april 2021 general conference wrap-up

every year after general conference is over, i follow along with this wonderful challenge that you can find here on facebook. i find that i can take in so much more and learn much more than i do when just listening along to all of it for two hours at a time.

this time around was especially helpful because i hadn't even had a chance to watch any of it at all with the funeral and everything going on after dougs mum passed away. this way, i had the chance to enjoy the talks one by one and take them in and some of them (well, all of them really! but some in particular) really spoke to me. i was in tears within moments of hearing sister abuerto's talk "the grave has no victory" after everything that has happened in our lives recently and president oaks talk "what has our saviour done for us" was so wonderful. "infuriating unfairness" by elder renlund was incredible, such a wonderful perspective, but my favourite was absolutely "why the covenant path" by elder christofferson. what an amazing talk. as you can see, day 40 of the challenge was to share a talk with someone not of our faith. i know a wonderful guy who i used to work with, who is a very devout catholic, who enjoys sharing religious beliefs with me, so this one was perfect for sharing with him. 

i really enjoyed all of the conference and hearing the talks one by one. i feel so uplifted by the words spoken, knowing they are modern day scripture and carefully thought of for our time. what a blessing it is to know the lord still speaks to us. the heavens have never fallen silent, because god loves his children. he always has and he always will.

primary general conference packs

i love being able to get the primary children involved in general conference too - and am in loooove with this incredible huge colouring page that we also located online (forever grateful for those to share their ides and help me do wonderful things for our group here!). we gave one to each family so the children could colour together as they listen to conference. 

then, we added in a bag of popcorn with a date reminder - for further distraction!

i'm so excited to see these getting used on the day and i'm hoping the kids love them as much as i do!

the three bee's of general conference

with general conference available this weekend for us in australia, i decided to make up a little pack for the sisters i minister to and a few of my closest friends. a few weeks ago i came across this gorgeous little printable pack on one of the many relief society pages i follow. 

the pack printed into a little book with tips on how to get more out of conference and some lovely little passages and quotes and i dropped them off with a little bag of chocolate honeycomb and honeycomb swirl cookies. i love love love general conference and i love sending off something to those close to me to make it a little more fun too! ❤

 

april 2020 conference

this past sunday we had the chance to watch the sunday morning session of conference for our church meeting (please keep in mind that we aren't able to watch the sessions live here in australia - except this time when i actually did, when it started at midnight for us, as alexander just would not go to sleep that night and laid awake most of the night - so while he wiggled, i watched that session!) it was really good and a wonderful thing to watch as the 200th anniversary of the first vision was celebrated! 

it was certainly different though, as the speakers (only! no additional people were there) sat 6 feet apart in a mini auditorium instead of the conference centre and delivered their talks. president nelson even joked that when he promised us this conference would be unforgettable that this isn't what he had in mind.

the sunday morning session ended with the presentation of a new proclamation - the restoration of the fulness of the gospel of jesus christ: a bicentennial proclamation to the world, read by president nelson in the sacred grove as a precorded part of his talk hear him and then a solemn assembly with a hosanna shout to further celebrate this bicentenary. 

i know there are so many other good talks and i am very excited to listen to all of them using this general conference challenge sheet that is released after each conference (you can find it via a facebook group called "general conference challenge.") it's well worth doing it this way - i find i take so much more in when i listen to them one by one instead of during a two hour block.

so here we go! can't wait to hear what everyone had to say... how lucky we are to live in a time where we know of the truth and are able to continue to hear the words of the lord through our church leaders. we are truly blessed. ❤

general conference preppin'

(artwork from churchofjesuschrist.org)

last october, president nelson announced during his final address at general conference that the next general conference would be a special bicentennial celebration of the first vision. he invited all members to prepare themselves for it as he said the following:

"The year 2020 will be designated as a bicentennial year. General conference next April will be different from any previous conference. In the next six months, I hope that every member and every family will prepare for a unique conference that will commemorate the very foundations of the restored gospel.

