the fulfillment of the spouses, it is also for the benefit of the children. We have soo much responsibility in raising Heavenly Father's children.

Even if we don't have kids for a few years, it's exciting to find ways now to begin to prepare our home and our lives for those special spirits.  When that time does come, it's important to begin teaching our children at their cradle side, by example and by precept. Helping, loving, and serving children is a sign of humility. We need to teach our children to live moral, righteous lives, and spiritual maturity must flourish in our homes. We need to increase our concern for God's children, because they are our world's future! 

-In the midst of distractions, do I have the strength, discipline, and commitment to remain focused on what matters most? This was a really important message for me to hear and ponder on, at this time in my life, with so many things fighting for my time and attention. There are so many distractions, and sometimes it's hard to prioritize correctly. It's essential however, that I focus on the things that matter most, and give THOSE things priority. The way to do that? Avoid future regrets:  1. Spend time with those I love. Strengthening relationships with those I love is almost always the best investment of my time. I should never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Along these lines, one of those people we should be "spending time with" is our Heavenly Father. In conference, it was mentioned that we should do the things that make Him as familiar to us as we are to Him, because it will make our reunion with Him so much sweeter. How do we get to know someone better? We spend time with them. We talked to them. We learn about them. That's something I need to do - spend more time getting to know my Heavenly Father. Familiarizing myself to Him, and strengthening my relationship with Him and His Son, Jesus Christ. 2. Always strive to become the person I want to become. If I have confidence and peace with who I am in my Father's eyes (and in my own eyes), I will be able to focus more on helping those around me. 3. Don't devote time to fleeting, superficial things! As mentioned before, there are SO many distractions, many of which are "good" but not essential or "best". I can always find ways to use my time more wisely, and cut out a lot of the "stuff" in my life that hinders me from productively using my time and efforts. 4. Allow myself to be happy! Life is meant to be enjoyed, so don't allow myself to be sad or down on myself. Be happy!

-Instead of preparing to serve a mission, prepare to meet God. I really liked this thought. No, I will not be serving a full-time mission at this point in my life (although Dallin and I plan to serve one together later in our lives!) but that doesn't mean I can't spiritual prepare for something great. I should always be spiritually preparing. Right now, I'm focusing on spiritually preparing to go through the temple, and make sacred covenants with my Father in Heaven. When we make and keep covenants, we come out of the world and into the kingdom of God. The things we think, say, and do change. I also should ALWAYS be spiritually preparing to meet God, because when that day comes (whenever it may be), I want to be ready! 

-Any honest seeker of truth can obtain a testimony. Any honest seeker of truth can become converted. A testimony is a source of accountability, purpose, and joy. Testimony must be coupled with conversion. The essence of conversion to the gospel is change. In our hearts and lives. Conversion requires ALL of our heart and mind. As we become converted, we strengthen those around us.

-Act upon promptings without delay! The more we act upon promptings, the more the Lord will trust us with His errands. The sweetest feeling is finding out that because you heeded a prompting, you answered someone's prayer. There is no such thing as coincidence...the Lord is in the details of our lives. Service is the very definition of pure religion. There is power in our love for God and for HIS children. "First observe, then serve"! If I notice a need, I need to immediately respond and assist that person, in their need. As I do so, I am the Savior's hands, and when I do, I am keeping my covenants. It's important to make sure I'm serving for the right reasons...because I love the Savior and want to follow His example...not for my own benefit, because I hope to get praise or reward. As I love and serve others, I will feel increasing love for those within my care. I will also feel the Father and Savior's love and approval towards me, and will come to know both of them better. 

-Feel and follow celestial promptings! Take time to be still! Expand my ability to feel and experience Christ in my life. Essential truths are often invisible to the eyes...we must see them with our hearts. Information alone is not enough; we need to be taught by the Holy Ghost (through spiritual experiences).

-Do I love Him? On the judgement day, if the Savior asked me "Did you love me?" how would I respond? The crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty. We have the opportunity to act immediately, "leave our nets", and follow Christ. We should never go back to the life we had before Christ. Now that I've found Him, and know Him, and love Him, I will never look back!

Am I the person the Savior would have me be? Am I emulating Him? Being a disciple of Christ is a process. Becoming like Him and becoming one with Him is the ultimate goal.

Do all I can, and the Lord will assist me. The Lord is always on my side when I do what is right. Knowing isn't enough...I must know, do, and become! He needs us. He needs ME. Not what I can do for the world (He doesn't need more athletes, musicians, celebrities, scientists, doctors, etc) but what I can do for HIM. Christ needs me to love, serve, preach, and teach. To learn and teach in the Savior's way. To teach what the Savior taught, but also to teach HOW the Savior taught."  

-We should know the gospel is true, but we also need to be true to the gospel. 

-I'm a Mormon. I know it, I live it, I love it. 

In summary, I feel like I gained a lot of valuable insights from this conference, and my desires to live righteously increased immensely. I realized (as I always do) that the gospel is the true source of happiness in my life. The more fully I embrace and live the gospel, the more joy I find. It doesn't mean life is easy or fair, but I know who I am and I know my relationship to my Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ. Because I understand the infinite and yet personal atonement that my Savior performed for me (and for all mankind) I know He understands every emotion I feel. And I know I'm never alone, I simply need to turn to my Father in Heaven, and trust His will for me in my life. The words of the prophets (both ancient and modern) are words from the Lord, and are there to bless and guide us in our lives, that we may return to live with our Father in Heaven again, and experience eternal joy with our families, forever. There's nothing I desire more, and I'm grateful this gospel provides the truths, principles, and ordinances that make that possible for me, and for those I love.

Talking about the gospel is one of my favorite things to do! If you have any questions about anything I've written (or any questions in general about the LDS church) please don't hesitate to ask. kassiejo4@gmail.com