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Yes, I know I should have opened this last week with the first session, but I neglected to. Please feel free to add your thoughts about the women's session or any other session below.
Happy conference and happy Easter!
Roundup:
General Women's Session
- Sister Cheryl A. Esplin: “Filling our homes with light and truth”
- Sister Carole M. Stephens: “The family is of God”
- Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson: “Defenders of the proclamation”
- President Henry B. Eyring: “The Comforter”
Saturday Morning Session
- President Henry B. Eyring: “Is Not This the Fast that I Have Chosen?”
- President Boyd K. Packer: “The Plan of Happiness”
- Sister Linda K. Burton: “We'll Ascend Together”
- Elder Dallin H. Oaks: “The Parable of the Sower”
- Elder L. Whitney Clayton: “Choose to Believe”
- Elder L. Tom Perry: “Why Marriage and Family Matters”
Saturday Afternoon Session
- Elder David A. Bednar: “Therefore they hushed their fears”
- Elder D. Todd Christofferson: “Why marriage, why family”
- Elder Wilford Andersen: “The music of the gospel”
- Elder Dale G. Renlund: “Latter-day Saints keep on trying”
- Elder Michael T. Ringwood: “Truly good and without guile”
- Elder Quentin L. Cook: “The Lord is my light”
Priesthood Session
- Elder M. Russell Ballard: “The greatest generation of young adults”
- Elder Ulisses Soares: “Yes, we can and will win!”
- Brother Larry M. Gibson: “Fatherhood—our eternal destiny”
- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: “On being genuine”
- President Henry B. Eyring: “Priesthood and personal prayer”
- President Thomas S. Monson: “The priesthood—a sacred gift”
Sunday Morning Session
- President Thomas S. Monson: “Blessings of the temple”
- Sister Rosemary M. Wixom: “Returning to faith”
- Elder Jose A. Teixeira: “Seeking the Lord”
- Bishop Gérald Caussé: “Is it still wonderful to you?”
- Elder Brent H. Nielson: “Waiting for the prodigal”
- Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: “Where justice, love and mercy meet”
- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: “The gift of grace”
Sunday Afternoon Session
- Elder Robert D. Hales: “Preserving Agency, Protecting Religious Freedom”
- Elder Kevin W. Pearson: “Stay by the Tree”
- Elder Rafael E. Pino: “The Eternal Perspective”
- Elder Neil L. Andersen: “Thy Kingdom Come”
- Elder Jorge F. Zeballos: “If You Will Be Responsible”
- Elder Joseph W. Sitati: “Be Fruitful, Multiply and Subdue the Earth”
- Elder Russell M. Nelson: “The Sabbath is a Delight”
Alison Moore Smith is a 61-year-old entrepreneur who graduated from BYU in 1987. She has been (very happily) married to Samuel M. Smith for 40 years. They are parents of six incredible children and grandparents to two astounding grandsons. She is the author of The 7 Success Habits of Homeschoolers.
Oaks:
If you are texting or playing video games during the sacrament…
Do people let their kids do this? (OK, yes, I’ve seen people give their kids iPads to watch movies during church a few times. Young kids really can learn to sit still for limited periods of time (like an 70 minutes)—if they are given the opportunity to practice it.)
I was typing and missed the context, but he just said, “pickle sucker.” Probably a General Conference first. 🙂
Hah, he’s talking about the Prosperity Gospel. Kudos to Oaks! There are some places we specifically avoided moving to because they seem to have a “prosperity gospel” culture. In other words, the more wealthy you are, the more blessed you are, the more righteous (obviously) you are.
L. Tom Perry:
“…families go back before the earth was…”
Huh? That’s a Saturday’s Warrior “doctrine.” What do you think he meant?
L. Tom Perry:
Like the morning session. Pretty uneventful in the way of big news. Miss Elder Scott and look forward to hearing from President Monson.
Did hear that quip from Perry about families before. No idea what that was supposed to mean. One of our two female speakers is done. 🙁 Interesting how he talk was directed at men. That might have been a good talk for the Priesthood session. I’m with you that it would be good for the men to hear directly from women.
heard president monson was going to speak today but not give the welcome. once today once tomorrow is all. i have heard he is ill and also that he has dementia. elder scott has health problems too.
Enjoying afternoon session. Did you all see the new Easter video? Check it out!
The new vid is called Because He Lives. Much like last year, but a little more upbeat.