You may wish to begin your preparation by reading afresh Joseph Smith’s account of the First Vision as recorded in the Pearl of Great Price. Our course of study for next year in Come, Follow Me is the Book of Mormon. You may wish to ponder important questions such as, “How would my life be different if my knowledge gained from the Book of Mormon were suddenly taken away?” or “How have the events that followed the First Vision made a difference for me and my loved ones?” Also, with the Book of Mormon videos now becoming available, you may wish to incorporate them in your individual and family study.

Select your own questions. Design your own plan. Immerse yourself in the glorious light of the Restoration. As you do, general conference next April will be not only memorable; it will be unforgettable."

we have tried as a family to incorporate these things into our study over the last few months and particularly over the last few weeks... this past sunday we included a lot of things to prepare us in our home sacrament meeting and church:

we listened to the talk - joseph smith: teacher by example - thomas s monson

then had our closing hymn as -  praise to the man - via video

watched this video telling exactly who joseph smith was - (now you know)

watch this first vision video - ask of god

and read the recount of the first vision in joseph smith history 1:8-20

there are so many other talks available that look amazing, i'm hoping to get through some more before conference starts next weekend! president nelson promised it would be unforgettable and with everything going on in the world right now there is no doubt about that! i can't wait to see what happens. 

general conference october 2019

photo from churchofjesuschrist.org

i love to hear the words from general conference each year. our church's semiannual conference is full of inspirational and uplifting talks focusing on the words of christ - the centre of our religion. we, as members of the church of jesus christ believe that the lord still speaks to his people in our day - and this is our opportunity to listen to the words of our prophet, his counsellors and the apostles. it is a wonderful experience for all who will listen and heed their council. the talks are broadcast to many different countries live and then made available shortly after to download and watch, for those who are not able to watch live.

there was a few talks that stood out to me this time around - as always, and i want to share parts of them here:

true disciples of the savior - terence m. vinson

it was so nice to hear an australian accent in the middle of all the americans and i was in fits of laughter as he spoke about being "fair dinkum" (a very australian expression) about the gospel. 

my favourite quote from his talk was, "what we need here is less wi-fi and more nephi!"

"giving our all doesn’t mean that we will be continually enveloped in blessings or always have success. but it does mean that we will have joy. joy is not fleeting pleasure or even temporary happiness. joy is enduring and is founded on our efforts being accepted by the lord."

spiritual capacity - michelle craig

sister craig spoke about the importance of being able and ready to receive personal revelation. i loved her talk!

our souls long for a connection with our heavenly home. we want to feel needed and useful. but at times we struggle to distinguish between our own thoughts and the gentle impressions of the spirit. prophets, ancient and modern, have taught that if something “invites and entices to do good, it comes from christ.”

four ways to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation.

be intentional about creating time and space to hear god’s voice

the prophet joseph smith taught that most often god reveals himself “to individuals in private, in their chamber; in the wilderness or fields, and that generally without noise or tumult.”

satan wants to separate us from god’s voice by keeping us out of those quiet places. if god speaks in a still, small voice, you and i need to draw close to hear him. pick a time and place, and listen for god’s voice every day. keep this sacred appointment with exactness, for so very much depends on it!

act without delay

when you receive promptings and then act with intention, the lord can use you. the more you act, the more familiar the voice of the spirit becomes. you will increasingly recognize god’s guidance and that he is “willing … to reveal his mind and will.” if you delay, you might forget the prompting or miss the chance to help someone for god.

this reminded me of a quote from thomas s. monson “never, ever, postpone a prompting!” I have thought of this so many times in recent years and it has been the most amazing counsel.

get your errand from the lord

president henry b. eyring has taught us to seek revelation by asking god who we can help for him. “if you ask questions like that, the holy ghost will come and you’ll feel nudges about things you can do for other people. when you go and do those things, you’re on the lord’s errand, and when you’re on the lord’s errand, you qualify for the gift of the holy ghost.”

believe and trust

each of us has a different mission to perform, and at times the spirit may call us in “another way.” there are many ways to build the kingdom of god as covenant-making, covenant-keeping disciples of jesus christ. as his faithful disciple, you can receive personal inspiration and revelation, consistent with his commandments, that is tailored to you. you have unique missions and roles to perform in life and will be given unique guidance to fulfill them.

