Talk on Preparation and Blessings of General Conference

Blessings and Preparing for general conference (9/29/2019)

The Ant and the Grasshopper (Aesop’s Fables)
            It was summer, hot and sunny, and, instead of working and preparing for winter, a Grasshopper preferred to dance, sing and play his violin at his leisure, not minding that these wonderful days will soon be over, that cold and rainy days will soon be near. On seeing a hardworking Ant passing by him, preparing for the hard winter that was to come one day, he invited him to join him and share his fun.
            “Unfortunately, I don’t have time for this”, the Ant answered, “I must work hard, so that winter won’t find me without shelter and food.”
“Stop worrying so much, there is still plenty of time to prepare for winter. Let’s sing and dance together, let’s laugh and enjoy life”.
            But Ant was very wise and wouldn’t pay attention to the Grasshopper’s words and continued to work hard and store food for the long winter that was to come.
            The winter came sooner than expected, and the Grasshopper found himself without home and without food. He went to the Ant’s house and begged him for food and shelter.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t help you”, the Ant said. “I only have room and food for me and my family, so go find help somewhere else.”
            “I should have followed Ant’s example in the summer”, the Grasshopper thought sadly. “I would have been so happy now…”

Moral:  Prepare for the hard days to come.

            In our world today, the Lord has given us help and ways to prepare for the hard days and trials that may come.  He has also given us ways to combat or avoid some things that we may bring on ourselves. He has given us the direction we need, and all this is done through living prophets and apostles. We are fortunate to listen/watch general conference twice a year and to har from all at once.

What is General Conference?

            General Conference happens twice a year, in the spring and fall.  It’s a large meeting where leaders, including the Prophet and his apostles, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, speak on a variety of spiritual topics.  These are the only two Sundays of the year where we don’t attend our regular meetings at our local church-house. It is held in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, but because there are 15 million members from all over the world, it is broadcast via satellite in 100+ countries. 

            Now, take a moment and reflect on the unique phenomena general conference is- what we as Latter-day Saints believe such conferences to be and what we invite the world to hear and observe about them. We testify to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people that God not only lives but also that He speaks, that for our time and in our day the counsel you have heard is, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, “the will of the Lord, … the word of the Lord, … the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation.” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland)

            The speakers are fabulous.  Some talks, I like more than others, usually depending on what is happening in my life, there are certain messages that touch my heart more profoundly.  Some talks put my right to sleep… their soothing voice, their sweet message… Sometimes my kids are fighting, we are traveling, or I drop a hammer on my head trying to out up Halloween during the songs or between sessions (yes, that happened).  But luckily, we live in the technological era where it can be recorded or instantly viewed/ listened to again later.

The Speakers

            The prophet, apostles, and other men and women who serve mortal messengers with angelic messages, men and women who have all the physical and financial and family difficulties you and I have but who with faith have consecrated their lives to the callings that have come to them and the duty to preach God’s word, not their own. Men and women tasked to reach members, non-members, the young, the old, the married, and non-married, and to stress the eternal verities of faith, hope, charity, and testify of Christ, speaking very straight forward on very specific moral issues of the day. Speaking with generosity and the open- arms of Christ. In the variations of sermons given, there is something for everyone.

            Elder Robert D Hales in the talk General Conference: Strengthening Faith and Testimony provides more insight on how the men and women at the pulpit arrive at their message to be shared. Speakers are not assigned specific topics. Over weeks and months, often through sleepless nights, we wait upon the Lord. Through fasting, praying, studying, and pondering, we learn the message that He wants us to give. Elder Hales continues, conveying how this same pattern should relate to our lives.

            “This same idea is true for all members. We study out in our minds what we need and desire from Heavenly Father, and we pray to understand and apply that which we are taught. taught. As the time for conference arrives, we sacrifice other activities, “lay[ing] aside the things of this world, [to] seek for the things of a better.” Then we gather our families to hear the word of the Lord, as King Benjamin’s people did.  Children and youth love to be included. We make a serious mistake if we assume that the conference is above their intellect and spiritual sensitivity. The Lord will tell you what He wants you to do with your life.

            When taking notes at conference, I do not always write down exactly what the speaker is saying; I note the personalized direction the Spirit is giving me. What is said is not as important as what we hear and what we feel. That is why we make an effort to experience conference in a setting where the still, small voice of the Spirit can be clearly heard, felt, and understood.

