Preparing for General Conference

Well, after working on my talk all last week and studying about Christ, I thought I would read the Ensign for some of my studying this week to do something different. The funny thing is that the First Presidency message is about obedience and following Christ! I love the way President Monson writes and speaks. I can almost hear him talking when I read his talks. I also read the second article in the Ensign called "Guided by Modern Revelation." It is a good one to read right before General Conference this weekend. I am excited for conference! Every 6 months, when conference is about to come on, I get really excited about it and think "this time I am going to get SO much out if it and listen to every word from every speaker." I always get a lot out of conference, but I always find myself spacing out during some of the talks and not getting as much out of them as I planned (maybe I have a little ADD :) Anyways, I think this time I will be more realistic...I will take notes on some of the talks, not all of them, but the ones that have topics that relate to me best at this time. I think I will get more out of conference if I am focusing more attention on some of the speakers rather than just casually listening to them.

A Variety of Blessings

Isn't it neat how the Lord blesses you in so many different ways? Lately we feel we have been blessed both in HUGE ways ans in small ways. I have been working on my talk this week, but I have been a little stressed since I don't usually get a lot of time to sit and read and study and write. As I have been writing I have been able to organize all of my thoughts so perfectly so that the writing process has been so easy and quick. I know that this is the Lord helping since usually when I write, my thoughts are so scattered and the thing that takes me the longest is just organizing them and making my transitions smooth. This is just one of many examples I have been blessed in a little way lately.

Decision

Okay, so I started reading some conference talks on the Savior and following his example and I definitely want to speak on this. I just really hope that I don't cry a lot during my talk...I swear I have gotten 2x as worse since I've had Allie. So annoying. So, thanks Crystal, for your opinion...I definitely agree with you and sometimes I think we don't hear enough about the Savior in church :)

I Need Your Opinion

So, this week I have been reading from Alma (mostly with Trey) and also trying to figure out what to write my talk on... Trey and I were asked to speak in a branch the last Sunday of the month and we can choose our topics. We just need to talk about a subject from Doctrine and Covenants or something about Christ. I was thinking that I might talk about the characteristics of Christ and how we can become more like him. Has that been spoken about too much? What is everyone's opinion?

Happiness and Knowledge

Ammon glorifies God in chapter 26. He brings up a few great points:

Verse 13 Behold how many thousands of our brethren has he loosed from hell; and they are brought to sing redeeming love, and this because of the power of his word which is in us, therefore have we not great reason to rejoice?

“Happiness comes from what happens on the inside of you, not on the outside.”

Verse 27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

Rather than being depressed, be patient!

Verse 22 talks about what we need to do to know the mysteries of God:

1. Repent
2. Exercise Faith
3. Good Works
4. Pray continually

Cross-reference D&C 76:6-10

Prophecy and Promises Fulfilled

In Alma 25:1-12 Abinadi's prophecy about the priests of Noah was fulfilled.

In Alma 25:17 the promise from the Lord to King Mosiah was fulfilled. The Lord had told King Mosiah that many would believe his sons' teachings and that he would deliver them "out of the hands of the Lamanites."

Joseph Smith's POV

These last 2 days I have been reading out of Alma 22 & 23. For some reason I have been thinking about Joseph Smith while reading them. I was thinking about how he must have felt while he was translating the scriptures...how amazing it must have been to be the first one to read them. There were a few parts in these scriptures that talked about the sufferings of the Sons of Mosiah as they were trying to preach the gospel to the Lamanites. I was thinking about how a lot of Joseph Smith's strength must have come from the Book of Mormon and reading these stories. Of course, as Latter-day Saints, we should also be using the Book of Mormon as a source of our strength to get through trials and tribulations.