"There is a feeling right after you finish a book. A feeling of slowly removing yourself from the world and story that held you bound for the hours sprawled out on the couch and the time reading in the library. A feeling of coming back to reality, not necessarily for a better or worse reality, but one that is solidly your own. A realization comes with the conclusion of a book- that your finale is not yet here. The climax and plot twists are still evolving and some are around the corner for me, inspiring fear, excitement, and amazement all at the same time. But the theme has already been introduced and cleverly explored in the beginning chapters and I know something is coming. Something bigger than me, bigger than words, bigger even than the collectively shared experiences on this theme. Something that part of me already knows somehow. So I shut the book reverently and rise from my chair, to go out and meet it."
I wrote this last summer and revisited it recently. It was absolutely true then, but I can see that it is just as true in a different way for me today as I prepare to leave on my mission. Hope you don't mind the repost, as I'm trying to get everything in order before I leave in 11 days!
Hello? Oh, yeah. Hi, I'm still here. Just spent the last week having a blast visiting friends and family out in Utah. And I'm about to run off for the next two days down to St. Louis for a Relief Society trip to the temple = awesome! So, I wanted to check in before I'm able to give a more detailed post .
Above is a highlight video from Conference and here are some links to the full talks.
President Eyring's Mountain's To Climb was excellent and inspiring!
President Monson's Race of Life talk was grounding and centering for my heart- we must hold onto the eternal truths and let the superfluous things go.
I absolutely loved Elder Holland's talk- The Laborers in the Vineyard- I loved how he said, "So if you have made covenants, keep them. If you haven’t made them, make them. If you have made them and broken them, repent and repair them. It is never too late so long as the Master of the vineyard says there is time. Please listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit telling you right now, this very moment, that you should accept the atoning gift of the Lord Jesus Christ and enjoy the fellowship of His labor. Don’t delay. It’s getting late."
Elder Ballard's talk " That the Lost May Be Found" was a powerful reminder. I was especially effected by this last paragraph-"Now, if for any reason you individually or as a family have lost your way, then you need only apply the Savior’s teachings from Luke, chapter 15, to correct your course. Here the Savior tells of the effort of a shepherd searching for his lost sheep, of a woman searching for a lost coin, and of the welcome received by the prodigal son returning home. Why did Jesus teach these parables? He wanted us to know that none of us will ever be so lost that we cannot find our way again through His Atonement and His teachings."
My family teased me that every time another speaker stood to talk I excitedly exclaimed from the couch something to the effect: " I LOVE him!" " She is wonderful" or " I love his talks...everyone be quiet!" And it was true! I felt such an overwhelming love towards all the general authorities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There were many messages and powerful words that spoke to my heart and answered my prayers; overall, I found two themes. First, the centrality of the family. Elder Packer said, "Fathers and mothers, next time you cradle a newborn child in your arms, you can have an inner vision of the mysteries and purpose of life. You will better understand why the Church is as it is and why the family is the basic organization in time and in eternity. I bear witness that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, that the plan of redemption, which has been called the plan of happiness, is a plan for families." And many other talks supported or strengthened the role of the family and the needs families have today. Second, I found the theme of redemption, forgiveness, and the Atonement repeated unceasingly as mentioned above.
***As Conference came to a close, Elder Anderson delivered the final talk (before Pres. Monson) and voiced the thought: “What thinks Christ of me?” And continued, "Wherever you now find yourself on the road of discipleship, you are on the right road, the road toward eternal life. Together we can lift and strengthen one another in the great and important days ahead. Whatever the difficulties confronting us, the weaknesses confining us, or the impossibilities surrounding us, let us have faith in the Son of God, who declared, “All things are possible to him that believeth".
I love General Conference.
I'll catch up in a couple days on the rest of it.
