So for the past couple of days I have been thinking of how to put my thoughts together, and I am not sure if I will be able to fully explain how I feel right now but we will give it a shot.
This past weekend was general conference as most of you are well aware of, and it was something I have been looking forward to for sometime now. I love conference and I just love getting new information and direction. Although there was a little bit of doubt in me because the last general conference didn't seem to live up to the ones I had on the mission, so I feared that this conference was going to be the same way. I am glad to say I was wrong. So I hope not to bore you, but here is the story of how this past little while has really taught me how blessed I am.
It all started last week when I was driving back up to Logan to go to school, and I recieved a phone call from my companion, Sister Babbitt. She asked me if I would like to attend conference , and I think I answered before I really thought too much about it. And of course the answer was yes!!! That weekened I was also able to go to the first ever general womens broadcast at the conference center. Once I got there and got to my seat I knew I was suppose to be there for a reason. I was blown away by all the women there and just the power in that meeting. I was so excited once I got sat down and was down on the floor level. I had never been this close before. It made it all just a little more real. So to back up just a little bit more I was at work one day and a young sister came in and told me that she was singing in the chior for the general womens meeting. I thought that was pretty neat, and congratualated her for being picked, and once I finished she told me that the people over it all told them they were not there because of their talent. They were there because the spirit had told the people they needed to be there. This thought stuck with me throughout the night as I was able to look at each of the people in the chior and understand they were there for a reason...maybe for them, for a family member, or even for me. How cool is that!? I seriously love that concept and am thankful that I have that knowledge and understanding. Ok I will try not to get off on too much of a tangent, but I just want to share with you a little bit of what I learned that night as I sat in the conference center surrounded by women of my same faith. The main lesson I took away from that night came from Sister Linda K Burton, who is the general relief society president. She talked about understandin our identity and purpose. She touched briefly on ways we can recieve help in our lives. She said just three simple things such as: The Atonement of Jesus Christ, The Holy Ghost, and other peoples helping hand. Oh how true that is, but the next thing that she talked about really got to me and made me think a little. It was about the spiritual help wanted signs in our lives. Now this next part is just what I thought as I processed her talk in my mind, but I think it hits on the point she was getting acrossed. How many times in our life do we see a help wanted sign in a store or on a billboard, and we think to ourselves "that would be a great job, but I am not qualified for it." or "that would be nice, but I am afraid it would be too hard." I know there are times when statements like this go through my mind, and I believe I am not the only one out there. Anyway... I think that there are people all around us that have help wanted signs hanging on them and we think the very same thing we do with a job..."I am not qualified to help them" or "I am too busy right now, but maybe in a few months." The part that gets me the most is there are times they are in our path more to help us then we are to help them, and how many times do we pass up these opportunities because we feel like we aren't the one to help, we are too busy, or there would be too much work involved. I will be the first to admit that I have done this a time or two, and that is why I am so thankful for things like this that can remind us of what we need to be doing to be more like our Savior.
Ok so now back to conference... Saturday I went over to a friends house to watch conference and it was soo good. It was such a breath of fresh air to be able to listen to the prophet and to feel the spirit. I really enjoyed both of the sessions on Saturday and there were so many good things said. I will just hit on a few of my favorite things... 1st I have always loved Elder Holland and he just put it out there plain and simple.. His testimony is really what struck me the MOST.. I love how he said "I am sure the priesthood keys have been restored just as sure as I know that I am standing in front of your this day, and you are sitting in front of me." WOW can you just say amazing. If only everyone in the world had a testimony like him...or even if I had a testimony like him. He is so powerful. Elder Andersen was my next favorie...Elder Andersen came to my mission and did a mission conference, and ever since then I just have felt a connection with him..it is like he seems more real to me. Anyway I just really liked the topic he picked and the way he talked about the Book of Mormon. I loved when he said "The Book of Mormon is the most powerful WRITTEN witness of Jesus Christ." Oh how true it is! Ok I could go on and on about all the amazing talks, but I am sure you already know how great they are by now. So back to my story of giong to conference...Saturday night rolls around and I had to work. It was super crazy busy at work, and it went by fast. Lucky for me. :) Then I drove home and spent the night in Morgan so I could just drive to Salt Lake the next morning. Well I wake up the next morning and Sister Babbitt asked me if I could meet them there around 9 so that we could go to music and the spoken word first. I told her yes and I hurry and got ready... well before I could even get out the door to drive to Salt Lake she had text me and told me they were already there. I thought oh boy..I will get there as fast and safe as possible. Well I got there around 8:45ish and met Emily, Sister Babbitt, outside the doors. We got through security and then made our way to our seats. Her mom and step sister were already in there and saving our seats. I kept showing my ticket to the wonderful missionaries there and they just kept us going in the right direction. We just kept going down and down and down. We finally got to our seats and we were only 5 rows away from the front!!!!!! I was SOOO excited! I could hardly contain myself actually. I have NEVER sat this close to the front in my life. It made conference so real for me and I just loved that session so much. I really liked all of conference, but that session just hit home for me and I learned a great deal. Elder Bednar has become a favorite of mine since the mission. His talk The Atonement and the Journey Of Mortality changed my life completely around. Here is the link in case you feel like doing more reading and reading it. It literally is life changing. (https://www.lds.org/ensign/2012/04/the-atonement-and-the-journey-of-mortality?lang=eng) Anyway his talk was just so good and I really have felt like I need to grow and understand the Atonement better, so it really just helped me out a lot. I feel like I could go on and on about conference and then things I learned, but I think I have wrote enough for today. Just know I love the gospel and it literally has changed my life for the best and I know it can change yours if it hasn't already!
