So Many Thoughts

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Priesthood session of the April 2011 conference.

First things first. What a weekend!! Waking up Sunday morning to the news that President Russell M. Nelson had graduated from this mortal boarding school brought me to tears. Not for him, but for the rest of us left behind to continue slogging through the fight against evil. Which was evident Sunday morning in the attack on the church in Grand Blanc, Michigan. A place of peace and refuge from the storms of life was breached and burned to the ground by a madman. So much sadness in one day. But I suppose that we are getting a taste of the tribulations to come as the fight heats up and all hell breaks loose. We know which side wins, but the battles will be fierce and there will be mortal and spiritual casualties. I've always felt that our son James was a casualty in that fight. Satan succeeded in getting him addicted to alcohol and filling him with thoughts of worthlessness to the point he couldn't take anymore and ended his life seeking peace. I know from sacred experiences that James is now, in fact, at peace, progressing and very happy. 

Well, this priesthood session was full of good counsel for the brethren. But, as President Uchtdorf said, "The words written in the scriptures and spoken in general conference are for us 'to liken them unto [ourselves]', not for reading or hearing only." So I have applied that counsel to the group I am a part of, the Relief Society.

Elder Steven E. Snow gave a wonderful talk about Hope.

Hope is an emotion which brings richness to our everyday lives. . . . Hope can inspire dreams and spur us to realize those dreams. Hope alone, however, does not cause us to succeed. Many honorable hopes have gone unfulfilled, shipwrecked on the reefs of good intentions and laziness. . . . The exercise of hope enriches our lives and helps us look forward to the future. . . . In the gospel, hope is almost always related to faith and charity. . . . The spiritual journey of today requires no less hope nor faith than those of the early pioneers. Our challenges may be different, but the struggles are just as great.

I've often said that technology, fashion, and such change over time but human nature is the same today as it was in the days of Adam and Eve. We all have to overcome the natural man/woman and choose to be disciples of Jesus, obeying His commandments and keeping our covenants.

President Uchtdorf said that ". . . somewhere between the hearing, the writing of a reminder on our smartphone, and the actual doing, our 'do it' switch gets rotated to the 'later' position. [Sisters], let's make sure to set our 'do it' switch to the 'now' position. As you read the scriptures and listen to the words of the prophets with all your heart and mind, the Lord will tell you how to live up to your [Relief Society] privileges. Don't let a day go by without doing something to act on the promptings of the Spirit."

I remember President Kimball was known for having a little plaque on his desk that said "Do it" and he added the word "now!" to the sign. (Nike stole the slogan!)

President Uchtdorf talked about the emphasis on education and vocational training and commended those listening for becoming an expert in their chosen field. Then said, "I invite you to also become  experts in the doctrines of the gospel--especially the doctrine of the [Relief Society]."

I feel sad that few sisters know the history and purpose of the Relief Society anymore. To the younger women it's just another Sunday class, with an occasional get together to socialize.

How can the Relief Society sister strengthen homes and families when they are out chasing fulfillment in the workplace rather than finding it in the making of homes for weary husbands and children? How can we reach out to the needy, and supply their needs if we're too busy juggling a full-time job and the full-time work of raising a family? (No disrespect is meant to women who are single yet want to be married, my daughter being one; nor to any widows; or any other non-ideal situation. I know that many can't currently live the ideal. But that doesn't mean we disregard God's ideal and accept the world's.)

President Uchtdorf said, "Too often we fail to experience the bliss that come from daily, practical [Relief Society] service."

That daily, practical service can most often be in our own homes! What would it mean to a man, weary from the cares of providing for his family, to come home to a calm place of rest and love? That is service! Teaching children manners and reverence so they are well behaved at church. That is service! Sharing something with a neighbor. That is service! And from our homes and families we reach out to those beyond our immediate circle. 

I deeply appreciate what President Uchtdorf says about ministering (then called Home/Visiting Teaching), "[Sisters], if your [ministering] efforts don't seem to be effective to you, I invite you to see with the eye of faith what a visit from a servant of the Lord will do for a family that has many unseen problems." That was sure me, the family with many unseen problems; and I bless the two faithful sisters who visited me every month, talked of the gospel and bore their testimonies to me faithfully. They lifted me up and keep me going when I wanted to give up, all the while not knowing anything about my situation. They were angels to me.

There was more, but I think it best if you read the talks and hear what the Lord says to you through the Spirit. I love the talks to the men of the priesthood as I hear so much counsel that applies to me so perfectly.