Easter Conference

I love when Easter and General Conference coincide! Nothing better.

As I've mentioned before, it always reminds me of the Easter Conference Sunday when, knowing Mike would be home, I dared call him up again four months after we'd broken up over my foolish cold feet. That call spurred a chain of events that lead to ... all of this:

This year we went to the cabin for the occasion. The cabin is a good place for Easter mostly because jelly beans can be stuck between the stones in the fireplace. Which is important. There are no bricks or stones on our fireplace at home. (When I was little Easter morning always arrived with jelly beans lodged between the fireplace bricks. And it never feels quite right not having that on Easter.)

When we've listened to General Conference at the cabin before we've had to listen on the radio (as we haven't had any luck with TV reception up there). Unfortunately the radio reception was incredibly crackly this year. But that's when Mike prayed his way through some magic with an old antenna and got us Conference crisp and clear on the TV after all. 

I loved so many of the talks (as one always does). I felt encouraged to continue removing unnecessary debris from my life from President Nelson and Elder Uchtdorf. I loved Sister Jones saying that "eternity is the wrong thing to be wrong about". I loved the hope from Elder Stevenson (with his little bunny experiment story) that, even if I'm doing many things wrong with my children, love and kindness can heal and allow thriving. I loved every experience Elder Eyring shared and the certainty I felt, listening to him, that going to the temple allows revelation to flow more easily. I felt, listening to Eyring, such light, and such a desire to do more for the Lord even "when it is very hard". I felt renewed confirmation in my desires to avoid contention and political strife and to turn to Christ and strive, primarily, to convey His love to others as I listened to Elder Holland. I loved Renlund's assurance that Christ has absorbed all unfairness and will consecrate it to our gain -- that He won't only heal us, but use the unfairness we suffer towards our actual benefit. (I also loved his injunction to not throw stones at those who are stumbling and to even catch the stones thrown by others.) I loved Ballard's reminder that the personal growth we receive by "waiting upon the Lord" is an important part of our Father's plan. I have grown, in recent years, in my understanding of the necessity of and power that comes from making covenants, so I also really loved Christofferson's talk. And Elder Rasband's comments on miracles made me want to open my eyes so much more to their presence in my life. I loved what he said about the magnitude not defining a miracle, only that it came from God. (I also loved that he quoted D&C 84:119 -- one of my personal favorite verses of scripture -- which I don't recall hearing anyone use in a conference talk before.) I loved Elder Mutumbo's light and felt such a desire to shine it as obviously as he does. And I loved the Sunday morning session with speakers from all over the world and thought there were so many moving stories in that session. 

But! My favorite talk of all was our prophet's talk Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains.

I have grown measurably in my strivings to receive personal revelation and in my understanding of the power of God that is available to all of us -- particularly as we covenant with God -- through the talks President Nelson has given since becoming the prophet. These three have affected me the most deeply:

Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives 

Spiritual Treasures

Let God Prevail

And I must admit, when he got up to speak, I sort of felt it wasn't likely he could manage another one as powerful as those three for me. But then he did. Many of the things he said seemed completely intuitive and obvious and yet it felt like somehow I'd been not quite seeing them correctly before -- like this huge piece to a puzzle that I needed pointed to for things to make sense. It feels like there is so much there for me to take in, and I fear I won't do it quickly! 

I loved all of the talk. (I've already re-read and marked it heavily.) But the bit that stood out to me the most when he gave it was when he said, "What would you do if you had more faith? Think about it. Write about it. Then receive more faith by doing something that requires more faith?"

That remark struck me forcefully. In some ways it seems there needs to be some situation with a major choice in front of me in order for me to ask myself that -- and then try to act as I would if I already possessed more faith. But already I am seeing that I can ask myself that even in daily life in how discouraged I let myself get about things etc. I love the cycle he explains as well. Act with more faith, And then, in turn, receive more faith. 

(Hansie all tuckered out from too much candy and by too many soothing conference voices.)