Lesson recap: Advancing the work of the Lord

I taught the lesson today. It's George Albert Smith, Lesson 15, Advancing the work of the Lord. Here is part of what we discussed. Do read the whole lesson when you get a minute.

God directs His work, and He calls upon every member of the Church to participate in moving it forward. 

We are doing so much. Besides missionary work, think of all the ways we as women advance the work of the Lord...visiting teaching, callings, service, family history, temple work, teaching our families and other youth, feeding folks, nurturing others, and the list goes on. Every family prayer, every family home evening, every simple act of kindness, every Sunday at church, every session of scripture study is advancing the the work of the the Lord. Let's pat ourselves on the back and acknowledge the good work we women do in the church.

It's a cooperative work. Let's see our work as a cooperative one with our brothers in the gospel. Every calling in the church is a service calling where hierarchy plays no part. Neylan Mcbaine reminds us:

You are needed. You matter. You have a purpose. Your opinions matter. Not just at home behind closed doors, not just with our children, as essential as those influences are, but also in the broadest context of the Lord’s kingdom.

We women need to do a better job of claiming the power and direct access that comes from being a child of God and realizing that power in the choices we make in our own lives. Ours is not a gospel of limitation; it is a gospel of empowerment to get the education we want, pursue our dreams, work in partnerships with spouses and friends to raise families, contribute to our communities as our talents dictate, and seek out answers to our deepest questions without intermediaries.

Inventions of our day are blessings. George Albert Smith embraced technology to do the Lord's work. 

While the first half of the 20th century saw significant challenges (WWI, WWII, the Great Depression), it also brought new technologies that President Smith believed would further the Lord’s work. He was a strong proponent of the aviation industry and saw it as a way to fulfill his travel assignments as a General Authority more efficiently. He also supported the Church’s use of radio and television to take the word of the Lord to a broader audience.

“We ought to regard these [inventions] as blessings from the Lord,” he said. “They greatly enlarge our abilities. They can indeed become blessings if we utilize them in righteousness for the dissemination of truth and the furtherance of the work of the Lord among men. The great challenge facing the world today lies in the use we make of many of these inventions. We can use them to destroy, as we have sometimes done in the past, or we can utilize them to enlighten and bless mankind, as our Heavenly Father would have us do."

Are there ways we can use the technology of today in good ways to do the Lord's work?

Air travel, radio, TV, internet, social media (Facebook, Twitter, Mormon.org, YouTube), smart phones, texting or e-mails, blogging about your faith and your family, crowdsourcing at The Vineyard (indexing, submitting photos, tagging photos) or LDS Tech. While most of these can be used for evil or to destroy let's focus instead on using them to build the kingdom in positive ways.

There is ample opportunity for every member to participate in the work of the Lord.

The responsibility for the conduct of this work does not devolve alone upon [the President of the Church], nor upon his counselors, nor upon the quorum of the Apostles; but it devolves also upon every man and woman who has been baptized by the servants of God and become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. … We cannot shift the responsibility if we would; our Father has placed it upon our shoulders, and we must round them up and help to carry it off triumphant.

Consider that no one can take your place. This story from Sheri Dew illustrates.  No One Can Take Your Place, page 196-199.)

In 1971 as a shy Freshman at BYU Sister Dew struggled for self-worth. "I wasn't talented enough, thin enough, smart enough, cute enough, or basically anything enough to amount to much." She was homesick and lacked social skills. But she did know how to play basketball.

I had grown up playing basketabll in the great basketball stae of Kansas, and had had some success on the court. More than anything, I wanted to play ball for BYU. So my shyness notwithstanding, I found out where and when team tryouts were being hed and showed up at the gym at a certain hour. but when I pulled open the gym door and peeked inside, a group of girls were already running drills. and they looked good! Clearly, I wasn't in Kansas anymore. Suddenly, every insecure cell in my body began to scream, "What are you thinking? You aren't good enough to play ball here! You can't compete with these girls! What has gotten into your head!" I quickly closed the door and told myself that if I just had a few minutes to regain some composure I would go in. I began to pace up and down the hallway outside that gym, telling myself that at any moment I would go in, I paced and paced...for three hours I paced—until the tryouts were over. I am sorry to say that I never went in.

Now fast foward 30 years. Sister Dew spoke to female athletes at BYU, letting them know she believed they had already accomplished so much. She told this story. Afterwards Dr. Elaine Michaelis approached and said she was the women's basketball coach then, and that it was the only year she had not been able to fill her roster. Her team went that year one girl short.

