Sorta-liveblogging general conference: Sunday morning session

Sunday morning, the extra-special holy session! (Or at least that’s the assumption i always had growing up.)

Russell M. Nelson, president of the high priesthood

• There has been much tribulation recently; the darkness of tribulation makes the light of Jesus Christ all the brighter.
• “We have front row seats to see live what the prophet Nephi saw only in vision”—that the people of God would receive the power of God in glory.
• Messages from God are simple, quiet, and easy to understand, in contrast to messages from the adversary, which tend to be loud, brash, and boastful.
• God our Father knows that when we are surrounded by uncertainty and fear, the thing that will help us most is to hear God the Son.
• The pattern for success, happiness, and joy in this life is built into the command: “Hear him.”
• We must be intentional in seeking out and hearing the word of God, whether from the scriptures, or in the temple, or heeding the words of the prophets.
• When the current restrictions are lifted, schedule regular times to serve in the temple—but in the meantime, increase your time spent in family history work.
• Transition into a new proclamation (the sixth in the history of the church): “The Restoration of the Fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World”.
• And then a transition into the Hosanna Shout.

David A. Bednar, of the quorum of apostles

• The sealing authority as restored through Elijah is necessary as part of the “rescue of this generation” (as Joseph Smith phrased it).
• The essence of the Lord’s work is changing and purifying hearts through ordinances, particularly temple ordinances.
• The ordinances of the temple allow the power of God to enter our lives.
• We do not go to the temple to escape the evils of the world, but rather to attain power to overcome the evils of the world.
• Over the next few years, the number of languages in which temple ordinances are available will likely double (from 88) as more and more temples are built.<.li>
• Brigham Young said that the work requires not just one temple, but thousands of temples.
• The work of the temples will one day destroy evil and bring about the salvation of the human family.

Jeffrey R. Holland, of the quorum of apostles

• God is a loving parent, not a harsh taskmaster or an absentee landlord.
• Two centuries ago doubt about the reality of the atonement and resurrection was beginning to take hold in Christendom, but the additional scripture that came with the restoration affirmed that Jesus really is the Christ.
• In our Father’s house are many mansions, but they would be nothing more than tumbledown shacks if we could not share them with our families.
• We can look back and see hopes that were fulfilled through the restoration—but what about looking forward? What hopes remain to be fulfilled?
• We are working now to eliminate the effects of the coronavirus, and we will ultimately succeed—and after that, we should work to eliminate the scourges of hunger and poverty, and we should work to ensure that children attend schools without fear of violence, and that there is personal dignity for all children of God unmarred by prejudice.
• We all need to believe that what we hope for in righteousness will someday be our reality.
• “If we finally lose hope, we lose our last sustaining possession.”
• Quoting someone else: “We did not come this far, only to come this far.”

Bonnie H. Cordon, general president of the young women organization

• By virtue of the restoration, we can be filled with the light of the gospel—but that light isn’t supposed to be for us alone, but must be shared.
• [Great story about her as a child leading L. Tom Perry along a dark path, but not realizing that he needed to see the light from her flashlight on the path to walk safely.]
• Just as Jesus doe with the Samaritan woman at the well, we can begin with something familiar to those we interact with, and then move onward to sharing our light with them.
• We can and should intentionally share our light as the Holy Spirit helps us.

Ronald A. Rasband, of the quorum of apostles

• The church is a living example of the restitution inherent in the fulness of times.
• Many prophets spoke of our day and looked forward to it.
• We are the people tasked with ushering in the second coming of Jesus Christ.
• “Regardless of how we look or dress, we are one people…”
• Temple Square serves not just as a draw for members of the church to do temple work, but also as a draw for people visiting from around the world.
• The restoration as prophesied by prophets ancient and modern continues today.

Sorta-liveblogging general conference: Saturday evening session

Time for the extra-special bonus session, this time for everyone! (I mean, everyone was watching them at home together anyway, might as well make it official, right?)

Russell M. Nelson, president of the high priesthood

• This church does a lot of temporal good, but its primary purpose is to bring the children of God to eternal life.
• Thanks for progress on using the name of the church rather than nicknames that don’t focus on Jesus Christ.
• Announced: New logotype and logo for the church.
• Let us not just talk of Christ, or use a logo of Christ, but rather show faith in Christ.
• God has all power, wisdom, and understanding—and so in times like the present, it is only natural that we call on the power of God.
• Asking for another fast for all whose health permits on Good Friday, to the effect that the pandemic will be controlled, caregivers protected, and the economy strengthened.
• What counts as a fast? Tradition is two meals, but ultimately it’s whatever constitutes a sacrifice for you.

Dallin H. Oaks, of the first presidency

• The priesthood is a divine power and authority held in trust to be used for the benefit of God’s children—it is not those who hold the priesthood.
• The power of the priesthood exists both in the church and in the family organization, though they function differently in each sphere.
• In the church, all ordinances are performed under the auspices of the leader who holds the keys to those ordinances.
• Though women don’t hold offices in the priesthood, they perform ordinances in the temple under the auspices of the one who holds keys for them (i.e., the temple president).
• Within the family, however, there is no need to have the direction or approval of one who holds keys to perform priesthood functions.
• A woman who presides in the home is not authorized to perform ordinances that require holding a particular office, but she can still exercise priesthood authority in all the ways a man presiding in the home would.
• It is better to be filled with light than with darkness; if we focus on the things of eternity rather than seeking for evil, we will be filled with light—our light or darkness depends on how we see/receive the truths of eternity.

Henry B. Eyring, of the first presidency

• This conference should be unforgettable—but whether it will actually be unforgettable will depend on each of us individually.
• God knows all of us, and teaches us without forcing us.
• The visions described in Doctrine & Covenants 110 are an example of the way God teaches us, when viewed in the context of the years leading up to them—God had a detailed step by step plan.
• Whenever we find an inspired solution to a problem, we open the door to greater solutions for other problems.

Jean B. Bingham, general president of the relief society

• Adam and Eve learned through the Fall that it was necessary to act in unity.
• Adam and Eve understood the interdependency of the roles of women and men, but that was lost over time—but the restoration brought back understanding.
• Women are just as able to receive revelation as men are, and have access to priesthood power just as men do.
• Men and women are to work together, and not to compete for primacy.
• [Then a brief video of Russell M. Nelson talking about the key roles of women in the very early church.]
• Men and women need to work together in the priesthood in their different but complementary roles.
• We are surrounded by “me first” messages, but we need to resist their pull.
• We need to resist cultural biases and embrace divine patterns—men shouldn’t be “pretend partners” [her words!], women shouldn’t feel like they need to do everything in a relationship.

Enzo S. Petelo, of his local priests quorum

• To serve as Joseph Smith did, we must qualify to be worthy of priesthood power.
• By exercising the priesthood worthily, we become fellow-laborers with all of the priesthood holders throughout history and the present day.
• Being worthy to use the priesthood requires us to be more careful and less casual in what we do.

Laudy R. Caouk, of her local ward’s young women organization

• Priesthood blessings can help us overcome challenges and feel peace.
• Through the priesthood, we have the opportunity to receive blessings of comfort, patriarchal blessings, the blessings of the temple…
• The priesthood is necessary for the work of God to proceed, and thus for the world itself to work as it should.

Gerrit W. Gong, or the quorum of apostles

• Anniversaries like this 120th anniversary year of the first vision, or the upcoming celebration of Easter, are opportunities to focus on events of great worth.
• Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, which commemorates significant events, as does the following week leading up to Easter.
• In fulfillment of prophecy, on Easter (and the onset of Passover) 1836, Jesus Christ, Elijah, and others came to entrust the keys of this dispensation to the restored church.
• The Passover commemorates the release of the people of Israel from bondage and the safety provided by the blood of the lamb.
• This general conference, we celebrate restoration and revelation.
• In a very real way, we are all beginners in our gospel journey, progressing into the gospel adventure that God has prepared for us.

Sorta-liveblogging general conference: Saturday afternoon session

Next session, same ordering as all the rest of these.

Gary E. Stevenson, of the quorum of apostles

• Brigham Young prophesied great things about temples, including that they would one day number in the hundreds.
• The Salt Lake temple is undergoing a seismic renovation and restoration of its foundation right now—and, in a different sense, we should renovate and restore our spiritual foundations ourselves.
• To evaluate our foundation, consider the first few questions of the temple recommend interview.
• Having faith doesn’t mean nothing bad will happen, but rather that there will be light again eventually, and that light will be greater for having walked through the dark.
• Brigham Young wanted the Salt Lake temple built in a manner that it would last through the Millennium; similarly, may our spiritual foundations be built such that we and our families will last through the Millennium.