            The world is moving away from the Lord faster and farther than ever before. We may not know all the reasons why the prophets and conference speakers address us with certain topics in conference, but the Lord does. There will be some things that take patience and faith. You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may contradict your [personal] views. It may contradict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life. (Earrings as teenager- Just do it!)  As a youth, I recall when we were asked to remove all but one pair of earrings and I was one of those “cool youth” with multiple sets. While I have no profound example of blessings directly from heeding that counsel and removing my earrings, I can say that it is much easier to just do things when asked and try not to doubt.   But if you listen to these things, as if from the mouth of the Lord Himself, with patience and faith, the promise is that ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; … and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory’ (D&C 21:6).”

            The greatest blessings of general conference come to us after the conference is over. Remember the pattern recorded frequently in scripture: we gather to hear the words of the Lord, and we return to our homes to live them.

            After King Benjamin taught his people, “he dismissed the multitude, and they returned, everyone, according to their families, to their own houses.” In his day, King Limhi did the same.  After teaching and ministering to the people at the temple in Bountiful, the Savior entreated the people, “Go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again.”

            Heavenly Father wants us to regularly study and apply what we have learned in conference. Heavenly Father has provided the way. The messages are almost instantly at our fingertips, there is no more waiting. Anytime, anywhere, we can enlarge our knowledge, strengthen our faith and testimony, protect our families, and lead them safely home.”

            One of my personal favorites is Elder Jeffrey R Holland.  In preparation for this talk, I ran across a talk with him full of emotion as he gave this powerful prophetic promise: " If we teach by the Spirit and you listen by the Spirit, some one of us will touch on your circumstance, sending a personal prophetic epistle just to you.”.

Preparations for Conference

1.     Dedicate yourself to truly listening

2.     Pray and think about questions you have

3.     Study past conference talks

4.     Keep a notebook or journal nearby during talks

5.     Prepare in advance

6.     Share gospel related messages on social media

7.     Develop gratitude

8.     Prepare your home and clear your schedule

9.     Pray to feel Heavenly Fathers Love

10.  Attend the temple

11.  Be ready to act on the answers you receive

12.  Run all your errands ahead of time

13.  Clear your schedule, yep easier said than done…

Real Talk

            So, if general conference is as Awesome as it sounds, then why do we, me included, so often happen to miss sessions or not recall many of the talks from previous conferences. I can have ever intention to actually sit down and watch conference, especially on Saturday but the reality is we have four children and cannot dictate all the schedules from the beginning or predict what they will be…but what I can do is have it on, whether we are at home or in car.  Now, I am not saying that it will be watched or listened to intently but at least it is on. And if everyone is home, why not just turn it up so loud that there is no choice but to listen.

            Children are a handful and it can be difficult to sit them down for two hour stretches to watch conference. There’s no expectation that children should sit still the whole time, so help them channel that energy into Church related activities.  It’s a lot of prep work as a parent, but it pays off big time if you and they get the opportunity to be fed spiritually.

            I am also not one of those cute, crafty moms who puts together these cute little conference bags or make conference bingo. Heck, I barely do good to grab donuts.  There was this one year, I decided to try to make having homemade cinnamon rolls a tradition for each general conference, secretly hoping that my kids would always want to come home for conference (although now we are like we are ready for us time, yet, we know the time will come we will want the chaos again) but, yeah, that did not work I am also not a baker. So, I just make whatever we are feeling that day…maybe it is nachos or maybe it is a cereal bar.

            While at my brother in laws this summer, one thing his family does is try to listen a conference talk or two each week in between sessions.  Why not make that a Sunday activity?

            So, what can I do to prepare more fully?

Prepare for Distractions.

            What if you need to work during General Conference? What if you have small children at home and it’s difficult to listen to a speaker for longer than 5 minutes? Life happens, and that’s OK. But there are some things you can start doing to help you prepare to get as much out of conference as you can.

            If you have work or other commitments during the live General Conference broadcast, plan a different time to watch or listen intently. You can still gain the spiritual insight you need on a different day. Just make sure you treat that time you set aside as a special time to focus on General Conference messages.  Everything is available online very soon after conference ends.

And if by change we can catch it live…or even when listening late

1.     Write down question before conference starts. Go home, reflect on it and write them down  throughout the week. Remember, there will be at least one message that speaks to us. From the Bible, in the book of Revelations, we read, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith…” (Revelations 3:22)

2.     Research some of the speakers, get to know them. (Elder Uchtdorf- pilot, President Nelson- loss of wife, daughter, and remarried, Sheri Dew- never married, and Uncle Jeff- Jeffrey R Holland, not really my uncle but felt I knew him through is nephew on my mission).

