General Conference!

This weekend was the 178th Annual General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! I love listening to the words of a modern day prophet! To read more about what we believe, you can go to the church website.

As many of you know, President Gordan B. Hinckley passed away a few months ago. President Thomas S. Monson was called as the new prophet. President Monson has a special place in my heart. Over the years his talks have impressed and inspired me. About a year ago he spoke in my singles ward. Something he said really stuck with me and has helped me overcome some obstacles in my life.... That same day he spoke in our ward, Niki and I ran into him in the hallway. He was looking for his wife as he was looking he said "this reminds me of the song "where has my little dog gone?" It was a laugh out loud moment!

A few talks that really touched me...

Something that Elder Rasband said hit home: "Personal experiences test our abilities and give us personal growth...they give us resolve to go forward with faith."

Sister Lant's thoughts on traditions impressed me.... they left me thinking of the traditions in my life... What traditions am I currently living that will be passed on from generation to generation and what traditions do I need to start? Right now, I am building a foundation that will be a legacy to others... She said that our children need to know where we stand.... I agree, we need to teach by example...

Elder Wirthlin's rendition on differences was empowering. I've often thought about all the different types of people I meet everyday...we are all very different! Wirthlin said to have more compassion for people that are different than we are.

David A. Bednar shed light on having meaningful prayer. Bednar reminded us that prayer is work and that we need to pray with the expectation to ACT. We will have the strength to act as we know we should when we do this. He also reminded us not to pray with a wish list. We need to pray with sincerity. Our prayers need to be meaningful and we must ask in faith and ACT. I think it is so easy to get stuck in a rut of prayer. I try to pray with purpose and meaning and to be ready for promptings, but I think so often in my life I get caught up in the little things I am doing that I forget that the Lord is there to help me through it all, he will make up the difference if I am lacking. I realize that living his will is what is most important...I wrote these words in my journal "pray and ACT, pray and ACT, pray and ACT, pray and ACT, pray and ACT, pray and ACT, pray and ACT, pray and ACT, pray and ACT, pray and ACT, pray and ACT,pray and ACT, pray and ACT, pray and ACT, pray and ACT." Acting on our prompting and on the promises that we make with the Lord will enrich our relationship with the Savior and will empower us with a shield of protection and knowledge. I know this is something I need to really strive for in my life.

W. Craig Zwick spoke to the teenagers and posed this question, "Are we lowering our standards to fit in?" I think this question applies not only to teenagers but to people of all ages. I speak from experience when I say that the comfort of any relationship can cause us to lower our standards to fit in. I don't think it's easy to stand up for what you believe in all the time. It is something I definitely strive for...I also believe that its imperative to try to understand others view points and to be excepting of differences. But when those viewpoints and differences impact you as an individual, it's time to say something. Zwick tells us that "you might stand alone for a while. You're example will attract friends." He also asks "do we recognize temptation when it's camouflaged?"

This talk gave me a lot to ponder on. I think the friends we have really have an impact on our day to day living. Our friends can either boy us up or pull us down. It's easy to conform to our everyday environment, but I think as we take a stand for what we believe in and we make that extra effort to live in the spirit, we will be blessed and the lives of those around us will be blessed. I have so many more thoughts on this but for sake of those who have actually read this far into this post, I will refrain:).

Well there you have it... a few of my favorite thoughts from conference. When I really sit back and think about what conference is all about I count my blessings and really stand in amazement! We have a prophet who lives today, who speaks the word of the Lord. We know who we are! We know what our purpose on earth is! We know where we are going! We are so lucky!