All the way home Sister Dew stewed. If only she'd had the confidence to try. Maybe she could have made a difference.

The lesson here, from Sheri Dew, is that no one can take your place.

Oh, sure, we have all let others down and watched someone else step in to fill the gap, and we've all at times helped fill in the gap when others have let us down. So yes, it's possible to fill in for someone. But it's not possible to take their place. No now, not ever.

No one can take your place in your family or with your friends. No one can take your place in your ward or your extended family, in your neighborhood or a the company where you work. No one can have the influence you have been prepared to have on all who come within your sphere of influence. Without question, no one can fulfill your foreordained mission. No one can do what you were sent to do. No one.

I think we forget this. Ask the Lord what His will is for you, expect Him to give you the power to carry it out. Know that is may be different for you than the sister sitting next to you. We are here to do our work. And He will give us the power to carry it out.

Doctrine and Covenants 64: 33- 34

 33 Wherefore, be not ^aweary in ^bwell-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of ^csmall things proceedeth that which is great.

 34 Behold, the Lord ^arequireth the ^bheart and a ^cwilling mind; and the willing and ^dobedient shall ^eeat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.

Sisters, it is a great work we are involved in. We can contribute in many ways, both large and small. It's a cooperative work where all hands are needed and appreciated. Blessing await those who are willing and obedient.

Let's do the work in the way women work well...learning, spreading information, tending and befriending, communicating, cooperating, creating community, and seeking balance. These are some ways we can advance the work of the Lord.

e

 

Lesson: Gifts of the Spirit

Gospel Principles, Lesson 22, The Gifts of the Spirit, taught by Margie Clark

The Gifts

Following baptism, each of us had hands laid on our heads to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. If we are faithful, we can have His influence continually with us.

Through Him, each of us can be blessed with certain spiritual powers called gifts of the Spirit.

These gifts are given to those who are faithful to Christ.

“All these gifts come from God, for the benefit of the children of God”.They help us know and teach the truths of the gospel. They will help us bless others. They will guide us back to our Heavenly Father.

To use our gifts wisely, we need to know what they are, how we can develop them, and how to recognize Satan’s imitations of them.

• The Gift of Tongues (D&C 46:24)
• The Gift of Interpretation of Tongues (D&C 46:25)
• The Gift of Translation (D&C 5:4)
• The Gift of Wisdom (D&C 46:17)
• The Gift of Knowledge (D&C 46:18)
• The Gift of Teaching Wisdom and Knowledge (Moroni 10:9–10)
• The Gift of Knowing That Jesus Christ Is the Son of God (D&C 46:13)
• The Gift of Believing the Testimony of Others (D&C 46:14)
• The Gift of Prophecy (D&C 46:22)
• The Gift of Healing (D&C 46:19–20)
• The Gift of Working Miracles (D&C 46:21)

We can develop our gifts

To develop our gifts, we must find out which gifts we have. We do this by praying and fasting. We should seek after the best gifts (see D&C 46:8). Sometimes patriarchal blessings will help us know which gifts we have been given.

Satan imitates gifts of the spirit

Satan wants to blind us to the truth and keep us from seeking the true gifts of the Spirit. Mediums, astrologers, fortune tellers, and sorcerers are inspired by Satan even if they claim to follow God. We should avoid all associations with the powers of Satan.

Give thanks
In return for giving us these gifts, the Lord asks that we “give thanks unto God in the Spirit for whatsoever blessing [we] are blessed with”.

Dreams As a Gift of the Spirit

Dreaming Girls Head Grass Sculpture

I have always had an interest in dreams.

I'm an "active" sleeper, meaning I'm easily awakened and can vividly remember my dreams. And occasionally I act on those dreams.

When we were first married I awoke one night convinced that there was a spider on my pillow and began hitting the pillow to obliterate the spider. My groom was startled to say the least. The next morning I carefully explained to him this tendency of mine and how to handle it. Needless to say those new flowered sheets were banned from the bed. Over the years we've learned to laugh at my midnight antics.

Though I may make light of my dreams sometimes, I do see patterns and know that certain themes have meaning to me and are an indication of my current state of well-being.

Certainly we should consider dreaming as a possible avenue for personal revelation.