each one of us, can strive to seek, receive, and act. as you follow this eternal pattern ordained for our day, you will draw nearer to jesus christ—his love, his light, his direction, his peace, and his healing and enabling power. you will increase your spiritual capacity to become an everyday instrument of his hands in accomplishing his great work.

found through the power of the book of mormon - ruben v alliaud

i loved every word of this talk. his real life story of being found through the power of the book of mormon had me enthralled and very amused. he was a great speaker and his message was the best. highly recommend listening to this one, its way better in his accent.

thru cloud and sunshine, lord, abide with me! - reyna i aburto

i feel like this talk will have touched the hearts of so many who struggle with mental health issues

“all human beings—male and female—are created in the image of god. each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and … each has a divine nature and destiny.” like our heavenly parents and our savior, we have a physical body and experience emotions.

it is normal to feel sad or worried once in a while. sadness and anxiety are natural human emotions. however, if we are constantly sad and if our pain blocks our ability to feel the love of our heavenly father and his son and the influence of the holy ghost, then we may be suffering from depression, anxiety, or another emotional condition.

my daughter once wrote: “there was a time … [when] I was extremely sad all of the time. i always thought that sadness was something to be ashamed of, and that it was a sign of weakness. so i kept my sadness to myself. … i felt completely worthless.”

a friend described it this way: “since my early childhood, i have faced a constant battle with feelings of hopelessness, darkness, loneliness, and fear and the sense that I am broken or defective. i did everything to hide my pain and to never give the impression that i was anything but thriving and strong.”

my dear friends, it can happen to any of us—especially when, as believers in the plan of happiness, we place unnecessary burdens on ourselves by thinking we need to be perfect now. such thoughts can be overwhelming. achieving perfection is a process that will take place throughout our mortal life and beyond—and only through the grace of jesus christ.

in contrast, when we open up about our emotional challenges, admitting we are not perfect, we give others permission to share their struggles. together we realize there is hope and we do not have to suffer alone.

****************

there are so many wonderful talks from conference, in all of the sessions. i absolutely recommend reading/listening to as many as you can. 

it's the most wonderful time of the year!

general conference april 2019

i love general conference. i love to hear the words of the modern day prophets, telling us things we can do to improve our lives and grow closer to the lord. although i never quite manage to get to watch it all uninterrupted, i managed to sneak one of the sessions in, playing on the laptop while editing some photos, before we watched the sunday morning session as a family. i absolutely loved this quote from sister craven from her talk careful vs. casual. it was an excellent talk and it hit me hard in a good way, a great reminder to do the right thing. to always do the right thing.

i actually had a wonderful experience this time around too, elder uchtdorf spoke during the saturday morning session in his talk: missionary work: sharing what is in your heart. he spoke of the importance of being the one to bring up the gospel, to speak up and not wait for a chance. because not long after listening to that talk, the chance arose for me. 

madeline has made a few new friends since the beginning of the school year, which always happens as classes are shuffled and kids are put with new people. one girl she has become very good friends with and has had regular play dates. this girls mother messaged me during the holidays, to ask me to keep a date free for a birthday party, which was - of course, a sunday. most of our friends know we are religious, that we attend church regularly and that when we decline invitations to sunday parties that it's not because we don't want to attend, but because of our church meetings. but this was a new friend, i don't know the mother well and i didn't want to decline and risk it possibly affecting the girls friendship. i'm not saying the mum would be like that and don't think for a minute she would be, but the unfortunate reality is, some people are. so... i thought about it long and hard, how could i respond kindly, but give a good reason for her not being able to make it? elder uchtdorfs talk came clearly into my mind and i found myself typing back that sundays weren't a good day for us as we are very involved in our church community, which takes up our day and that madeline just wouldn't be able to make it. i don't know what i expected to happen, i am a little bit paranoid at the best of times... i guess i just figured that she wouldn't be going. what i didn't expect was a quick response from the mum asking if saturday would work better for us? you could not wipe the smile off my face - and madeline was thrilled to pieces! to speak up even though i was unsure of what it would lead to, had lead to something amazing! i had managed to mention the church to someone and have the best response possible. hooray! that talk was clearly something i needed to hear and i know it will help me to be a lot more brave in the future.

