Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Conference April 2011

Lest I Forget:
a few notes I kept while watching conference and re-reading the messages:

Sat. AM
President Thomas S. Monson
- New Temples announced (seems to be a common occurrence but is still so exciting to hear).
- Continue faithful in performing temple ordinances
- Thank you for your faith & devotion to gospel, love for another, service, donations.
- Contribute to General Missionary fund.

-Elder L. Tom Perry
- Study the New Testament
- The Savior should be the centerpiece of our lives.
- Sabbath Day observance must always include worship and partaking of the sacrament.
- Three things the Lord requires; 1. Keep selves unspotted (avoid worldly distractions and proper dress on the sabbath), 2. Go to the house of prayer, 3. Offer up sacraments unto the Lord (forsake and confess...repent).
- Be examples of the believers.
- Let your families be filled with love as honor sabbath.

Jean A. Stevens (1st C. Primary)
- Pay tithing.
- Humility, reverence, love for the Lord.
- What really matters most?
- Faith and Trust in the Lord.
- Behold your little ones. Embrace little children.
- God gave us families to help us become who He wants us to be.
- Follow His example.

Elder Walter F. Gonzalez
- Invite others to come and see what the church can add to the good things they already have.
- People who follow Christ are loving people who make and keep covenants.
- Take sacrament, attend temple, assist others, become true followers of Christ.
- We are happier when we follow teachings of Jesus Christ.
- His tender mercies will make us ... under any circumstances.
- Pattern our lives after the Savior.
- Exercise faith... repentance... make covenants.

Elder Kent F. Richards
- Purpose of pain - a gauge of the healing process. Patient.
- Pain brings you to a humility
- Spiritual pain - repentance.
- Opposition is part of the plan.
- The Savior is not a silent observer - He is our physician.
- In Him we can find peace & solace.

Elder Quentin L. Cook
- Mormon migration / women were incredible . . . because of the way they face trials of life.
- TV rich and family time poor.
- Do not be judgemental.
- Prayerfully consider choices and how they affect your family.
- Husbands and wives, prayerfully counsel together understanding we are accountable to God.
- Errand of angels is given to women.
- Labor = missionary work, temple and family history, teaching gospel, care for poor and needy.
- Sustain and support bishop.

President Henry B. Eyring
- Consecrate time, talents and means to help others. Lift up those in need.
- Renew and strengthen commitment to act.
- Give a greater Fast Offering
- Everyone is happier and feels more self respect when we care for family and others.
- You cannot give yourself poor!
- Unity ... When we join hands to help people in need the Lord joins our hearts.
- Draw your family into the work with you.
- Seek out the poor.
- Upcoming "Day of Service"
- Go about doing good!

Sat. pm
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
- thank you for your sustaining vote, your continued faith, devotion, and prayers.

By Brook P. Hales
- Statistical report informed of 52,225 missionaries (6 are from Royal II ward,2 are from Hebdon family, 3 are from Rodeback family)

President Boyd K. Packer
- Scriptures
- Use full name of the Church
- Restored Church, Gospel, Priesthood.
- Word of Wisdom
- Great Plan of Happiness centers on families.
- We must and we can resist temptations of any kind.
- Leave it alone! Can't bring her back, will only make it worse. Forgive and forget.
- Be positive and happy and not afraid of life.
- We can be guided by the Holy Ghost.
- Come unto Him.

Elder Russell M. Nelson
- We live to die and we die to live.
- All that the future holds in store for each sacred child of God will be shaped by his or her parents, family, friends, and teachers.
- Combat fears by strengthening faith.
- Let your faith be focused on our loving Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ.
- Each is a child of God, each born with challenges to overcome and Faith to be developed. Time of trial and testing.
- Teach of faith...
- Obedience!
- God's holy angels are ever on call to help us.
- The Lord responded by changing the Prophet's (Joseph Smith) perspective.
- All things work out for your good.
- God will heed your heart felt prayers.
- Pay tithing = keep your name enrolled ..., protect you ....
- Divine Nature & Infinite Worth
- Each reserved until this time to be born.
- Do not have to fight battles alone. He will help us.
-Our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments.
- Pres. Monson's quote, Your future is as bright as your faith. Face your future with faith.