Our scriptures and church history are replete with examples. Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt to save Jesus' life as an infant, through a warning given in a dream. Lehi witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem in a dream and was commanded to warn the people. Joseph Smith Sr. had several dreams or visions that guided him in his life and prepared him to receive his son's report of seeing the Father and the Son and of being told to join none of the churches of the time.

In an address to missionaries on October 14, 2008, Elder Richard G. Scott said, “You can learn things from dreams. The Lord will give you important messages through dreams.” Elder Scott has also stated explicitly that self-improvement comes from writing down and learning from dreams.

Here are a few articles to get you thinking more seriously about your dreams:

Dreams as Gifts of the Spirit, Barbara Bishop:

If dreams are one method of receiving divine revelation, they are underutilized.

Unfortunately, many LDS Church members also show indifferent or suspicious attitudes toward the personal revelation that comes from dreams.

Dreams are an important part of my spirituality—they provide direction, warning, and reassurance. While I have no illusions that my interest in dreams could hold sway among the majority of Mormons, members can benefit by attuning themselves to the metaphorical language of their dreams and by responding in creative rather than indifferent ways. In contrast with other versions of modern Christianity, Mormonism has an established and ongoing tradition that encourages individuals to seek personal revelation. The idea that dreams offer valuable information has been reiterated by many Church leaders throughout our history.

...I have come to trust that dreams provide feedback about my behavior, the truth as to how I feel about something, guidance regarding life-long lessons, and glimpses of God. 

An interview with Barbara Bishop, by Emily M:

When someone has a memorable or unsettling dream, what is the best way to understand it better?

The best way to understand an unsettling dream is to tell three best friends, a spouse, a neighbor, your mother or father–people whom you trust. One student told me she would call her parents and tell them her dreams before she started writing her paper. Her parents didn’t know anything about dream interpretation, but they knew their daughter very well, and were therefore able to understand the metaphors in their daughter’s dreams. People who know you well will often intuitively understand your dreams. And just talking about them out loud will help you better hear what the dream is trying to tell you.

[There are some links to recommended dream reference guides.]

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream, Melissa Y.
What Dreams May Come, Bored in Vernal
People Prepared for the Gospel, Jeff Lindsay

What do you dream about? Have your dreams guided you?

e

Voice of the Spirit

In a world full of noise and many voices, President James E. Faust invites us to listen to and follow the voice of the Spirit, which is calm and quiet and leads to eternal life.



e

Lesson Recap: Righteous Choices and Unity

Based on a talk, Coming Together and Sustaining Each Other in Righteous Choices
By Renata Forste, BYU Women’s Conference 2010. Watch video

Sister Forste starts her talk quoting Paul in 1st Corinthians 1:10

Now I beseech you, [sisters], by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Sister Forste breaks her talk into three parts.

First, she says: Paul admonishes the saints, that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you.

When Paul directed the saints to speak the same thing, I do not believe that he was suggesting that we all think and be the same, but that we speak the same testimony. It is our testimony of Jesus Christ and the restoration that is the same—that is what unites us.

I was a graduate student at the University of Chicago back in the late 1980s, early 1990s. Mike and I lived in student housing on the south side of Chicago and attended the Hyde Park Ward. My first visiting teaching companion was Sister Cathy Stokes. She was the Relief Society president and a long-time south side resident. One of the first things Cathy had to teach me was how to parallel park!

Later, my companion was Sister Nancy Johnson, a new convert to the church. I remember sitting with Nancy in the humble home of Sister Susan Walker as we visit taught her. Susan was an older, very gracious woman and had grown up in the South during segregation.

Both my companion and sister Walker were African American, older, single sisters with whom – at least demographically—I had very little in common. Yet, as we sat and shared testimony of Joseph Smith and the restoration, I felt very close to these sisters. We spoke the same thing – the same spiritual language. I loved them, and I knew that they loved me.

In contrast, I didn’t feel the same connection with my fellow students at the university—even though we were very similar in terms of race, age, education, and socio-economic background.

We didn’t share or speak the same faith and testimony.

Sister Forste says: As covenant women, we come from all walks of life, all ages, marital statuses, incomes, education levels, race and ethnic backgrounds—but together, we speak the same simple testimony, we comfort each other and sustain each other in our mutual faith. Our testimony of Jesus Christ crosses all boundaries—political, racial, economic, and national. We are the same, as covenant daughters of God. That doesn’t mean we are the same in all of our life decisions, or even in how we live the principles of the gospel. Lord wants us all to return to him, but not in a straight line—meaning that the Lord doesn’t expect us to all be exactly alike.

