General Conference Conversations

President Nelson, once again, urges us to use the messages from this conference in our daily lives, stresses the importance of temples, and testifies of the atonement of Jesus Christ.“Regular worship in the temple will help us. In the house of the Lord, we focus on Jesus Christ. We learn of Him. We make covenants to follow Him. We come to know Him. As we keep our temple covenants, we gain greater access to the Lord’s strengthening power.”“There is no limit to the Savior’s capacity to help you. His incomprehensible suffering in Gethsemane and on Calvary was for you! His infinite Atonement is for you!”How has the temple brought you closer to Jesus Christ?If you’d like to be part of the conversation:Email: genconfconvos@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/generalconferenceconversationsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/generalconferenceconversations/You can also watch this podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@generalconferenceconversations

Brother Wilcox seeks to answer the question: Why must Latter-day Saints live so differently?“Does your birthright mean you are better than others? No, but it does mean you are expected to help others be better. Does your birthright mean you are chosen? Yes, but not chosen to rule over others; you are chosen to serve them. Is your birthright evidence of God’s love? Yes, but more important, it is evidence of His trust.”What can you do to “honor your birthright”?If you’d like to be part of the conversation:Email: genconfconvos@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/generalconferenceconversationsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/generalconferenceconversations/You can also watch this podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@generalconferenceconversations

Elder McKay speaks powerfully about Joseph Smith and his mission to testify of Christ.“Joseph’s life of regular repentance gives me confidence to ‘come boldly unto the throne of grace, that [I] may obtain mercy.’ I have learned that Jesus Christ truly is ‘of a forgiving disposition.’ It is neither His mission nor His nature to condemn. He came to save.”How is repentance comforting to you?If you’d like to be part of the conversation:Email: genconfconvos@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/generalconferenceconversationsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/generalconferenceconversations/You can also watch this podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@generalconferenceconversations

Elder Kearon’s talk is, of course, all about JOY!“Because of the loving plan of our Heavenly Father for each of His children, and because of the redeeming life and mission of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, we can—and should—be the most joyful people on earth! Even as the storms of life in an often-troubled world pound upon us, we can cultivate a growing and abiding sense of joy and inner peace because of our hope in Christ and our understanding of our own place in the beautiful plan of happiness.”“We may have been conditioned to suppose that the purpose of the sacrament is to sit in the pew thinking only about all the ways we messed up during the week before. But let’s turn that practice on its head. In the stillness, we can ponder the many ways we have seen the Lord relentlessly pursue us with His wonderful love that week! We can reflect on what it means to “discover the joy of daily repentance.” We can give thanks for the times the Saviour entered into our struggles and our triumphs and the occasions when we felt His grace, forgiveness, and power giving us strength to overcome our hardships and bear our burdens with patience and even good cheer.Yes, we ponder the sufferings and injustices inflicted upon our Redeemer for our sin, and that does cause sober reflection. But we sometimes get stuck there—in the garden, at the cross, inside the tomb. We fail to move upward to the joy of the tomb bursting open, the defeat of death, and Christ’s victory over all that might prevent us from gaining peace and returning to our heavenly home. Whether we shed tears of sorrow or tears of gratitude during the sacrament, let it be in awesome wonder at the good news of the Father’s gift of His Son!”What is one thing you can do to enhance your worship and find joy in the gospel?If you’d like to be part of the conversation:Email: genconfconvos@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/generalconferenceconversationsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/generalconferenceconversations/You can also watch this podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@generalconferenceconversations

President Oaks’ talk is all about, you guessed it, following Jesus Christ.“Potential adversaries should begin their discussions by identifying common ground on which all agree.To follow our Perfect Role Model and His prophet, we need to practice what is popularly known as the Golden Rule: “All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” We need to love and do good to all. We need to avoid contention and be peacemakers in all our communications. This does not mean to compromise our principles and priorities but to cease harshly attacking others for theirs. That is what our Perfect Role Model did in His ministry. That is the example He set for us as He invited us to follow Him.”Invitation: This! Avoid contention, be a peacemaker, and follow Christ’s example in communicating and loving others.If you’d like to be part of the conversation:Email:genconfconvos@gmail.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/generalconferenceconversationsInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/generalconferenceconversations/You can also watch this podcast on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@generalconferenceconversations

