4/13/2015
Imagine it, the entire human race in free fall!"
Imagine it, the entire human race in free fall!"
I'll be straight with all of you, virtually two days of this week were General Conference.
And it was terrific! Listed below the main text are some of my favorite insights and thoughts from this last conference.
This week was a whole lot of proselyting, but we've been so pumped that we don't mind. On Tuesday we ate with a few grandmas from our ward, who wanted to get us a meal. It turns out that this was very much in accordance with the divine plan... one of the people who served us was familiar with our churches missionaries! It turns out that missionaries taught her daughter English years ago, and now her husband wants to study English! We got the necessary contact information, and she promised to talk to her husband about us. On Sunday, we called him and got an appointment for Friday. Then, hours later, he called us and asked if we could visit him in an hour! Of course we said yes, so we rushed over, and he drove us to his office in his car. We sat down and talked a bit, and we had a really good talk. We were able to hit all of the points from How to Begin Teaching, as found in Preach My Gospel, including the expectation that if he finds our message to be true, we believe he'll want to be baptized. You always hold your breath when you say that, but he accepted it as a matter of fact. We made a schedule to continue meeting, and he was just so excited the whole time that I can't wait. And, for the first time in my mission, we're going to be meeting an investigator in his home! That is so rare here, you wouldn't believe it.
That was this week's miracle. I'll defer everything else to conference:
And it was terrific! Listed below the main text are some of my favorite insights and thoughts from this last conference.
This week was a whole lot of proselyting, but we've been so pumped that we don't mind. On Tuesday we ate with a few grandmas from our ward, who wanted to get us a meal. It turns out that this was very much in accordance with the divine plan... one of the people who served us was familiar with our churches missionaries! It turns out that missionaries taught her daughter English years ago, and now her husband wants to study English! We got the necessary contact information, and she promised to talk to her husband about us. On Sunday, we called him and got an appointment for Friday. Then, hours later, he called us and asked if we could visit him in an hour! Of course we said yes, so we rushed over, and he drove us to his office in his car. We sat down and talked a bit, and we had a really good talk. We were able to hit all of the points from How to Begin Teaching, as found in Preach My Gospel, including the expectation that if he finds our message to be true, we believe he'll want to be baptized. You always hold your breath when you say that, but he accepted it as a matter of fact. We made a schedule to continue meeting, and he was just so excited the whole time that I can't wait. And, for the first time in my mission, we're going to be meeting an investigator in his home! That is so rare here, you wouldn't believe it.
That was this week's miracle. I'll defer everything else to conference:
Excerpts from Elder Lynn's Conference Notes
- President Eyring started Conference on an amazing note. His talk on fasting will be my reference point for teaching the Law of the Fast in the future. Additionally, his paying a fast offering outside of Fast Sunday answered a question I forgot I had: should I pay a fast offering when fasting outside of the monthly fast? I realized this morning, as I read the law of the fast as contained in the Book of Isaiah, that in the verses listing the conditions required for us to receive the blessing, he talks only of helping the hungry and afflicted. If we fast only for ourselves, what right do we have to a special blessing, when we're withholding one from those in need?
- I loved President Packer's comparison between our physical and spiritual bodies. Our spiritual bodies don't fix themselves; spiritual wounds just fester and rot, like leprosy. On the other hand, it's wonderful that the atonement leaves no scars.
- Shout out to Sister Burton for talking about men in a complimentary way! I agree with her -- there's a huge effort to degrade men, and, even in the church, sometimes we don't do very much about it! I also liked her list of things to remember to do, especially the fifth item: "When was the last time I was happy, and not demanding?"
- Elder Oaks helped me crystallize some of my thoughts on selfishness, and the heart when he talked about how a heart can grow stony through disuse. Is it not true that selflessness can break our heart, can soften it, and allow it to grow, much like a muscle, which tears itself and comes back stronger? Is not a stony -- or selfish -- heart one that results from a series of decisions not to give of oneself to others?
- Elder Clayton's talk was incredible, absolutely one of my favorites. Once you have seen the light, cling to it, fight for it!
- Elder Perry's talk about family was much appreciated. The state of family in modern society is something that weighs heavily on my mind, so I was glad to hear that we're still in the majority! Hearing that reminded me that the reason things are spiraling is because all it takes for evil to win, is for good people to do (or say) nothing. Don't be a silent voice in the most important struggle being waged. If Lucifer can replace family with one's self as the center of society, he will have succeeded in transforming us into a race of devils -- self-centered, selfish, and unloving.
