My Thoughts on Conference

I just love General Conference!  I love to listen to the talks.  I love to reread the talks in the Ensign.  I love to listen to them again because I record them on the DVR and I love to have them at my fingertips on my Iphone.  I really try to take notes but it is hard enough to listen with the kids let alone write anything down.  For some reason the first session did  not record and that was a bummer but I think it will be rebroadcast so I will try and catch it again.  I seem to always love the first session so I was pretty bummed that it didn't record.  Thank goodness for technology!
There were so many great things about conference.  Here a few that were especially pertinent to me.
First-that announcement about the missionary age changing.  I was in my room watching and I ran out to see if Don had heard it.  I literally had this feeling of a small tremor or shockwave come over me.  I knew that what the prophet was saying was inspired revelation and it was a change that had come straight from heaven.  I did not have any odd or contentious thoughts about it at all.  I didn't wonder about the how or the why or the fairness or unfairness of it.  I just thought it was inspired.  There were some people on Facebook who had some concerns and even some grumpy thoughts about it.  I was pleased to see Elder Holland address the concerns that others had but for me I had complete acceptance of it.  Caleb will be able to go now right after he graduates.  A fact that he was excited about and he came to us with.  That one year gap that some kids have to wait after they graduate worries sometimes because it seems that some get lost along the way or make choices that have mission repercussions.
Second-there were so many talks that had little snippets of what I needed to hear.  I prayed all week for help with the things that I am concerned about in my life and also the things that the Lord thinks I need to know.  Some of them were-
1.Elder Cook-the story he told about the guy named Little and how he wouldn't run in the Olympic race on Sunday.  This is something we have been working on here at home.  We don't go to the movies or to the lake or things like that but we do come home from church and watch TV and play video games and I usually nap with Kyle.  I just think that we need to be more diligent about the little things that help us keep that commandment.  Not so much of what we shouldn't do but what we should do on the Sabbath.  I showed the family that little clip from his talk for FHE Monday night as part of our lesson.
2.   I loved the talk on the Atonement from Elder Packer.
3.  I loved the talk from Elder Holland.  He is such a powerful and dominant speaker. 
4.  I loved the part in the talk from Brother Christensen, I think, who said that they had prayed that their children would have a spiritual experience when they went through the temple open house.  I need to pray that my children will have a spiritual experience and help them be prepared to have that, know what it is and understand.  Cayden usually wakes up happy in the mornings and when he does, he is cheerful and obedient.  He says things like "today is a great day" or "this is the best day".  I have tried to remember to talk to him when he is feeling like that and tell him that he is feeling happy because he has the spirit with  him.  I need to remember to do that more often.
5.  I loved the talk about the bee's from Elder Ballard.  He said that we need to ask in our personal prayers for the opportunity to serve someone each day.  That was great!  Plus bees fascinate me because of the many lessons and principles that are evident in this tiny creation. 
6.  Observe and serve from the  new Relief Society General President.
7.  I'm a Mormon.  I know it.  I live it.  I love it.  That was a powerful talk.
8.  I thought alot about the story about the pioneer mother who had nothing but 2 hard biscuits to feed her kids but when she prayed over them and had enough faith, there was enough food to feed them that night. Loaves and fishes and the promise of enough!  She didn't worry about the next day either!  Important lessons there!
9.  President Eyring talking about the pavillions that keep us covered from God.  That has such meaningful applications.
10. I can't remember who it was off the top of my head but someone told the story from President Monson about the lady he went to visit in the hospital and the other lady that was there and covered her head until the spirit prompted him to go to her and give her priesthood blessing.
Those are the ones that I can think of tonight as I am sitting here blogging away.  I know there were others and I am excited to listen to them all again.  I get frustrated because the kids aren't quiet or the house is a mess or it's time to feed them again when all I want to do is sit and watch but there will be time to ponder and learn as I get to study the talks again.
There were two songs that were especially awesome to me.  Did You Think To Pray and the closing song of the whole conference-God Be With You Till We Meet Again.  When the choir finished that song with their quiet Amen, it was so amazing.  It seemed like a fitting end to the song and a fitting pronouncement of "all of this was true and correct and from God" about the whole conference.  If my spirit could have flown, it would have been then.  That is what I think the voice of God would feel like if we were to have that kind of experience-quiet, still, piercing, enveloping goodness.
Every year while conference is on I think "dang, we should have gone up there to see it live and in person."  I don't think about it sooner then that so I could even try to make it happen.  One of these days though.  That is on my "bucket list", to see Conference in person.
Funny side note-Don and Caleb went to the priesthood session at the stake center at 7pm for the rebroadcast that they were supposed to record.  They forgot to record it so they sent all the brethren home after thanking them for their diligence and faithfulness in coming.  Don said he had never seen so many smiling men at the priesthood session.