Prophet's Words

What the prophet is asking us to do from last conference:

• Keep the Commandments

Blessings from doing this:

• Safety
• Peace
• Lives are happier
• Lives are more fulfilling
• Lives less complicated
• Challenges and problems will be easier to bear
• Will receive His promised blessings

More Counsel:

• Be strong
• Be alert to anything that would rob you of the blessings of eternity
• Turn the volume down and be influenced instead by that still, small voice which will guide you to safety
• Open your hearts, even your very souls, to the sound of that special voice which testifies of truth
• Avoid anything that will deprive you of your happiness here in mortality and eternal life in the world to come
• Determine right here adn now to take the steps necessary to fully repent
• Nurture strong testimonies by studying the scriptures and by praying and by pondering the truths of the gospel

What I am Getting Out of General Conference

One theme that I am hearing throughout all of the conference talks is that we will be blessed with protection from the Adversary and his temptations IF we will but follow His commandments. We are being given "iffy" blessings as was James Covill in the Doctrine and Covenants 39. If we obey, we will be blessed.

[To see more General Conference today, October 2nd -- go to http://www.byu.tv/ to see the live sessions at 12:00 EST and 4:00pm EST (10am MST/2pm MST)


[SATURDAY OCTOBER 1ST MORNING/AFTERNOON SESSIONS]

Elder Richard G. Scott
He repeated the invitation given to us at the General Relief Society Session to pray to be filled with charity. He wants us to love our neighbor like unto ourselves. We will be blessed with His Spirit to have a stronger conviction to be righteous IF we cleave unto charity and are consistently reading the Book of Mormom.
Sister Barbara Thompson
IF we want to receive our own personal revelation, we need to be humble and soften our hearts. Then as we read the scriptures and live righteously, the Lord will then bless us with revelation. As we are seeking to know His will, remember that we need to seek for wisdom, not power. Our testimonies will grow in strength that can fill in the holes and gaps in our lives only IF we keep nourishing it through church attendance, praying, renewing our covenants, etc.

Elder L. Whitney Clayton
Testified that there is a Savior and claims so with authority that he is Jesus Christ. Growth of the church is expanding throughout the world bc we can claim authority that he is our Savior.

President Thomas S. Monson
Building of temples is the most important of building bc it is where we can build eternal relationships through the sealing power of the Priesthood. How wonderful it is that we can now help others attend the temple through the General Temple Patron Fund!!!

Elder Jose L Alonso
We need to be doing the right thing at the right time without delay! We need to go out and seek for those lost sheep. Some of them may not even know that they are lost! The Lord doesn't ever lose sight of His children! What does Heavenly Father expect from us? Our thinking, actions, testimonies and devotions to be directed towards the building up of His kingdom. We can do this by bringing back those lost sheep to the fold, to strengthen them, to help them.

President Boyd K. Packer
To our youth of the church -- who are more faithful, more knowledgeable of the Gospel. Some warnings and counsel to you: We need to remember the importance of the power of procreation is only permitted within the bounds of lawful matrimony between a husband and wife lawfully wedded. We can be given our own "iffy" blessings through our patriarchal blessings given to us by the Patriarch. He has the spirit of revelation and prophecy given to him with authority of the Priesthood. We must listen for the voice of the Spirit as he whispers to us. Learn how to hear it and feel it! His spiritual voice will and can correct our actions. IF if we listen to the Spirit, he will protect us as we are being raised up in enemy territory.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
We need to retain the importance of the greatness of God and our own nothingness. The Lord made this universe for our benefit. Satan wants to deceive us, puff us up and prey on our pride. He will try to discourage us and tell us we have no worth. What matters? Doing your best in the situation we are in, not where we are and what our rank is in the world. The Lord uses a different scale for determining the worth of our souls.
1. God loves the humble and meek.
2. Lord entrusts his work to his servants, the weak ones.
3. No matter how little you have, you are not invisible to Heavenly Father!
4. What you experience now is not for forever.
HOLD ON. YOU MATTER TO HIM!

Elder David A. Bednar
We need to be turning our hearts to our fathers through family history and genealogy. We can become "Saviors on Mount Zion" as we attend the temple and do proxy work for our ancestors. As we are doing the work on family history, the Lord promises us protection. We are the Lord's agents and it is our duty and privilege to do this work!

Elder Neil. L. Andersen
Concerning the area of if and when and how many children to have -- answer this question by prayer and faith. Motherhood is what God gave us time for. Where is our faith?