Benjamin M. Z. Tai, of the quorums of seventy

• Each of us can study the Book of Mormon according to our own circumstances.
• As we strive to know the truth of the Book of Mormon, we will be given a knowledge of its truth as we need it, in the way we need it.
• “Conversion requires us to be doers of the word, and not hearers only.”
• As we act, we will overcome fear and will be given all things that we should do.

Dale G. Renlund, of the quorum of apostles

• Good things can come from bad things [demonstrated through a painfully sad story].
• All of us receive gifts we cannot provide for ourselves, and it is our job to use them properly.
• All of us can be profoundly transformed—God has promised us a new heart, if we will but take it.
• Jesus Christ stands waiting with open arms to heal and purify all of us.
• Salvation and exaltation comes at a great cost, but we can (should, even) be “reverently joyful” for it.
• God isn’t insulted when we forget, but rather is deeply disappointed.
• “The Savior loves to restore what you cannot restore.”

Gérald Caussé, presiding bishop

• The Book of Mormon exists to affirm the reality and meaning of what Jesus Christ has done for the world.
• From the Book of Mormon, we can understand more of the atonement.
• Taking hold of the atonement is a real experience, and demonstrates that lives can be changed through Jesus.
• As we pattern our lives after Jesus, we will become more like him until we ultimately reach perfection “in that perfect day”.

John A. McCune, of the quorums of seventy

• As followers of Christ we are not spared trials and may be asked to do things that seem overwhelming, but we can feel Christ’s love and support when we do what we should.
• There may be times when the only thing we can rely on is Jesus Christ, and it is a blessing to be able to have that.
• When trials lead people to question truth, it is our responsibility to love them and help them come unto or return to Christ.

Ulisses Soares, of the quorum of apostles

• The coming forth of the Book of Mormon began long before Joseph Smith received the plates.
• Prophets had foretold the Book of Mormon.
• Joseph Smith's marriage to Emma Hale, in fact, was part of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. [Intriguing thought, that one is.]<.li>
• In a wide sense the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion, and it can become the keystone of our faith at an individual level.
• Each of us can be a part of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in our own lives.

Kevin R. Jergensen, of the church auditing department

• [Why do we even do this?]

Dallin H. Oaks, of the quorum of apostles, sustaining of church officers

• [Seen online: Gonna get real awkward if someone shouts “Opposed!” this time.😂]

Sorta-liveblogging general conference: Saturday morning session

So this is probably the last one of these i post here. It’s nice having my conference notes in an easy place to find, but it’s kind of a bother (and a little distracting during the conference, honestly) to take notes in this sort of restrictive format.

However, i’m still committed to doing this for this round, so as with the others of these, it’s arranged “bottom up”, with the first speaker at the bottom, and going later in the session upwards from there. (The comments under each speaker’s name, though, read from the name downward. It’s confusing at first, but it works.)

Before getting to that, though, i do want to say how happy i am that the leaders of the church are modeling “social distancing”—there are a number of religious leaders in this country who apparently think that being religious exempts us from common sense during a pandemic.

Henry B. Eyring, of the first presidency

• As we prepared for this conference, we had the opportunity to become more optimistic and ready to move the work forward.
• What we will do in the coming days is not yet known, but we do know some things.
• The gospel will be offered to all people on earth, and we have the opportunity to join together in unity and then be a part of spreading that unity.
• We need to practice the pattern of faith and drawing near to God through constant prayer.
• Consider Joseph Smith’s response when Satan attacked him in the sacred grove—it was to call on God with all his energy, which is what we should do when the “enemy of the restoration” [his phrasing!] tries to convince us not to pray and not to do our part.
• As we pray in faith, we become a vital part of God’s work.

Douglas D. Holmes, of the general presidency of the young men organization

• Our relationships are one of the primary purposes that we gather in groups in faith, and they are the basis of effective ministering.
• Helping others understand their true identity and purpose, and as God does, is one of the greatest gifts we have.
• As we plan church gatherings, remember that we need to plan them to achieve unity in Christ.
• [Interesting to be taught about church gatherings…at a time when we can’t have any church gatherings.]
• In the youth programs the church formerly had, there were about 500 different requirements to achieve recognition, but now there is effectively one—come unto Christ.
• The youth in the church today are important to the church, and have the capacity to change the world in great ways.

Neil L. Anderson, of the quorum of apostles

• From time to time, God very powerfully and personally affirms love for us, and directs us—and then at later times the Spirit brings those experiences back to our minds.
• God’s workings in our lives can be very attuned to our specific needs and times, giving us spiritual memories we can continually return to [along with several examples from his own and others’ experiences].
• Sometimes God speaks so loudly and clearly to us that we might not realize it.
• Angels have not ceased to minister to us, because they minister at the command and will of God.

Joy D. Jones, general president of the primary organization

• Topic: Women’s continuing roles in the restoration.
It is time for women to step forward and use the influence they are entitled to have.
• [And now to a pre-recorded clip of Sesame Street children asking Russell M. Nelson questions!]
• Our journey in life takes effort and hard work, but brings eternal rewards.
• There are many things to do, too many to do them all, so the Spirit helps us determine what we should do.
• Everyone who keeps their covenants has access to the power of God, and to priesthood power.

James R. Rasband, of the quorums of seventy

• The atonement satisfies the “demands of justice”—but what are the demands of justice?
• There will be a “righteous judgment” through the atonement—which means that sins made in ignorance, or in the absence of agency, will not be held against us.
• Where knowledge is given, however, we will be held accountable—but this is also glad tidings, because healing through repentance is possible.
• We all make mistakes, and those mistakes sometimes affect others negatively even to the point of leading them into sin, but if they simply look to God and take advantage of the atonement, they will be healed, which is part of our own healing when we are the ones who caused the initial problem.

M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of Apostles

• Starting out with a history of the circumstances surrounding Joseph Smith, Jr’s growing up, and the family’s move to western New York.
• The Smiths were able to successfully start over when they moved because they were united as a family.
• [Interesting, this is kind of a “harmony” of the four primary-source accounts of the first vision.]
• Hyrum Smith [who, by the way, is one of M. Russell Ballard’s ancestors] was his brother Joseph’s faithful support, even to their deaths.
• We should always keep in mind the price paid by Joseph and Hyrum Smith and so many others to bring us the truths we enjoy now.

Russell M. Nelson, President of the High Priesthood

• We’re currently facing trials due to a pandemic, but there are other trials of other sorts we may face—but God has said that if we are prepared we shall not fear.
• In the first vision, when God the Father pointed to Jesus Christ and said “Hear him”, that was ultimately a command to all of us.
• There will be a worldwide solemn assembly in conjunction with this general conference on Sunday.

Sorta-liveblogging general conference: Sunday afternoon session

If you’re coming to this after the conference has ended, this may be the first of these entries you see, so for those new to this or who’ve forgotten, here’s how to read them: Blogs run—going against millennia of best practice in reading and writing, i’ll note—in reverse chronological order, so this one’s at the top of the page, followed by the entry for the previous session, followed by the previous one, and so on. Therefore, to make it easier to follow this whole thing chronologically, speakers are arranged within each session’s entry in reverse chronological order, as well—so the opening speaker for this session is at the bottom of this post, preceded by the next speaker, preceded by the next one, and so on.

So now it’s time to scroll down and read upwards, or start here and go backwards in time:

Closing thoughts

There was a lot of intensity this conference. Yeah, that’s probably the right word to use.
• My favorite address is a toss-up between Reyba I.Aburto in the general women’s session and Russell M. Nelson’s address that closed the Sunday morning session; I’ll have to give the nod to Sister Aburto just because she gets fewer chances to speak.
• But I also have to say that the best-delivered address was Peter M. Johnson’s. It’s always good to have people around who grew up in a different and more, well, lively preaching tradition.
• And that’s a wrap! Time to read up on the First Vision before the next one…

Russell M. Nelson, president of the high priesthood

• Some will visit our temple open houses and desire to learn more about how to qualify for those blessings—and we must be ready to help them do so.
• Consider the words on every temple: “Holiness to the Lord”. All of the requirements to enter the temple deal with holiness.
• [He listed the temple recommend questions, including recent edits for—his word—clarity, though no real substantive changes.]
• “In a sense, it is easier to build a temple than to build a people prepared to enter a temple.”
• A reminder that next year is the bicentennial of the First Vision, and the next general conference will celebrate that—and all members are asked to prepare for that.