We should come together as one.

To illustrate, here is a page from a phone book.

By itself, it is very weak and easy to tear. But on the Discovery Channel it was shown that if you interlock the pages from a phone book with those of another book it is almost impossible to separate the two books. On Myth Busters they drilled holes and put brackets and chains to secure the ends of the two interlocked books.

Amazingly it took 8000 pounds of pressure to pull the books apart!

This interlocking is similar to the command Alma gave the priests he ordained to minister to the people at the waters of Mormon: And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.

Sister Forste says: Now think about the force of millions of Relief Society sisters from all over the world, perfectly joined together—their hearts knit together in unity. To be perfectly joined together—we are unstoppable. Satan won’t have Sheridan tanks big enough to pull us apart.

So how do we then become perfectly joined together?

Sister Forste explained: This is the second part of what Paul asked us to do.

She says to be perfectly joined together in the same mind, means that we willingly conform (or sustain each other) in humility. We become one in the body of Christ and if one member suffers, we suffer with them. If one member is honored, we rejoice with them.

Elder Pace, in an Ensign address said:

I am convinced that when we obtain a witness of who we really are and possess healthy feelings of self-worth because of it, our joy in the accomplishments of others is magnified. When that joy is felt, we should share it.

Being humble and rejoicing in the accomplishments of others does not mean we should lack confidence in ourselves.

One woman writer, in her article, Why Can’t Women Get Along?, noted that...

...secretly, we all have ideas of what the perfect woman is like; and when we see another woman possibly attaining even one of these attributes, outcome the claws.

But, she asks, is it jealousy of each other or a lack of confidence in ourselves?

She relates the story of talking with a couple of her friends about the perfect woman—each describing what they thought the perfect woman was like. What she realized was that they were each describing someone the complete opposite of themselves.

She said it’s us!

It’s not about what some other woman has that is stopping us from getting along with them. It’s what we feel we don’t have that is getting in the way.

She writes: What women need to learn is how to truly appreciate themselves for who they are and what makes them truly beautiful. Until we get there, we’ll never get to appreciating each other and building real friendships among ourselves.

In his talk, The Other Prodigal, Elder Holland said:

Who is it that whispers so subtly in our ear that a gift given to another somehow diminishes the blessings we have received?

Who makes us feel that if God is smiling on another, then He surely must somehow be frowning on us?

You and I both know who does this—it is the father of all lies.

It is Lucifer, our common enemy, whose cry down through the corridors of time is always and to everyone, “Give me thine honor.”

. . . As others seem to grow larger in our sight, we think we must therefore be smaller. So, unfortunately, we occasionally act that way.

Finally, Paul instructs us to be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

To illustrate this, Sister Forste shares a very personal story.

Everyone who interviews for a faculty position at BYU has an interview with a general authority of the church. Over fifteen years ago in my interview, I raised the question about me, a mother, being employed at BYU. The general authority who interviewed me did two very important things. First, he reaffirmed the principles laid out in the Proclamation on the Family. Then he said, “You and your husband need to pray to Father in Heaven and decide what is best for your kingdom – that is your family.” And then he said, “I am happy to recommend you to teach at BYU.”

I came away from that experience with a testimony that we each must individually keep the commandments. As we are obedient, keep our covenants, pray and read the scriptures—we will receive personal revelation regarding how we, individually, should apply the principles of the gospel in our lives.

Remember sisters’ it is the friction or tension between the phone book pages that creates a force that holds the pages together.

As sisters in the gospel, our uniqueness as individuals can be a force binding us together or, can create contention that eventually pulls us apart. Being of the same mind does not mean we all make the exact same choices, but it does mean that we sustain each other in our decisions as individuals.

As covenant women, we should be as the Nephites after the coming of Christ as recorded in 4th Nephi, among whom there were not any manner of –ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God… and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.

We may not have it all together but together we have it all!

I love the sisters who are young and just joining us in Relief Society as they bring a fresh perspective to me and my testimony.

I love the sisters who are older and have substantial life experience. They testify that even in the darkest hour of our trials, “this too shall pass.” Their examples help me keep anchored in the Lord.

I love the sisters who worry over everything; it reminds me that only the Savior can bring peace in my life so I will go to my knees more often. My Grandpa used to say “worrying is like a rocking chair, you can do it all day and never get anywhere.”

