LDS General Conference

At the beginning of this month we had the 185th Semi-Annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was fantastic!

I look forward to this conference for six months. It is one of my favorite times of the year. As a child we would all get dressed up, pack picnic lunches and dinners and drive the 2.5 hours up to Temple Square. I loved being surrounded by all the happy and excited people, eating the special treats my mom had packed for us, and playing on the grass. Now that I'm grown, it's not the treats or the crowds that draw me back, it's the message from men and women of God whom I respect and cherish. I come back for the spirit I feel when I listen to their words. I come back to feel connected to the millions of members around the globe. I come back every six months and love every bit of the 8 hours of people preaching to me.

This conference, I didn't go up to Temple Square due to the weather and young children but I sat in my mother's room and quietly watched the sessions. I was able to watch almost every talk. (That's pretty impressive considering I have a 3 yr old and a 5 month old.) After listening to the conference, I looked back through my notes and compiled a list of the counsel that I felt needed to be applied to my life. Here's what I came up with:

• Tell the stories of Jesus to my children
• Ponderize 1 verse of scripture per week (join the conversation #whatsyourverse)
• Make a To Do list for your day
• Repent every day
• Speak up and Speak out in the Church
• Write a special note to my friend Kendra and share a special spiritual experience with her
• Don't focus on what you can't do. Focus on what you can do.
• Be part of your community
• Ask "What is keeping me from progressing?"

These are the themes and ideas that I'm going to be focusing on for the next 6 months until the next general conference. What messages did you get from conference?

1996 General Conference with my family