3.     Seek to learn of Christ.  Listen to the messages and testimonies of those given.

4.     Seek the Spirit

5.     Watch for themes- After watching some of general conference, you might notice that you’ve heard a topic or theme mentioned more than once. The patterns you notice may be one way the Spirit helps you recognize something you need to learn.

6.     Take note of the Book of Mormon

7.     Set goals for Study - In the end, general conference means nothing if we don’t act on the things we learned and the answers we received. In days, weeks, or months until the next conference, study the messages again, review your notes, and set goals for things you want to work on.

·       What challenges did you hear that you want to accept?

·       Were there scriptures shared you want to memorize?

8.     Be motivated and Prepared to Act on the counsel and inspiration received.  “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. “(Moroni 10:4)

Paul Johnson touches on the importance to act in a previous talk.

The Blessings of General Conference by Paul V. Johnson

            This wonderful time in which we live is also filled with peril. You live in challenging times where many temptations and dangers await you.

            It is not surprising that in the face of tremendous evil and temptation the Lord does not leave us to find our way on our own. In fact, there is more than enough guidance available to each of us if we will listen. You have received the gift of the Holy Ghost to direct and inspire you. You have the scriptures, parents, Church leaders and teachers. You also have the words of the prophets, seers, and revelators who live in our day. There is so much guidance and direction available that you won’t make major mistakes in your life unless you consciously ignore the guidance you receive.

            In order for the messages of general conference to change our lives, we need to be willing to follow the counsel we hear…But knowing “how to act” isn’t enough…willingness to take action on what we have learned opens the doors for marvelous blessings.

            Every time we are obedient to the words of the prophets and apostles, we reap great blessings. We receive more blessings than we can understand at the time, and we continue to receive blessings long after our initial decision to be obedient.

            Decide now to make general conference a priority in your life. Decide to listen carefully and follow the teachings that are given. Listen to or read the talks more than once to better understand and follow the counsel. By doing these things, the gates of hell will not prevail against you, the powers of darkness will be dispersed from before you, and the heavens will shake for your good.

Elder Uchtdorf states 3 short ways that we can receive answers and revelation pertaining to our lives by and through general conference.
1. Members of the church are entitled to personal revelation as they listen to and study the inspired words spoken at general conference. 

(As you prepare for general conference, I invite you to ponder questions you need to have answered….there are messages in each general conference given as a gift and a blessing from heaven specifically for our personal life situations.)
2. Don't discount the message merely because it sounds familiar.
3. The words spoken at general conference should be a compass that points the way for us during the coming months

Conclusion

            But, really… General Conference is awesome.  One thing I plan to do before it starts, is to think of all the questions currently on my mind, things I may be struggling with.  Like right now, I have just been feeling overwhelmed with life and worries for family (primarily parents and sisters).  I would love to know a better way to organize my life, have the confidence to cut out any needless responsibilities that take time from my family, and know what to say and how to say it touch the lives of my sisters.  I would love to be more in tune to the needs of my children and my husband.  To be able to recognize the best ways to teach them and to love them.  I would love any inspiration on more ways that I can be good.  Anyway, it has been said that when approaching conference with questions on the mind and a prayer in the heart, you will receive answers. Elder Robert D Hales promised: “I promise that if you will listen, you will feel the Spirit well up within you. The Lord will tell you what He wants you to do with your life. In conferences we can receive the word of the Lord meant just for us."

            I may have been distracted here and there from conference sessions, but I always come away feeling inspired and feeling like Heavenly Father loves me and is aware of me.  And THAT, my friends, is why we should be obsessed with General Conference.  It makes us feel good. Each person is a unique individual and is touched by different talks for different reasons. That’s what’s so great about General Conference; there’s something for everyone!

That is why we want to share it with our children, even though they may only understand small portions of it.  Any portion is a good portion.

            May we be diligent in not only doing our best that our circumstances allow in  preparing for conference but even more diligent in the heeding the messages taught. We must do as taught in Helaman 5:12: “And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”

            God loves me just as He loves His living prophets. I am one of the reasons for living prophets. God loves me just as He loves Joseph Smith. I am one of the reasons for the Restoration. God loves me just as He loves Jesus. I am one of the reasons for the Atonement. God obeys laws to preserve my freedom. He is bound to. Beyond this, He is also bound to love me as I learn to use that freedom. I know Heavenly Father will not forget us—nor can He. His heart can’t and won’t let go. He is bound to love me—not because I am good, but because He is good. 

            End with challenge to fill your “testimony tank” this upcoming conference.