The older I get, the more I love General Conference. When I was younger, it was hard to sit down and focus for so many hours straight, but now I just soak in all the direction and goodness that our leaders provide. This last Conference did not disappoint! There were so many good talks that were given, but two really stood out to me.
The first was by L. Todd Budge about not being too busy. He said, "Being too busy to nourish our spirits can lead us to die spiritually." I feel this topic deep in my bones during this time in our lives. We have so much going on all. the. time. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by things that are good and significant, but not the most important... like volunteering with the PTA, having a perfectly clean house, my job, etc. Elder Budge cautioned us to slow down and move through our lives with greater intention. I love the word intention, which I also think of as deliberate or with full purpose of heart. There are some things that I need to be more intentional about, and his call to slow down felt like it was written for me.
The other talk that I loved so much and am still thinking about was by Elder Brad Wilcox and was given specifically for the youth. As a youth leader and parent, I listened so carefully to this one. He asked "Why must Latter-day Saints live so differently from others?" The answers he gave were many and so valuable. We have a birth rite that we must live up to. With our extra responsibilities to help gather Israel and take the kingdom of God to all the world, we are also given an added measure of inheritance to help us. Blessings like greater assurances, confidence, peace, righteousness, and greater access to grace are all part of this noble birth rite. It may feel like a lot, but he emphasized, "You've got this because Jesus has got you!" As if all these powerful things weren't enough, he also quoted the scripture that Christian used for his missionary plaque. It was a tender mercy for him to use that scripture because we are still feeling his absence so profoundly. The scripture comes from Jacob 5:72 and says, "And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them." What a beautiful promise. As we labor to do the will of Christ, He will labor alongside us. He will make up for our weaknesses so that we can help accomplish His great work. Powerful!
And of course, President Nelson's talk was so important. He spoke with optimism about the world, but also about preparing for the coming of the Savior. He encouraged us to seek Jesus Christ in all that we do... in the temple, by studying about His atonement, and in our missionary efforts. He said, "The best is yet to come because Christ is coming again." I LOVE that thought so much! He then announced all the new temples. To our shock and amazement, Price, UT was on the list. Joe and Kym's family was here with us, and there were screams of excitement and tears of joy when that was announced. Little tiny Price, UT will soon have a temple. What a blessing it is to live in this time when temples dot the earth and the gospel is rolling forth. We were so excited that we immediately got out the ice cream and had a party to celebrate the news!
Listening to General Conference is wonderful, but it has also become a special time when we get together with the Christensens. The memories made will never be forgotten, and I know they will always hold a special place in our hearts. On Saturday, Jonathon used his new churrasqueiro that Jake built to cook a Brazilian feast. We used the espetos (swords) he brought back from Brazil and cooked over coals to make it authentic. I wasn't sure how everything would turn out because it was our first try, but it was divine. He made picanha, parmesan chicken, roasted pineapple, and garlic bread along with the rice, salad, and pão de queijo that Andrew and I worked on. Everything was so delicious!
After dinner, we played games, which is our favorite past time when we are together. We just don't get a lot of time together, so we always try to make the most of it. The next morning we made our traditional aebleskivers (round Danish pancakes). They take quite a while to make, but they are worth it every time. The kids could all eat their weight in aebleskivers. It was such a special weekend!
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