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I decided to take more serious notes this goround as I'll be giving a talk about these talks in a couple weeks. But why post them online? What is with this exercise in solipsism? Well, honestly, I post them mostly for the benefit of my own memory and so I'll know where to find them in the future.
But, with homes of making it slightly more worth-opening for others, I'm following the Center's poetic suggestion and thus will start with a found poem (of sorts):
Why did the temple workers cross the road?
the lord as sculptor, us as clay
we remake the covenant every week
we keep the covenant every day by serving
without divine comfort we risk losing hope
love is being interested in others' lives
being there with arms outstretched
when we see each other through christ's eyes, good things happen
all day long, just me and the cows, alone with my thoughts
the miracle of the propane!
missionaries meet people at wells every day
to do work for the other side
As always, these notes are not really for anyone else. Do not cite them under the assumption of accuracy. They may cause headaches or bloating. Discuss with your doctor prior to consumption.
I did notice some trends. A big push on the value of sacrament meeting, but President Uchtdorf's observation that it's the only ordinance where we are not called by name felt particularly significance to me. Recognition of sad missionaries. A lot about faith and community. Only one (brief) reference to the new schedule and the answer proposed to a question about the schedule answered a completely different question. So it goes.
*** SATURDAY MORNING ***
____Gerrit Gong
Why did the temple workers cross the road?
To do work for the other side.
(must be hard to translate)
doing temple work for embittered family members brought forgiveness
manifesting temple sacrifice in new ways
more often
more family names
serving as a worker
____Tamara Runia
dead-son, undetected cardia myopathy
all things will be for our own good
experience is valuable and the only way to get it is through
sometimes we're puzzled when we get what we need (rather than what we want)
sometimes were gonna get pelted
i know he loves his children but not the meaning of all things
ergo, hard times are part of love
become like him to live with him
carved from the things that make life hard
not understanding not the same as not believing
don't look sideways
suffering gives purpose to the path
the lego analogy (follow the instructions even if you lose the box)
a divine mending that changed what's happening TO you to something that's happening FOR you
the lord as sculptor, us as clay
he waits for an invitation before he goes to work
____Gerald Causse
the apostolic witness remains central and compelling
to know jesus christ is one of the greatest blessings
what does the lord expect me to do with this giftr
a testimony is not a gift o be hidden
but shared
spread I KNOWs as much as I LOVEs
testimony leads to becoming an instrument in his hands
____Vaiangina Sikahema
16hr journey by boat turned into two and a half days on first leg of trip to see Matthew Cowley
their son died; they buried him and moved on; like pioneers on the plains, yearning to be with an apostle
sail on
a famine of hearing the word of god (for noem)
that god speaks to prophets and apostles is the unflinching declaration of our church
the trip was worth it
once some leaders didn't want to publish the revelations
grateful for a legacy of faith and courage in the face of obstacles
____Kevin J Hathaway
tires came loose from a semi and hit two cars on their way, having left everything to serve the lord
a scriptural pattern of divine deliverance:
opposition comes to all and brings questions
such questions are not sin or weakness but can create a sacred space in which to seek jesus
king darius is an interesting choice....
how could this happen when i was one week away from hugging my dad
the past few weeks have been the most awful and the most sacred of my life
they help her endure what she cannot alone
thus needed growth and stretching occurs
and jesus consecrates our pain
he is not derelict in his deliverance
has not forgotten you
does not take joy in your suffering
but knows this is necessary and good
Kearon said jesus specializes in the impossible
and he's really good at it
he's perfect at it
____Ulysses Suarez
fasting and prayer
fasting makes us more humble, more aware of our dependence on god
better prepared to receive revelation
jesus's example shows that fasting and prayer may not remove burdens but instead bring heaven near
generous fast offerings turn our hearts to others
[what an interesting flower arrangement]
____Sean Douglas
bad choice of glasses; under this lighting he looks like a crosseyed supervillain who believes he means well (kinda like kirk douglas in guardians two, only crosseyed)
lord's excitations are high for missionaries but oh so worth it
baptized at 24, went inactive, filled out his papers, returned to church at 25, felt to serve a mission, decided to go, lord removed obstacles, became a wonderful/converted missionary, every trial consecrated for his gain
the day he got married he was also called as a bishop
what would your life be without a mission?
