Sorta-liveblogging general conference: Saturday morning session

I’ve decided to just repeat these introductions, because it’s a pain to try to come up with new ones each time. So, lifted from April’s entry…

So if you’re here, you probably already know the way these notes are laid out, because Google doesn’t give much weight in its search results to blogs that are only updated twice a year.

But in case you’re new to this, welcome! You should know that because blogs read in reverse chronological order, these posts are also in reverse chronological order. That is, the first speaker of this session is at the bottom of the post, then the second speaker is above that, and so on to the final speaker of the session, which immediately follows this introduction. Then the next session’s summary will appear above this post, so you can continue to read upwards in chronological order, since the bottom entry in that post will be the first speaker of that session.

Dallin H. Oaks, of the first presidency

• Many are troubled by questions about the spirit world, and what it will be like. Often, though, we are worried about the wrong things.
• We do not know the specifics, but we do know that there will be some repentance possible in the spirit world.
• We know some basics about the spirit world from canon, but we know very little beyond some basics.
• Some have had personal revelations about the spirit world (and there is much speculation), but these are not to be preached as doctrine.
• Trying to promote non-official doctrine as if it were official doctrine is not helpful, and in fact can be detrimental.

Dale G. Renlund, of the quorum of apostles

• [He started with a story from Kinshasa, and showed a picture of the temple there. It has a very nicely simple façade. I like it.]
• Various groups of converts—the Anti-Nephi-Lehies, early Christian converts in the area around Kinshasa—physically threw away the objects connected with their previous lives.
• These anchored them to the savior, just as our covenants anchor us—but only if we do so wholeheartedly.
• Turn your life to God, burying your weapons of rebellion, relying on God, who is a firm foundation and whose promises are sure.

Michelle Craig, of the general presidency of the young women organization

• We need to increase our spiritual capacity to receive revelation.
• When you are on the Lord’s errand, you qualify for the gift of the Holy Ghost—and you can pray for an errand from the Lord and b given one.
• There are many ways to build the kingdom of God, and each of us can receive personalized revelation to let us know how to do so.
• The Lord will prepare a way for us to build up the kingdom of God—not the way, but a way.

D. Todd Christofferson, of the quorum of apostles

• The joy of the saints denotes the joy of becoming Christlike.
• Joy comes from keeping Christ’s commandments.
• We get joy from overcoming through Christ the trials and challenges that can interrupt our joy.
• We receive joy when we serve as Jesus did.

Stephen W. Owen, general president of the young men organization

• We are relentlessly bombarded with messages, and if we are to hope to filter through them, we need revelation.
• Being faithful helps prepare the world for the second coming.
• Every generation has challenges, and the direction of Russell M. Nelson will help us get through the challenges we face today.
• Satan is the master of distraction and procrastination.

Terence M. Vinson, of the presidency of the seventy

• The gospel should be the framework upon which we build our lives.
• If we put our whole souls into something, we won’t regret it.
• The king of the Lamanites was willing to offer Ammon half his kingdom for his life—but he was willing to give up everything for the joy of the gospel.

Jeffrey R. Holland, of the quorum of apostles

• Telling the story of the blind man sitting by the road (from Luke), a note that the blind man had the good sense to surround himself with spiritually aware people, and the whole story hinges on that fact.
• Shout out to the general conference protestors!🤣
• General conference is surrounded by a joyful commotion, but it’s ultimately unhelpful if we don’t find Jesus in it.
• [One day i need to do a surface-level check of general conference addresses to find out is i’m right in thinking that Jeffrey R. Holland uses simply “Jesus” as a reference to that member of the godhead more than most other general authorities do.]
• We miss the real reason for things like changes in meeting times and youth programs if we don’t see them as a way to draw our attention to Jesus.