Weekend Peace

There was something different about this General Conference. I don't know if the difference was in me, my family, or the talks themselves, but I felt a much deeper connection to what was being said than I have in recent memory. 

After Conference ends I go back and review the talks, usually listening to one talk each day until it's time for the next General Conference. Often the kids are too busy and loud for me to get much the first time I hear the talks, so that's my workaround.

But this time? I felt like I really heard the talks. The kids were so well behaved, I'm sure that helped. They even had some favorite talks. I asked Phoebe for her impressions and this is what she said. "Um, well, I liked the one about the seat belt. And I liked watching President Monson talk. And that's it." Cooper liked the talk about the sharks, which was one of my favorites too. Peter liked hearing about the importance of reading the scriptures.

Cooper was anxious that I would forget to prepare the Conference notebooks. He asked me to make sure they were done in time. They were, and the kids used them all weekend.

In writing this post, I went to lds.org and tried to identify the talks that really stood out to me. The list was long, probably too long to talk about in one session. So instead, I will direct you to the four talks that left a profound impression.

Elder Holland's talk on mothers was beautiful and overwhelming. I recommend it to all mothers, whether they are LDS or not. The entire talk spoke to me, but these two quotes especially impressed me.

You see, it is not only that they bear us, but they continue bearing with us. It is not only the prenatal carrying but the lifelong carrying that makes mothering such a staggering feat. Of course, there are heartbreaking exceptions, but most mothers know intuitively, instinctively that this is a sacred trust of the highest order. The weight of that realization, especially on young maternal shoulders, can be very daunting.

To all of our mothers everywhere, past, present, or future, I say, “Thank you. Thank you for giving birth, for shaping souls, for forming character, and for demonstrating the pure love of Christ.” To Mother Eve, to Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel, to Mary of Nazareth, and to a Mother in Heaven, I say, “Thank you for your crucial role in fulfilling the purposes of eternity.” To all mothers in every circumstance, including those who struggle—and all will—I say, “Be peaceful. Believe in God and yourself. You are doing better than you think you are. In fact, you are saviors on Mount Zion,¹³ and like the Master you follow, your love ‘never faileth.’¹⁴ ” I can pay no higher tribute to anyone. 

I loved Elder Stanfill's talk on light and his personal story about driving through a dark tunnel. One quote that stood to me:

When we consider thoughtfully, why would we listen to the faceless, cynical voices of those in the great and spacious buildings of our time and ignore the pleas of those who genuinely love us? These ever-present naysayers prefer to tear down rather than elevate and to ridicule rather than uplift. Their mocking words can burrow into our lives, often through split-second bursts of electronic distortions carefully and deliberately composed to destroy our faith. Is it wise to place our eternal well-being in the hands of strangers?

President Nelson's talk to the women of the church was powerful and felt like a call to action. If you want to know what kind of feminist I am (and I do consider myself a feminist), listen to this talk.

We, your brethren, need your strength, your conversion, your conviction, your ability to lead, your wisdom, and your voices. The kingdom of God is not and cannot be complete without women who make sacred covenants and then keep them, women who can speak with the power and authority of God!⁷ 

My dear sisters, whatever your calling, whatever your circumstances, we need your impressions, your insights, and your inspiration. We need you to speak up and speak out in ward and stake councils. We need each married sister to speak as “a contributing and fullpartner”¹⁰ as you unite with your husband in governing your family. Married or single, you sisters possess distinctive capabilities and special intuition you have received as gifts from God. We brethren cannot duplicate your unique influence.

So today I plead with my sisters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to step forward! Take your rightful and needful place in your home, in your community, and in the kingdom of God—more than you ever have before. I plead with you to fulfill President Kimball’s prophecy. And I promise you in the name of Jesus Christ that as you do so, the Holy Ghostwill magnify your influence in an unprecedented way! 

Finally, and perhaps appropriately given my feelings on President Nelson's talk, is Sister Stephens talk. Her story about her granddaughter Chloe refusing to wear a seat belt was memorable for the kids too, as Phoebe mentioned.

Like Chloe, we can choose to see commandments as limitations. We may feel at times that God’s laws restrict our personal freedom, take from us our agency, and limit our growth. But as we seek for greater understanding, as we allow our Father to teach us, we will begin to see that His laws are a manifestation of His love for us and obedience to His laws is an expression of our love for Him.

I turned to Bryan at one point during the weekend and said, "I hope you're getting something out of this, because I'm pretty sure all these talks were written for me." I love the spiritual boost that I receive from General Conference, the strength that the talks give me, and the opportunity and invitation to refine and retune my life.

I know that President Monson leads the church and is divinely called to do so. Likewise, I know that the men and women that spoke to us during General Conference are called by God to teach and lead us. I look forward to studying the counsel they gave as part of my daily scripture study over the next six months.