The Recap, Part Two

A few final thoughts about General Conference occurred to me after I published my post on Friday. One was about Peter. Of all the kids, he used his Conference Notebook the least. At first I was a little bummed by this. After all, it's a fun tradition that we have. Instead of coloring the squares in his Conference Bingo, he would put a little x in each square, and he really didn't touch any of the other pages. But then I realized why he wasn't using it. He was focused on the speakers. He even asked the younger kids to be quiet so he could hear. He wasn't taking notes, but he did appear to be making mental notes. I was surprised by his maturity and focus.

The other thing that stood out to me about Conference was that the leaders of the church wore masks and practiced social distancing. There were several wide shots that showed their chairs spread out, masks on the participants. We have so few people in our area, including in our church congregation, that wear masks around other people. As I watched the example of the church leaders I kept having the thought, "We should be following the prophet. Why aren't we following the prophet?"

The Recap

I tried to narrow my favorite talks from General Conference down to three, and I just couldn't do it. There were too many that spoke directly to me. They include (but are not limited to since I'm sure I'll discover more as I listen to them again):

• We Will Prove Them Herewith by David A. Bednar
• Eyes to See by Michelle D. Craig
• Love Your Enemies by Dallin H. Oaks
• Finding Joy in Christ by Steven J. Lund
• By Union of Feeling We Obtain Power With God by Sharon Eubank
• Embrace the Future With Faith by President Russell M. Nelson
• Watch Ye Therefore, and Pray Always by M. Russell Ballard
• Seek Christ in Every Thought by Ulisses Soares
• Let God Prevail by President Russell M. Nelson
• Do Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly With God by Dale G. Renlund
• Waiting on the Lord By Jeffrey R. Holland

Wow, that's actually more talks than I expected. Topher's nap fell during the morning session both days, so I was able to sit and listen without chasing anyone and it was lovely and apparently I heard more than I usually do. There were several themes, including being prepared, the Second Coming, and denouncing racism, all of which I loved. The theme that stood out the most to me was that we need to love our neighbors, and everyone is our neighbor. I think that's especially important to remember right now.

Chef Sophie

 

Awkward

Tonight I attended an outdoor Young Women activity (I'm the advisor for the younger class). As I awkwardly tried to participate from the periphery, they painted pumpkins and generally behaved as if there was not a global pandemic currently going on, mine the only mask in sight. Did I mention it was awkward?

When the painting was finished, they all gathered around a fire pit and talked. Some of the Young Women started complaining about how their backs and knees were so tired and sore. One of them said, "I know! Technically I'm 17, but my knees are old, like 40 or something!"

And that's when I called out from my socially distant spot on the darkened lawn, "Yay 40!"

It was awkward.

Put Your Back Into It

 

The Kickoff to Our Holiday Season

I loved General Conference. Really, truly loved it. I always love it, but this time my soul felt filled and uplifted to an extra degree. There were so many talks that directly answered questions that I'd been pondering for our family and for the world.

The weekend started with Miss Sophie coming into my room at 6:45 and declaring, "Happy General Conference!" After I had a chance to wake up and get moving. I made our traditional waffle brunch and we settled in to be edified.

The first session each day fell during Topher's nap, which worked out nicely.

But when he was awake, he was an active little man. He did sit and listen for some of it, and he enjoyed scribbling in his Conference notebook, so that's something. He also spent a lot of time trying to sneak one of Phoebe's nice school crayons (that she was using during the sessions) away without her notice. He's not quite as stealthy as he imagines.

Phoebe and I ate our traditional ice cream and loved the women's session.

And then I just stopped taking pictures on Sunday, but we still watched Conference, even without the photographic proof.

Ready, Set, Go!

I finished prepping the General Conference notebooks tonight and we have the food we need for our traditional breakfast tomorrow. For the whole last week Sophie has squealed with delight each time she's remembered Conference is this weekend. And we've talked as a family about prayerfully bringing a question into the weekend and listening for an answer.

We are ready for General Conference!

Aging Gracefully

"Mom, why is your face so soft? (touching my cheek) Actually, no. (touching her cheek) My skin is so soft, yours is all bumpy. Why is it like that? Is it because you're getting older? (while giving me a big, loving hug and laughing) I ask funny questions." -Sophie, having a one-sided conversation with me and responding to my changing facial expressions.

Unsolicited Styling

 

Meal Planning

"Let's have candy for dinner." -Topher, upon seeing some candy in our basement pantry.