I love the sisters who have raised children who have stayed true to the faith because they give me hope as I look at my children. They also give me ideas that I can use in my own home.

I love the sisters whose children are wayward, because they know and testify that the covenant will follow after these children and the Lord will bring about miracles in our lives. These Sisters get life experiences that our Heavenly Father has all the time.

I love the sisters who think they have perfect children because it reminds me to relax and know that image is not everything.

I love the sisters who have children that are wild and run all over. They remind me of the time my children were little and the sweet experiences I gained pouring out my heart to the Lord expressing feelings of inadequacy. He was with me during this time.

I love the sisters who don’t have children because they have taken the time to help me raise my children. I get to know mine, and have helped me to riven my children experiences that I have not. In our ward we have a couple of these wonderful couples and my boys love to spend time with them.

I love the sisters who have judged me; they remind me how it feels to be judged and that forgiveness is action not a thought.

I love the sisters who have forgiven me when I have judged them. They allow me to go back to the basics, feel sorry, say sorry and do better.

I love the sisters who feel they are obligated to speak their mind.

I love the sisters who forgive me when I speak my mind.

I love the sisters who have lost someone they dearly love; they understand when I cry over my losses and they testify to me that I will see my loved ones again. Through the sharing of their testimony, mine testimony is strengthened.

I love the sisters whose sing beautifully they bring a special spirit to our meetings that I really cannot.

I love the sisters who work outside of the home as they bring knowledge to our meetings and help to bridge a gap to the world that some of us don’t experience.

I love the sisters that serve me. They understand the true meaning of the pure love of Christ and seek to live His Gospel.

I love the sisters that allow me to serve them. Because of that service I am able to forget the problems in my life and allow the Savior to carry the burden and focus on the way he would have me live.

I love the sisters that are confident in the Lord. They have been bathed in the Atonement and know the sweet fruit therein. When Satan tries to remind them of their past, they boldly remind him of his future.

These are the sisters of our ward. I love you. Your Heavenly Father loves you; he testified that to me this past week.

I saw so many of your faces as I wrote these words.

We are the yellow pages unique in our lives, experiences, and application but we all have favor in our Heavenly Father's sight.

Please take time to learn this, know this, and treat yourself and your sister like the precious daughters of God you are.

Charity

Photo Credit

The Gift of Spiritual Discernment

Guest Blogger: Devon Linn

I was just re-reading a talk given by Elder Nelson from last October's General Conference entitled, "Ask, Seek, Knock," and I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it!   The talk was on personal revelation, and a lot of the talks from Conference at that time made really think and reflect on how essential the Spirit is in my life.  In this particular address, Elder Nelson told a story about a man's complete conversion to the church, which was followed by one of my favorite quotes from that conference:

"After such a conversion takes place, even further spiritual refinement can come. Personal revelation can be honed to become spiritual discernment. To discern means to sift, to separate, or to distinguish. The gift of spiritual discernment is a supernal gift. It allows members of the Church to see things not visible and to feel things not tangible."

He then goes on to explain how we can use this gift of discernment in our lives when he says, "With that gift, sisters may view trends in the world and detect those that, however popular, are shallow or even dangerous. Members can discern between schemes that are flashy and fleeting and those refinements that are uplifting and enduring."

I think Elder Nelson's description here of how personal revelation can be so clear as to become spiritual discernment is absolutely beautiful!  To be able to sift through the deceits of the world and instead see with focus and clarity the truths behind Satan's lies, especially his lies to us as women, is something I want to have continually!   I just pray I can be worthy of honing personal revelation into the gift of spiritual discernment in my life, because I know it will make all the difference in whether or not I succeed in my purpose here on the earth.

Photo credit

Getting Help from Your Patriarchal Blessing

I found this thoughtful article regarding Patriarchal blessings and knew you would enjoy it.

Understanding, fulfilling your patriarchal blessing, By Alison M. Young-Herron, For Mormon Times

Our patriarchal blessings are very personal and very sacred. It is an amazing privilege and a priceless opportunity to receive individualized instruction, comfort and promise, through a choice servant of the Lord who has been ordained for just that purpose. I sincerely hope I can respect the sacred nature of our patriarchal blessings as I share some personal experiences with my own, in an effort to help others better understand and fulfill theirs as well...read full article.