I know it has been so, so long! And we’re getting so close to April Conference already that I won’t have time to get to all the talks. So, I’ve chosen just a few talks to cover between now and April. And we will be back to our regularly scheduled programming in May. Elder Hirst’s talk is all about love! He speaks powerfully about how personal God’s love is for each of us. And he reminds us of how we can then show that love to others. “I wonder, if Jesus were to choose a place where you and He could meet, a private place where you would be able to have a singular focus on Him, might He choose your unique place of personal suffering, the place of your deepest need, where no one else can go? Somewhere you feel so lonely that you must truly be all alone but you aren’t quite, a place to which perhaps only He has travelled but actually has already prepared to meet you there when you arrive? If you are waiting for Him to come, might He already be there and within reach?” Where and how do you feel God's love? “If you do feel filled with love in this season of your life, please try and hold on to it as effectively as a sieve holds water. Splash it everywhere you go. One of the miracles of the divine economy is that when we try to share Jesus’s love, we find ourselves being filled up in a variation of the principle that ‘whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.’” How can you show love to others? If you’d like to be part of the conversation: Email: genconfconvos@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/generalconferenceconversations Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/generalconferenceconversations/ You can also watch this podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@generalconferenceconversations

President Pace speaks about the power and purpose of the scriptures. “We call it “study,” and that’s good because it implies effort. But we don’t always need to learn some new fact. Sometimes reading the Book of Mormon is just about feeling connected to God today—nourishing the soul, being strengthened spiritually before heading out to face the world, or finding healing after a rough day out in the world. We study the scriptures so the Holy Ghost, the great teacher, can deepen our conversion to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and help us become more like Them.” How do the scriptures make you feel? If you’d like to be part of the conversation: Email: genconfconvos@gmail.com Facebook: General Conference Conversations Instagram: @generalconferenceconversations You can also watch this podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoiavmFctfCBB68kWaKVy0g

Elder Held reminds of the necessity and beauty of opposition. “Life is all about making choices. Our Father in Heaven gave us the divine gift of agency precisely so that we could learn from our choices—from the right ones and also from the wrong ones. We correct our wrong choices when we repent. This is where growth happens. Heavenly Father’s plan for all of us is about learning, developing, and progressing toward eternal life.” “Even though we usually cannot choose between these kinds of situations because they just happen, we are still free to choose how to react to them. We can do so with a positive or with a pessimistic attitude. We can seek to learn from the experience and ask for our Lord’s help and support, or we can think that we are on our own in this trial and that we must suffer it alone. We can “adjust our sails” to the new reality, or we can decide not to change anything. In the darkness of night, we can turn on our lights. In the cold of winter, we should choose to wear warm clothes. In seasons of sickness, we can seek medical and spiritual help. We choose how to react to these circumstances.” What is something good you can focus on amongst the bad right now? If you’d like to be part of the conversation: Email: genconfconvos@gmail.com Facebook: General Conference Conversations Instagram: @generalconferenceconversations You can also watch this podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoiavmFctfCBB68kWaKVy0g

Elder Godoy speaks powerfully about the blessing of prayer. “Imagine the feelings of Heavenly Father when in each prayer we make a supplication in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. What power and tenderness, I believe, are displayed when we do so!” “Of course, we need to remember that calling is a matter of faith and action—faith to recognize that we have a Heavenly Father who answers our prayers according to His infinite wisdom, and then action consistent with what we asked for. Praying—calling—can be a sign of our hope. But taking action after praying is a sign that our faith is real—faith that is tested in moments of pain, fear, or disappointment.” How can you take action in something you are trusting God with? If you’d like to be part of the conversation: Email: genconfconvos@gmail.com Facebook: General Conference Conversations Instagram: @generalconferenceconversations You can also watch this podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoiavmFctfCBB68kWaKVy0g

