General Conference Inspiration

I decided to participate in a General Conference meme (thanks for passing it along Chocolate) It will help me get my thoughts down in an organized fashion.

General Conference Highlights, October 2010:

1. Who were your three favorite speakers?

Ha ha! Everyone of them was so insightful! The ones that stand out to me the most right now are:

Jeffrey R. Holland - He reminded me of the importance of the work I'm doing and of letting others know how much I appreciate their work.

Rosemary Wixom - I liked the image of holding to the rod myself so that my children can hold on tight to my hand.

David McConkie I always love talks that help me see how to be a better teacher. I loved how he emphasized how I need to immerse myself in the scriptures and being exited about the gospel so that my "learners" will catch my attitude - or Spirit. And that there is no real learning without the Spirit! Also that I can invite those from history into my home if I know them.

D. Todd Christofferson - I really liked the thought of how this life is a stewardship of time and choices and how we can consecrate it to God's purposes. I'll be studying this talk in detail.

Dieter F. Urchtdorf - Since I've been trying to simplify my life, this talk reaffirmed to me that it is the right thing and helped me get a vision for how it would look. I liked how he spelled out what really matters.

Quentin L. Cook - I loved the image of blacking out evil from our homes and lives and being a light to our communities. I pondered on his saying that freedom and light are hard to attain and maintain

Richard G. Scott - A wonderful talk on how to build character! We talk about this a lot at home so I'll be using this talk much to teach my children and in my own life.

Mary M. Cook - She stressed the influence that we have on our children - I loved how she said to not hold on to the world with one hand and to the gospel with the other, but to put both hands on the iron rod - to live the gospel with all intent and focus.

Dallin H. Oaks - I appreciate his way of detailing things that are sometimes hard to grasp in a way that they make sense. I like understanding how the two lines of communication to our Heavenly Father work.

David Bednar - I'm working on having the Holy Ghost with me at all times and this talk was very helpful as to how to do this. I also liked the thought of "receiving the Holy Ghost" as an invitation to action. I'll be teaching this to the children.

Larry R. Lawrence - Courageous parenting is so needed in our world. I liked the admonishment for husbands and wives to support and respect each other when one has a feeling about something. He reaffirmed my thoughts on postponing any pairing off until youth are ready for marriage and also about not allowing sleepovers. I am also going to step up my efforts for having personal interviews with each other as a couple.


2. Favorite talk?

This is a hard one! Elder Uchtdorf's might be the one because he gave me a more clear vision in what I am trying to accomplish in simplifying and it felt so nice.




3. Favorite hymn sung during Conference?
Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd

4. Who wore the best tie?
I didn't notice ties, but I did like the out-of-the-ordinary suit President Monson wore during his last talk.

5. Do you think conference had a “theme”?
The wise use of time stood out to me

6. Share a few of your favorite quotes (paraphrasing is fine).

(These are from my scribbled notes so they are mostly paraphrasing):

Character is the fabric of inner-strength woven by threads of righteous decisions. - Elder Richard G. Scott

We become what we want to become by consistently being what we want to become- Elder Richard G Scott

Don't do anything you wouldn't want your children to do - Mary M. Cook

Value children's [spiritual] life more than their temporary good-will. -Larry R. Lawrence

To develop your relationship to God, you must spend time alone with him. - Dieter Uchtdorf

Our home should be an incubator - Elder Robert D. Hales

Without the Spirit there is no real learning - David McConkey
On work:

"By work we sustain and enrich life. It enables us to survive the disappointments and tragedies of the mortal experience. Hard-earned achievement brings a sense of self-worth. Work builds and refines character, creates beauty, and is the instrument of our service to one another and to God. A consecrated life is filled with work, sometimes repetitive, sometimes menial, sometimes unappreciated, but always work that improves, orders, sustains, lifts, ministers, aspires." - D. Todd Christofferson

7. Something that made you smile during conference.

Of course the airplane joke by Elder Uchtdorf was classic.  Even the kids burst out laughing.

8. Any evidence that your children paid attention?

I told the kids that if they had a question that they wanted an answer to, that they could ask Heavenly Father to help them find the answer during conference.  Spice said that she wanted to know how to have more faith and that her answer was to follow the prophet.

Bud's answer was funny and insightful.  He said he wanted to know when the second coming was going to take place and that his answer came from the 14 fundamentals of following the prophet: "The prophet will tell you what you need to know, not necessarily what you want to know."

9. If you had to give a talk in General Conference (don’t faint, this is hypothetical), what do you think you’d speak about?

I've been thinking a lot lately about the importance of making our homes spiritual havens.

10. What are some of your post-conference goals?

-Keeping the Holy Ghost with me at all times

-Consistent personal interviews with each child

-Continue simplifying and only keeping those things in my home and in my schedule that really matter

-Making sure I show my appreciation more often - start sending those thank-you cards that I don't get around to sending ever.

-Teaching the kids about "receiving the Holy Ghost" and character

-Living a consecrated life

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

Conference was wonderful!  I feel recharged and ready to take on another 6 months.  I am so thankful for living prophets.  I know they are men of God.

Another goal I have for the next few months is memorizing the Living Christ with the kids.  When I read about this idea in the September Ensign, I knew it was something I wanted to do with my kids, but it was going to be a while before I put the work into it.  I found in my e-mail inbox today that Rochelle from Discover the Scriptures has done the work for me so we'll be starting the memorizing today.  Want to join us?