Conference Talks

I just finished reading all of the Conference Talks. Wow! I love reading them. My poor Ensign though. It's marked up so much. Oh well, I can go back and find the good parts. Here are some of them that touched me. They are so relevant to what's going on in my life right now. It seems that the topic this year was keeping families together. It wasn't my choice not to keep my family together. As a matter of fact is has been a VERY big shock. That's another story for another day. President Eyring: "...He has offered us the family as an example of an ideal setting in which we can learn how to love as He loves...the greatest joys and the greatest sorrows we experience are in family relationships. And the sorry comes primarily from selfishness, which is the absence of love...A man and a woman are to make sacred covenants that they will put the welfare and happiness of the other at the center of their lives....whether the family will be together depends on the choices each family member makes...God nor she (the lady from the story) can compel another to choose happiness..." "Pray for the love which allows you to see the good in your companion. Pray for the love that makes weaknesses and mistakes seem small. Pray for the love to make your companion's joy your own. Pray for the love to want to lessen the load and soften the sorrows of your companion..." Elder Scott is one of my favorite apostles. His talk touched me as well . "...The inspiring influence of the Holy Ghost can be overcome or masked by strong emotions, such as anger, hate, passion, fear, or pride. When such influences are present, it is like trying to savor the delicate flavor of a grape while eating a jalapeno pepper. Both flavors are present, but one completely overpowers the other. In like manner, strong emotions overcome the delicate promptings of the Holy Spirit." Elder Jorge F. Zaballos, of the Seventy: "The Lord does not expect that we do what we cannot achieve...He knows us; He knows of our capabilities and our limitations." President Monson: "...is it possible to feel the Spirit of our Heavenly Father when we are angry? I know of no instance where such would be the case." Another recurring theme I saw was free agency and how other people use theirs can/will affect those around that person. Elder Oaks: "He will bless us to endure the consequences of others' choices, but He will not prevent those choices." And of course Elder Bednars' reminder of the many, many of my family home evenings growing up. (I have 4 brothers and 3 sisters.) I loved this talk! "He's touching me!" "Make him stop looking at me!" "Mom, he's breathing my air!"