invitation to converts to serve
don't be distracted by alternatives of far less worth
come join the ranks! we need you!
bless a world suffering without knowledge
life up and rejoice for the hour of your mission is come
thrust in your sickle with all your soul etc etc
the people will receive you
____D Todd Christofferson
gambling! a plague on mankind since about the beginning
the percentage of adults now gambling is high
this is a good thing for a conference talk
we're in real trouble right now
solid joke on betting on the second coming
gambling crowds out things of value replacing them with greed
girls starting to catch up to boys re mobile gambling
people know the house always wins...they just think they're exceptions
constant online access can change gambling into a constant behavior
McKay Coppins!
we're betting that this time OUR civilization can beat the house
even if you can just do it once in a while for fun without real harm---what about your example to others?
a little gambling with a minor impact in your life may cause much greater harm to someone else
(really, reading McKay's article would be good for a YM activity)
paul's note on why not to eat the food for idols even though it doesn't harm you
as there is a risk to any soul, and as all are precious, just don't do it
besides: gambling is morally wrong, fullstop
any game comes at someone else's expence
how to reconcile with LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF?
gambling produces nothing of value, only enriches its purveyors
what does gambling do to gamblers?
it leads us from giving to taking
the act of taking (or trying to) without providing value in return is destructive to the spiritual
a key part of a life well lived is contributing to others, doing better without others doing worse
gambling, even for fun, leads away
opportunity cost
don't just refrain from gambling but use those resources for good
blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness
o be wise, what can i say more?
*** SATURDAY AFTERNOON ***
____Dale G Renlund
oh, that's a sweet tie
oatmeal/heartpatient story
comp: children of Israel in the wilderness
"i'm not extraordinary enough to warrant an exception"
the blessings are for all of us
____Timothy L Farnes
(elder mayhem)
oaks: brother. tell me how you are really doing
"it's what we do, isn't it?"
we remake the covenant every week
we keep the covenant every day by serving
moving story of anxious missionary waiting for a plane
____Christian C Chigbundu
"immunity"
SPIRITUAL immunity
what's his pin...?
small and simple things
great things brought to pass
- study the scriptures
lotta crying missionaries this session
- prayer
- sacrament
- ...something about the covenant path? the temple?
must be temple
these things are the armor of god
____Patricio M Giuffra
tithes and offerings
[necessary break, alas]
____Jeremiah J Morgan
community of christ, I assume?
i knew it was important to my mother
no time and effort spent reading the book of Mormon is wasted
i knew it and i knew that god knew it and i could not deny it
at 14 no less
his ancestors' temple covenants drew him back
dho: covenants do not take a day off
even though kids and grandkids retain agency
the influence of god maintains
pk: god uses every possible measure to draw us back
this'll be a message of hope for many
we are all the beneficiaries of countless covenants
god's covenants spread over all time and space
even over you
____Hutch U Fale
children of god
our families as models of that family
NT and BoM and OT all start with a focus on a family
there is nothing you can do to unearn a parent's love
[teartracks down his face!]
