General Consensus: Conference Success

What a wonderful weekend full of guidance and direction from our loving Heavenly Father. Before conference we invited our investigators and other less active members and members too to watch it with a question in their heart. I had one as well, two actually. Within the first two talks of Saturday morning session both of my questions were answered, and the next day two more. I was very humbled and appreciative on how LOVING and MERCIFUL god is. he is ORDERED and you can see that in general conference. Elder Hales talk at the beginning explained something members may be oblivious to: all the topics are found through by seeking and receiving revelation from the Lord.

I wish I could write down all my notes and share them with you all. But in 40 minutes time, that is not going to happen. ha.

I was BLOWN away by the cohesive structure of Sunday morning session. President Monson himself said it was the most spiritual conference he has ever been in.

the apostles and seventies were all so BOLD in proclaiming truth and righteousness. so bold as to say, man may make sin legal but God's law does not change. IT was also noted that the Family: A Proclamation to the World was written before it's time of need, and so shall be the proclamation on The Living Christ, which has also been prepared in advance for when we will need it the most. To think that we live in a world where the scared is smeared and the holy humiliated. It is very said indeed. But there are men and woman of God that will stand courageously for the truth. Courage, as one general authority said, is maintaining moral conscience, standing up and not fearing what man may do.

I found a very interesting scripture in DC98 today, verse 24. God is talking about how the saints are being persecuted and how we must bear it well, because he promises it is for our good, for if we do not...

"BUT IF YE BEAR IT NOT WITH PATIENTLY IT SHALL BE ACCOUNTED UNTO YOU AS BEING METED (or allotted; dealt) OUT AS A JUST MEASURE UNTO YOU."

Heartache and challenges are GOING to come upon all. Some from our wrong actions, some from others action and some due to mortality. 1Peter 3:17 "For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing." Many apostles alluded to such persecution. Yet, I never left a session feeling doomed and daunted, but rather inspired, uplifted and encouraged.

Psalm 37:23

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down. For the Lord upholdeth him with his hand."

Christ does not just solve all our problems, but IS the solution to the problems. Through the atonement of Jesus Christ we can all be healed as our apostles so eloquently expressed. The pleaded with us to remembers Him, to worship Him, to Follow him, and particularly to COME UNTO HIM. Matt 11:28-30 was quoted FIVE times in conference. And really when you think about it. THAT is what it’s all about. Coming closer to Christ. We all have different struggles, but the answer is the same. Why else would 15 MILLION unique and different individuals be so united? so consecrated? so devoted? it is because our relationship with Christ propels and COMPELLS us to live HIS way. not our way. For when we do, we are blessed.

Hebrews 11:6

"Without FAITH it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

In between Sunday sessions Sister Higgins and I went to visit a less active in an apartment complex. We pulled up to the side and saw a teenage girl on the other side of the fence texting. She looked very bored like she was waiting for someone to get her. As we  were walking in she was on the phone and we didn’t say anything. We went to knock on the less actives house: no answer. Ring doorbell: no answer. Knock. Ok. Walk back down the stairs. Talk to the hispanic dad cooking outside? No. He just walked inside. Go to an investigators house in the same complex walking by the bored girl in black, still on the phone. Investigator not home. walk back. phone girl still there. Hispanic dad outside. go talk to dad. doesn’t know English, give him a spanish pass along card with the Hermanas number. walk back. girl in black on the phone STILL there. Ok. I'm not going to ignore it anymore. God wanted us to talk to her. She was very stand-off-ish, in a shy, not necessarily mean way. We briefly talked about our father in heaven, prophets and the book of mormon. We bore testimony about how It has brought happiness to our lives and through it we feel the love of God. "That's funny that'd you'd come by with this cuz I was just wondering if God loves me." she said. We told her he did, that she is a daughter of God. It's the moments like that where I feel accomplished and a successful missionary. It only took us 4 times to get it through our heads however. And it makes me realize I must exercise my faith more fully. For God wants to reward us, but we must believe in him.