Neal L. Andersen

• We must partake of the fruit of the gospel of Jesus Christ—but then it is not all done.
• At times little things can upend our spiritual balance—but please don’t let those things turn you away from the fruit of the gospel.
• Jesus Christ is the source of all joy—if we look to the world, we will never find joy.

Ulisses Soares

• All those who wish to follow Jesus must deny their own desires, and follow precisely what God wills for them.
• Our determination to follow God means that we will be protected from those things that can overcome those things that could overwhelm us.
• Always strive to do your best—retain the desire to “cleanse the inner vessel”.
• As we strive to do what we should, God will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
• “We cannot repent for other people, but we can forgive them.”
• Taking up our cross means being humble, and recognizing that God knows what is best for us—and that will provide rest for our souls, and make our burdens light.

Peter M. Johnson, of the quorums of seventy

• “If we do not understand who we are then it is difficult to understand who we can become.”
• Satan uses deception, distraction, and discouragement to steal our happiness.
• How do we overcome this? Remember that the first commandment is to love God, which will increase our capacity to love and serve others; pray every day; and study the Book of Mormon every day; take the sacrament worthily.
• [Dang, this guy knows how to preach!]

M. Russell Ballard, acting president of the quorum of apostles

• Don’t miss an opportunity to look into the eyes of your family with love.
• Express your love and appreciation for family members.
• By seeking spiritual help through the Holy Ghost, we can overcome all things.
• How are we doing in the battle between our carnal and spiritual natures?
• Remember that our spirits have been around much longer than our physical bodies—our spirits have more experience.
• We need to think about how we are controlling our carnal desires, and promoting our spiritual impulses.

Hans T. Boom, of the quorums of seventy

• We need all of the (metaphorical) instruments in the church—everyone has something to contribute, no matter what parts they play.
• Even those who don’t play as frequently (like the gong) are needed.
• If you feel you are not currently able to be a part of the orchestra, keep at it and your burdens will be lifted from you.
• As we experience God’s love, it will brighten our lives and others will be drawn to that light.

Henry B. Eyring, of the first presidency

• We can be sanctified (i.e., become more holy) when we exercise faith in Jesus Christ, follow the commandments, and make covenants.
• We can hear the Holy Ghost when there is spiritual peace in our hearts.
• The Holy Ghost brings peace and joy.
• Feelings of happiness, even in the face of tragedy, is a promised blessing for a life of holiness.
• When we choose to repent, we choose to become holier—we choose to become more like Jesus Christ.

Sorta-liveblogging general conference: Sunday morning session

Sunday morning! Historically, the “big leagues” session, because if people away from the Mormon Dominance Area only heard/saw one session, it was this one. Not so much anymore, though—but it still has sort of an aura, you know?

Russell M. Nelson, president of the high priesthood

• As he travels the world, his purpose is to build others’ faith—but instead he always returns with his own faith strengthened.
• The church exists to help those who are in need.
• The church’s organized humanitarian efforts started in 1984, with a churchwide fast to help those suffering from the famine in Ethiopia.
• [He then gave a solid overview of church humanitarian efforts.]
• [He mentioned both church efforts to help rebuild mosques and assist refugees. I’m going to suggest there are a good number of members, perhaps specially in the United States, who need to be reminded that refugees an Muslims are good people.]
• “Living [the] second great commandment is the key to becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ.”
• [I’ll admit it, i kept expecting a “therefore, today we are announcing…” But that wasn’t the reason for it—no announcements, just a reminder of what we’re doing and what we should be doing. Most excellent.]

Gary E. Stevenson, of the quorum of apostles

• [He started with a pair of stories, the morals of which are, i think, that his family shouldn’t ever be around animals.]
• There are some dangers before us: Either that we want things that are right to be different than they are, or that we don’t recognize things that are wrong as being what they are.
• The Spirit will, however, not lie or mislead.

Walter F. González, of the quorums of seventy

• Whatever we are experiencing, we can trust in the mercy and goodness of God.
• If you feel unclean or broken, you can be made clean and mended because God loves you.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, of the quorum of apostles

• The plan of God promised so much difficulty that many chose against it—but we accepted the challenge, believing that the promised reward was great enough to brave the discomfort.
• The gospel is simple enough for a child to grasp, but so full that we can barely grasp the smallest part of it with a lifetime of study and experience.
• “The gospel is not about doing things perfectly, but about doing things intentionally”—it is not our outcomes that determine our success, but rather our choices.
• When we have the love of Christ in our hearts we love those who dislike or even ridicule us, and there is no room for rancor or shaming.
• It is time to choose to be a part of the great adventure which is the gospel path.

Christina B. Franco, of the general presidency of the primary organization

• [My linguist self absolutely adores her accent. She’s Argentinian, but her vowels are so Northern Cities (roughly, the Upstate New York to the Dakotas corridor). It’s a delightful combination. But it also means that i’m busy listening to the form of her speech, and not the content…]
• We can all be part of the work of sharing the gospel with others.
• We can pray for inspiration in sharing the gospel, and also for the ability to act on that inspiration.
• [I'm liking that we’re hearing an intensely missionary-oriented address from a woman—we don't usually get that (except in the context of children sharing the gospel, which is how this started, but she’s going beyond that).]

Gerrit W. Gong

• The age-old paradox is still valid: By losing our worldly self in covenant belonging, we gain our greatest possible eternal self.
• We may lost faith in God along the way, but God never loses faith in us.
• By making covenants, we can stop being miserable and “be happy being happy”.

Sorta-liveblogging general conference: General women’s session

The general women’s session! And yes, i’m male, but i figure that if my wife gets to sit in on the priesthood sessions as i listen to them, i get to hang out for this one.

So once more, the speakers run bottom-up, so if you scroll down to the bottom of the post now…

Russell M. Nelson, president of the high priesthood

• Everyone who makes covenants with God and keeps those covenants has direct access to the power of God.
• Women who make covenants have as much access to the priesthood power as men who hold the priesthood.
• How can you access that power? By doing the same things Emma Smith was directed to do in section 25 of the book of Doctrine and Covenants.
• Every time you serve and worship in the temple you leave armed with power.
• Women being sidelined or ignored or misjudged goes against the commandments of God.
• Being set apart in a calling gives you priesthood authority; the temple endowment authorizes you to officiate in the priesthood.
• If someone says to a single mother that they don't have the priesthood in your home, they don’t know what they’re talking about.
• The temple is central to receiving our highest blessings.
• New temples: Freetown, Sierra Leone; Orem, Utah; Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; Bentonville, Arkansas; Bacolod, Philippines; McAllen, Texas; Cobán, Guatemala; Taylorsville, Utah.

Dallin H. Oaks, of the first presidency

• We are to love everyone as ourselves—but in doing so, we have to love God, which involves keeping his commandments.
• Those commandments include following the law of chastity, which limits sexual expression to marriage, and God recognizes marriage as between a man and a woman.
• Those who don’t act as we believe should be treated with compassion.

Henry B. Eyring, of the first presidency

• All those who have been baptized have been called to serve others.
• As we stay close to God, we can be prepared to minister to others.
• We have great power to shape others’ lives as we keep our covenants.

Bonnie H. Cordon, general president of the young women organization

• The young women theme is being revised (including a shift from we to i, and an explicit reference to heavenly parents).
• Young women should be divided into classes according to the ward’s specific circumstances, not necessarily three of them.
• Classes will simply be called “young women”, not beehive, MIA maid, and laurel.
• Every class should have a presidency.
• Class presidencies are an opportunity for youth to have experiences with revelation.
• The structural changes should be in place by the turn of the year.

Lisa L. Harkness, of the general presidency of the primary organization

Names are given for many purposes, but we have all taken a name on ourselves: The name of Christ.
• That gives us a “covenant identity and belonging”.
• Our promise to always remember the savior gives us strength in all situations.
• Taking the name of Christ upon ourselves isn’t just words—it is engraved on our hearts, and affects all of our interactions.

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

• Depression and anxiety can keep us from feeling connected to God.
• Such things can affect anyone, no matter who they are. If our pain blocks our ability to feel the love of God, we should seek appropriate medical and spiritual help.
• When we open up about our emotional challenges and admit we are not perfect, we help others open up about their challenges, and we learn we are not alone.
• Sometimes mental illnesses can be easily treated, but others may not be. Either way, treatment is needed.
• Depression is not the result of weakness or sin.
• We need to stop making judgments about the spirituality of others—and if we show empathy, we may be able to help lift others’ burdens.
• If you face such afflictions, share your story to help others.

Sorta-liveblogging general conference: Saturday afternoon session

As with the rest of these entries, the first speaker is at the bottom of the post, and then you can read up to follow chronologically.

