Sunday, April 3, 2011

Thoughts on LDS Conference

It was conference weekend, the weekend where members of the LDS faith get to listen to our leaders, the 12 apostles and the prophet and his counselors give us direction and inspiration. I love conference. It's changed a bit as I've become a mom. It's MUCH more chaotic and that's taken me some time to get used to but I'm more accustomed now. In fact I think I’ve enjoyed this conference more than any other since I’ve had children. I’ve enjoyed WITH my children instead of in spite of them. I’ve loved coloring and Parker’s comments, Ben running around and playing and climbing on me occasionally or coming to color or cuddling. I have loved snuggling with Penny and making her laugh. I am less concerned about quiet and more concerned about the atmosphere and if my kids are enjoying it, and we have. It feels so good. But beyond that I really have been so inspired. I have found a few themes and of course don’t know it it’s just because they are things I’ve been thinking about or if they truly have been themes. But I have heard a lot about families. I loved a talk yesterday morning about women, it really made me feel the Lord’s love and the specialness of my calling as a woman. I wrote this in a notebook I was taking notes on:

“So many talks on children and women and now the song “I know Heavenly Father Loves Me” and it makes me cry.

My greatest role, my most important priority right now is these children and my wonderful husband.

Ben playing with tractor and bringing them to show me, Parker coloring his conference packet and counting words for treats. Penny sucking on her thumb and giving me a beautiful smile. Spencer’s righteous leadership in our home”

I have also heard a lot of talks about testimony, about how to gain a testimony, about doubts, about why people lose their testimony’s and how to avoid that. This is also so pertinent to my life lately as people close to me have doubted their testimony's, which in turn always makes you think more about your own. Elder Bednar spoke this morning about light and he talked about doubts. He said that if we have doubted we are NORMAL but that if we keep true to our covenants and nourish our testimony’s daily we will be okay. I have so found this, that as I read and study and stay true to what I know, the answers come. They come in quiet but profound ways. I hear His voice as I read my scriptures, as I teach my children the gospel, as I reach out to my neighbors. I know He lives. I'm so grateful for the prophet and apostles and the leaders who spoke, conference filled my soul.