Elder Richard J. Maynes
- Eternal Families. Fundamental to order of Heaven.
- Child of God.
- Adversary wants to destroy the Plan.
- Christ centered home. (FHE, Fam scripture and prayer)
- Great power and protection ... in establishing celestial traditions in home and helping us overcome....
- Parents held accountable. Word and Example.
- Parents responsible to teach their children in love and righteousness...with words and through example.
- Children play important role / help make family strong.

Elder Cecil O. Samuelson Jr.
- Trust in the Lord - in His love and His timing.
- Remember the purpose of life is to be tested and stretched.
- Musts = daily prayer, scripture & gospel study, attend meetings, visiting teaching, hometeaching, assignments.
- People do good and important things because they have testimonies....we also gain testimonies because of what we do.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks
- Desire dictates our priorities, priorities shape our choices, choices determine our actions.
- 3 essentials that preceded the promised blessing: desire, labor and faith.
- Food vs Fast
- Faith = a desire to believe
- Seek the best things
- Readjust desire to things of eternity
- Cut and carve ourselves free from addictions...
- Lost desire for sin = a personal decision
- What consistently desire is what we'll become.
- Eternal beings / Help and love all
- Secure and preserve a marriage for eternity. Righteous desires that lead to eternal life.

Elder M. Russell Ballard
- Spring = renewal of light and life.
- All beareth record of Jesus Christ.
- So busy looking for large nuggets , missing the flecks of gold. By small and simple things great things are brought to pass.
- Focus on things that matter most.
- Love God with all heart, soul, mind, and love neighbor as self.
- Pure love of Christ =
Charity begins at home / Practice golden rule.
Serve in Church. No gossip or unkind words.
Serve in Community. Kindness is an essence of greatness.
Missionary service. Full time and as friends and neighbors.
- Glorious consequences flow from small but deliberate deeds.
- unless lose self in service of others there is little ... our lives.

Priesthood Session
Elder Neil L. Andersen
- Serve a mission.
- Sacrifice.

Elder Steven E. Snow
- Hope is an emotion which brings richness to our everyday lives.
- We must spend time in Family Home Evening and worthwhile family activities.
- We must teach our children to pray...read with them in the scriptures and teach them important gospel principles.
- Never let hope be displaced by fear.
- Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.

Larry M. Gibson (1st C. YM)
- Priesthood Quorum responsibilities. Be worthy.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
- Do it! Now!
- Read scriptures and listen to the words of the prophets with all your heart and mind. Commit to reading scriptures and handbooks, with purpose and focus.
Don't let a day go by without doing something to act on the promptings of the Spirit.
- earnestly seek personal revelation and inspiration.
- experience joy in daily priesthood service.

President Henry B. Eyring
- learn duties of priesthood
- sit in counsel
- have love for each other that comes from great faith
- teach and be taught
- be a peacemaker
- patience and humility
- labor for the salvation of men
- be diligent and obedient in the priesthood

President Thomas S. Monson
- Personal worthiness!
- Many movies...(media) portray behavior which is in direct opposition to the laws of God. Do not subject yourself to the innuendo and outright filth which are so often found there.
- Lyrics... fall into same category.
- Do not use profane language. Stay away from pornography.
- Avoid alcohol, tobacco, drugs, addictions which you would be hard pressed to conquer.
- A strong testimony of our Savior and of His gospel will help see your through to safety.
- Read the Book of Mormon, prayerfully, desire to know truth.
- Do what is necessary to obtain a testimony and keep it vital and alive through obedience, regular prayer, scripture study.
- Attend church, seminary, institute.
- Cease any unrighteousness.
- reject false concepts and false teachings and remain true to that which God commands.
- there is no shame in having to scrimp and save...learn to sacrifice and make difficult decisions.
- be resourceful and committed to making your marriage work.
- exercise faith.
- seek an eternal companion...choose your love; love your choice.
- discipline selves so we stand above the ways of the world...be honorable and decent.
- be the right person.
- Safeguard, treasure, live worthy of the gift of the priesthood.
- let righteousness guide every step.

