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| Me and one of my Tabernacle Choir name badges. Maybe next Conference I'll finally be able to wear it again for real, eh? |
2020: Turbulent year, man! Makes me appreciate the words of living prophets and other inspired leaders called of God all the more! If it was ever on 2020's mind to stop me from holding onto one of my favorite General Conference traditions, it FAILED! I'm continuing onward with it. Behold, my fav quote from each talk from six months ago (in chronological order):
SATURDAY MORNING SESSION
"This year will be extraordinary as we focus intently on the Savior and His restored gospel. The most important lasting effects of this historic conference will be as our hearts change and we commence a lifelong quest to hear Him."
President Russell M. Nelson
("Opening Message")
"...consider what offering you will present to the Lord in righteousness in the coming days. Be courageous—share it with someone you trust, and most important, please take the time to do it!"
President M. Russell Ballard
("Shall We Not Go On in So Great a Cause?")
"Not only does the Savior heal and restore those who sin in ignorance, but also, for those who sin against the light, the Savior offers healing on the condition of repentance and faith in Him."
Elder James R. Rasband
("Ensuring a Righteous Judgment")
"Our continuing role is to receive continuing revelation."
Sister Joy D. Jones
("An Especially Noble Calling")
"And when someone sets their defining memories aside and is lost or confused, we turn them toward the Savior as we share our faith and memories with them, helping them rediscover those precious spiritual moments they once treasured."
Elder Neil L. Andersen
("Spiritually Defining Memories")
"Seeing others as God does is a gift. I invite all of us to seek for this gift. As our eyes are opened to see, we will also be able to help others see themselves as God does."
Brother Douglas D. Holmes
("Deep in Our Heart")
"Throughout his prophetic ministry, Joseph Smith used prayers of faith to obtain continuous revelation. As we face today's challenges and those yet to come, we too will need to practice the same pattern."
President Henry B. Eyring
("Prayers of Faith")
SATURDAY AFTERNOON SESSION
"In March 1830 the first 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon were published, and today more than 180 million copies have been printed in over a hundred languages."
Elder Ulisses Soares
("The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon")
"Our ability to help others come unto Christ or return to Christ will largely be determined by the example we set through our own personal commitment to stay on the covenant path."
Elder John A. McCune
("Come unto Christ—Living as Latter-day Saints")
"Because of Christ, all of God's children....regardless of their righteousness, will experience the reuniting of their spirits and bodies through the power of the Resurrection and return to Him to 'be judged.…according to [their] works.'"
Bishop Gérald Caussé
("A Living Witness of the Living Christ")
"In the exuberance of knowing that we can be saved and exalted, we need to remember that salvation and exaltation came at a great cost."
Elder Dale G. Renlund
("Consider the Goodness and Greatness of God")
"Jesus Christ is the Master Physician. Through His Atonement, He binds up our wounds, takes upon Himself our infirmities, and heals our broken hearts. Through His grace our weakness can become strong."
Elder Benjamin M. Z. Tai
("The Power of the Book of Mormon in Conversion")
"In a similar way, we might ask ourselves, 'How could this extensive renewal of the Salt Lake Temple inspire us to undergo our own spiritual renewal, reconstruction, rebirth, revitalization, or restoration?'"
Elder Gary E. Stevenson
("A Good Foundation against the Time to Come")
SATURDAY EVENING SESSION
"Hosanna is our plea for God to save. Hallelujah expresses our praise to the Lord for the hope of salvation and exaltation. In hosanna and hallelujah we recognize the living Jesus Christ as the heart of Easter and latter-day restoration."
Elder Gerrit W. Gong
("Hosanna and Hallelujah—The Living Jesus Christ: The Heart of Restoration and Easter")
"These are not messages from fortune-tellers; these blessings tell us what we need to hear. They are like a Liahona for each one of us. When we put God first and have faith in Him, He will lead us through our own wilderness."
