Fave's from Conference

I'm using my blog as my personal journal today. You are welcome to read, or pass it by...sometimes I like doing this. It motivates me to dig deeper and ponder more when I know that maybe what I write (or quote) may help another.

Our Church's Semi-annual General Conference was held two weeks ago. As always, there were so many things that the apostles said that I could have sworn were written just for me. I'm going to copy and paste a few of my favorite passages from talks. The ones that helped my faith to become stronger.

1) Elder Dallin H. Oaks' talk called Sacrifice was all about the personal sacrifices that people make for others and for the gospel. I especially loved the following:

"Perhaps the most familiar and most important examples of unselfish service and sacrifice are performed in our families. Mothers devote themselves to the bearing and nurturing of their children. Husbands give themselves to supporting their wives and children. The sacrifices involved in the eternally important service to our families are too numerous to mention and too familiar to need mention. 


I also see unselfish Latter-day Saints adopting children, including those with special needs, and seeking to provide foster children the hope and opportunities denied them by earlier circumstances. I see you caring for family members and neighbors who suffer from birth defects, mental and physical ailments, and the effects of advancing years. The Lord sees you also, and He has caused His prophets to declare that “as you sacrifice for each other and your children, the Lord will bless you.”


Wow, could that have been any more perfect for our family right now?  And do you want to know what made this even more special to us? Dallin H. Oaks, the apostle who gave this talk, was at the SLC airport when Anya came home with us from Russia. When our family was all there welcoming Anya, sharing lots of hugs and tears, Jeremy, in his curiosity to see how much of a scene we were making, looked up to the balcony above us. Dallin H. Oaks was standing there, watching us.  Several others saw him there, as well. I don't know if he was thinking of us when he wrote this talk, or not. But I did feel God wrapping His arms around me when I heard Elder Oaks speak these words.

There isn't a huge emphasis in the LDS church placed on finding families for children who otherwise wouldn't have them. They have their own adoption department set up for infertile couples who want to adopt newborn babies domestically (and for unwed mothers to place their babies for adoption) but not a lot is said over the pulpit about foster care (at least since the 1970's to 1980's when the Indian Placement Program was in place) or caring for orphans through adoption.  Great stories are told of families who do it, but they don't come right out and specifically encourage us to do it.

Why is this?  Here are a couple of my ideas:

The way that the church obeys the biblical mandate to "care for the widow and the orphan"  is by providing financial assistance to those in need. The Church has a long-standing welfare organization in place that takes care of this. Millions of dollars in supplies and money are sent around the world to help people in need, including orphans and orphanages. So, they are certainly doing their part in that regard.

Here's my other thought:  If our leaders asked us to adopt orphans, people would be lining up at the agencies. (Boy wouldn't that be great?) But... I think they realize that it's an individual calling and not right for everyone. Many people would be doing it out of obedience, not necessarily a true desire to parent children from hard places. Anyone who has done this will agree that you need much more than devotion to God to bring a hurt child into your family. It's an investment that comes from every facet of your life.

I'm sure there are other reasons.

Here's what the church does preach, though: The number of children that couples should have, as well as how those children come, is strictly between a husband, a wife, and the Lord. The main point that I hear from our leaders on this subject is that it's an individual decision, and that no one should judge those who do it differently than they would.

At any rate, this part of Elder Oaks' talk was very validating to us, as I'm sure it was to many, many other LDS couples who have been led by the Spirit to adopt or do foster care for children from hard places.  By the way, this has become a growing trend, thanks to the blessing of social media and blogging. People are inspired by other people's stories. I know MANY LDS families who have adopted internationally or are in the process. It's just wonderful.

Ok, on to another favorite from Conference. This was From Elder Henry B. Eyering' talk, "Mountains to Climb."  I love this reminder about how obedience leads to greater faith:

"Our choosing the right consistently whenever the choice is placed before us creates the solid ground under our faith. It can begin in childhood since every soul is born with the free gift of the Spirit of Christ. With that Spirit we can know when we have done what is right before God and when we have done wrong in His sight.

