"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley

Thursday, October 16, 2008

The bright spot!

So about a week and a half ago was one of the best weekends. Not only did my family get to come to town, but we got to listen to a Prophet of God and the Lord's Apostles on the earth today. It was truly a BRIGHT SPOT for me and continues to be. I wanted to write about it sooner, but I wanted to have a few specific quotes about some of my favorite things. So I had to wait until I could listen/read the talks again.

From Saturday morning one of my favorites was from Elder Anderson. His talk was entitled "You know Enough". One of my favorite things that he said was: "We then remain steady and patient as we progress through mortality. At times, the Lord’s answer will be, “You don’t know everything, but you know enough”—enough to keep the commandments and to do what is right. Remember Nephi’s words: “I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.” I really liked that. Sometimes I think I don't know enough, but I do know enough to do what's right and that is all that matters.

I also liked Sister Allred's talk about Missionary work. That was another reason for doing this post. In a small way trying to do a little missionary work. Maybe someone might read this and feel the spirit of the truthfulness of the gospel and will want to learn more.

One of my most favorites though was President Uchtdorf's talk titles " The Infinite Power of Hope". I think one of the reasons this appealed to me so much is because of the instability of the world today. There are so many things being thrown at us and our families and it can get scary. I think every person (LDS or not) is crying out for hope and yearning for that peace of mind that comes along with it. Here is one of my favorite quotes from that talk: "Hope is a gift of the Spirit. It is a hope that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of His Resurrection, we shall be raised unto life eternal and this because of our faith in the Savior. This kind of hope is both a principle of promise as well as a commandment, and, as with all commandments, we have the responsibility to make it an active part of our lives and overcome the temptation to lose hope. Hope in our Heavenly Father’s merciful plan of happiness leads to peace, mercy, rejoicing, and gladness. The hope of salvation is like a protective helmet; it is the foundation of our faith and an anchor to our souls."

I could go on forever about all the amazing things which were said by the amazing men and women who spoke, but I will end this post with a little bit from one of our dear Prophet's talks "Finding Joy In the Journey". He talked a lot about enjoying the here and now and making sure we are taking time for what matters most. And about how we need to be grateful for all the Lord has given us. Here is a quote from that talk.
"I pray that all of us will reflect gratitude for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His glorious gospel provides answers to life’s greatest questions: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where does my spirit go when I die? He taught us how to pray. He taught us how to serve. He taught us how to live. His life is a legacy of love. The sick He healed; the downtrodden He lifted; the sinner He saved. The time came when He stood alone. Some Apostles doubted; one betrayed Him. The Roman soldiers pierced His side. The angry mob took His life. There yet rings from Golgotha’s hill His compassionate words, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Earlier, perhaps perceiving the culmination of His earthly mission, He spoke the lament, “Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” “No room in the inn” was not a singular expression of rejection—just the first. Yet He invites you and me to receive Him. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Who was this Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief? Who is the King of glory, this Lord of hosts? He is our Master. He is our Savior. He is the Son of God. He is the Author of our Salvation. He beckons, “Follow me.” He instructs, “Go, and do thou likewise.” He pleads, “Keep my commandments.” Let us follow Him. Let us emulate His example. Let us obey His word. By so doing, we give to Him the divine gift of gratitude. Brothers and sisters, my sincere prayer is that we may adapt to the changes in our lives, that we may realize what is most important, that we may express our gratitude always and thus find joy in the journey."

I loved so much hearing all of this. If any of you would like to read or watch more you can go to www.lds.org and all of the talks are on there. I know that these leaders are called of God and that Christ has chosen Thomas S Monson as his prophet on the earth today. I am truly blessed to be able to have this knowledge and will be forever grateful for all the sacrifices that it took for us to enjoy the blessings of the gospel.

3 comments:

Sarah Stout said...

Steph... thank you so much for sharing this. I really appreciate your take on conference, especially that you reminded me of Elder Anderson's talk "You Know Enough." (I relistened to most of Sunday's talks, but not Saturday's yet!) We truly do know enough to make righteous decisions. Heavenly Father will help us to grow and learn more as we work to align our will with His.

Genny said...

Hey whats up girlie. I'm just chillin at home. Jared and my brother are hunting for a few days. So I'm a loner. Lets get together soon.

Justin and Stacey said...

LOVE conference! What would we do without the church?! Glad I don't ever have to find out!!