i also loved this talk from president nelson in the sunday morning session: come follow me. how blessed we are to have this amazing man leading our church in these days. he truly is inspired and i know this talk will be something that so many people will need to hear. it is all about how we can become closer to the lord, even if we have strayed from the "covenant path" or even doubt his existence. i hope there are people who hear his words and begin to return to the safety of the gospel.

i mean seriously, he just says all the right things. just when i thought i couldn't love him any more, he came out with this quote in the priesthood session. what a legend.

i can't wait to get into the rest of the sessions, general conference is truly a huge blessing in our lives.

general conference oct 2018

quote from elder jeffrey r. holland's talk "the ministry of reconciliation" ♥

with baby arriving and all the whirlwind surrounding it, it took me a while to watch the october general conference. being in australia, we have plenty of spoilers before we watch it a week later and wow was there a lot to take in! at this stage (blame it on the new addition to the family) i have only watched the sunday morning session, but my favourite talk was definitely the "role of the book of mormon in conversion" by elder shayne m. bowen telling the most wonderful story of conversion. it is well worth the read (or listen if you please) but here's a part of it below...

As a young missionary going to Chile, I learned a life-changing lesson about the conversion power of the Book of Mormon. Mr. Gonzalez served in a respected position in his church for many years. He had extensive religious training, including a degree in theology. He was quite proud of his biblical expertise. It was obvious to us that he was a religious scholar.

He was well aware of the missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as they went about their work in his home city of Lima, Peru. He always wanted to meet with them so that he could school them in the Bible.

One day, almost as a gift from heaven, so he thought, two missionaries stopped him in the street and asked if they could come to his home and share the scriptures with him. This was his dream come true! His prayers had been answered. Finally, he could set these misguided young boys straight. He told them that he would be delighted to have them come to his house and discuss the scriptures.

He could hardly wait for his appointment. He was ready to use the Bible to disprove their beliefs. He was confident that the Bible would clearly and articulately point out the error of their ways. The appointed night came, and the missionaries knocked on the door. He was giddy. His moment had finally arrived.

He opened the door and invited the missionaries into his home. One of the missionaries handed him a blue book and bore a sincere testimony that he knew the book contained the word of God. The second missionary added his powerful testimony of the book, testifying that it had been translated by a modern prophet of God named Joseph Smith and that it taught of Christ. The missionaries excused themselves and left his home.

Mr. Gonzalez was so disappointed. But he opened the book, and he started to leaf through its pages. He read the first page. He read page after page after page and didn’t stop until late into the afternoon of the next day. He read the whole book and knew that it was true. He knew what he had to do. He called the missionaries, received the lessons, and gave up the life he had known to become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

part of the conference was the huge announcment, that our 3 hour church block will now be reduced to 2 hours as of january 1st next year. wowsers. that blew all of us away... even though there's been rumours galore about it happening for the last year or so, none of us thought it would actually happen! funny thing is, my parents branch has been running on a 2 hour program for the last few years anyway, as their branch is so small that they just didn't have the numbers to run the full thing. so... we are kind of used to it anyway - and now of course dad is making jokes about how much more righteous they are and how the rest of the world is following suit. ;)

i loved this quote from president dallin h. oaks which i think is something we would do well to remember in these times. the lord will not lead us astray and has sent good men to lead his church and guide us home.

i was especially excited to see the announcments of so many new temples, including salvador, my favourite city ever - and auckland new zealand!!

and as usual the memes were flowing fast and strong... this was the best! i was cracking up when i saw it.

general conference? simply the best!

general conference - april 2018

on sunday we watched the sunday morning session of general conference and it was amazing as always... i have so much love for our new prophet president nelson, it was amazing to hear him speak and most of all to learn a bit more about him, as his talk was very personal and he spoke a lot about himself. it was great!

as i have the past few conferences, i plan to listen to the rest of the talks by following the general conference challenge that can be found here. i have found for me it's the best way to do it as i have time to listen carefully and take each one in. ♥

general conference prep

as i am sure you must have all worked out by now, i'm in australia, meaning that although general conference streamed live in the u.s. last week, we don't watch it until this sunday. i happened to come across this awesome idea on one of the lds relief society pages i am on last week and decided that i needed make them for the sisters i visit teach... so i did. thankfully you can still buy 7up in a few places! i was seriously thinking i would have to go and buy them at kfc and that they would be $$$$$$

such a cute idea! big props to the person who originally thought of it here and to the lovely sister on the lds relief society page who edited the file for all of us wanting to use it. 

