Given that this is the first post since last conference—and my general ambivalence about blogging anywhere the past few years—I realize no one may even see this. But, just in case, here is the usual thread.
I will be live-blogging Sunday notes, but not Saturday. I'm working while listening today.
Who watched the Amish bit between sessions? Thoughts?
Also, women witnessing and all that.
Saturday Morning Session
Saturday Afternoon Session
Women's Session
I am a beloved daughter of heavenly parents, with a divine nature and eternal destiny.
As a disciple of Jesus Christ, I strive to become like Him. I seek and act upon personal revelation and minister to others in His holy name.
I will stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things and in all places. As I strive to qualify for exaltation, I cherish the gift of repentance and seek to improve each day.
With faith, I will strengthen my home and family, make and keep sacred covenants, and receive the ordinances and blessings of the holy temple.
Beehives, Miamaids, Laurels retired.
Classes designed per officer designs.
Eight New Temples Announced
This announcement was so surprising to me because it was made in the women's session. I don't remember major general announcements being made in that session before.
- Freetown, Sierra Leone
- Orem, Utah (where I grew up!)
- Bentonville, Arkansas
- Bacolod, Philippines
- Taylorsville, Utah
- Cobán, Guatemala
- McAllen, Texas
- Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Sunday Morning Session
Prayer: some guy
Gerrit W. Gong
We become our best eternal self through covenants.
Covenant belonging.
Spiritual confirmations come after best actions.
Christina B Franco
I looked her up because of her accent. She is Argentinian.
I took no notes! heh
Dieter F Uchtdorf
We knew life would not be easy. Learn to strive and make mistakes. Promise of atonement.
Our potential with moral agency was worth the risk. Left security of first estate. Mortal life distracts us from our “great quest.” We hunger for a higher and nobler purpose.
Gospel is plain and simple but complexity to solve life's greatest challenges.
Not about doing things perfectly, but doing things intentionally.
The only way to progress is by helping others progress.
Faith, hope, love, compassion, and service refine us as disciples.
Keep God's commandments because we love God.
You don't need to sell the gospel, just don't hide it under a bushel. NICE.
Become the best version of yourself.
The most adventurous and joyous journey of your life.
Walter F. González
Learn to overcome and endure our most difficult circumstances.
We all can feel broken for many reasons.
We can feel the touch of the Savior's healing love.
If you feel broken, know that you can be mended because he loves you. You can be reconciled to God.
Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Gary E. Stevenson
Hope of Israel broadcast
Know what to do when Satan tries to deceive you.
Russel M. Nelson
“You like 2- hour church…”
Humanitarian outreach in 1984? $2 billion in aid.
820 million undernourished in the world.
DI donations are also used for members and donated to worldwide charitable organizations.
Vision care; newborn care; wheelchairs; first responders for natural disasters
Caring more about others than we care about ourselves — second great commandment is key to becoming like Jesus Christ.
Prayer: some gal
Sunday Afternoon Session
Prayer: some guy
Henry B. Eyring
By faithful service been made more holy.
Job saw his heartbreaking situation with spiritual eyes.
Hans T. Boom
Tab choir gong story. We need all instruments to complete the world. All have something to contribute.
M. Russel Ballard
Loss: love and miss his wife, Barbara.
We might not appreciate those we love until they are gone.
Live each day with love and gratitude.
I married right and I must live right.
We can lose sight of our relationship to God. Choosing things of the spirit over things of the flesh.
Repentance is a weapon on the battle over self.
When we choose to repent we choose to change and allow the Savior to transform us into the best version of ourselves.
Regular daily repentence. Sacrament.
Peter M. Johnson
Help others become true followers of Jesus Christ.
Created in the image of God can only be possible if “God” is Heavenly Father and Mother.
- Deception
- Distraction
- Discouragement
Fortunately I'm not distracted by “the Twitter.”
Be careful not casual in use of technology.
Do not let anyone steel your happiness. Do not compare yourself.
Pray every day, every day, every day.
Read and study the Book of Mormon, every day, every day, every day.
Take the sacrament every week, every week, every week. (I think that's what he said?)
Ulisses Soares
Testimony of Christ and faith.
Neil L. Andersen
My topic is fruit.
Embrace the ordinances and covenants of the restoration.
Spacious building: God does not hear you, God does not care.
Immovable faith. Look forward when we want to give up.
Coleman is the cutest kid!
Jesus knows how we feel.
“Dad loves you. Jesus loves you. And you're a good boy.”
We can feel joy no matter what is happening in our lives. Joy comes from intentionally trying to live a righteous life.
Russel M. Nelson
Home can be sanctuary of faith.
Temple recommend questions, revised. I don't think I've ever heard these read aloud before.
Easier to build a temple than a people ready to enter the temple.
