:::general conference -- sunday, april 2009:::

President Uchtdorf: the gospel is not a secret, complicated, or hidden. it is not theory or proposition. it springs from the Creator of the universe who knows truth we can't even begin to understand.

ours is not a secondhand religion. we need to get off the sidelines and practice what we preach.

(i'm finding President Uchtdorf to be very motivational in his messages).


Elder Andersen: he has never seen and personal positioning in the apostles, and they are void of desires for personal attention.

we must not shy away from teaching the unique things found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.


President Snow: we need to get on with our lives. change is an essential part of life's journey which we are often too reluctant in facing.


Sister Thompson: no matter what kind of family we are in, we can strengthen it. at some point in our life, we will each be poor in some way and need the help of others. in trials, our discouragement changes into joy and gratitude when others help us.


Elder Holland: (i've come to accept the fact that Elder Holland will have me bawling my eyes out every time he speaks). if we are feeling lonely, think of the loneliest journey ever taken -- the one the Savior made in the last wee His life. His friends and companions were slowly removed from Him, and then God, out of necessity, withdrew His spirit from Him, and He felt the ultimate loneliness. He totally, abjectly, hopelessly alone. however, the goodness in Him allowed Him to press on. the trust He lived by allowed Him to continue. His faith in God pushed Him forward.

because Jesus walked alone, we don't have to. don't abandon Him now, even when the cross is difficult to bear, even unto death.

(i feel like Elder Holland has such a keen understanding of and love for the lonely, the downtrodden, and the outcast. after this particular talk, i also felt how much more beloved the Lord was to Heavenly Father, and how proud of Him Heavenly Father must have been when the Savior completed the atonement. my mind went to the Sacred Grove when God and Jesus appeared to Joseph Smith, and Heavenly Father introduced Jesus as Hid beloved Son. i can only imagine how much more beloved the Savior was to Him at that point.)


President Monson: the moral footings of society continue to slip. those who try to protect those footings are picketted and mocked. we need to turn out thoughts from the troubles around us. the future is as bright as our faith.



Afternoon Session

Elder Oaks: their is no other motive to temple work besides love for those who have passed on. good mothers face a loss of personal priorities when they raise their children. having children is a service to the Lord. we are required to set aside personal convenience when we undertake this task.

no outside copying of our organization could duplicate the record of our church or the service of our people.

dress modestly!!!

love and service connect us to our covenants. quoting Mother Teresa, "we can do no great things, only small things with great joy."

go to church each week with the intent of being active.


Elder Bednar: serving in the temple expands our vision. temple preparation should be the center of all we do in the church. quoting Elder Maxwell, "when we are baptized, our gaze should go beyond the font to the temple." consider what is an acceptable offering of temple attendance.

(i feel like Elder Bednar is so good at laying out the scriptures and clearly telling us what they mean for our modern lives. i always feel a little guilty for not seeing things so clearly on my own.)


Elder Stevenson: you are never lost when you can see the temple. young children are encouraged to visit the temple grounds and even touch the temple. we can turn our homes into the House of the Lord. take a visual tour of your home. what do you see when you open the door? is there a picture of the Savior, pictures of the temple...


a personal space for gospel study. are the conversations at the dinner table uplifting and without contention. homes should be neat and orderly, a house of glory, a house of order. there is a righteous unity between the home and the temple. the temple draws us to home, and righteous homes draw us to the temple.


Elder Teixeira: Heavenly Father has a plan for us. our conscience is like our gps system. pay attention to our choices to make sure they don't put us out of touch with the guidance of the Lord.


Elder Watson: the wisdom of those who have gone before and that of those who are still with us will guide us.


Elder Perry: missionaries are an underused teaching resource. they spend too much time trying to find people. we should be doing that for them with great earnesty. declare Christ's atonement, in our own words tell the story of the First Vision, and testify of the Book of Mormon.


President Monson: we need to pray always lest we enter into temptation. pray that children will lead lives of service and goodness to others.

advances in many areas that could be used for good can also be used to speed us down an evil path.

we each need to be grateful for the blessings that come into our lives because of the gospel.

pray for the him and for the general authorities.
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what i did:

before the morning session started i continued to organize my room. my friend christina came by a few minutes before it started to give me two palm fronds...


at breakfast she said she was going to Palm Sunday mass, and i begged her to bring me some back. thanks, christina! i especially loved having them to look at as Elder Uchtdorf spoke about Palm Sunday and the Savior's entry into Jerusalem.

i finally was finally able to go through my goodwill pile and found many things that i had tossed out in haste.





in between sessions i continued to organize my room, then i took a much needed nap. now it's 9 p.m., and even though i don't feel emotionally or physically feel like i did a lot of work today, it astonishes me to look around and see how drastically things have changed since i started on saturday morning. i feel that as soon as i admitted that i let march and february fall by the wayside, the Lord renewed my efforts and committment to work, and sped me along my way this weekend.

i can't believe conference is over. it went by so quickly to me, and i'm sad that tomorrow i have to go back out there to work and the frustrating situations i find myself in. but, i will try to take heart. we received so many wonderful and true teachings this weekend and i pledge to make permanent changes in my life.