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 

8.27.17 - What I Learned In Church

• If you put in your all, you will persevere 
• Faith is an action word
• There is no growth in your comfort zone. There is no comfort zone in your growth
• You bring about what you think about
• Show gratitude for your families
• Missionaries leave for two years so families can be together for an eternity

You can't be a mother, wife, aunt, or grandma without:

1.) Prayer

• Teach kids they are special
• Connect with heaven 

2. Have faith 

• Our purpose on this earth is to live and learn about Him

3.) Striving to be a good example

• Heavenly Father is our literal Father

---------------

• If the Book of Mormon is true, then God lives. Testimony upon testimony runs through its pages of the solemn fact that our Father is real, that he is personal, that he loves his children and seeks their happiness.
• If the Book of Mormon is true, then Jesus is the Son of God, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh, born of Mary," a virgin, most beautiful...above all other virgins.
• If the Book of Mormon is true, then Jesus is verily our Redeemer, the Savior of the world.
• If the Book of Mormon is true, Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, for he was the instrument in the hands of God in bringing to light this testimony of the divinity of our Lord.
• If this book [the Book of Mormon] is true [the president of the Church] is a prophet, for he holds all of the keys, gifts, powers and authority held by the Prophet Joseph, who brought forth this latter-day work.
• If the Book of Mormon is true, the Church is true, for the same authority under which this sacred record came to light is present and manifest among us today.

[credit "Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Gordon B Hinckley" Lesson 16- The Power of the Book of Mormon] 

Stake Conference

If you missed yesterday's post feel free to go back and read it.

Today we had Stake Conference where we were filled with the spirit and heard from many wonderful people. What I've learned today is even more than what I learned yesterday.

• As we make and keep sacred covenants, our lives are blessed
• Good will always result in good
• We have the right, the privilege to qualify for the blessing of the Lord
• Pray for the opportunity for a temple marriage
• Sealing covenant- You should be devoted to each other and do everything you can to make it work
• Be a covenant keeper
• Walk on the path of discipleship. We DO NOT have to qualify for it.

What is a disciple of Christ?

• Being like him and being one with him is our ultimate goal

To be true disciples of Christ (according to children) 

• You want to learn about Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father
•  Listen for his voice when you go to the temple, listen to conference, daily interactions with others, or even in the laughter of a child
• A disciple is like a leader. So do what he did
• Discipleship is all about learning and following Him 

Making and keeping covenants is the most important goal we can set

• Heavenly Father opens up doors and blesses our lives
• Things are never out of order with the Lord

Exaltation 

• To be where Heavenly Father and Christ are 
• Do what they do so we can live with them again

What do people do in temples?

• We make promised covenants
• Sealings
• Baptisms for the Dead
• Endowments

Initiatory 

One who receives an endowment  

What kind of sacrifice can you do to make time for temple and family history work? 

What does the word whatever mean to you? What if you changed it to four little words? "Do whatever it takes" 

• We are much more capable than we think we are
• The real joy to feel at the end of the day is to achieve our goals

How far am I willing to save a soul?

• Take time to meditate with the Lord alone. He will tell you the course
• Why we do whatever it takes it because we love Him
• See what God sees. Hear the still small voice of the spirit to be directed

Are we covenant keepers?

• Turn from the worldly things and turn to God
• If you are not reading the Book of Mormon each day, then please do
• Prayerfully pray and study the scriptures
• Without such faith, we go nowhere
• Choose you this day for who you will serve
• Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord

Stake Conference --Adult Session

Some things I learned about stake conference (and I wish I could have recorded it because there were some things I just could not write down fast enough to comprehend. Unfortunately even though I was trying to focus on the talks that were given, a lot that I heard went in one ear and out the other.

However, there was someone once upon a time that said that when you're listening or reading a talk that someone has given, you don't just write down what someone said, but also how you felt, or what was impressed upon you by the spirit.

So in that case, here's what I learned from the adult session of Stake Conference: 

• There is now a total of 182 temples 
• Find time to find your ancestors 
• Have a date on the calendar. Going to the temple should be a family event. 
• Keep a good attitude, even when life gets hard
• Keeping covenants is not static, it's continuous
• Evaluate how much we love the Savior
• Keeping covenants sets us free

What covenants have you made with God?

What covenants have you committed to keeping?

• When peace is hard to find, we can depend on the Savior
•  Use your heart to know what things to change in your life
• He does and will guide us
•  He will never leave us
• Stepping stones are meant to be taken one at a time
• Don't lose sight of your somewhat small challenges, when God has helped you with the bigger challenges
• Ask, Lord is it this? (Sins or things you may need to change in your life)

What kind of faith do you have? 

• We need to have great faith 
• Change o to e. We got to, to we get to. 
• Increase your faith in your Heavenly Father
• There's a toll bridge in all our lives and what we need is a contrite heart and spirit to cross it
• True disciples are willing to stand out. It is mentally rigorous to think of him in every thought. We also increase the power of our Savior when we make sacred covenants
• That is what it takes to cross the bridge. The toll bridge cannot be paid with money but with our hearts--with a broken heart and contrite spirit