Conference Time

I love spring and fall for two reasons:
1) The absolute beauty of the change in season ( I know they change some where)
2) The General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints held the first weekends in April and October.
The week before the General Conference, a Young Women or Relief Society Broadcast is held. The Young Women Broadcast at my Ward Saturday night was incredible. We increased our attendance from 2-3 in past years to 36 this year. Yes!
Each Conference, the week between the Young Women or Relief Society Broadcast and the General Conference Sessions, I have made this a practice:

• I pray daily for those who are preparing messages
• I pray for my heart to be open and receptive to the messages I most need
• I pray for the courage to apply the messages I hear

Recently, after listening to Sister Wendy Nelson (wife of apostle, Elder Nelson) I added a new focus to my Conference preparation.

• She counseled members to take a specific question or concern with them to Conference and to listen to each message for counsel and answers. I am including this in each of my daily prayers. She promised we would receive specific direction and answers.

Tonight, I discussed with my girls the the preparations we need to make for this weekend of General Conference. There was the usual talk about the fun breakfast we will prepare and enjoy as a family on Sunday and the fun Mother/Daughter Date we will go on while the men are at Priesthood Meeting. We touched on those items, yet we all decided that the most important preparations we make are those concerning our hearts and spirits.

It is possible to view each session of Conference via Satellite from most any place in the world which is truly amazing to me as I can remember the early days here in Florida when we only received the Sunday morning session over a phone line that was broadcast to a few chapels in the area. Soon, we had all sessions by phone line. People traveled great distances and would go sit for 2 hours and listen then take the 2 hour break in between sessions to picnic and visit. We were so excited to get the one session live- even if was just audio. After a few years of just audio--exciting news-- we had a satellite dish installed at our chapel and life was great-- we got to see and hear ALL 4 General Sessions and the Priesthood, Relief Society and Young Women Sessions.

Now-- I am blessed to have satellite TV in my home. For the past few years, we watch all sessions of Conference from the comfort of home. Never did I think that I would ever sit in my home in Florida and watch all the sessions of Conference live. I do not take this blessing for granted.
Many times, my husband, Ron, and I have enjoyed attending sessions of Conference live in The Tabernacle or The Conference Center in Salt Lake. This is one of my favorite places to be in the spring- the beauty of spring flowers and attending such incredible meetings bring refreshment to my mind, body, and spirit.

Each of our boys has had the opportunity to attend General Conference Priesthood Meetings in the Salt Lake Tabernacle along with other General Sessions.
Tonight, I told my girls that I would take them to the Young Women Broadcast at least one time while they were in the Young Women Program.

My girls decided they need to make "Please Do not Knock or Ring Doorbell" signs to post on our front door while we are viewing Conference on Saturday and Sunday. I told them to either post the signs or invite the neighbors.

Yesterday, my friend, Jan, did the math- with 2 General Conferences per year with 4 General Sessions in each, 2 Priesthood Sessions, 1 Young Women Session, and 1 Relief Society Session, it is a total of about 24 hours per year (1 day totally) that we actually get to hear the counsel of a Prophet and Apostles.Not a large chunk of time.
An exciting weekend is ahead!

As a young child, I remember the days of entering my Grandpa Hoglund's living room in American Fork, Utah, during General Conference. We had to be absolutely still and quiet as he was recording every session on his reel to reel tape recorder. These recordings became precious when my family moved away from Utah in 1969 when I was 9 years old. We moved to Missouri and did not have access to General Conference Broadcasts other than one over a phone line on Sunday morning, if we were lucky. The Monday after General Conference was over, my Grandpa woud pack up the recordings and mail them to us in Missouri. We would huddle around the reel to reel tape recorder and listen to each session of Conference. I would cry every time the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang... I still do....