keeping covts only way to understand his love
this makes us immune to the misleading labels of the world (on us or on others)
also a lie: "too late"
father's message has always been there's still time to accept christ
hooray for Gideon bibles
____Patrick Kearon
i hope that Uchtdorf anecdote is true
(so fascinating which words this texteditor is choosing to cap)
you cant see rising air but you can see what it does
but, more important, you can feel it
we must avoid sink
and find lift
we can learn to feel these
nice use of pause, asking us when we felt spiritual lift and what it felt like
less pause for considering past sink
if you're not actively climbing, you're descending, perhaps so gradually you do not notice
we want lift yet may miss the quiet creep of neglect
the language of the spirit of god is not a language of words
____Michael A Dunn
ultramarathon anecdote
he quietly lightened my load
he took on my heaviest burden
the redeemer rescues not by shortening the course but by helping us lengthen our strides
christ deputizes the teds of the world to lift our burdens
feeling broken does not mean god has abandoned by you
we often can't see the lord's hand till much later
don't confuse the invisibleness of the lord's hand with anything wrong with his heart
____Matthew J Eyring
lots of dead kids / young adults today
mourning with those who mourn
comforting those who stand in need of comfort
the mortal journey designed to try our faith
without divine comfort we risk losing hope
which may make us stop trying
(the world short of other sources)
he has prepared our rescue from permanent tragedy
living with the hg should be among our highest priorities
____Ronald A Rasband
everyone must choose for themselves to follow jesus christ
cajoling alone will win no one
be not afraid nor dismayed; the battle is not yours but god
be at peace---we cannot change others' hearts; but god can and he knows them even better than we
he has the power and authority to heal all his children
love is being interested in others' lives
being there with arms outstretched
lifting in faith and hope
relies on calmness of hg
be a peacemaker
love is expressed in prayer
jesus already gave his life for those we love in order to bring them home, all the way home
what brought back the prodigal son?
love
he knew where to find it
never give up on those you love
remember the example of alma praying for his son
never let a problem to be solved be more important than a person to be loved (tsmonson)
jc is the answer---always has been---always will be
pray, mightily
build on the rock then trust him
*** SUNDAY MO3RNING ***
[just realized we're halfway through conference with not one comment on 25minute life]
____Henry B Eyring
life is sposeda be hard
challenges are varied as us
"...and in the hard days ahead"
"even your simple attention was a comfort"
evidence to them that the lord loves them
(another callout to missionaries having a hard time; in need of encouragement)
the lord will help you find ways to comfort those who are pleading for it
____Rosemary K Chibota
"i see you" as a greeting
jesus as an example of seeing those left unseen
your daughter sees me
christ's grace can life you above any label
before we were anything else, we were spirit children of heavenly parents
every person has divine worth
when we see each other through christ's eyes, good things happen
this week, learn the name of someone who deserves to be seen
____Neil L Andersen
lil bio of sister rosemary
it has always taken spiritual courage to be a disciple of jc
all day long, just me and the cows, alone with my thoughts
we need stillness to nourish our faith in christ
courage
____James O Fantone
MY profound thought is should he be signing his daughter's name
lot of recognition that missions are hard this conference
the work does not change; the workers do
____Edward Dube
no antitrespassing signs!
trespassers will be welcomed with christ's love!
come: it's an action; we choose to move
deny: surrender, let go
perfect: come as we are with a willing heart and get a new one
we do not perfect ourselves to come to christ; we come to christ to be perfected
[he has such great energy]
____Quentin L Cook
whate'er thou art, act well thy part
integrity
happiness as virtue
let virtue garnish your thoughts unceasingly
that we might have joy
all these things connected
not just bad manners; affects others
the ultimate reward of integrity and virtue is the companionship of the hg
____Alfred Kyungu
a spiritual exercise: identity what we need to forego and replace it with better
not the first talk about language usage
in the beginning was the word...
