My Favorite Weekends of the Year

I don't know (and I do doubt) that there's anyone who reads my blog that is not LDS, but if so, let me explain what happens in our church twice a year.

The first weekend in April and the first weekend in October each year, our church hold a general conference, in which the prophet (currently Thomas S. Monson), the Twelve Apostles and other general officers of the church speak to the members and by extension, to the world. Some members gather in a large conference center in Salt Lake City. The rest of us can watch the proceedings on TV, via closed-circuit TV in our meetinghouses, or on the internet. If you'd like to know more, go to www.lds.org and follow the links to General Conference.

My personal Conference tradition is (when I've had the opportunity to be in my own home to view or listen to Conference) to sit on my couch in my pjs, eat toast with broiled cheese on top and drink apple juice while I'm watching the speakers and taking notes in my journal.

I love hearing these leaders, these servants of the Lord, proclaim the gospel and give counsel and guidance. This morning's session reached me personally, giving me inspiration and revelation for my own life. I really appreciated Sister Lefferth's talk about reverence, particularly since it is the biggest challenge we have in our Primary (Children's group).

President Eyring's talk about dealing with adversity brought a new insight. Though the Savior could have learned all He needed to know about us and how to completely atone for our sins, He chose to learn through experience. It's not that I have never heard that before, but it really hit home to me today. That He would love us each so much that He would be willing to experience all of the pains and weaknesses that we suffer, to the point that he would bleed from every pore, continues to amaze and humble me.

There's more to come this afternoon and tomorrow!