- Elder Bednar destroyed fear! At least, he taught really well on both mortal fear, and Godly fear. I'd never realized that Godly fear includes an awe for God, and reaches beyond mere reverence towards Him. I feel that one of the hidden themes this conference was judgement day -- it seemed to keep popping up in unexpected places. Most of all, I liked how he said that in the end, what happens at judgement day is we come face to face with the truth about ourselves: who we really are. There won't be any excuses, no rationalizations, no degrees or labels. Just who we really are, the results of our choices and attitudes in life.
- Elder Anderson gave an extremely creative talk about music and dancing! We really do appear peculiar to those who can't hear the music. I thought a lot about helping investigators become converted as we listened to this one.
- Elder Renlund also gave a fantastic talk: "Twas I, but tis not I." I love that as embodying the concept of repentance and improvement. We don't have to be the same mistake fraught person, we can move on, upwards and forwards. I also liked his side note for those who suffer from misdeeds: Christ knows what it's like to suffer innocently for somebody else's actions.
- Shout out to President Ringwood! He's directly above President Morrise in the structure of my mission! I liked his advice regarding humility.
- President Uchtdorf gave a great talk about humility that hit on the same point as Elder Bednar, specifically that Jesus Christ will care most about "the condition" of our heart. As I thought about that, I wondered: do I ever hide behind a facade? Do I ever wear masks, or pretend to be somebody else? Am I ever untrue to myself, in word or deed?
- President Eyring's talk about prayer and priesthood power was another home-run talk to me. To represent Jesus Christ, I need revelation to know what He would do and say!
- Sister Wixom's talk is a great reference for anybody struggling with questions. Let it be heard one more time that our Church does not forbid questions! Rather, we encourage faith in what we do know, as we wait to understand that we do not know.
- Elder Teixeira's words prompted me to think of how our life's purpose is to have joy, and there are two principle ways to go about it: one is selfish fulfillment of immediate wants and desires, which brings temporary pleasure, but ultimately little growth, and decreasing returns, or there's the honorable family life, which has it's own sets of struggles, but present everlasting increases.
- Elder Neilson's talk about Prodigals was also a favorite of mine. I also typically identified with the older son, but it's true -- we are all prodigal children of God. We all fall short, and we all need to "come to ourselves" and return home.
- Elder Holland's talk was incredible in too many ways to list here. Suffice it to say that our Eldest Brother, the Savior Jesus Christ, will never leave us alone. In a life where our own weight -- our spiritual burdens and sins -- drags us closer and closer to the abyss, He is always reaching towards us, offering salvation with scarred wrists and marked palms. He will never let us fall.
- President Uchtdorf's talk about grace resonated well with me. When he initially spoke of the doors and windows of heaven, I thought of the windows as blessings -- see Malachi 4 -- and the door as salvation -- 2 Nephi 31. Christ makes it possible for us to receive blessings in this life, and to ultimately return to God. We obey out of love, and because it lifts us higher, improves us, lets us take mistakes, and learn from them, instead of being trapped by them forever.
- Elder Pino gave a great talk about perspective. I liked when he talked about forests and trees -- it reminded me of one of my favorite songs, that mentions "I never see the forest for the trees." It helped me rememeber to focus more on the big picture, and to be hopeful!
- President Eyring started Conference on an amazing note. His talk on fasting will be my reference point for teaching the Law of the Fast in the future. Additionally, his paying a fast offering outside of Fast Sunday answered a question I forgot I had: should I pay a fast offering when fasting outside of the monthly fast? I realized this morning, as I read the law of the fast as contained in the Book of Isaiah, that in the verses listing the conditions required for us to receive the blessing, he talks only of helping the hungry and afflicted. If we fast only for ourselves, what right do we have to a special blessing, when we're withholding one from those in need?
- I loved President Packer's comparison between our physical and spiritual bodies. Our spiritual bodies don't fix themselves; spiritual wounds just fester and rot, like leprosy. On the other hand, it's wonderful that the atonement leaves no scars.