Those choices, hundreds in most days, prepare the solid ground on which our edifice of faith is built. The metal framework around which the substance of our faith is poured is the gospel of Jesus Christ, with all its covenants, ordinances, and principles.

One of the keys to an enduring faith is to judge correctly the curing time required....curing does not come automatically through the passage of time, but it does take time. Getting older does not do it alone. It is serving God and others persistently with full heart and soul that turns testimony of truth into unbreakable spiritual strength."

2) I also LOVED Jeffrey R. Holland's talk on Jesus' parable of The Laborers in the Vineyard. AMAZING reminder of the importance of being happy for others when they are given blessings, and appreciating the way that we receive our blessings, even if they are given differently than others'.  If you are struggling with envy, or feeling like you're lacking gratitude.... read this talk! It will change your life.  

When Elder Holland bore his testimony at the end, I felt the spirit so powerfully. 

"It is never too late so long as the Master of the vineyard says there is time. Please listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit telling you.... right.... now, this very moment, (he slowed way down when he said that part) that you should accept the atoning gift of the Lord Jesus Christ and enjoy the fellowship of His labor. Don’t delay. It’s getting late. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

Did my heart need to change? It must have. This really spoke to me.

3) Another INCREDIBLE talk, along the same lines, was Elder Uchdorf's talk called The Merciful Obtain Mercy.  Wow. That's all I have to say. I love the boldness that he used:

"Who hasn't at some point had ill feelings toward another and had a hard time letting go of them?  I doubt there's anyone out there. It's just human nature to judge others and hold grudges. 

This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following:


Stop it!

It’s that simple. We simply have to stop judging others and replace judgmental thoughts and feelings with a heart full of love for God and His children. God is our Father. We are His children. We are all brothers and sisters. I don’t know exactly how to articulate this point of not judging others with sufficient eloquence, passion, and persuasion to make it stick. I can quote scripture, I can try to expound doctrine, and I will even quote a bumper sticker I recently saw. It was attached to the back of a car whose driver appeared to be a little rough around the edges, but the words on the sticker taught an insightful lesson. It read, “Don’t judge me because I sin differently than you.”

We must recognize that we are all imperfect—that we are beggars before God. Haven’t we all, at one time or another, meekly approached the mercy seat and pleaded for grace? Haven’t we wished with all the energy of our souls for mercy—to be forgiven for the mistakes we have made and the sins we have committed?

Because we all depend on the mercy of God, how can we deny to others any measure of the grace we so desperately desire for ourselves? My beloved brothers and sisters, should we not forgive as we wish to be forgiven?

 Is this difficult to do? Yes, of course. Forgiving ourselves and others is not easy. In fact, for most of us it requires a major change in our attitude and way of thinking—even a change of heart. But there is good news. This “mighty change”⁸ of heart is exactly what the gospel of Jesus Christ is designed to bring into our lives.

How is it done? Through the love of God. When our hearts are filled with the love of God, something good and pure happens to us. We “keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world.”⁹

The more we allow the love of God to govern our minds and emotions—the more we allow our love for our Heavenly Father to swell within our hearts—the easier it is to love others with the pure love of Christ. As we open our hearts to the glowing dawn of the love of God, the darkness and cold of animosity and envy will eventually fade.

As always, Christ is our exemplar. In His teachings as in His life, He showed us the way. He forgave the wicked, the vulgar, and those who sought to hurt and to do Him harm.

Jesus said it is easy to love those who love us; even the wicked can do that. But Jesus Christ taught a higher law. His words echo through the centuries and are meant for us today. They are meant for all who desire to be His disciples. They are meant for you and me: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”¹⁰

When our hearts are filled with the love of God, we become “kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving [each other], even as God for Christ’s sake [forgave us].”¹¹

The pure love of Christ can remove the scales of resentment and wrath from our eyes, allowing us to see others the way our Heavenly Father sees us: as flawed and imperfect mortals who have potential and worth far beyond our capacity to imagine. Because God loves us so much, we too must love and forgive each other."

I'm so grateful for living prophets, and that I belong to Christ's church.  Everything we learn from our leaders is inspired from God and perfect for our time. The gospel is true!