Sorta-liveblogging general conference: Sunday morning session

So now we’ve gotten to the Sunday morning session of general conference, a.k.a. sacrament meeting replacement timeslot.

Priesthood session last night was a pretty big deal for the men of the church, what with announcement of a restructuring of Melchizedek priesthood quorums, though i suspect a lot of women were all like, “So you’re doing it like we do now? [yawn]”. (With the exception, of course, of wives of elders quorum presidents and high priests group leaders, who realized they have a 50/50 chance of seeing their husband a bit more often.) So the big question: What are they going to do to top that?

So then. As with the rest of these, the first speaker is at the bottom with the entry running chronologically upward from there. Onward!



Russell M. Nelson, president of the high priesthood

• Talking about growing up in a home with great parents—but where the parents weren’t fully active in the gospel. (They weren’t sealed as a family until his parents were in their 80s.)
• Further talking about all sorts of family-related blessings he’s received, all of which have come from following the Spirit.
• God is incredibly willing to provide us revelation.
• Whatever our church calling, we can receive direction for matters large and small.
• Do you need revelation? Follow the example of Joseph Smith: Pray to God in the name of Jesus, and listen. As you repeat this process, you will “grow into the principle of revelation”.
• “Lay hold upon every good gift, beginning with the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Dallin H. Oaks, of the first presidency

• Death isn’t the conclusion of our identity, but a necessary step in our progression—and as part of that, the resurrection gives us a lively hope.
• A tree root’s growth is too small to be measured at a rate of days or even months, but it is powerful enough to crack a thick concrete sidewalk—just like the “small and simple” regular practices of our faith leads to incredible spiritual growth.
• The scriptures point out that “small means” result in the salvation of many souls.
• It is the commonplace tasks that often have the greatest effect on other people (quoting Howard W. Hunter).
• However, these small and simple things will not lift us to great things unless they are done consistently.
• Just as small and simple acts of goodness can result in greatness, small and simple things that lead away from righteousness can lead to bad ends.
• If we consistently do small things of righteousness, we will stay on the covenant path and be blessed accordingly.

Henry B. Eyring, of the first presidency

• It is your choice to let the Spirit into your life.
• “I have prayed to be allowed to feel something” of what Mary and the disciples on the road to Emmaus felt upon recognizing the resurrected Lord.
• We are sent the Holy Ghost as a companion, and are directed to receive it over our lifetimes.
• Joseph Smith knew his own wisdom wasn’t sufficient to let him know what to do, and so he humbled himself and asked for direction by praying in faith, and then obeyed when given direction and correction.
• “Inspiration will help us to minister to others for the Lord.”
• God the Father is aware of you and your needs, and the needs of everyone around you.

Claudio D. Zivic, of the quorums of seventy

• We need to be on guard against drifting into inactivity.
• Attending church allows us to take the sacrament, which is the most important thing we do on the sabbath.
• The trial of our faith requires us to obey, often without knowing the result in advance.
• What we need to do to be successful in the Lord’s way: Pray, take the sacrament each week, pay tithing, keep a current temple recommend, and serve in the work of the Lord.
• The Lord knows how to inspire and encourage us.

Massimo De Feo, of the quorums of seventy

• We are commanded to love God; God loves us.
• Love is the sign of every true disciple of Jesus.
• True disciples love to serve and forgive.
• True disciples make holy the places they stand.

Reyna I. Aburto, of the general presidency of the relief society

• Monarch butterflied do amazing things in their migrations, and they do it by working together.
• There are multiple examples in the scriptures of the Lord’s followers acting “in one accord”.
• We now have the opportunity to counsel together each month in our priesthood quorums and relief societies to determine how we can each individually contribute to unity.
• By working together we move the work forward one step at a time.

Larry Y. Wilson, of the quorums of seventy

• I really like this story of someone being repeatedly inspired to gain information.
• To receive the Spirit’s guidance more frequently, we must be obedient, which will lead us to have spiritual confidence.
• We shouldn’t just list our problems in prayer and ask the Lord to solve them, but rather ask what we can do.
• The time to gain early experience receiving inspiration is before a crisis occurs, so that when crises occur we can recognize inspiration when it comes.
• Seeking revelation is not seeking to be “command[ed] in all things”, but rather not doing so is sloth—“we must live a guided life”.
• [Wow, that was a sudden ending for a general conference address. I kinda like it.]