General Conference

The family was talked about a lot in General Conference this weekend. I want to talk about just a few of the amazing talks that were given. One of the first ones that I really enjoyed was President Boyd K. Packer's talk. He talked about family and the plan of happiness. He said "The power of procreation is the key to the plan of happiness." I had never that of it that way, but it is true. We are here on Earth to marry and have families of our own so we can bring more of God's children to this Earth and then return to live with Him. I loved when President Packer talked about his sweet wife and the love he has for her. I don't know if this was said or not but I just kept thinking of how I need to find someone who honors his covenants he has made with the Lord and who will help encourage me to honor mine.

I also loved Sister Linda K. Burton's talk about men who serve honorably in the priesthood. So many times we hear talks about righteous women and mothers so it was nice to hear about men and the great work they do. She also mentioned the plan of happiness and how we need to marry in God's temple in order to complete it.

One of my other favorite talks was by Elder Wilford W. Anderson of the Seventy. I love that he compared listening to the Spirit to hearing the music. He asked us if we are dancing to the music and if we hear the music or if we are just doing the dance steps. A lot of times I feel like we just go through the motions of doing what we are supposed to. But if we are listening to the Spirit and acting upon it we will continue to grow and strengthen our testimony.

Women's Meeting

Just a few quotes from the General Women's meeting on Saturday night that I loved.

Ordained of God

This is a great video that was shared in the General Women's meeting as part of our bi-annual General Conference. It was a great meeting that talked about family and how we need to protect it. Check out this great video and if you didn't have a chance to watch or listen to the women's meeting click on the link to read or listen to the talks.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2015/04?cid=HP_SA_3-28-2015_dPTH_fGC_xLIDyL1-B_&lang=eng

Quality Time

Last weekend I had to opportunity to get away for the weekend for a girl's trip. The girls that I went with are my best friends and are like family to me. It was a great weekend and it helped remind me of the importance of spending time quality time with the ones we love. I work full time and am going to school so I don't have a lot of spare time. The whole weekend I was able to not worry about work or school and just focus on having fun with my friends. We relaxed, shopped, talked, sang, danced and did whatever we wanted. My favorite memories with them is when we stay up late talking and spill our guts about everything. It happens every time we get together and I love it. I try to make spending time with my friends and family a priority because they are the ones that will help carry us through the rough times and lift us up.

Brother's Wedding

A couple of weeks ago I was able to attend my brother's sealing at the Salt Lake Temple. It was such an amazing experience and I'm so happy that I was able to be there. The sealer said a a lot of great things but he reminded them of the importance of keeping the Lord in their relationship. He also gave them a copy of The Family: A Proclamation to the World. I love the blessings that temples bring into my life and I'm especially grateful for eternal families. I'm so excited for my brother and I'm excited to have a sister-in-law.

Saving Your Marriage

This is a great Mormon Message with excerpts from Elder Oaks talk that I shared a few days ago.

Divorce

Marriage is hard. It is pretty much impossible to get along with someone 100% of the time. Elder Dallin H. Oaks talks about not giving up on our marriage just because hard times have hit. He tells us what we can do to keep our marriage strong and how to keep going and not giving up. He also talks about the affect divorce can have on children. I think one of the key things he talked about is praying together and working together to keep the marriage going. This is a great talk. Listen to it and let me know your thoughts.

Protect Our Nestlings

This is a great video released by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It is Elder Boyd K. Packer talking about protecting our families. "You will do no greater eternal work than in the walls of your own home." - Elder Boyd K. Packer

Children Enrich Our Lives

This is a great Mormon Messages video I found. It shares a little of Elder Neil L. Anderson's talk that I shared a few days ago.

Children

Elder Neil L. Anderson's talk on children during the October 2011 General Conference was AMAZING! There are so many great things I learned. One of my favorite quotes was when he talked about a blog that he had read and the Christian mother, not of our faith, said "Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for." We were commanded to multiply and replenish the Earth. If we feel as though we don't have time to have kids we may need to evaluate what our priorities are. I am not currently married but I know that when I do marry having children will be a top priority for me. Having children terrifies me, but it is what the Lord has commanded me to do. 

I also loved when Elder Anderson talked about not judging other people's decisions on when to start their family or on how many kids they want. Everybody's situations is different. I liked the story he shared about President Dorius and his wife and how they weren't able to have children or adopt children for 25 years. People questioned them and asked about his ability to be a bishop when he no children of his own. They didn't know their circumstances and that they had tried, they just knew they didn't have any. He touched on a really important matter of how the subject of child bearing can be a heartbreaking matter to some righteous couples who are unable to have kids. I think we need to be sensitive to each person's individual experience and not jump to conclusions that they just don't want kids, they don't want a big family or whatever the circumstance may be.

Listen to Elder Anderson's talk and let me know what you think.

Protecting Children

I listened to this talk the other day by Elder Dallin H. Oaks. He discusses some of the many abuses children can face now days and how we can help keep them from those abuses. It gave me a lot to think about and it also made my heart break for the children in the world that are dealing with any of the circumstances he talked about. I'm grateful every day for the family I was born into and for the love and support I received from them each day. I can't imagine having any other family and I also can't imagine what would cause someone to harm their child. Children are our future and it is our responsibility to teach and support them.

Nurturing Marriage

I really enjoyed this talk by Elder Russell M. Nelson. The story he shares at the beginning was intriguing and I think we can all relate to it in one way or another. The wife was trying to show her husband that she loved him but the husband was focused on his electronic device. Are there times we are so focused on some piece of technology or a hobby of ours that we forget to pay attention to our spouse? I liked the quote by Elder Nelson when he said "The foremost priesthood duty is to nurture your marriage - to care for, respect, honor and love your wife. Be a blessing to her and your children." Read or listen to this talk, it is really good, and let me know your thoughts. What did you like about it?

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2006/04/nurturing-marriage?lang=eng&query=marriage#d

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

Over the last few weeks I've been studying a lot about the family. The basis for my studies have been centered around The Family: A Proclamation to the World. I've read the document a few times now and I've learned a lot about myself and how I need to refocus some of my goals. It also teaches me about the desires my Heavenly Father has for me and everyone else. I would love to hear your thoughts on this document. Do you agree with it? What does it teach you? 

https://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/images/gospel-library/manual/34190/34190_000_WWC_26-FamProc.pdf