Ronald A. Rasband, of the quorum of apostles

• Teaching our children will protect them and help set them up for success in their later lives.
• Keeping promises is not a habit, but rather a characteristic of a disciple of Jesus.
• The gathering of Israel is simply giving all a chance to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ
• We must keep our promises, and as we do this God will back us up as we build up the kingdom.

Jorge M. Alvarado, of the quorums of seventy

• It is our responsibility to teach our children to love God—we cannot assume they will do it on their own.
• Children will be strengthened by the faith of their parents, which will help them get through the trials of life.

L. Todd Budge, of the quorums of seventy

• The difficulties of life can lead to concerns that seem too much for us, but God can provide a way for us.
• The only way we can get through the worst of what life faces us with is by putting our trust in God.
• Note that the Jaredites were given a way to cross the sea in a way that may have seemed impossible, but God gave them a way and they rejoiced even while they were on the way.

Mark L. Pace, general president of the Sunday school organization

• We need a firm foundation in Christ, and the recent programmatic changes can help develop that.
• “The goal isn’t to make church one hour shorter, it is to make church six days longer.”
• The attacks of Satan are increasing, but gospel teaching in the home will ensure that the influence of Satan decreases.

Quentin L. Cook, of the quorum of apostles

• Young men presidencies at the ward level are being discontinued.
• The bishopric is in charge of the Aaronic priesthood quorums—but this does not mean that the bishop can shirk responsibility for the young women of the ward.
• Ward young women presidents now report directly to the bishop, and that can't be delegated to a bishop's counselor.
• The stake young men’s president will now be a high councilor (as will the stake Sunday school president).
• These (and the other organizational) changes announced here don’t have to be implemented immediately, but must be done by the turn of the year.

Russell M. Nelson, president of the high priesthood

• Restating the recent policy change on witnessing for baptisms.
• The changes are made to encourage family participation in ordinances.
• There will be changes in the youth programs—those for young men to be announced in the next address, and those for young women in the general women’s session.

Rubén V. Alliaud, of the quorums of seventy

• [This was mostly his conversion story.]

David A. Bednar, of the quorum of apostles

• [In his whole description of cheetah hunting methods, what i’m learning is that i have great respect for cheetahs. I don’t think that’s the lesson i’m supposed to be getting from this.]
• We need to be aware of beguiling evils that pretend to be good.
• Spiritual thoughtlessness or inattentiveness invites great danger into our lives.
• We have spiritual appetites that are necessary for survival—and so Satan tempts us through those appetites, which are appetites that Satan (lacking a body) does not have.
• As you respond in faith, you will be inspired to know what you should do to take on the whole armor of God.

Sustaining of church officers and authorities, presented Henry B. Eyring, of the first presidency

• The president and acting president of the quorum of apostles got their own fully separate line in the sustaining list. Is that normal? Can’t remember.
• The sustaining included a crazy long list of releases of area seventies. I’m starting to feel like one day they’ll take up an entire session…

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.

Sorta-liveblogging general conference: Sunday afternoon session

If you’re coming to this after the conference has ended, this may be the first of these entries you see, so for those new to this or who’ve forgotten, here’s how to read them: Blogs run—going against millennia of best practice in reading and writing, i’ll note—in reverse chronological order, so this one’s at the top of the page, followed by the entry for the previous session, followed by the previous one, and so on. Therefore, to make it easier to follow this whole thing chronologically, speakers are arranged within each session’s entry in reverse chronological order, as well—so the opening speaker for this session is at the bottom of this post, preceded by the next speaker, preceded by the next one, and so on.

So now it’s time to scroll down and read upwards, or start here and go backwards in time:

Closing thoughts

• My favorite address? It’s a toss-up between David P. Homer and Sharon L. Eubank. I think i’m going to go with the latter, but i’m still uncertain of whether that’s the right call.
• And also, no huge policy change announcements! I have to admit, it did my bitter little heart good to see all the rumors of Big Changes Indeed to the missionary program or the word of wisdom or whatever come to precisely naught.

Russell M. Nelson, president of the high priesthood

• God wants us all to choose to return home.
• The pioneer-era temples will all go through renovation and restoration over the coming years.
• New temples announced for: Pago Pago, American Samoa; Okinawa, Japan; Neiafu, Tonga; Tooele Valley, Utah; Moses Lake, Washington; San Pedro Sula, Honduras; Antofagasta, Chile; Budapest, Hungary.
• And just like that, it’s over!

Ronald A. Rasband, of the quorum of apostles

• [I can’t be the only one who has a good enough memory of either 1990s politics or early 2000s police procedural dramas that every time i see Ronald A. Rasband, the first thought i have is “Oh, look! It's former United States senator and dramatic actor Fred Thompson!”]
• Our homes should be a fortress against the attacks of Satan.
• Satan often works with subtlety in the shadows—but God works from a position of strength.
• Obedience builds strength against Satan’s wiles.
• We should focus on the temple, and take refuge there.
• We should strive to develop a spirit of discernment, so that we don’t have to continually determine anew what is right and what is wrong.
• We can go forth with confidence in the Lord, and take safety in the fortress than is the gospel and bring others to it, as well.

Kyle S. McKay, of the quorums of seventy

• When the Lord (or the Lord’s servants) say “soon” or :not many days hence” or such, it doesn’t always mean soon in the way we usually think about it.
• However, God gives immediate hope for eventual deliverance.
• “Above all, God’s love is immediate.”
• It may take a lifetime or longer for your deliverance to arrive, but you will still have access to the immediate goodness of God.

David A. Bednar, of the quorums of apostles

• Our commitment to live and learn according to truth is increasingly important—we can’t expect to just participate in church programs and get all the spiritual strength we need.
• We cannot rely entirely on other people for spiritual strength, even those we know and love.
• The “ultimate missionary training center”, the most important Sunday school classes, our family history centers should actually be our homes.
• Two basic guidelines can help us obtain an understanding of the temple ordinances: Because we love the Lord, we should always speak about the temple with reverence; and we should know that the temple is the house of the Lord, and everything in it is designed to point us toward the Lord.
• There is a lot of information about the temple available from authorized sources, in a lot of different formats—use it.

Gerrit W. Gong, of the quorum of apostles

• Jesus Christ as the good shepherd calls us in his voice and by his name; as we do what we are supposed to, we hearken to that call.
• The savior reaches out to the one and to the ninety and nine, often at the same time.
• Jesus exemplifies how shepherds are to minister and love.
• The savior will gently lead us an carry us, as our needs require.

Juan Pablo Villar, of the quorums of seventy

• Our muscles will only grow if we use them—and spiritual gifts work the same way.
• [I can’t do it justice here, but he told a great story about his brother, who was a full-time missionary at the time, being really, really smart in the way he taught his little brother.]
• Life is a marathon, not a sprint—so don’t forget those small experiences that will strengthen our faith.
• If you want faith, do things that require faith.

Dallin H. Oaks, of the first presidency

• The laws of man and the laws of God are different.
• Under the laws of man, a sentence of life without parole is possible; under the laws of God, forgiveness is available to all who are willing to do what is necessary to receive it.
• All must repent—repentance is a necessary part of God’s plan.
• Mortal judgments determine whether someone is ready for baptism, or to receive a temple recommend, or to have repented enough to be rebaptized—that doesn’t absolve sins, because forgiveness can only come from God.
• The final judgment comes from Jesus Christ, and we will confess that his judgment is just—so we must repent before the final judgment.
• If the wicked turn to God, God will “have mercy and abundantly pardon”.

Sorta-liveblogging general conference: Sunday morning session

Sunday morning! Historically, the “big leagues” session, because if people away from the Mormon Dominance Area only heard/saw one session, it was this one. Not so much anymore, though—but it still has sort of an aura, you know?

But yeah, as with the rest of these entries, the first speaker is at the bottom of the post, and then you can read up to follow chronologically.

Russell M. Nelson, president of the high priesthood

• Even in the face of tragedy (specifically: the death of his daughter), there is the knowledge that the work continues, and the faithful are helping it progress.
• When approaching the end of our mortal lives, we will be brought face to face with the question: Where is my family?
• Salvation is an individual matter, but exaltation is a family matter.
• The great tragedy is that many people—even good people!—reject the invitation to make covenants with God and have the opportunity to be reunited with their families and have the blessing of neverending joy and happiness as they progress forever.
• Figure out where you are, and start there—if you don’t know if you even believe in God, start there and seek for experiences with God.