so excited for this weekend, general conference is the best!

general conference oct 2017

i love modern technology. being able to watch conference in the comfort of your own home is the most amazing thing ever and i am so grateful for it! having driven home from dunsborough after the pinker wedding and not making it in until 1am, i was especially to be able to watch from home this time around. i watched the sunday morning session with the kids and loved president eyrings talk so much...

"The best days are ahead for the kingdom of God on the earth. Opposition will strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ, as it has since the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Faith always defeats fear. Standing together produces unity. And your prayers for those in need are heard and answered by a loving God. He neither slumbers nor does He sleep."

what a blessing it is to hear the words of the lord during conference. i can't wait to listen to the rest! ♥

(i also came across this awesome page online that had one great quote from each of the talks from octobers conference. have a look here if you'd like conference in a nutshell)

conference challenge

i've just read the final talk for april 2017's general conference challenge (which you can find here) and oh my goodness do i feel good about it. i have always watched the sunday morning session and glanced at the ensign when it arrives the month after... but when i a friend introduced me to this challenge after october conference last year, i decided to give it a try. i really feel like i gained so much more from listening to one of the talks each day. it gave me a chance to focus on that one and take it in... i feel like i know so much more of what was said, that i can remember who said what and that i can use them in lessons, in gospel discussion and just in my own life!

do yourself a favour and look it up... i promise you won't regret it, (especially if you have children under the age of 10 who may or may not have been making noise for the entire conference!) as you'll truly have a greater conference experience and take it all in ♥

general conference april 2017

we watched general conference yesterday, as per tradition in australia. seeing as the are live in the middle of the night for us, we watch them at the same times, only a week later. and due to the wonderful blessings of the internet and downloading, we can watch them in the comfort of our own home, on the cinema screen! woo. 

i spent most of the morning feeling very sad that i couldn't be in utah to watch it, especially seeing as just over a month ago, i was! actually walking around the conference centre, seeing where it all takes place. it was the best... and it just cemented my desire to be there and watch it live one day. ohhhh take me back! i would go back in a heartbeat! pity it costs money...

i so enjoyed president monsons talk that began the conference, in which he asked all members of the church to begin a daily study of the book of mormon if they had no already done so. i know first hand that having a testimony of it's truthfulness is so important and something that will get us through the hardest of times... so hearing him ask yet again just made it all the more important to me.

there were some wonderful talks, how blessed we are to hear the voices of modern day prophets, urging us to stay truth to our faith.

i also loved the talk joy d jones gave, about giving our children something great to imitate. i pray each day as a mother that i will be a good influence to my children and enable them to grow in the gospel and make good decisions as they get older.

i love general conference, it's my most favourite time of the year! ♥

general conference october 2016

what can i say? i love general conference, hearing the words of the church leaders... and i especially love that living in australia and watching it a week after those in the united states, i get to have a feed full of quotes two weeks in a row! ♥ this morning we watched the sunday morning session here at home (on the big screen woo!) and there were two talks in particular that i really loved.

the first was joy and spritual survival by russell m nelson, in which he spoke of finding joy, even in the darkest of times... it was so beautiful and i am sure it was comforting to so many. you can see it here

the other was "to whom shall we go?" which you can find here. this really touched my heart. i know there are so many who struggle with the gospel and are yet to find their place... those who struggle to remain active and those who just struggle in general! i loved hearing his words of comfort and counsel and will definitely listen to it again in time. 

general conference how i love thee!

you can find the whole lot...

here.

rise up (and become the person you were designed to be)

on saturday we had our stake relief society convention: rise up and become the person you were designed to be! it was such a wonderful day (being that i was already on a spiritual high from attending the temple with the graham family that morning ♥) and i feel so blessed to be part of a stake that had made so much effort to ensure the day was enjoyed by all who attended, but enabled us to be uplifted too.