A few ideas from her article:

• Read it aloud with conviction
• Change the "you" to "I"
• Restate the future tense in present tense
• Make each statement a positive affirmation

I, too, had a similar experience to Alison's. So I say amen to her testimony.

I am deeply grateful for the strength, guidance, and inspiration that I now receive from my patriarchal blessing. I also understand a little better, one more reason that things like family scripture study, singing hymns in church and at home, and bearing our testimonies are so effective in teaching us, comforting us, and protecting us from temptation.

There is a certain tangible power in saying and singing things out loud. When our spoken words come from our Heavenly Father, his Only Begotten Son, their appointed servants, and their inspired followers, that power is greatly multiplied and becomes a mighty force for good. It is a gift beyond our comprehension. And it is available to any of us, if we seek to be worthy of it, and strive to use it righteously.

I sincerely encourage you to make your own patriarchal blessing more real and meaningful to you than it has been before. Find a quiet place and read—out loud and with conviction—about what your Heavenly Father has in store for you.

e

More Conference Thoughts

As I look back over the past two days I see a couple threads running through. 

Love, live what you believe, understand and use the Holy Ghost. 

What stood out to you?

The sessions can be viewed at LDS.org, if you missed any, including the Priesthood session.

***Don't miss Elder Holland's powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon on Sunday afternoon. It was so sincere and forceful that it brought tears to my eyes and a strong witness of the Spirit. Again, powerful.



Saturday pm
Elder Oakes - God's love and God's law
His love is so perfect that He gave His commandments,
so that we could become perfect like Him.
This talk deserves further study. It follows on so logically.

Elder Hales - God and His Son Jesus Christ live
Your personal knowledge of God is not only the greatest gift
you’ve been given, it will bring you the greatest joy in your life.
Believe in God. The Spirit will witness.

Elder Zeballos - Do the best you can
With faith, dedication, responsibility, and love do all we can
to achieve perfection though it appears impossible. He will help.
He wants us to serve with heart, mind, might and strength.

Elder Callister - 4 great truths from Joseph Smith
The gospel is like a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle with 100 pieces in place
then Joseph came along and put the other 900 pieces in place.
An unusual format using questions to prove out Joseph's work.

Elder Watson - Temperance
Temperance is more than exercising restraint in food and drink,
it is a divine attribute of Jesus Christ, a spiritual gift from the Holy Ghost.
Counter to the mode of operation today: indulging in ourselves to excess.

Elder Andersen - Repentance brings the Lord's love into our lives
Come unto him and spiritually be wrapped in his arms.
Humbly petition for what we should do, the changes we should make.
Relief will come in the timetable of the Lord.

Elder Packer - (from his seat, anybody know why?) The Holy Ghost, How It Works
None of us are left alone. The gift of the Holy Ghost operates
for men, women, and children. Prayer is your personal key to heaven.
Loved his suggestion to create a delete key to use to resist temptation.


Sunday am
President Eyring - We must expect to become better
We will all meet the Savior, we must prepare.
Through living the gospel we can become like the Savior.
(Didn't catch all of this, darnit. When one watches at home I guess one should expect to lose the internet connection at least once.)

Elder Perry -
The pioneers faced their uncertain future knowing the truths of the gospel.
Through missionary work we can help others face the future.
Didn't catch all of this talk either. Add your synopsis in the comments.

Elder Burton - Living with virtue
Virtuous traits must never be forgotten or set aside.
If lost, families will be weakened, faith will be softened, important
relationships will be jeopardized.
Integrity and spirituality are interconnected!

Sister Dibb - Get a grip
We live in scary times, with challenges and dangers.
Invited to get a grip: hold to the iron rod and never let go.
She is over the top with her affectation, but at least she’s got some personality.

Elder Nelson - Access to personal revelation
We can access info from heaven without hardware, software or monthly service fees.
One of the Lord's most marvelous gifts—prayer.
Revelation need not come all at once, but incrementally

Love the song Love Is Spoken Here. This was beautiful.

President Monson - Do something for someone today
Those who live only for themselves shrivel up, lose their lives.
Those who live to serve others grow and flourish, save their lives.
Ask yourselves...what good have I done in the world today?

Hymn - Have I Done Any Good in the World Today - beautiful arrangement. I love this version. Should replace the original hymn.

The choir is sounding like one voice lately. All their efforts to improve over the last few years is showing.