Tad R. Callister, recently released as general president of the Sunday school

• How can the savior satisfy justice when healing us of our sins?
• Consider skydivers, who jump from airplanes and are subject to the law of gravity—but can land safely because they have parachutes that work within the law of gravity to permit a safe landing.
• When people refuse to forgive themselves, they are converting an infinite atonement into a finite one.
• How does Jesus succor us in our afflictions? Sometimes by removing them—but also by comforting us in them, or giving us an eternal perspective.
• Ultimately, even our weaknesses can become perfections.

D. Todd Christofferson, of the quorum of apostles

• After the second coming, there will be no evil or pain—even the pain of death will be done away.
• So let us do all we can to relieve suffering now, and let us do all we can to prepare for the day in which all suffering will end.
• We must prepare ourselves as a people for the great day of the Lord—both to increase righteousness on the earth, and to gather together as a refuge against the day of wrath.
• We must take part in the gathering—we must share the gospel to all around us.
• The Lord labors with us when we share the gospel—or, more accurately, the Lord permits us to join in the work.

Quentin L. Cook, of the quorum of apostles

• We need to make invitations to learn more of our faith lovingly.
• The new Sunday meeting schedule provides opportunities to make invitations to gather with us.
• Men and women have different stewardships, but they are equal in importance, and they have equal power to receive revelation for their families.

Sharon L. Eubank, of the general presidency of the relief society

• Life can be difficult and exhausting—but Jesus promises us that if we come to him, we will be given rest.
• Recall that Jesus reached out to those who weren’t traditionally accepted in society.
• Assurance comes in ways that aren’t always easy to analyze, but it gives us light in our darkness.
• Even if our sins are scarlet—even if they’re dyed in the wool scarlet, and can never by rational means be removed—Christ is wool made white.
• No matter how hard it tries, the darkness can never put out the light that is Christ.

Dale G. Renlund

• How do we obtain blessings from God? Are they completely earned by our own activity, or are they completely unearned?
• For an analogy, consider a bonfire all set to go, which must be ignited by something small like a match (and that match has to be applied to the kindling), and it needs oxygen to continue burning.
• Similarly, the receipt of blessings—usually—requires an act of faith on our part, which is small (like the match) in comparison to the blessings (the potential energy contained in the wood).
• Our acts of faith, while small in comparison to the blessings, are not small—consider that a match can be seen in the dark for miles.
• Some blessings are contingent only on something as small as asking, but other times they require something more.
• To continue receiving blessings, we need to keep moving forward (which can take a number of different forms, even including being still, knowing that God is God, and being patient).

Sorta-liveblogging general conference: Priesthood session

So priesthood session is men and boys aged 11 (if they’re turning 12 this year), but the general women’s session is girls and women aged 8 and up. Just kind of wondering if they’re ever going to adjust things so that the ages match, you know?

Anyway, as with the rest of these entries, the first speaker is at the bottom of the post, and then you can read up to follow chronologically.

Russell M. Nelson, president of the high priesthood

• The scriptures often tell us to say “nothing but repentance unto this generation”.
• Does everyone need to repent? Yes!
• Repentance isn’t a punishment—the idea that it is is a deception of Satan’s.
• When God invites us to repent, we are invited to change our mind, knowledge, spirit, even the way we breathe; we are invited to change the way we love, think, serve, spend our time, treat our wives, teach our children, even treat our bodies.
• Repentance is a process in which we invite the Lord to help us change so that we become more like Jesus Christ.
• God doesn’t expect us to be perfect at this point, but does expect us to become pure—and daily repentance is the path to purity.
• All of us can do better and be better than we were before.
• The way we take care of our bodies is important—and we can do better at that (and this includes [this is directed toward the men, remember!] dressing in appropriate ways).
• Another way we can do better is the way we treat the women in our lives (for example, watching sports and playing video games should never come before them).

Dallin H. Oaks, of the first presidency

• The restored gospel reminds us to think about the future, to guide our actions today.
• As we see threats creeping up on those we love, we have a opportunity to warn them—or we can do nothing.
• We need to consider opportunity costs when we’re deciding what to do. (See also his “Good, Better, Best” address from some years ago.)
• We are children of God; everything else pales in comparison to that.

Henry B. Eyring, of the first presidency

• Thank you for your service in the church—and move forward in using your power to bless the lives of others.
• Each time you sustain someone the Lord calls, it is an expression of trust.
• Do we truly sustain others? We are commanded not to judge unrighteously, but we find it difficult to do.
• No man, however high he may be in the priesthood, can speak ill of another without incurring God’s wrath.
• As we repent, our confidence in the Lord and each other will grow stronger, and we will move toward truly becoming one.

Kim B. Clark, of the seventy

• Jesus did what he should have done, doing the will of God the Father in all things.
• We are called to trust in Jesus completely, and ultimately become like him.
• We “rivet” our focus on Jesus by living our covenants.
• Jesus Christ goes with us when we do what we are supposed to do.

Carl B. Cook, of the presidency of the seventy

• When a young man joins the church, what is going to keep him active? His priesthood quorum!
• With the focus on gospel instruction in the home, will those without active family members be left behind? No—we cannot allow that to happen (and the quorum should help with that).
• Wherever you are, your quorum can grow through activation and sharing the gospel.

Gary E. Stevenson, of the quorum of apostles

• Just as sports players have an assignment and playbook, we have assignments and we can build our own playbook of plans based in the gospel.
• He asked a bunch of church-member professional athletes, and found it interesting that they didn’t define themselves by what they do, but rather who they are as children of God.
• Along the way you will stumble and fall sometimes, but that’s not a problem—that’s part of the qualifying process, and you need to simply repent and learn from it.

Sorta-liveblogging general conference: Saturday afternoon session

As with the rest of these entries, the first speaker is at the bottom of the post, and then you can read up to follow chronologically.

Jeffrey R. Holland. of the quorum of apostles

• John the Baptist could have chosen any of a number of titles to greet Jesus, but chose the image of a sacrificial lamb.
• In advance of his sacrifice, Jesus introduced the ordinance of the sacrament as a more personal process than the killing of a lamb as a sacrifice.
• Even with the increased emphasis on gospel learning in the home, we are commanded to worship together, where our meetings have been restructured to more fully showcase the ordinance of the sacrament.
• A (very gentle, and even jovial) recommendation to come to sacrament meetings on time, and even early.
• It is good to visit, but remember that our chapels are supposed to be places of peace and worship—we oughtn’t be quite as loud as we often are. (Also, he notes, do we really need all the announcements we make before and during sacrament meetings?)
• When we attend our sacrament meetings, we need to keep in mind the suffering people around us—and there is enough that we can find it in whichever direction we look—and join the Great Physician in lifting their burdens and easing their pain.

David P. Homer, of the quorums of seventy

• At critical moments in our lives, we will hear multiple voices competing for our attention, and it is vital that we listen to the right ones.
• The Holy Ghost speaks to us in different ways at different times, and speaks differently to different people, and so it is a lifelong quest to learn to recognize those impressions.
• Answers are sometimes slow to come—and this can be because it isn’t time, or because an answer isn’t needed, or because God trusts us to do what’s right.
• If we’re living according to the commandments, we can move forward in faith, trusting that God won’t let us go too far in the wrong direction without warning us.

Takashi Wada, of the quorums of seventy

• Feasting on the word of God should bring us real joy and improve our relationship with the savior.
• How is this done? To begin with, the word leads us to be more likely to do good.
• As we (or are friends) feast on the words of Christ, our eyes will be opened (just as the disciples from the road to Emmaus had their eyes opened).

Neil L. Andersen, of the quorum of apostles

• There are, despite what some claim, absolute truths.
• There have always been counterfeits to distract us from the truths of authority.
• Spiritual truths can only be discerned by spiritual means.
• The proclamation on the family merits study, and recognition of the spiritual truths it contains.
• No matter whether any given individual understands your situation [he made this first-person, in fact—saying that he well might not understand], Jesus does.

Mathias Held, of the quorums of seventy

• An description of how he and his wife joined the church.
• So, what did they learn from that? That God will give us knowledge, and that we learn spiritual things through methods beyond our simple reason.

M. Russell Ballard, acting president of the quorum of apostles

• We can find peace, joy, and happiness despite the troubles that swirl around us.
• All that God asks of us is to do the best we can every day.
• There have been a lot of adjustments in the church over the past year and a half, but we have to be careful not to let the spiritual purposes underlying them get lost in the excitement about the adjustments themselves.
• Loving God and loving our neighbor is the foundation of all of the recent adjustments that have been made.
• Joy, rejoicing, cheerfulness, and such are all used in scriptures about the sabbath—sabbath day worship should bring a smile to our face.
• Keep your worship simple—don’t overcomplicate things.

