More Scribbles...

Morning Session

President Eyering. Oh President Eyering, I LOVE to hear him speak! It seems that every talk I have ever heard him give was written especially for me, and today was no exception. He spoke of an experience when he was told, “I’m not giving you these experiences for yourself, write them down.” He says when he received that inspiration he began that night to record with this question in mind, “Have I seen the hand of God in our lives today?” And he never missed a day. He said that when we begin to write these experiences we see the hand of God so clearly that we come to love him and in time we come to know him. I’ve never been good at journaling, but lately I have been doing a lot of writing; recording inspirations and answers to prayer. In answer to his question: “Did God send a message that was just for me?” Yes, and President Eyering gave it to me.

Quentin L. Cook. What is required in any calling is to be comfortable in bearing witness of the divinity of the Savior. We must live by faith and not by fear. I live by fear a lot…it’s hard to live by faith, but he says if we will live a principle, we will gain a testimony of that principle, and as we follow counsel our faith increases and our fears decrease.

Claudio R. M. Costa made me want to be sure I live for today. The past doesn’t come back and the future might not come. We can lay down our lives for our family by giving of our time. Small acts such as a hug and “I Love You” are small steps that we can do today.

Wow, Julie B. Beck gave an awesome talk on what mothers need to be doing. I cringed a bit in some places because boy do I need some work! In essence: When mothers know who they are and who God is, they will have great powers over the forces of darkness. Children are our greatest jewels. There is eternal influence and power in motherhood. Am I pointing my children toward the temple? Home is where women have the most power and influence. Make a home that creates a climate for spiritual growth. Be selective about outside influences. I want to be known as a “Mother Who Knew”.

Christoffel Goden Jr., by small and simple things are great things brought to pass.

When David A. Bednar was newly called and I heard him speak for the first time, I was given a powerful witness that he was appointed by the Lord. He said that both clean hands and a pure heart are required by the Lord. To have clean hands is to have a remission of sins. To have a pure heart is to walk spotless before God. “Sporadic spurts of intense spiritual activity” will not get us where we need to go, rather it’s small steps of continual progression.

Wow, can you imagine giving over 200 talks in General Conference? That doesn’t include the countless other meetings President Hinkley has spoken in. I remember when he gave this talk the first time. It made me think of Elder Packer’s talk on Saturday where what we testify of doesn’t change. This talk was just as powerful to me this time as it was the first time. If we accept the truth of the first vision and subsequent restoration, then this is the most important work we can be involved in.

Afternoon Session

Robert D. Hales told us that personal revelation is the way we know for ourselves the truths of our existence (doesn't that sound beautiful?). Prayer provides the firm foundation for personal revelation. Then we need to study it out in our mind. However revelation comes with the Lords timetable, so we need to move forward in faith seeking to do the Lords will and trusting that he will direct us.

Richard G. Scott won second favorite talk because he quoted from my favorite passages of scripture, Moses 7(President Eyering was first). I love how he extrapolated on the creations of God from the atom to the outer reaches of space. “All things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them.” Whenever I am feeling down I read Moses 7 and know that out of all Gods creations, which are infinite, he still knows me.

Daniel K. Judd quoted from D&C 50 which made him my third favorite speaker because those scriptures were given to me as a direct answer to prayer once. “Unto what are ye ordained?” We are to teach by the spirit of truth. We need to focus on the fundamental doctrines and take great care to nourish those we teach and those we lead.

Octaviano Tenorio, wow, when he spoke of his baby dying I was shocked, I didn’t expect the story to end that way. And he still passed out chocolates! Would I be able to do that? The principle behind is of course that he knew he would see his daughter again, what a blessing to know that. I remember when my mom died I was very sad, but I was also filled with joy for her. I remember feeling a closeness to the Savior that I hadn’t ever experienced before because she was with him. I could almost feel his arms around me as I imagined they were around her.

Claudio D. Zivic says we are more than ordinary people. I like that, I am extraordinary! And, the Lord is responsible for all that is good in our lives.

Do you know that you know that you know? Douglas L. Callister wants to know if you know that you know? It’s necessary for us to find out for ourselves that the gospel is true. There only has to be one witness, but it must be yourself. There are proxies for ordinances, but not for the acquisition of a testimony. It is a grand thing to know, and to know that you know and that the light has not been borrowed from another. I know, and if I were chopped up into little inch size pieces each piece would cry out, “I know that I know that I know Mormonism is true!”

The only General Authority I have met is Dallin H. Oaks. I even shook his hand! My son went through the line twice! He spoke at a stake conference once and was hilarious. It's fun to see them with their hair down now and then...oh yea, he has no hair! But he even joked about that so I'm ok. He says that just because something is good is not sufficient reason for doing it. Good, Better, Best. Think Martha and Mary. Lots of times I am a Martha. I want to be a Mary. I guess that I don’t have to fix dinner anymore, because what my children really want for dinner is me…

And last, we got to hear a last little remark from President Hinkley…he’s 97! When our temple was dedicated he came out for the occasion. I had never been in the presence of a prophet until then. When he walked into the room I could visibly feel a change. I KNEW that he was a prophet of God. The youth all started cheering and almost screaming, (in a reverent sort of way) and I thought, “here’s this little old man who, by the worlds standards, is nothing special, yet he’s being cheered by all these youth with the same adoration they might for a rock star”. It gives me chills just writing about it. I love him.

Well that concludes my scribbles of Conference. Have a great week!