I think some of the most interesting parts of conference are the coming and going. Seeing people greet one another, more natural, more authentic. [That’s my touchstone this year, authenticity. I think we all crave authentic relationships, interactions, advertising, customer service etc. That’s why Facebook and Twitter are so appealing (though not totally authentic, unfortunately).]

Ah, they’re waving at President and Sister Monson.

Ah, love the commercials they show after conference. Feel good ads, cute (though not authentic, darn).


Sunday pm
Elder Holland - Testimony and witness of the Book of Mormon
Find the fullest measure of peace or comfort by embracing
the Book of Mormon and He of whom it testifies.
His powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon brought tears to my eyes. Wow, was he ever adamant.

Elder Cook - Accountability to fellowman
We have a feeling of accountability for our fellowmen because we love
and want to please our Father in Heaven.
God wants us to love and care for each other.

Elder Nielson - Go forth and preach to all nations
The Savior’s call is to you of the rising generation; heed the prophet's voice.
You are called to go this last time. There is not greater work, no greater call.
Testified of how in his life he has seen the fulfillment of the prophecies and President Kimball's call to lengthen our stride in the 70's.

Elder Renlund - Change of heart
Examine your changed heart. Can you feel so now? Becoming casual
with prayers and scripture study, a changed heart will turn to stone.
Prayer, scriptures, church. The fire of testimony can burn again.

Elder Ringwood - An easiness and willingness to believe
An easiness and willingness to believe the word of God comes from
a softness of heart, which comes from the daily living of the gospel.
Periods of intense change and trials keep my heart soft.

Elder Sitati (black man) - New pioneers keeping covenants
I have lived to see good fruit of gospel bless Africa. 300,000 saints.
A new celestial culture is growing in homes and families, scriptures and FHE.
How blessed we are to have the gospel in these last days.

Elder Christofferson - Moral discipline
Moral agency must be accompanied by moral discipline;
consistently choosing right because it is right.
The intelligent use of agency requires the knowledge of the truth.

President Monson
"Love and prayers for you. Remember me, and those who serve with me, in your prayers." We are all in this together. We all have a part to play. 

Thanks for letting me indulge in notetaking here in the blog. I found that I fully absorbed and processed so much more of conference knowing I would record a bit of it here. This, rather than doing some chore or handiwork, kept me engaged and participating.


Ellen

That We May All Grow Together

God has given us many gifts, much diversity, and many differences, but the essential thing is what we know about each other—that we are all his children. Our challenge as members of the Church is for all of us to learn from each other, that we may all love each other and grow together.

~Cheiko M. Okazaki
Ensign, May 1996

Lana Templeton

Lesson 33, The Spiritual Gifts of Healing, Tongues, Prophecy, and Discerning of Spirits

Joseph Smith, Chapter 33
Taught by Sandy Fultz

No man can be a minister of Jesus Christ except he has the testimony of Jesus; and this is the spirit of prophecy.

Gifts of the Spirit

Think of one of the best gifts you have been given. Why do we remember some gifts and not others? Because usually they are personal and you feel the love of the giver. Spiritual gifts are given as a sign of God's love for us.

There are many spiritual gifts. Some are listed in D&C 46 and Elder Marvin J Ashton reminded us of lesser known gifts such as listening, pondering, caring and being a friend.

Receiving spiritual gifts starts with a desire for the gift, asking for it in prayer, and preparing ourselves through righteous living. We need to love God, keep the commandments and seek for the best gifts.

Why are spiritual gifts given?

Gifts of the Spirit are given for the benefit of all (D&C 46:9). Most often we use our gifts to serve and help others. Sometimes that endowment of power helps us overcome our own weaknesses, to perfect and sanctify us through the grace of our Lord.

Gifts help us not be deceived if we seek for the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given (D&C 46:8).

The gifts of tongues, prophecy, and discerning of spirits

We think of the gift of tongues mostly when it comes to missionary work and the language training in the MTC, in order to preach the gospel around the world. We can also have it to communicate better through the spirit to others in our own language.

The spirit of prophecy helps us minister of Jesus Christ and testify of him. Joseph Smith taught, "Faith comes by hearing the word of God, through the testimony of the servants of God; that testimony is always attended by the Spirit of prophecy and revelation."

Discerning of spirits is important in our time because it helps the faithful distinguish between the influence of good and evil spirits. Satan has his counterfeits to the Lord's work and we need to be able to discern spirits that we may not be deceived by the "multifarious creeds and notions" of the world and the people around us. This is also one of the special gifts of a ward bishop.