Sunday am
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
- God speaks to His prophets and apostles and to all His children.
- "find self waiting"
- Diligently seek to find and know Him. Comes one piece at a time (like puzzle). Each piece helps us see the big picture more clearly then recognize the grand beauty of it all.
- Move forward with faith.
- Turn down the volume control
- hearken to the promptings of the Spirit and heed them.
- "Lord, what will Thou have me do?"
- Serve each other. Be sensitive.
- Texting and blogging...
- If we are joyful and at peace with world, people will want to know more.
- Preach gospel at all times and if necessary, use words!
- Move forward with faith, hope, charity.

Elder Paul V. Johnson
- Affliction is part of our mortal existence
- Trial of your faith to see if we'll do all the Lord commanded
- Putting on the Divine Nature.
- All that we suffered and endure builds character...
- "You won't be the same, you'll be awesome!"
- Burn away dross ... pure gold.
- Only way to see the views is to make the climb
- Investigators often face tribulation
- A particular challenge can prepare us for ...
- Face difficult challenges with faith.

Bishop H. David Burton
- Welfare program
- Personal responsibility and self reliance
- Purpose, promise, principles
- Service, sacrifice, consecration
- horse died, strapped yoke to their own backs
- be kind to the poor. Care for others. Be kind.

Silvia H. Allred (1st C. RS)
- One heart and one mind.
- Love the Lord and love neighbor as self.
- visit poor and needy and administer to...bless others...serve
- discipleship.
- RS
- Love is the guiding principle.

Elder David A. Bednar
- Two ordinary experiences with light.
- Spirit of revelation should be operative in our lives.
- Available to all who receive baptism and Holy Ghost and act in faith to receive.
- sincere desire and worthiness invite spirit of revelation.
- Thoughts and feeling that come into heart and mind.
- apply unto it
- Shun inappropriate media...addictive substances and behaviors. Tools of the adversary can impair and eventually destroy our capacity to recognize and respond to the subtle messages from God delivered by the power of His Spirit.
- Light turned on in a dark room = instant, complete, all at once = more rare than common
- Gradual rising sun - small increments over time, line upon line = more common than rare.
- Sometimes we overlook the small...
- Press forward obediently and with faith in the Savior.
- Do our best. Strive to do good and be better.
- Act, not be acted upon.

President Thomas S. Monson
- Welfare program inspired of God.
- Temples bring joy to faithful members...
- Sacrifice to attend and have Spirit in our homes.
- 85% of members live within 2 hours of a temple.
- The work is ours to do.
- Qualify to enter/worthy to enter temple.
- teach children importance of temples
- as go to temple and remember covenants we will be more able to bear every trial and overcome each temptation. We'll find peace and be renewed and fortified.
- Follow in the footsteps of the Savior.

Sunday pm
Elder Richard G. Scott
- 2 vital pillars (vital to God's plan) marriage and the family.
- Temple sealing will help you draw closer together and find greater joy and fulfillment in mortality.
- Don't waste time on idle pursuits.
- YM = serve mission and marry
- Express love and gratitude to spouse often
- Child forever theirs because of temple covenants

Elder D. Todd Christofferson
- "Be perfect even as I or Father in Heaven"
- done ... become
- willingly seek and accept correction / chastening
- Become self correcting.
- Parents must correct their children.

