General Conference Re-cap

This past Saturday and Sunday, the LDS Church had General Conference.  This is a 4 session conference over the 2 days of the weekend where we can listen to modern-day prophets and receive spiritual insight.  It happens twice a year, every year.  Each session is 2 hours and it is filled with speakers serving in different positions of the church, songs, and prayer.  This is a powerful 2-day experience.  I love Conference!

I would like to share a few quotes that really stuck out to me.

As I have been preparing to be a missionary, I have been trying to figure out what I need to do to change myself into the missionary that Jesus wants me to be.  Being a missionary was His task first and I would like to live up to His example.  Sister Elaine S. Dalton spoke of an experience she had that struck deep for me.  She discussed the idea of fulfilling our potential as she quoted the words carved in a stone wall.

When we decide to "act well our part", we are deciding that what we do matters.  In the grand scheme of things, each individual piece of the puzzle matters.  As I spoke about the tiles of a mosaic in an earlier post, each piece is necessary to get a fuller and greater picture.  We all have our place.  We are all essential.  With that being said, we need to make sure we are doing all that we can to be the best version of ourselves.

Also discussed in Conference was the idea of "Catching the Wave" of missionary service.  Russell M. Nelson spoke to all members saying that we all need to catch the missionary wave.  We all must seek to do service for others and stand in a place where the world can see the light of this Gospel shining through us.

I really loved something that Jeffrey R. Holland discussed, and that is strengthening our faith by"fanning its flame".  He told a Bible story of a man with a possessed son.  The man cried unto Jesus saying, "Lord, I believe.  Help, Thou, mine unbelief".  We don't need to have perfect faith, but when we hold fast to the faith we have, we can bring our unbelief to the Lord and ask for His help.  Holland also reminded us that we must "Be not afraid, only believe."  We do not need to be afraid of what is ahead.  We can trust in the Lord and believe we will find peace in Him.

There are so many wonderful talks that I would like to share with you.  It would be silly to try to re-give all the talk, but if any of you who did not see General Conference are interested, please visit this website and watch/read/listen to some of the words of our prophets: 

LDS General Conference

If you feel the need, or desire, please partake of this truth.  I know this church is true and I am so glad that I have the opportunity to share it with those who will listen.

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I have 23 days left until I enter the Provo MTC.  I'm pretty sure I am going to have a panic attack.  It is so close.  I have to pack and get home, buy all my toiletries and a few more clothing items, get some shots, go through the temple, visit with friends, speak in church, get set apart as a full-time missionary, eat delicious food!, practice the missionary lessons some more, re-pack once I get home, and head back out to Utah.  

I have 20 days at home.  20 days at home, then 580 days (approximately) as a missionary.  I've never gone that long without seeing or speaking to my family.  It'll be worth it though.  I am sacrificing a little time without them so that I can teach truth to those who have not heard or accepted it yet.  This is a powerful work.  I am so nervous, excited, anxious, etc.  I want to do this.  I will miss my family and miss being with them, but I am supposed to be in Italy.  I am so grateful for this opportunity.

It is going to be amazing.

THIS IS WHAT I AM A PART OF!!!

I am one of the 20,000.

What could be better than this?