General Conference weekend is always a fun and busy one for our family. Because my father-in-law works for the church, we have the awesome opportunity to attend sessions each time. I'm so grateful for that opportunity; being in the conference center is something special - I hope everyone can experience it at least once! The spirit is strongly present the minute you walk in that dedicated building.
My favorite part about attending sessions of conference (other than the messages shared) is watching the general authorities interact with each other. They are really funny people! They give each other 'broseph' hugs, fist bump, high five, sing the hymns jubilantly, sometimes doze off a little, or pat their wives on the head as they walk past them. I get a glimpse of who they really are, what they are really like, how each of their personalities differ. Some of them even mingle down in the floor section in front of the podium before the session starts - this time, I got to meet Elder Oaks and shake his hand! We got really lucky and got to sit on the 6th row for one session. THE 6TH ROW!!! Amazing.
Here's the view from the 6th row:
It was truly an incredible experience to literally sit at the feet of the apostles of Jesus Christ for a few hours. We were close enough to see the intensity in their faces, the warmth in their smiles and eyes, and the quiver in their jaw as they testify of their Savior's love for us with deep conviction.
A few of my favorite quotes:
"Imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him but He deals with it. So should we."
- Jeffrey R. Holland
We all need to remember that we are surrounded by imperfect people, and we ourselves are imperfect. We are all just trying to get through life and be happy. A lot of the stress and anxiety we experience is caused by imperfect people making imperfect choices. We can remember that they aren't perfect; we can recognize that we can quit worrying or stressing over things that are outside of our control.
"Following Christ is not a casual or occasional practice, but a continuous commitment and way of life that applies at all times and in all places."
- Dallin H. Oaks
and
"We must not pick and choose which commandments we think are important to keep but acknowledge all of God's commandments."
- L. Tom Perry
The gospel is not a buffet; we can't pick out parts of the gospel that we want to live and leave others out because we aren't interested in them. We need to consistently live all parts of the gospel in order to be true disciples of Christ. It take commitment; it takes discipline; it takes effort. But by living all of the commandments and all aspects of the gospel, we show we are committed to our Savior and show our love and gratitude for Him.
I was happy and grateful to have my mom and sisters come to a session with us. Afterwards, we did some shopping at the fabulous City Creek while Colton was at Priesthood. Thanks for a fun ladies night, girls!
WE LOVE GENERAL CONFERENCE!
