Dieter F Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency - The Merciful Obtain Mercy

OK I was laying in bed listening to this session. When Elder Uchtdorf opened with the story about the letter from a mother that would specifically benefit her two children I was interested. Then when he mentioned how a rift had grown between them, and they had stopped speaking to each other; I really began to listen the as I have an older brother. When I was younger I wanted to grow up and be just like him. However, we have different beliefs, lifestyles and while we are both good people we have different follow through with our family and friends. He is more of a carefree, sometimes empty promises, free-spirit and me, well I am me more conservative. ( I had to come up and say yes, I know I need to STOP IT) 

A few years ago at a family Thanksgiving weekend an incident occurred that really upset me for many reasons. He chose to do something that was dissappointing, lacked better judgment and was embarrasing and insulted people's intelligence or at least mine.

I guess you could say this was the last straw with me. I had talked to him previous to this and he just didn't seem to get it and he did let me know I hurt his feelings and his defense and words to me were that I was an old maid.  

So hearing this talk made me realize I need to repair that rift between us. We are getting older. I need to have patience with him and forgive him.

I know I can move past the judging others who sin differently than me. The harder challenge will be to love them. The following points Elder Uchtdorf counseled us with are going to be challenging. I don't say hate so I am 1/110th of the way there right?

Jesus said it is easy to love those who love us; even the wicked can do that. But Jesus Christ taught a higher law. His words echo through the centuries and are meant for us today. They are meant for all who desire to be His disciples. They are meant for you and me: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”

The pure love of Christ can remove the scales of resentment and wrath from our eyes, allowing us to see others the way our Heavenly Father sees us: as flawed and imperfect mortals who have potential and worth far beyond our capacity to imagine. Because God loves us so much, we too must love and forgive each other.

At the end he provided us with a self test:

Do you harbor a grudge against someone else? I don't think so - so maybe that means yes?

Do you gossip, even when what you say may be true? Guilty
Do you exclude, push away, or punish others because of something they have done? Guilty - I have done that to my brother.
Do you secretly envy another? I don't, I learned at an early age what it felt like to be envied and I try to not do that.
Do you wish to cause harm to someone? I definitely don't.


If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may want to apply the two-word sermon from earlier: stop it!

Elder Robert D. Hales: Coming to Ourselves: The Sacrament, the Temple, and Sacrifice in Service

So the Saturday afternoon session is the one I listened as I drove around doing errands. Stopping and running into a store during a hymn. However, I really liked this talk. The following things are comments that I am reflecting on and I am sharing my thoughts of them at this time.

Church members should remember that they are renewing the covenant they made at baptism. “For the sacrament to be a spiritually cleansing experience each week, we need to prepare ourselves before coming to sacrament meeting,” he said. “We do this by deliberately leaving behind our daily work and recreation, and letting go of worldly thoughts and concerns. As we do we make room in our minds and hearts for the Holy Ghost.

• I try I really do try to leave my worldly thoughts and concerns behind when I go to church and partake of the sacrament. I also try to do this when I work at the temple on Thursday nights; and it is so much easier there than on Sundays. With church for some reason no matter how early I get up and plan I manage to get distracted and I am running late for church. However, with my new calling of doing the program I think that will help.

Worthiness to hold a temple recommend gives Church members the strength to keep their temple covenants, he explained. “How do we personally gain that strength? We strive to obtain a testimony of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, the reality of the Atonement, and the truthfulness of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration. We sustain our leaders, treat our families with kindness, stand as a witness of the Lord’s true Church, attend our Church meetings, honor our covenants, fulfill parental obligations, and live a virtuous life. You may say, that sounds like just being a faithful Latter-day Saint. You are right. The standard for temple recommend holders is not too high for us to achieve.”