President Oaks reminds us of the history, importance, and purpose of covenants. “A covenant is a commitment to fulfill certain responsibilities.” “Their purpose is to bless the covenant children of God with temple worship and with the sacred responsibilities and powers and unique blessings of being bound to Christ they receive by covenant.” How do your covenants help you "come together" with God and with others? If you’d like to be part of the conversation: Email: genconfconvos@gmail.com Facebook: General Conference Conversations Instagram: @generalconferenceconversations You can also watch this podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoiavmFctfCBB68kWaKVy0g

Elder Kearon speaks powerfully of God's desire to bring us home. He lays out the purpose of the plan of salvation and Christ's role in it and how we are welcomed back with open arms. “No one has built a roadblock and stationed someone there to turn you around and send you away. In fact, it is the exact opposite. God is in relentless pursuit of you. He “wants all of His children to choose to return to Him,” and He employs every possible measure to bring you back.” How can you lovingly correct the "officers" in your life and avoid becoming one yourself? “He did not cast away the woman with the issue of blood; He did not recoil from the leper; He did not reject the woman taken in adultery; He did not refuse the penitent—no matter their sin. And He will not refuse you or those you love when you bring to Him your broken hearts and contrite spirits. That is not His intent or His design, nor His plan, purpose, wish, or hope.” If you’d like to be part of the conversation: Email: genconfconvos@gmail.com Facebook: General Conference Conversations Instagram: @generalconferenceconversations You can also watch this podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoiavmFctfCBB68kWaKVy0g

Elder Renlund shares a story about kayaking and the advice he received from their guide about keeping momentum to avoid flipping over. He relates this to the doctrine of Christ, that as we consistently and diligently follow the doctrine of Christ, we will gain spiritual momentum and stay afloat. “Indeed, the elements of the doctrine of Christ—such as faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, entering a covenant relationship with the Lord through baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end—are not intended to be experienced as one-time, check-the-box events. In particular, “enduring to the end” is not really a separate step in the doctrine of Christ—as though we complete the first four elements and then hunker down, grit our teeth, and wait to die. No, enduring to the end is repeatedly and iteratively applying the other elements of the doctrine of Christ, creating the “powerful virtuous cycle” that President Nelson described.” “Consider how the expedition guide helped me after I flipped over in the kayak. He did not shout from afar an unhelpful question such as, “Mr. Renlund, what are you doing in the water?” He did not paddle up and chide me, saying, “Mr. Renlund, you would not be in this situation if you were more physically fit.” He did not start towing my kayak while I was just trying to get on top of it. And he did not correct me in front of the group. Instead, he gave me the help I needed at the time I needed it. He gave me advice when I was receptive. And he went out of his way to encourage me.” How can you love those around you like this? If you’d like to be part of the conversation: Email: genconfconvos@gmail.com Facebook: General Conference Conversations Instagram: @generalconferenceconversations You can also watch this podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoiavmFctfCBB68kWaKVy0g

Elder Rasband's talk is all about the power of words - the Lord’s words, the words of the prophets, and our own words. “Unfortunately, words can be thoughtless, hasty, and hurtful. Once said, we cannot take them back. They can wound, punish, cut down, and even lead to destructive actions. They can weigh heavily on us. On the other hand, words can celebrate victory, be hopeful and encouraging. They can prompt us to rethink, reboot, and redirect our course. Words can open our minds to truth.” How do the words around you - that you read, hear, or say - impact your daily life? “Our words can be supportive or angry, joyful or mean, compassionate or tossed aside. In the heat of the moment, words can sting and sink painfully deep into the soul—and stay there. Our words on the internet, texting, social media, or tweets take on a life of their own. So be careful what you say and how you say it. In our families, especially with husbands, wives, and children, our words can bring us together or drive a wedge between us.” How can you watch your words in order to impact those around you in a positive way? If you’d like to be part of the conversation: Email: genconfconvos@gmail.com Facebook: General Conference Conversations Instagram: @generalconferenceconversations You can also watch this podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoiavmFctfCBB68kWaKVy0g