Kevin R. Jergensen, of the church auditing department (annual financial report)

• Entirely serious question, and asked from a faithful point of view: Why do we even do this auditing “report” each year?

Dallin H. Oaks, of the first presidency (sustaining of church officers and authorities)

• I (and my 11-year-old daughter) will miss Tad R. Callister (who's been General Sunday School President)—the man gives a good speech.
• This is a long list of new area authorities.

Sorta-liveblogging general conference: Saturday morning session

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.

Henry B. Eyring, of the first presidency

• Keeping harmony/a lack of contention in our families can be difficult—but we need to strive for it.
• We should hope to live as the people in 4 Nephi, with their lack of contention—but remember that that book of scripture then offers a story of the decline of a good people. So how did that happen?
• Pride crept in and they divided themselves up into classes, they declined in their faith, they began to hate, and they fell into sin—basically, they gave in to the influence of Satan trying to lead good people astray.
• The key is that they began to decline in their faith in Jesus Christ—we need to help our families feel that faith, leading to humility and love.
• Faith in Jesus Christ is more likely to bring repentance than any preaching on symptoms of its lack.
• To help your family grow in faith, you must grow in faith yourself—it may not take root immediately, but it may later.
• Praying as a family can play a crucial part of making home a sacred place—when a prayer is truly to God, faith grows among everyone present, and even beyond.
• In the celestial kingdom, our family arrangements will be more wonderful than we can imagine.

W. Christopher Waddell, of the presiding bishopric

• We must minister to individuals as individuals as Jesus would.
• A minister is more than a friend.
• Don’t give up—people change, and no one is too far gone to merit our efforts.
• Jesus knew of people’s daily needs, and helped them with that—but also desired that they reach their divine potential, nd helped them with that.
• Minister by giving what you are capable of giving, and trust in the Lord to magnify that.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, of the quorum of apostles

• We should not get too self-congratulatory about the progress of the gospel—wherever we live, there are people who don’t know the truth, giving us opportunities (and the responsibility) to share the good word.
• We have been told “every member a missionary” for years, but not everyone does it equally well. That’s okay, though—the Lord doesn’t want perfection in our missionary efforts, but rather our whole heart, and so that is what we should offer.
• Five simple “guilt free” (his words) things to do that will lead to better personal missionary efforts: Draw close to God, fill your heart with love for others, strive to walk the path of discipleship, share what is in your heart, and trust the Lord to work miracles.
• As we walk the path of discipleship, talking about the gospel with others will become natural.
• Don’t just pray that the missionaries will find the elect, but pray that you will find them. (And then when you do, keep the full-time missionaries in the loop.)
• It is not your job to convert people—and not succeeding in that isn’t a personal failure. Your job is to love God and love your neighbors—it is the Holy Ghost who works miracles of conversion.

Brook P. Hales, of the quorums of seventy

• Our Heavenly Father has perfect love for us, and so offers blessings to us based not only on our desires, but also on divine wisdom.
• God knows not just what our needs are, but what our needs will be.
• Sometimes our needs are fulfilled in ways that feel like our prayers have not been answered, but that actually result in our needs being fulfilled in a better way (cf. Joseph being sold into slavery).
• When misfortunes happen, God is still with us and is aware of us.

Becky Craven, of the general presidency of the young women

• Happiness doesn’t come from acquisition of cheap material things, but rather from living the gospel.
• “There is not a right way to do the wrong thing.”
• We should not change our standards to match the ways of the surrounding world.
• We need inspiration to know what changes we need to make to align our behavior with our covenants.
• Do not, though, use your personal journey in the gospel as grounds to criticize others for theirs.

Ulisses Soares, of the quorum of apostles

• We have a mandate to both learn and teach the gospel.
• At various times we need a teacher to strengthen us, and at others we need to strengthen others.
• Our object should be to strengthen faith and conversion.
• As we do this we will be strengthened ourselves.
• Being godly requires calling on God.
• Those we care for who are “lost” are not actually lost—God, after all, knows where they are.
• Be the friends of and rejoice with those who choose different paths than we would like. Do not cut them off, but love them.

Sorta-liveblogging general conference: Sunday afternoon session

Sunday afternoon: The big finale, or a coast to the close?

If you’re coming to this after the conference has ended, this may be the first of these entries you see, so here’s how to read them: Blogs run—going against millennia of best practice—in reverse chronological order, so this one’s at the top of the page, followed by the entry for the previous session, followed by the previous one, and so on. Therefore, to make it easier to follow this whole thing chronologically, speakers are arranged within each session’s entry in reverse chronological order, as well—so the opening speaker for this session is at the bottom of this post, preceded by the next speaker, preceded by the next one, and so on. (My notes for each speaker, though, are in regular top-down chronological order—trying to do otherwise was painful the one time i tried it.)

And with that, let’s finish this thing off…

Final thoughts

• Lots of stuff on the need to focus on Jesus Christ. Okay, so that’s not all that unusual, but the phrasings used seemed to be quite similar to each other.
• I’m honestly curious what’s going to happen to the URLs lds.org and mormon.org.
• All but no direct mentions of sexual abuse and other forms of assault, which mildly surprises me, given how much it’s been in the public conversation lately.
• And my favorite address of the weekend: As cliché as it might be, the nod goes to Jeffrey R. Holland. (Neal L. Anderson comes in a pretty close second, though.) Unlike many recent conferences, i feel like even though there were a lot of good speeches by non-apostles, but none of them really stood out in an incredible way.
• And there we are. See y’all back in this space in six months!

Russell M. Nelson

• This conference has been useful for reminding us to center our lives on Jesus Christ.
• There’s a need for more people to attend the temple to do proxy work there.
• There will be upcoming renovations of Salt Lake and other pioneer-era temples.
• 12 new temples: Mendoza Argentina; Salvador, Brazil; Yuba City, California; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Praia, Cape Verde; Yigo, Guam; Puebla, Mexico; Auckland, New Zealand; Lagos, Nigeria; Davao, Philippines; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Washington County, Utah.
• And that’s it, the end.

Gary E. Stevenson, of the quorum of apostles

• A fact at the heart of ministering: Heavenly Father can take our simple daily efforts and turn them into something impressive.
• What we learn in ministering will help us use the extra time we’ll have after the turn of the year to positive effect.
• When we face difficulties, the Lord, our shepherd, will minister to us.
• We have the opportunity to assist in this ministering effort.
• Ministering to others to identify, find, and bring home the lost sheep will bring us joy.
• We aren’t asked to redeem souls—that is what Jesus does. All we’re asked to do is to bring souls to him, so that he can redeem them.

Jack N. Gerard, of the quorums of seventy

• [Dang, this is the health scare/tragedy general conference, innit?]
• An invitation: Step back from the world and assess our lives.
• Assessing our lives allows us to see what needs to change, and learn what we can do to choose the best path.
• Understanding our divine origins is essential to our progress, and helps us avoid becoming distracted by unimportant worldly concerns.

Dale G. Renlund, of the quorum of apostles

• God’s goal isn’t to have us do what’s right, it’s to have us choose to do what’s right.
• Jesus Christ has paid for our sins, and no one is beyond the reach of God’s mercy.
• Lucifer is the accuser who tells us we’re not good enough and there’s no recovery from our mistakes.
• God wants us to be on the covenant path, but permits us the dignity of choosing.
• Those who are forced from the path due to the misexercise of agency by others aren’t off the path.
• We need to choose faith in Christ, repentance, baptism, partaking of the sacrament, making temple covenants, and serve the rest of God’s children.

Matthew L. Carpenter, of the quorums of seventy

• Consider that many of the people who Jesus healed had been suffering for a long time—decades!—but were healed immediately.
• We can’t control when we will be healed, if it will even happen in this life—but when we allow Jesus to be involved, we will always be strengthened spiritually.
• Repentance isn’t the backup plan in case we fail, it’s the plan knowing that we will fail, and will need healing.
• Just as receiving medical help quickly (as in the case of his son having a stroke!) can help recovery go more easily, it is never a good idea to procrastinate repentance.

Robert C. Gay, of the presidency of the seventy

• Quoting his sister: “Can’t you see that everyone around you is a sacred being?”
• Referencing Brigham Young: Don’t judge someone because they’re a sabbath breaker, or because they swear, or whatever, because you don’t really know them as God does.
• He related a story of James E. Talmage that was pretty hardcore—basically, he voluntarily exposed himself to diphtheria so that he could help a family suffering from the disease, even though he ended up catching it himself as a result!
• Jesus spoke to those considered the least of the least in part to remind us that there is no one he is unable to heal and bring to joy.