Can’t get my browser to load the session, so I’m commenting here while I wait!
Tick, tick, tick…
I’m usually a little cynical so I’ll say something positive.
I appreciated that in Women’s Conference, there was so much thought given to the non-traditional family scenario and single people in the church. Back when I was dating after my divorce, I sincerely felt like there was no place in the church for me. Singles Ward, where things are supposed to be better, made me feel even more lonely. Years later when I met my husband, his bishop actually commended the two of us for remaining in the church even though we had both been single for some time because, “The church is centered around families and can make singles feel like they do not belong.” I am so glad that a little bit of mindfulness and empathy is being directed toward everyone, not just the Ken and Barbie families of the church.
I did not see all of conference today, however, I heard that it was said that despite rumors being spread that members are leaving in droves, our numbers are actually increasing and fewer people are resigning than ever before. I wonder – what is the reality there? That kind of sounds like a PR move. I’m not saying that it isn’t true, I’m just wondering… which is it?
I’dRatherNotSay – I think E. Cook’s assessment that the church is stronger than ever was a bit optimistic. Based on the numbers given last year and yesterday, accounting for new converts and child of record baptisms, the church has lost something like 122,000 members since 2013. That would be through death or those who have been excommunicated or had their names removed. But I believe there are many, many more who are still “in” the church but struggling. He mentioned temple recommends and tithing – for many reasons there are members of the church who are still holding recommends and paying tithing who are trying to find their path right now. I know of a few personally, amongst my own family and friends.
President Uchtdorf’s talk at priesthood session last night was amazing.
Who was the woman who just spoke? I totally blanked on getter her name and can’t find it, but quite liked her talk.
A few weeks ago the teacher in my Relief Society said, “Questioning is of the adversary.”
I turned to the woman next to me and said, “That is BS.”
That was followed by a number of confirming statements from others in the class. I was bowled over at the implications and really wanted to ask, “So, what about that Joseph Smith in the grove thing?”
Anyway, this talk was a testament not only to questioning being a normal part of progression, but how to appropriately respond to it. When we castigate others for questioning or even struggling, we are not responding as we should.
I also loved the idea about how we accept what people bring wherever they are on the continuum. My only concern is that we are tempted (and I use that word purposefully) to do this in a patronizing way, thinking that WE are further along on the straight and narrow than someone else, when we really have no idea at all.
“Although we could not embrace all of her choices, we could embrace her.”
“…to save us from our fallings and our failings…”
There was some nice alliteration in this whole paragraph, courtesy of Elder Holland.
We cannot fully comprehend the atonement…no way to celebrate Christmas or Easter without knowing there is a real Adam and Even in a real Garden of Eden.
Holland contradicting the trend of complete non-historicity. Booyah.
“…nothing to hold onto, much less nothing to hold onto us.”
“All things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.”
Powerful testimony of Jesus Christ.
I’ve always loved Elder Holland. He was my BYU president. He was there from my first day until I graduated. Great leader.
Uchtdorf’s talk was a nice end.
He talked about how life was a rehearsal for eternities. I wonder how that is supposed to translate for women. :/
I loved President Uchtdorf’s talk. I get so frustrated with the oft-repeated “obedience=salvation” false doctrine. His emphasis on grace was so beautiful and will, I hope, be referred to often to correct the incorrect interpretation of “after all we can do”. Loved it!
A few things I loved from this morning:
From Rosemary M. Wixom – she was quoting someone else, I believe, but she said: “What I focus on expands inside of me.” Loved that.
President Uchtdorf: “God loves us deeply, perfectly, and everlastingly.”
Really loved his teachings on grace. Also, he was so cute when he got up this afternoon and started addressing us in German. 😉
So many of the talks at conference bolstered my confidence in sharing the message that marriages and family units are eternal and so we must protect them.
Eliza, I honed in on that, too. Sam and I attempted our own grace/works correction last January. 🙂
I love allowing people to speak in their native languages. The dubbing was a bit awkward, though. One of the speakers told the Michelangelo joke and I don’t think he understood it was supposed to be humorous. He just read it straight through and, as they say, got lost in translation.
Today left me with a generally very positive feeling. I’m glad to be a member of the church and am blessed by it.
I agree with you, Alison. I’ll admit I’ve been struggling a bit lately but when it all comes down to it, despite its many imperfections, the LDS church is my home and it’s a privilege to be a part of it. After today, I feel uplifted and positive.
🙂