• Wow do I need to work on this one A LOT. I have no problem with parental obligations but living a virtuous life? I am probably being hard on myself but I think that I struggle with this one. Why? It is probably more of an insecurity of where I am in life or better said who I am. OK this sounds bad so let me tear down a wall or chip away at it. I lack self confidence. When someone gives me constructive criticism I take it to heart and I try to improve on it. However, there are many areas in my life where I lack self confidence so if something is said and it falls in one of those categories I lack self confidence; it makes me oh so more insecure. In the past year I had a friend tell me I had virtue and I was taken back by the comment. I never imagined that this person thought that way from me. It stood out more to me because this is someone that I think highly of so while I took it and accepted it as a compliment I had a hard time believing that this individual saw me as having virtue.

So maybe my summaries of conference and my thoughts are a little out there but you know they are mine and after all look at the name of my blog.

Elder Donald L. Hallstrom: Converted to His Gospel through His Church

This is the talk that really got me on Saturday morning. I was driving to work as it was month end and I needed to be there to ensure some data was accurate in our time keeping system and had to wait for the individuals working OT that day.


I liked the following points they struck me in areas that I need to improve in and have made my comments in black bold font.

1. Deepen our understanding of Deity.


“A sustained knowledge of and love for the three members of the Godhead are indispensable,” he said. “Mindfully pray to the Father, in the name of the Son, and seek direction from the Holy Ghost. Coupled with constant study and humble pondering, continually build unshakable faith in Jesus Christ.”

I need to really study and ponder my scriptures. I am very relaxed in this sometimes and yet when I committ to doing better, I think why do I stop doing this. I love it. I find myself reading and studying and truly enjoying it. I am now recommitting myself to doing better in my scripture study.

2. Focus on the ordinances and covenants.


“If there are any of the essential ordinances yet to be performed in your life, intently prepare to receive each of them,” he said. “Then, we need to establish the discipline to live faithful to our covenants, fully using the weekly gift of the sacrament. Many of us are not being regularly changed by its cleansing power because of our lack of reverence for this holy ordinance.”

I have to be honest my mind drifted to marriage. Not just for me but mainly for my single male friends. I have a few single men that I am friends with and I worry that they are amazing individuals but have not taken the plunge into this ordinance and covenant. I am not sure how I can improve into this but I am going to start my Thursday night shift at the San Diego Temple. I took a leave of absence due to my surgery and have missed it so much.


3. Unite the gospel with the Church.


“Concentrating on the gospel, the Church will become more, not less, of a blessing in our lives. As we come to each meeting prepared to ‘seek learning, even by study and also by faith,’ the Holy Spirit will be our teacher. If we come to be entertained, we often will be disappointed. ...”

I love the Gospel and the blessings his Church has brought into my life. I am going to be better prepared for Sunday school and RS lessons as well as participate more.

Elder Hallstrom said: “The Lord wants the members of His Church to be fully converted to His gospel”  “This is the only sure way to have spiritual safety now and happiness forever.”

I know that is so true and for myself while I don't fully drift away I do get distracted and wonder around exploring. I am so grateful for conference and how we are gently guided back onto the right path.

General Conference Weekend

So General Conference was amazing as always. There were some messages that really inspired. me to improve and work on certain things. The last hymn of the morning session today is one of my favorites "Come Thou Font of Every Blessing". I hope in the next hymn edition they bring it back.

As I heard it, I actually found myself wishing I was at Conference. I have been fortunate to attend once when they still had it at the tabernacle and recently at the Conference Center.

I will update more about the talks once they are available online and I can re read them. I know there was a talk in the morning session on Saturday that I really really enjoyed. It had three points to follow.

Last night I saw Salmon Fishing in Yemen - it is an excellent movie and I hope I have the movie title correct. Afterwards we went to eat a delicious dinner at the Fig Tree in Hillcrest.
I am so adjusted to living in San Diego...finally!!!

Tonight I ended my weekend with a walk along Mission Bay at sunset. It was fun.

I am truly fortunate to have the life that I have, the family and friends (long time and soon to be long time friends).