Spring 2020 – bicentennial year – every member prepare for a unique conference, Joseph Smith's account of the first vision,
How would my life be different if my knowledge from BoM were taken away?
How have the events of the first vision impacted my loved ones?
New videos to incorporate.
Select your questions; design your own plan.
UNFORGETTABLE conference coming!
I love this personal accountability in gospel study and progress.
Prayer: some guy
Amish? What did I miss? (I am sitting with a friend during her dialysis and missing everything today)
Rochelle! Hello!
They broadcast the story of some Amish people who were still living an Amish lifestyle while being newly baptized church members. I didn’t see the whole thing, but about 20 minutes. Quite interesting.
Say hello to your friend for me. 🙂
Alison Moore Smith recently posted…My Definition of God and a Possible Response to Homosexuality in Church Policy
I was watching the women’s session with three of my daughters and literally burst into tears upon hearing “heavenly parents.” They were all hugging me.
I’m glad you are still blogging once in awhile 😀. I’m not into it either the last few years, obviously.
Conference has been a mixed bag for me. I think the changes to the YW and AP will be good, it’s still a little confusing how it will all play out but I’m supportive of it. My daughter (16) was crying though. She wants to stay a laurel and with all the same girls. She was just put into the presidency and loves it and I think she is worried. We talked a bit and it will all work out. I don’t think our ward will actually change much, especially that class, as it just about the perfect size right now.
The women’s session started out amazing. The first two talks were great (as a mental health professional I so appreciated the talk on mental health. I love the new theme. Finally, heavenly PARENTS! Have been waiting for this forever. I liked Eyring’s and Nelson’s talks, but can’t help but wish we would hear exclusively or almost exclusively from women at the women’s session. We hear from our female leaders so little and they are amazing. I am rarely disappointed in their talks. Oaks I don’t have anything good to say about so I won’t, I just feel like this is the hill he has chosen to die on, yay for him but I’m ready to just love. It is also confusing that his first conference talk is basically we don’t know what the spirit world is like (complete with a very not funny joke about polygamy) and his second talk is about how we might not know much about it but we do know that the gays won’t be in heaven, or they will change to be there. I’m just kind of over him honestly. He used to be my favorite but he keeps beating this drum and it’s getting old. I miss Uchtdorf in the presidency so, so badly.
I wrote a big, long response and accidentally clicked the browser back button. 😡
I hope it works out positively for your daughter. Change can be hard. I just like that it’s open to individual adaptation for the local needs. And MIAmaids makes sense to no one anymore and doesn’t translate. It’s such a dopey name.
If men (who are heard all the time) are needed at women’s conference, women’s voices are doubly needed in the priesthood session.
I actually really liked Nelson’s talk. He actually addressed and apologized for women being systematically dismissed and disbelieved, which has always been an issue. And, honestly, presenting women as leaders/authorities (and whose voice are needed by MEN, too) could go a long way to change that culture.
I actually saw a number of tiny things presented differently yesterday afternoon. I believe they were intentional and believe they are understanding that messaging matters because it filters down. Very hopeful signs to me.
It’s amusing/encouraging/interesting/frustrating to see, the last couple of years, the general leaders riding this really odd edge of you-do-not-actually-have-the-priesthood-but-you-pretty-much-dp-anyway thinking. Honestly, I do think it’s a precursor to just going all in. Progress is just so slow.
Oaks used to be my favorite when he would deconstruct doctrinal/legal issues. These days I find him pretty dogmatic. Reminds me of Packer.
Just cannot get on the “just love†train. Not speaking to you personally, but the message is utterly inconsistent. Apparently we are supposed to “just love†people no matter what they do or claim (which does, in fact, mean accept and embrace what they do)—unless what they do and claim is to retain traditional sexual values. Then they are evil and hateful and bigoted.
You can rationally debate whether or not homosexuality should be sanctioned (I blogged about a reason that makes sense to me a while ago), but the general LGBT+ advocate position is that there is no room for the church (and ultimately God) to proscribe behavior if they LIKE the behavior. You cannot make sense of that to me.
Alison Moore Smith recently posted…My Definition of God and a Possible Response to Homosexuality in Church Policy
I read your recent MTA conference post and saw this link. I have previously pondered many of the ideas you have expressed. I imagine with 100 billion spirit children Heavenly Mother must be pretty busy. An interesting cultural study on homosexuality was conducted in Africa. Barry and Bonnie Hewlett had been studying the Aka and Ngandu people of central Africa for many years before they began to specifically study the groups’ sexuality. Married Aka and Ngandu men and women consistently reported having sex multiple times in a single night and found that homosexuality and masturbation appeared to be foreign to both groups. The behavioral differences between Bonobos and Chimpanzees provide another possible case study to explain human behavior.