What I Learned In General Conference: How I Felt About Participating in a Solemn Assembly

I absolutely hate being sick, especially when that sickness falls on General Conference weekend (in fact I'm still sick with this darn cold as I write this). I constantly had to get up to blow my nose, or I would fall asleep because I could not keep my eyes open for most of the talks. However, I couldn't keep my head up for most of the conference, I felt a surge of strength as President Eyring had each quorum and group stand to vote in the members in the Quorum of the Twelve and the new president, President Nelson.

When the Relief Society was called to stand, I felt overwhelming tears coming to my eyes as we sustained the new President of the church. When that feeling came to me, I knew without a doubt that President Nelson was meant to be leading us here today, to lead and guide us, and I am grateful we have such a strong leader who is faithful and knowledgeable.  There is no doubt in my mind that he wasn't meant to be here with us when we need Him most in this world.

I know that sustaining a new prophet was of upmost importance.

I know that everyone who spoke in conference was from divine inspiration.

I will try my hardest to follow and study these words that were spoken last Sunday. I will try to grow and learn from these teachings so I can stay close to the Savior and gospel.

I know that even in my "sickness" state standing to sustain President Russell M. Nelson was the most important thing I could have done during General Conference. Even though I've been around for three decades, this is the first time I remember sustaining a new Prophet, Seer and Revelator.

What a special time we live in.

3.4.18 - What I Learned In Church: How to Recognize the Spirit

1. Who are you?

When I learned the gospel and learned that I was a daughter of our Heavenly Father, it changed me. Suddenly I felt so special--God had actually created me and had created my soul and my life with value and purpose (Sister Joy D. Jones)

2. What is your worth?

President Spencer. W. Kimball quote. "God is your Father. He loves you. And your mother in Heaven value you beyond any measure...You are unique. One of a kind, made of the eternal intelligence which gives you claim upon eternal life."

Worthiness is achieved through obedience. If we sin, we are less worthy, but we are never worthless. "the least the most inferior spirit now upon the earth...is worth worlds. No matter what, we always have worth in the eyes of our Heavenly Father.

Spiritual worth means to value ourselves the way Heavenly Father values us, not as the world values us. Our worth was determined before we ever came to this earth. "God's love is infinite and it will endure forever."

3. Verifying the truth of our spiritual worth, how does our Heavenly Father communicate with us?

Elder Rasband (April 2017 General Conference) "The Holy Ghost binds us to the Lord. By divine assignment, He inspires, testifies, teaches, and prompts us to walk in the light of the Lord. We have the sacred responsibility to learn to recognize His influence in our lives and respond.

4. How do we feel and respond to the spirit?

FIRST: We strive to live worthy of the Spirit

If the pull of the world is stronger than the faith and trust we have in the savior, then the pull of the world will prevail every time (Sister Joy D. Jones)

SECOND: We must be willing to receive the spirit
Do we let him lead?

THIRD: We must recognize the spirit when it comes

How do we learn to hear it?

What is the language of the spirit?

FOURTH: We must act on the first promptings.

Nephi said: "I was led by the spirit, not knowing beforehands the things which I should do. Nevertheless I went forth."

"The Lord revealed this additional truth to the Prophet Joseph Smith: "He that receiveth of God, let him accoount it of God: and let him rejoice that he is accounted of God worthy to receive. When we feel the spirit, as this verse explains, we recognize that what we feel comes from our Heavenly Father. We acknowledge Him and praise Him for blessing us. We then rejoice that we are counted worthy to receive"

1.14.18- What I Learned In Church

Today we read from Sharon Eubanks talk "Turn On Your Light" from the October 2017 conference. Here are some parts of the talk that stuck out to me:

The friendships that Relief Society women, young women, and primary girls build with sincere, faithful, godly women and girls to other faiths and beliefs will be a significant force in how the church grows in the last days.

How do we play our part?

What should we do?

1.) Be righteous

Being righteous doesn't mean being perfect or never making mistakes.

2.) Be articulate

Being articulate means to clearly express how you feel about something and why

3.) Be different

When we keep our covenants, it may make us different from others in our culture and society, but it gives us access to inspiration so we can think of different solutions, different approaches, and different applications.

We aren't always going to fit in with the world, but being different in positive ways can be a lifeline to others who are struggling.

4.) Be distinct

Distinct means to be recognizably well defined.

The restored gospel is recognizably well defined. But we have to be distinct about how we follow it.

5.) Do one through four in happy ways

Being happy doesn't mean to slap a plastic smile on your face no matter what is going on. But it does mean keeping the laws of God and building and lifting others. When we build, when we lift the burdens of others, it blesses our lives in ways our trials cannot take away.

There is energy that comes from happiness and optimism that doesn't just bless us--it builds everyone around us. Any small thing you do to light real happiness in others shows that you are already carrying the torch that President Kimball lit.

1.7.18- What I Learned In Church

This new teaching style for both Sunday School and Relief Society is quite interesting. Now instead of sitting in rows, we sit in two rows (half circle style) across the room from each other so we can see who is commenting. We also pass around a microphone so those who want to make a comment are heard by everyone in the room.

In Relief Society we were given little notebooks to write down promptings while reading the lessons throughout the week, or during the lessons. I often write down parts of the lesson that sticks out to me and what things I would like to remember not just for one day.

The first thing we talked during this particular lesson is about the sisters. I never thought about how many sisters there were in our ward. Here are our statistics:

• There are a total of 219 sisters (not including those who are inactive) 
• 17 sisters at our assisted care facility
• 7 have asked that we do not contact them
• 25 sisters have asked that we do not visit them
• 16 sisters serving in our Primary program
• 5 sisters serving in our Young Women's program
• 2 sisters serving in the library

Some important comments to remember about the sisters around you:

• We need each other!
• Love and accept people for who they are
• Go sit by someone if they're sitting alone
• Extend yourself to people you don't know
• Think of ways we can help each other
• Make connections