Brian K. Ashton, of the general presidency of the Sunday school

• During mortality, we are provided with the means we need to progress within God’s plan.
• If we remain in light and truth, we will see the face of God, in this life or the next.
• Heavenly Father has an eternal perspective, which merits our trust.
• Striving to become like Heavenly Father is worth every sacrifice.

Henry B. Eyring, of the quorum of the first presidency

• Wisdom from someone else: When you meet someone, assume they’re in serious trouble, and you’ll likely be right.
• We are in this world to be tested and proved, but we have also been given a way through those difficulties. (Spoiler: It’s Jesus Christ.)
• The ordinance of the sacrament includes a promise to always have the Spirit with us.
• In the sacramental prayers, we express willingness to take the name of Christ on us. So, this leads us to important questions: “What must i be doing to take his name upon me? How will i know when i am making progress?”
• As Moroni says, we have to be meek and lowly of heart, and confess Jesus Christ—and that leads us to charity.
• For some of us, our troubles start to overcome our faith. If you’re in that situation, you can pray with confidence to lead you to those who need your help, and following through on that will lead you to feel God’s love.

Sorta-liveblogging general conference: Sunday morning session

Sunday morning, the big leagues!

(Well, or at least it used to be, before all the crazy announcements of policy started happening on Saturdays.)

As with the other posts in this series, the start of the session is at the bottom, so scrolling there and then running upward will take you through the session chronologically…

Russel M. Nelson, president of the high priesthood

• Talking about the name of the church.
• We have unwittingly acquiesced to non-divine influences when we omit the name of Jesus Christ from the church.
• We are not Mormon’s disciples, we’re the Lord’s disciples.
• Why does the church have such a long name? Because it was given by divine, not mortal inspiration.
• If we use the actual, divinely given name of the church, we will be blessed as individuals and as a church.

Neil L. Anderson

• Starting out with the Brussels Airport bombing, where church members were horrifically injured. So why do such things happen to faithful members?
• God gives us blessings, but intermingled with this will be times, some lengthy, during which our souls will be wounded.
• Along with the bright colors of happiness and joy, the darker colors of tragedy and unhappiness are also woven into God’s plan.
• “Never give up, however deep the wounds of your soul…You are not meant to perish spiritually. You are meant to survive spiritually and blossom in your faith in trusting God.”
• “Your dark night will pass, because the Son did rise with healing in his wings.” [I want to know how the translators handled that pun!]
• For the righteous, the healer of our souls will heal all your wounds, no matter how deep those wounds might be.
  
  

Shayne M. Bowen, of the quorums of seventy

• The Book of Mormon has converting power.
• Our personal conversion deepens as we understand the Book of Mormon better.
• Our mission is to take Moroni’s promise to heart, and then share that message in both word and deed.
  
  

Jeffrey R. Holland, of the quorum of apostles

• Don’t be immobilized trying to figure out how to minister—just do it.
• The negative consequences of one event can echo through the years.
• Jesus has asked that we live together in love, with no disputations among us.
• “Our relationship to Christ will be determined or at least affected by our relationship to each other.”
• We may have old grievances, but they are old grievances—we need to not let them weigh down our souls any longer.
• Forgiveness doesn’t mean doing things like staying in an abusive relationship, or placing us in emotional difficulty—but it does mean that we can rise above even the most terrible of offenses and progress in the Lord’s work.
• If you are delaying forgiveness, go and do it instantly. [Great phrasing on who this is directed to: “You who are keeping wretched quarrels alive…”]
• “If you know of an old injury, repair it.”
  
  

Bonnie H. Cordon, general president of the young women organization

• We all want to be recognized—to matter, to be noticed, and to be loved.
• Our job is to make sure everyone feels the love of God as we provide service to them that blesses their lives, and thus also ours.
• We need to be aware of the less visible needs of those around us.
• Get to know those around you, and reach out to them.
• The teenagers in the church, male and female, are needed in this effort.

M. Russell Ballard, acting president of the quorum of apostles

• Starting with a mention of his wife’s recent death, and thanks for the condolences.
• Joseph F. Smith faced a great deal of tragedy in his life, from the assassination of his father (Hyrum Smith) to the deaths of many other relatives, including several children.
• The comfort he had long prayed for came in a vision in 1918—a year that was particularly painful for him, both from world events (World War I, the flu pandemic) and deaths of those close to him through disease and misadventure.
• Joseph F. Smith saw his father in the vision now canonized as section 138—74 years after he had last seen them in life.
• This is the 100th anniversary of this revelation, and everyone should go back and read it.
• A mention of its particular personal poignancy with the death of his wife, and the comfort it gives.

Sorta-liveblogging general conference: General women’s session

The general women’s session, now with extra general conferenciness!

Yes, i’m male, but i figure that if my wife got to sit in on the priesthood sessions as i listened to them from our couch the past couple times, i might as well hang out for this one.

So once more, the speakers run bottom-up, so if you scroll down to the bottom of the post now…

Russell M. Nelson, president of the high priesthood

• You [referring to women specifically?] have the gift to know what someone needs, and reach out to provide it.
• Women reach out to others, and minister very admirably.
• A suggestion to take a break from social media, to recenter yourself away from those sorts of views of yourselves and the world around you.
• Attend the temple regularly, and if you can’t do that (e.g., due to distance), study all you can about the temple and its importance.

Dallin H. Oaks, of the quorum of the first presidency

• Children are important, and the raising of them is important.
• [He trotted out the claim that the highest purpose women have is to be mothers. Is that actually true? Isn’t the highest purpose of all of us, female or male, to be worthy to enter the celestial kingdom of our God, whether or not we’ve been parents?]
• We need to be kind to others—unkindness and bullying is unacceptable.
• “Our world needs your goodness and love. Be kind to one another.”

Henry B. Eyring, of the quorum of the first presidency

• Men and women are equal partners who are to help each other in all things—so why are women tasked with the primary responsibility over nurturing and nourishing their children with a knowledge of the gospel?
• Part of the reason is the feeling of love necessary to do it; consider that the motto of the relief society is charity never faileth.
• [I wasn’t the only one—my 13-year-old daughter did too—who thought at first that when he was talking about mothers providing the most important nourishment to their children, he was talking about breast milk.]
• Even the youngest can be inspired to nurture others.
• Each time you obey the inspiration to nurture, your ability to do so will grow stronger.

Cristina B. Franco, of the general presidency of the primary

• Love and pure intentions count more in the eternal scheme of things than anything the secular world might count.
• Parents caring for children, or those caring for unwell parents are good examples of true service—not asking what’s in it for ourselves, but asking what we can do to help.
• It isn’t really about the details of the service, but rather the love behind the act.

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

• It is okay to feel discontent with the way things are—but will it be discontent that leads us to progress, or discontent that leads us to wallow in despair and self-absorption?
• Consider that Joseph Smith’s first vision followed a period of discontent and confusion that led him to seek out the will of God.
• Quoting someone i missed the name of: “Never suppress a generous thought.”
• Don’t see people as interruptions, but rather as the purpose of your life.

Joy D. Jones, general president of the primary

• What is our purpose when we’re asked to do something in the church that seems pointless?
• Answer: “The highest manifestation of love is devotion to God”, and if that’s our motivation for service, it’s no longer as much of a struggle.
• It is only when we truly love God that we’re able to share that love with others.
• Giving the best you have will almost certainly not be enough; give the best you have anyway.

Opening song

• Syncopation from a choir at a Mormon meeting? Burn the heathens!!

Jean Bingham, general president of the relief society, opening remarks

• Jean Bingham, or Jean B. Bingham? The voiceover introduced her as the latter, she introduced herself as the former, so i’ll go with that.
• An explicit welcome to those of other faiths!

Sorta-liveblogging general conference: Saturday afternoon session

We’re back!

Again, the speakers run bottom-up, so that you can read the whole weekend bottom-up after it’s all over.

So…

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, of the quorum of apostles

• King Solomon had it all—but in the end he became disillusioned and unhappy.
• German has a word for this: Weltschmerz. [I always like understanding the words before the definitions are given…]
• There is a solution to such despair, disillusionment, and Weltschmerz: The atonement of Jesus Christ, who came so that we might have life, and have it more abundantly.
• We have life abundantly not by focusing on ourselves, but by becoming disciples of Jesus Christ.
• Jesus ministered to the weak and powerless, spoke with them, and healed them while teaching the good news of the gospel.
• Believe, love, do.
• God desires to sweep darkness out of your life.
• Accepting the love of God, like anything, takes practice—but the church is there to help us do that.
• An exhortation to work together to help each other become the best we can be.
• Sometimes those of us in the church slip and say the wrong thing, or are unthinkingly unkind—but ultimately, we are all trying to get it right together.