Elder Ian. S Ardern
We need to be using our time wisely. Love is really spelled T.I.M.E.! Don't let technology overtake your time from prayer, scripture studying, etc. Don't let them become addictions.  We need to master them by balancing our time with the Lord, Family, Work and Wholesome Recreational Activities.

Elder Carl. B. Cook
Prophets redirect our focus heavenward. "It is better to look up!" (President Thomas S. Monson)

[Sadly, my kids started acting up right about this talk so I didn't get to take notes after this. But wow...what amazing instruction! I love General Conference!]

Suggestions from President Hinckley

In Doctrine & Covenants 25 the Lord gives callings, counsel or warnings and promises to Emma Smith in this revelation.  Here is a breakdown of each of these:

Callings

• Comforter to her husband
• Scribe to her husband
• Called to exhort the scriptures
• Write and learn
• Comprise the first Church hymnal

Counsel or Warnings

• Don't complain
• Use consoling words
• Seek for the higher things in life rather than worldly things
• Beware of pride
• Follow the commandments

Promises

• Receive the Holy Ghost
• Husband will support you in your temporal needs
• Singing praises from the hymns will receive answers
• A crown of righteousness given

In my class study course material it gives several quotes from President Gordon B. Hinckley.  Here are his suggestions concerning the main responsibilities the Lord outlines for all women in this revelation:

Suggestions

• Don't complain bc we don't understand the Lord's work
• Speak consoling words in the spirit of meekness -- stop arguing and yelling in our homes
• Keep a journal for the benefit of our future, families and others
• Don't be obsessed with worldly things but set our thoughts on higher things that are eternal like love, charity, service
• Read and reflect on this revelation to us

When singing we need not just sing bc we enjoy it or are good at it.  The Lord tells us in this revelation that we need to sing with purpose and have "the song of the heart" and "the song of the righteous".  This meaning that we need to be singing with a prayer in our hearts, singing with the Spirit to our Lord as we praise and supplicate our gratitude, needs and remembrances.  This Sunday try to sing with your heart and not just your voice. The Spirit will come upon us as we do so and we can feel our Savior's love surround us when we do this. That is a promise!

General Relief Society Conference Notes

Between the 4 different talks, I found that the message given last night was that as sisters in Relief Society and daughters of God, we need to live faithfully and be steadfast and immovable.  As we do so we can likewise strengthen and uplift our other struggling sisters through service as we show the pure love of Christ towards them.  We must also be careful as not to judge those that we serve.  We must love them as Christ loves all.

1. [Sister Beck's Talk]

• This meeting is a gift for those seeking His will and want to know how to align their will with his
• Main Topic: How To Live Faithfully and To Be Strong
• Remember who we are --> We are daughters of God
• Stay watchful and prayerful -- Pray, read our scriptures -- Let us not be "silly women"
• Understand the history of the Relief Society so that we may learn who we are, apply the history in our lives, and learn the ways to prepare and receive our covenants in the temple.
• Our work as sisters is to further the salvation of our families
• We shouldn't be spending our time or money on things that are of no worth
• History helps us learn how to change, to be united
• Knowing who we are removes doubt and fear by replacing it with hope and faith.

2. [Sister Allred's Talk]

• Main Topic: What Helps You To Be Steadfast and Immovable?
• Knowing that my Heavenly Father knows me, loves me and knows what I am feeling
• Birthing and rearing children is our vital role -- to raise a family and bring salvation to them.
• Jesus continually has our disappointments before Him upon his palms. He knows how to succur to our needs.
• Prayer, Scripture Reading, Obedience, Service
• Pray morning and night for protection [Invites Spirit into our lives]
• Read the scriptures to find answers [Invites Spirit into our lives]
• Obedience shows our commitment to our covenants and it brings blessings
• Our service to others is to help them with their spirital and physical needs
• Those who are strong need to help strengthen the weak

3. [Sister Thompson's Talk]

• Main Topic: The Lord Has Aksed Us To Do What He Has Done Through Visiting Teaching: Serve Others with Love and Compassion
• Blessings we give: show compassion, we are answers to their prayers
• Blessings we receive: personal revelation, relief of our own burdens as we do service to others, increase in unity and love
• We are the Lord's hands here on this earth

4. [President Monson's Talk]

• Main Topic: What Do We See When We Look At Others? What Kind of Judgement Do We Pass?
• Appearances can be deceiving. Don't judge on appearances
• "If you judge people, you have no time to love them" (Mother Teresa)
• Charity: tolerant of others, forgives, merciful, compassionate, patient
• Charity is love in action -- the pure love of Christ
• We should wear the mantle of Charity -- Charity Never Faileth