Elder Carl B. Pratt
- Teach family in home
- He remembers those who honestly pay tithing
- When obey = blessed
- Tithing is not a matter of money but of faith in the Lord.
- Lord does not promise wealth. He blesses with wisdom / wisdom to budget and to manage, etc.
- The Lord's richest blessings are spiritual. (family, friends, gospel)

Elder Lynn G. Robbins
- To Be or Not to Be! Even as I am! To BE or to DO
- do without being = hypocrites, pretender, false image to others
- be without doing = void (faith without works), false image to self
- do = baptism. be = faith. do = sacrament. be = worthy to partake of sacrament.
- To do = event list check off when done. To be = cannot be checked off, must always be.
- Be begets and is motive behind Do
- What attributes would correct behaviour?
- Discipline in love, not in anger, long suffering....by persuasion, longsuffering, gentleness, meekness, kindness.
- What we did wrong is not who we are. An act not an identity.
- Professions nor possessions should identify who one is.
- Develop Christlike attributes! Do as He did.

Elder Benjamin De Hoyos
- Radio talk show / religions of the world. Name of the Church given by God
- refers to it's members = Latter Day Saints
- To become saints = conduct family prayer and Scripture study, family history, consecrate time to worship in temple frequently, serve as missionaries... Charity...
- Come to know Savior thru afflictions and trials.
- Move forward with patience.
- Place confidence in the Lord and He will sustain us.
- Understanding of the doctrine of Christ and His Atonement will be the source of our strength and peace (internal tranquility)
- Let not your heart be troubled, nor afraid.

Elder C. Scott Grow
- his brother / Prodigal Son / miracle of Atonement
- repent & forsake sins
- Began in garden of Gethsemane...continued on cross...culminated at resurrection.
- moral agency / life style
- He heals the transgressor. He heals the innocent who suffer because of those transgressors.
- Immerse yourself in prayer and scripture study.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
- hill = Ensign Peak / conference = standard to nation
- Reflect on messages
- messages = no coordination except with heaven. Something for everyone. Mortal messengers with angelic messages.
- To comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable (Harold B. Lee)
- can't always have it your way
- Salvation can only come His way.

President Thomas S. Monson
- Long remember messages and read and study them.
- Face challenges / Heavenly Father is mindful of us and will bless us.
- Be a good citizen and neighbor
- Be an example of honesty and integrity
- Love the Savior

General Young Women Meeting (March 26th)
Ann M. Dibb (2nd C. YW)
- 13th A of F is a guide for righteousness.
- be honest and true, sincere, steadfast, loyal...
- live the standards and strive to follow Christ's example.

Mary N. Cook (1st C. YW)
- benevolent = to wish someone well...to be kind, well meaning, and charitable.
- We must learn about the Savior and follow His ways.
- Unity
- refrain from judging and criticizing / make everyone feel valued
- be mindful of your grandparents and elderly
- be cheerful, helpful, and considerate of others. Seek to be a peacemaker rather than to tease, fight, and quarrel.
- Follow our prophet. Learn from his example and listen to his words.
- Center our lives on Jesus Christ.
- love and serve.

Elaine S. Dalton (YW Gen. Pres.)
- Walk in the path of virtue and cleave unto your covenants.
- Stand guard of yourself, your family, and all those with whom you associate. Be guardians of virtue. (a guardian is someone who protects, shields, and defends.)
- Personal training = daily personal prayers, daily reading of B0fM and working on Personal Progress.
- Always be modest in dress, speech, actions and in use of social media.
- Be faithful. Be obedient
- you will be given strength, the Holy Ghost will guide you, you'll be surrounded by heavenly hosts of angels.
- Prepare to enter temple and make covenants

President Henry B. Eyring
- Nurture your testimony. It can fortify you and lead your path to eternal life.
- Testimony comes in pieces and parts.
- frequent heartfelt prayers of faith are crucial, hungering for the word of God in the scriptures, and the obedience to the truth we have received


(Last updated 5/26/11)