Paul B. Pieper, of the quorums of seventy

• Our Heavenly Father wants to make it perfectly clear that the name of Jesus Christ, but that it is a name with singular power—it is the name by which salvation comes.
• When we take the name of Jesus Christ on ourselves, it changes us.
• Some reject taking the name of Christ because they see it as restrictive, but it’s actually expanding.
• Taking the name of Jesus Christ on us is accompanied by joy.

Gerrit W. Gong, of the quorum of apostles

• Quoting the late apostle Richard G. Scott: “Attempt to be creative, even if the results are modest.”
• Our expressions of creativity and attempts to create beauty are reflections of the beauty and skill of God as creator.
• There is joy in wholesome creativity.
• “We cannot love ourselves enough to save ourselves.” [Okay, that's deep, and merits pondering at some point.]
• God assures us that no matter what we’ve done, there is no point of no return, and we will not be left alone.
• We rejoice in finding “higher and holier ways to love” God.
• Perfection is in Christ, not in ourselves, nor in the world’s view of perfection.

Ulisses Soares, of the quorum of apostles

• The Amazon River is formed by two very different rivers that flow together for several miles before mixing, but once they mix they become incredibly powerful; similarly, when the diversity of members of the church become united, they become a powerful force.
• It is easy for new members of the church to feel like they don’t belong (with an example of Mormon in-group jargon); at such a time, those of us who are already established in the church must reach out a warm hand of fellowship.
• We need everyone willing to join in, and so must reach out and be welcoming in the spirit of ministering.
• We need to let people know that they are not alone, and that we will be their friends and God will bless them as they move forward.
• We can and should be better at welcoming new people in and out of our church meetings (that’s ministering, after all). Oh, and start doing so right away!
• “I invite you to seek the Lord’s help in loving others as he has loved you.”

Dean M. Davies, of the presiding bishopric

• The calling of the president of the high priesthood is to preside over the church, and to be a prophet.
• [Interesting: There is a church temple site committee than meets monthly. The frequency surprises me somewhat.]
• God reveals to the president of the church the “patterns” by which the church and our lives should run.
• We should “build our own personal temples” in our homes and our lives.
• We gain confidence in the Lord as we hearken to the words of the prophets.

D. Todd Christofferson, of the quorum of apostles

• A retelling of the confrontation between Elijah and the priests of Baal.
• If something is true—if the Book of Mormon is the word of God, if Joseph Smith saw what he said he did, and so on—then follow it.
• When someone is truly confirmed, the gospel of Jesus Christ defines their lives.
• We are on a continuum in our progression, with all of us hopefully moving toward blessedness.
• Temptations and tribulations will strengthen us, but only if we keep our focus where it should be.

Henry B. Eyring, of the quorum of the first presidency, presenting the church general officers and authorities

• Sad to see C. Scott Grow get released, if only for the name.
• Nobody shouting during or after the sustainings this time, which is interesting, given recent history.

Sorta-liveblogging general conference: Saturday morning session

General conference time again!

So, as i always do for these, a formatting explanation to start out: So that these notes can be read in a single swoop in reverse chronological order, the top entry of notes in this post is the last speaker; the first speaker is at the bottom of the post. This is so that when the next session is posted, reading upwards goes smoothly from the end of this session (at the top of this post) to the beginning of the next (at the bottom of the next post), and so on through the entire weekend.

Under each speaker, though, the notes go in chronological order from the top down—i tried doing everything bottom-up one time, and it was painful to read. So it might work best, i suppose, if you consider each speaker to be a single discrete entry, a sort of mini-post of its own.

And with that, let’s begin!

Dallin H. Oaks, of the quorum of the first presidency

• When we search for truth, we should use methods of searching out the truth that are appropriate to that truth.
• Spiritual and religious truths cannot be learned by scientific and secular methods.
• We’re a family-centered church, but that isn’t just families in mortality—our focus is on families being sealed together for the eternities.
• Why do we focus so much on missionary work, but simultaneously offer humanitarian aid without connecting it to our missionary work? Both are because we view everyone as children of the same God, and worthy of our attention and care.
• [Honestly, this wasn’t anything new. At all. But i’m calling it right now, next Sunday a half dozen of the archconservatives in my ward will quote it as if it was.]

David A. Bednar, of the quorum of apostles

• Sunday meetings have not simply been shortened—we’ve been given opportunities to improve Sabbath observance.
• Administrative changes in the church aren’t simply administrative changes—they’re part of a unified effort to align the church with its fundamental mission of assisting in God’s work.
• We shouldn’t constrain ourselves by coming up with extensive checklists to measure our adherence to commandments and principles, rather than actually coming closer to God.
• [He said, “Let me provide both a doctrinal, and a church example” of what i’m talking about. I’m not entirely certain what he meant by that.]
• All of the basics of the gospel combine together into one great program to move the church and its mission forward—they aren’t just independent and discrete initiatives.
• Church programs and initiatives exist to help individuals and families, not as ends in themselves.

Ronald A. Rasband, of the quorum of apostles

• Is it actually good to bring children into a fallen world? Yes, it is.
• Fear is not new, and we have fears. This is normal.
• “Prayer can call down the strength and the revelation that we need to center our thoughts on Jesus Christ” and banish fear.
• Scripture says that when things seem terribly dark, we shouldn’t be troubled because God’s promises will be fulfilled.
• Remember we are promised the peace of God which passeth all understanding.
• [Does anybody else who used to watch Law & Order back in the day every once in a while look at Ronald A. Rasband and think they're looking at politician-turned-actor Fred Thompson? No? Okay, i'll just wander off back to my own corner…]
• When we stand with God, we are standing on holy ground.

An interlude…

• And amidst all this, i get a text from one of my sisters, reminding me of the joke prediction (made by my net.friend Craig Olson decades ago) that two-hour church would be announced in general conference, with time set aside afterward for the church’s nursery workers to give the Hosanna Shout. Her statement: “Yeah. I might have been overly excited about 50-minute nursery.”

Steven R. Bangerter, of the quorums of seventy

• Jesus Christ is the cornerstone and foundation of Zion.
• Parents should lead in teaching their children the importance of the gospel.
• Family traditions can be subtle, but important.
• Simple, wholesome family traditions lead to respect and unity and security, and protection from Satan’s power.
• It’s not so much an issue of whether children understand everything when we have gospel-inspired family activities and discussions, but rather whether we are leading in our families as we should and teaching as we should.
  
  

M. Joseph Brough, of the general presidency of the young men

• Alaska (mis)adventure story!
• Sometimes our challenges are caused by our own choices, and sometimes by the choices of others.
• Neal A. Maxwell faced leukemia, and struggled—but learned that it was ultimately a blessing, because it let him teach authenticity. [Yeah, i do miss his powerful propensity for dense diction and amazing alliteration.]
• We can, however, overcome all hard things through Jesus Christ.

Quentin L. Cook, of the quorum of apostles

• New Sunday meeting schedule: 60-minute sacrament meeting, 10-minute transition, 50-minute adult/youth/primary class (which will follow an alternating schedule Sunday to Sunday, except Primary is every week).
• [I’ve been hoping for 2-hour church meetings for literally (i mean, literally literally) years. As someone who grew up with a long ride to and from church, it’s a big deal, y’all.]
• [Wow, meetinghouse usage patterns are going to change in a big way, aren’t they?]
• Explicit statement that family home evenings don’t need to be held on Mondays, though that day will still be held free from church activities.
• The church’s curriculum has emphasized the Sunday church experience, but now that’s shifting to focusing on the home (and personal) religious experience.
• Each family should choose prayerfully how and when it will be implemented—including the possibility of gathering in informal groups, if they desire.
• No opening prayers needed in the second hour meeting.
• More wards should meet earlier in the day. [So the Mormon Cult of the Early Riser is still a thing, i see. <exhaustion />]
• [Curious whether there’s a co-occurring reduction of stake and ward leadership meetings, or if those are going to get heavier as a result of this.]

Russell M. Nelson, president of the high priesthood

• Praise for the youth of the church.
• How can we take the gospel and its ordinances to all of God’s children? To do this, we need to adjust from thinking of home supporting the learning in church to church supporting the learning in the home.
• So now there’s a home-centered churchwide curriculum [as previously announced, i’ll note].
• Parents have the responsibility to teach their children, and it is the responsibility of the church to support that.

Family first!

You know, if the church is really as strongly into family love and harmony as they say, then maybe they could exempt teens and/or their parents from fasting?