Sister Laudy Ruth Kaouk
("How the Priesthood Blesses Youth")
"Along with our friends and family, the Holy Ghost is one of our most loyal and reliable companions. But in order to invite His constant companionship, we must place ourselves in situations and places where He will want to be present."
Brother Enzo Serge Petelo
("How the Priesthood Blesses Youth")
"Satan incites comparison as a tool to create feelings of being superior or inferior, hiding the eternal truth that men's and women's innate differences are God given and equally valued."
Sister Jean B. Bingham
("United in Accomplishing God's Work")
"...between 7,500 and 8,000 were baptized during the two missions of the Twelve to the British Isles... By the end of the 19th century, some 90,000 had gathered to America, with the most of these coming from the British Isles and Scandinavia."
President Henry B. Eyring
("He Goes before Us")
"...when a father is absent and a mother is the family leader. She presides in her home and is instrumental in bringing the power and blessings of the priesthood into her family through her endowment and sealing in the temple."
President Dallin H. Oaks
("The Melchizedek Priesthood and the Keys")
"...living in a day when the COVID-19 pandemic has put the whole world in commotion, let us not just talk of Christ or preach of Christ or employ a symbol representing Christ... Let us put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ into action!"
President Russell M. Nelson
("Opening the Heavens for Help")
SUNDAY MORNING SESSION
"We do not know when the Savior will return, but this we do know. We must be prepared in heart and mind, worthy to receive Him, and honored to be part of all that was prophesied so long ago."
Elder Ronald A. Rasband
("Fulfillment of Prophecy")
"Now, in case you are thinking, 'These are great 1,000-watt examples, but I'm a 20-watt bulb,' remember that the Savior testified, 'I am the light which ye shall hold up.' He reminds us that He will bring the light if we will just point others to Him."
Sister Bonnie H. Cordon
("That They May See")
"Because the Restoration reaffirmed the foundational truth that God does work in this world, we can hope, we should hope, even when facing the most insurmountable odds."
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
("A Perfect Brightness of Hope")
"We do not come to the temple to hide from or escape the evils of the world. Rather, we come to the temple to conquer the world of evil."
Elder David A. Bednar
("'Let This House Be Built unto My Name'")
"It has never been more imperative to know how the Spirit speaks to you than right now. In the Godhead, the Holy Ghost is the messenger. He will bring thoughts to your mind which the Father and Son want you to receive."
President Russell M. Nelson
("Hear Him")
SUNDAY AFTERNOON SESSION
"In ways that have not been revealed, our actions in the spirit world have influenced our circumstances in mortality."
President Dallin H. Oaks
("The Great Plan")
"Personal revelation is available to all those who humbly seek guidance from the Lord. It is as important as prophetic revelation."
Elder Quentin L. Cook
("The Blessing of Continuing Revelation to Prophets and Personal Revelation to Guide Our Lives")
"...I have concluded that no matter what kind of storm is battering us—regardless of whether there is a solution to it or whether there is an end in sight—there is only one refuge, and it is the same for all types of storms."
Elder Ricardo P. Giménez
("Finding Refuge from the Storms of Life")
"If Jesus spent His mortal life ministering to 'the least of these,' would He not love them today? Is there not a place in His Church for all of God’s children? Even for those who feel unworthy, forgotten, or alone?"
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
("Come and Belong")
"Mortality always brings challenges, but time after time I have seen that those who strive to obey the commandments are blessed to find their way forward with peace and hope. Those blessings are available to everyone."
Elder L. Whitney Clayton
("The Finest Homes")
"If the light of the Holy Spirit burns within us, it will rekindle the Light of Christ within them. What you are lends authenticity to your invitation to come experience the joy of the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ."
Elder D. Todd Christofferson
("Sharing the Message of the Restoration and the Resurrection")
"...you can still draw upon the power of your temple covenants and endowment as you honor your covenants. Please use this time when temples are closed to continue to live a temple-worthy life or to become temple worthy."
President Russell M. Nelson
("Go Forward with Faith")