- Shout out to Sister Burton for talking about men in a complimentary way! I agree with her -- there's a huge effort to degrade men, and, even in the church, sometimes we don't do very much about it! I also liked her list of things to remember to do, especially the fifth item: "When was the last time I was happy, and not demanding?"
- Elder Oaks helped me crystallize some of my thoughts on selfishness, and the heart when he talked about how a heart can grow stony through disuse. Is it not true that selflessness can break our heart, can soften it, and allow it to grow, much like a muscle, which tears itself and comes back stronger? Is not a stony -- or selfish -- heart one that results from a series of decisions not to give of oneself to others?
- Elder Clayton's talk was incredible, absolutely one of my favorites. Once you have seen the light, cling to it, fight for it!
- Elder Perry's talk about family was much appreciated. The state of family in modern society is something that weighs heavily on my mind, so I was glad to hear that we're still in the majority! Hearing that reminded me that the reason things are spiraling is because all it takes for evil to win, is for good people to do (or say) nothing. Don't be a silent voice in the most important struggle being waged. If Lucifer can replace family with one's self as the center of society, he will have succeeded in transforming us into a race of devils -- self-centered, selfish, and unloving.
- Elder Bednar destroyed fear! At least, he taught really well on both mortal fear, and Godly fear. I'd never realized that Godly fear includes an awe for God, and reaches beyond mere reverence towards Him. I feel that one of the hidden themes this conference was judgement day -- it seemed to keep popping up in unexpected places. Most of all, I liked how he said that in the end, what happens at judgement day is we come face to face with the truth about ourselves: who we really are. There won't be any excuses, no rationalizations, no degrees or labels. Just who we really are, the results of our choices and attitudes in life.
- Elder Anderson gave an extremely creative talk about music and dancing! We really do appear peculiar to those who can't hear the music. I thought a lot about helping investigators become converted as we listened to this one.
- Elder Renlund also gave a fantastic talk: "Twas I, but tis not I." I love that as embodying the concept of repentance and improvement. We don't have to be the same mistake fraught person, we can move on, upwards and forwards. I also liked his side note for those who suffer from misdeeds: Christ knows what it's like to suffer innocently for somebody else's actions.
- Shout out to President Ringwood! He's directly above President Morrise in the structure of my mission! I liked his advice regarding humility.
- President Uchtdorf gave a great talk about humility that hit on the same point as Elder Bednar, specifically that Jesus Christ will care most about "the condition" of our heart. As I thought about that, I wondered: do I ever hide behind a facade? Do I ever wear masks, or pretend to be somebody else? Am I ever untrue to myself, in word or deed?
- President Eyring's talk about prayer and priesthood power was another home-run talk to me. To represent Jesus Christ, I need revelation to know what He would do and say!
- Sister Wixom's talk is a great reference for anybody struggling with questions. Let it be heard one more time that our Church does not forbid questions! Rather, we encourage faith in what we do know, as we wait to understand that we do not know.
- Elder Teixeira's words prompted me to think of how our life's purpose is to have joy, and there are two principle ways to go about it: one is selfish fulfillment of immediate wants and desires, which brings temporary pleasure, but ultimately little growth, and decreasing returns, or there's the honorable family life, which has it's own sets of struggles, but present everlasting increases.
- Elder Neilson's talk about Prodigals was also a favorite of mine. I also typically identified with the older son, but it's true -- we are all prodigal children of God. We all fall short, and we all need to "come to ourselves" and return home.
- Elder Holland's talk was incredible in too many ways to list here. Suffice it to say that our Eldest Brother, the Savior Jesus Christ, will never leave us alone. In a life where our own weight -- our spiritual burdens and sins -- drags us closer and closer to the abyss, He is always reaching towards us, offering salvation with scarred wrists and marked palms. He will never let us fall.
- President Uchtdorf's talk about grace resonated well with me. When he initially spoke of the doors and windows of heaven, I thought of the windows as blessings -- see Malachi 4 -- and the door as salvation -- 2 Nephi 31. Christ makes it possible for us to receive blessings in this life, and to ultimately return to God. We obey out of love, and because it lifts us higher, improves us, lets us take mistakes, and learn from them, instead of being trapped by them forever.
- Elder Pino gave a great talk about perspective. I liked when he talked about forests and trees -- it reminded me of one of my favorite songs, that mentions "I never see the forest for the trees." It helped me rememeber to focus more on the big picture, and to be hopeful!
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