throughout the day, there were classes held, with topics such as "dear are the sheep that have wandered", "lift up your heads and rejoice", "raising a valiant warrior", "nurturing marriage" and "direction, correction and warning" 

i attended the last two i've mentioned, which were great, the latter was about recognising and listening to the promptings of the holy ghost and certainly gave me a lot to think about. it was wonderful to be able to listen to the life experiences of others and think about how we can apply them in our own lives.

our lunch and dinner was provided in this amazingly decorated hall, which had been done in the theme of alice in wonderland, with three long tables, one themed as the mad hatters tea party, one as the queen of hearts and the other as the white queen. it was incredible, absolutely breathtaking as we walked in and saw it all set up.

i am just amazed that so much effort was made for us to enjoy our day

i mean seriously, all these little details, that i got to have a look at as i walked around taking photos on the day

and these funky signs about the place, directing us to our classes. so much effort on the littlest things made it all that much cooler

there was even between class snacks available as we went past...

♥

my beautiful parents were invited to present a class on the day, entitled "if you have desire to serve, you are called to the work" where they spoke of their experiences serving a full time mission in samoa. i am sure it was wonderful to listen to (i was banished, mum said i had heard their stories enough times and sent me elsewhere to learn something i didn't already know haha) and i loved their little island set up that i got to help with!

me and my mama

at the end of the day, after dinner had been served, we all filed into the chapel, to watch the general womens session of general conference (which you can find here) it was incredible as always. i feel so grateful to be able to hear the words of the prophet and other church leaders.

the cutest set up in the foyer as people entered the chapel 

and the best part of the day for me? seeing these amazing hats displayed and being loved by everyone in attendance. each ward in our stake was asked to make and provide 5 "mad hatters" hats for the set up and under the watchful eye of the most arty girl in our ward, we busted out these babies! i am so beyond proud of what the girls accomplished (my claim to fame here is that i helped with the paper mache) aren't they amazing? my favourite is for sure that gorgeous flamingo!!

more mad hats from ellenbrook ward... woo!

there was even a little service project on the day, assisting with the making of teeny little warm blankets for premmie babies in the local hospitals... i loved making them, they were so so cute!

and these beautiful women... are the ones that made the day happen. i love them so much and i am so so grateful to be a part of the dianella stake relief society. 

what. a. day! ♥

general conference + the temple

i love general conference so much... i love to hear the words of our church leaders and to learn, because to me general conference above all else is for learning. more about the gospel, more about the scriptures... and more about myself, because i always feel like there's something just for me!

i especially loved the talk from the sunday morning session by elder quentin l. cook  "see yourself in the temple" ... (go and read it, it's amazing!) as i've said numerous times, i made a commitment at the beginning of the year to attend the temple every month this year and i have learned something new every single time. 

take friday night for example, while attending my friends sealing, i listened to the words of the sealer as he spoke of the building of the perth temple, he was saying that our marriages should be built to last an eternity in every way necessary and that many times during the building of the perth temple, builders commented on some of the finishes/processes being unnecessary. the building supervisor simply informed them that our temples are build to last a thousand years. i honestly had never heard that before and i was amazed... but it makes perfect sense though, why so much precision, perfection and love go into their walls. why so many have sacrificed so much to build them and why we as members need to use them and attend as often as we can!

may we keep the temple first and foremost in our lives and always remember, that as long as we can see the temple, we are never lost.

general conference october 2015

i love general conference. i love that we have the opportunity to hear the words of the lord directly from his prophet and apostles here on the earth. i love to hear their stories and feel of their love for the lord and for those who are listening to their words.

it occured to me this year when i saw this picture exactly how old some of these men are. it amazes me how young some of them were when they were called to serve in the position of a general authority, and that for some of them, that means they have spent the majority of their lives in the service of lord. their dedication is amazing. how blessed we are to have our church led by such wonderful men. i love to hear them speak, especially our dear prophet.

i think, however that my favourite part of conference weekend (even though we watch it a week later in australia) is seeing my facebook and instagram feeds flooded with quotes, stories, talks and photographs from the conference. i love it. it makes my aimless scrolling a little less aimless and a little more inspired.

this though was the best. thank you elder nelson! i'll be quoting that to doug at every possible occasion.