peace
____Ciro Schmeil
sacrament essential to have the strength to continue on the covt path
everyone will have a time of hesitance to go partake of the sacrament
but when you go anyway it'll keep you firm and solid
keeping sabbath activities right leads to good stuff
build our week around the sacrament, is his gist
____Dallin H Oaks
salvation was and is and is to come through jc
that's our invitation to all
we need one another's prayers
we are all in different places on the covt path
we need to be patient with each other and ourselves
we need to resolve conflicts between differing epistemologies
this requires faith
hold on to the first article of faith while other stuff un-understood
hold faith in the lord's timing
a major concern of your prophet leaders are those with diminishing faith in jesus christ
we love you
so does the lord god
he is relentless in his loving pursuit of each of you
ergo i urge you to keep the commandments and true to your covts
never let secular learning limit spiritual horizons
two methods of gaining knowledge
evolving knowledge of man through scientific method etc
truth discovered through spiritual method starting with faith
no ultimate conflict between them, however it looks now
increase our humility
Kimball said humility is teachableness, an ability to realize that not all virtues are concentrated in oneself
forgiving others because the same flaws may well be in us
protect yourself through weekly sacrament and consistent efforts to live by covts and attending temple for the endowed
bofm witness god reaches out to all
i invite all to believe
act on these truths
share them with others
invitation made in his name
*** SUNDAY AFTERNOON ***
____Dieter F Uchtdorf
spiritual growth like an exponential curve, starting small then whoosh
we desire to be part of a people who bear one another's burdens
when we join the church, we declare we want to follow jc and to do it together
granfalloons
not a granfalloon: we are all children of god
consider the story of lamanites and nephites when the all embraced jesus
when out attention is riveted on christ, superficial things are hardly worth noticing
NOW is the time to unify
it won't just magically happen in the next life
we need to take steps now
no matter how small
the sacrament is a chance to start over re unity
have you noticed it's the only ordinance where we are not called by name?
renewing covenants with god surrounded by others choosing the same
____Andrea Munoz Spannaus
god knows your exact location and can guide you to your destination
jesus beholding him loved him
choose one for the next few weeks:
take the sac humbly
repent daily
study scriptures to learn god's character
study what it means to have ministering angels
protect your sleep
limit cell use; exchange for real present connection
seek friends striving to follow the lord
god is at your side
study a of f 13 and create your own list of aspirations
____Moises Villanueva
hg helps to recognize blessings
the miracle of the propane!
____David A Bednar
to worthily receive them is the quest of a lifetime
to keep them is the challenge of mortality
---packer on covts
damaged passport
holding a valid passport created the opportunity but did not guarantee entry
of course, like all analogies, it only goes so far
consider: atonement
entry stamp like hg
the sealing ordinance has two parts:
lateral sealing of man and woman
vertical sealing of god to them through generations
both elements vital
the promise is clear even if the lord's means remain unrevealed
no faithful disciple will be denied any blessing bc of another person
consider on the blessed and happy state of those who keep the comms of god
____Thabo Lebethoa
contention, boo
feelings of inadequacy, fear, doubt, loss, uncertainty...
the answer is always jc
he restores hope where there was hopelessness
-increase faith
means trust jc understands our issues
strong faith doesn't grow overnight as my doubt
faith requires intentional effort
-study scriptures daily esp bofm
no single right way to study scriptures (share with seminary kids)
consistency of study style less important than consistency of effort
-practice repentance daily
(very similar to sis spannaus's talk)
today can be a new day
tomorrow will be a better day
for all who come until jc
____Paul H Sinclair
accidental straight jacket
i mean, girls vs boys, right?
you never know who will learn from your example
a true disciple of jc is quick to help and slow to judge
woman at the well to whom jesus was quick to offer grace
any day is ordinary till jesus shows up
he did not hold her hostage to her history; he trusted her with truth
arrive as a pariah, leave with a purpose
missionaries meet people at wells every day
when we help ppl rather than judge them we're preparing the world for the second coming
____Gary E Stevenson
one for the kids
"so sweet and juicy"
amazing photo
tree-of-life fruit
another recurring theme: our primary identity? children of god
that kid's even carrying a fruit!
the great plan of happiness
js IS the strength of youth
another great fruit---the gift of the holy ghost
____Gabriel W Reid
educators and an nfl player
lord do you have the right guy
well, love
the impact of a gospel lesson isn't just the lesson, it's the love of the messenger
Jesus's love didn't end when the lesson did (see 3n)
christ-centered love is rooted in relationships
first mention of new schedule!
that feels like a pretty misread answer to the proposed question....
____Clark G Gilbert
the oaks five:
-avoid overly contentious settings
oo, grand inquisitor ref
in the words of the gambler, know when to walk away
is it worth winning the debate only to lose the spirit or a friend?
-first find common ground
patience and listening
eating the fruit is a happy thing
being a light opens more doors than winning an argument
the first two comms symbiotic
____Dallin H Oaks
salt lake temple celebration
first time open to the public since 1843
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