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Today the Relief Society lesson was on "Turning to the Lord" and "Forgiveness".  Some of the things we talked about corresponded with last night's message and also what I have reading in the scriptures this last week.  In 2 Nephi as Nephi and Jacob talk to the people, they emphasize that we must turn to the Lord, be thankful for what He has done for us and still praise Him during our trials.  We shouldn't murmur or complain but know that these trials our for our own good.  We can learn from them, grow character and spiritually progress as we live through them.  I felt like this message was reminding us to not dwell so much on the negative that is happening in our lives and that as we turn to the Lord when going through trials we can be uplifted by Him and our burdens lightened as we do what He has counseled us.  We can lose ourselves through service.  It is like an eternal round.  We suffer, we turn to the Lord, we are strengthened by Him, we now can serve and uplift others, then more trials come and we are then uplifted by those that are stronger.  Just as the Bible and the Book of Mormon have the Happiness/Corruption/Destruction/Repentance/Happiness cycle, we also have the cycle described above. 

Challenges from President Monson

Today I went to my brother's ward and they were talking about what our Prophet President Monson has asked us to do since he has become our prophet. Below is the list they gave us of those challenges!

Service

• Each of us can do something to help someone
• Recall with me the familiar words of King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon; "When ye are in the service of the your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."
• We are the Lord's hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us.
• My brothers and sisters, may we ask ourselves the questions which greeted Dr. Jack McConnell and his brothers and sisters each evening at dinner time; "What have I done for someone today?"
• May the words of a familiar hymn penetrate our very souls and find lodgment in our hearts; "Have I done any good in the world today. . ."

Prayer

• I would ask that your faith and prayers continue to be offered in behalf of those areas where our influence is limited and where we are not allowed to share the gospel freely at this time.
• I would ask once again that you would remember me and all of the General Authorities in your prayers.

Refrain from Anger

• We must choose to refrain from becoming angry.
• May we make a conscious decision, each time such a decision must be made, to refrain from anger and to leave unsaid the harsh and hurtful things we may be tempted to say.
• May we ever be exemplary in our homes and faithful in keeping all of the commandments that we may harbor no animosity toward any man but rather be peacemakers, ever remembering the Savior's admonition, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

Other

• May we continue to be faithful in performing [temple] ordinances for those who are unable to do so for themselves.
• We call upon all members to befriend the new convert, to reach out to them, to surround them with love, and to help them feel at home.
• To those who hold the Melchizedek Priesthood, [the oath and covenant of the priesthood] is a declaration of our requirement to be faithful and obedient to the laws of God and to magnify the callings which come to us...May we be worthy sons of our Heavenly Father.
• May we incorporate into our daily lives the truths found [in the General Conference issue of the Ensign].
• May every man and woman, boy and girl leave this conference a better person than he or she was when it began two days ago.

Wearing the Armour of God

I was reading about wars in the scriptures. In Alma 43 it talks about how Captain Moroni sought counsel from the prophet Alma to know what the will of the Lord was in this war against the Lamanites. Specifically, he asked Alma to inquire of the Lord where they should go in order to keep themselves and their people protected.

How can we know what to do to keep ourselves protected from today's evils? We can follow Captain Moroni's example and seek the counsel of the prophet to know the will of the Lord. We can do the things needed to wearing the armor of God.

1) What has the prophet spoken about recently? [Last general conference issue of the Ensign --http://www.lds.org/conference/apr2007/archive/0,20920,7545-1,00.html
or the current First Presidency message in this month's Ensign http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=02303bc909592110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=true

2) What are the things needed to do in order to wear the full armor of God? Last night in Family Home Evening (FHE), we discussed the Armor of God in Ephesians 6:11-17.
(http://scriptures.lds.org/en/search?search=Ephesians+6%3A11-17)

• Girdle of truth
• Breastplate of righteousness
• Shoes helping us to walk in gospel truths
• Shielf of faith
• Helmet of salvation
• Sword of the Spirit

As we continue to keep our lamps fill our lamps with drops of oil everyday, we are in the act of wearing the armor of God.
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"Just as order gave life and beauty to the earth when it was dark and void, so it does to us. Obedience helps us develop the full potential Heavenly Father desires for us in becoming celestial beings worthy some day to live in His presence."

--James E. Faust, "Obedience: The Path to Freedom", May 1999 Ensign