Notes from Sunday afternoon session of General Conference

Conducting: President Uchtdorf

Hymn: “Come Ye Children of the Lord.”

Opening Prayer: Sister Carol M. Stevens

Hymn: “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus.”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Jesus said: “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him who believeth.”

Response: “Lord, I believe. Help thou mine unbelief.”

Even if you can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you until you believe.

The people wanted some small lifting of the burden carried by them. Jesus heals.

Aimed at young people of the Church.

1)When facing the challenge of faith, the father first affirms the positive — “Lord I believe.” Hold the ground you have already won in troubling times. When difficult moments come, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes.

2)When problems come and questions arise, don’t start with the things you don’t have or don’t know. That’s like stuffing the turkey through the beak. Be true to the faith you do have. Don’t start with doubt. Don’t let the questions stand in the way of faith working its miracle. You have a lot of evidence: you shall know them by their fruits. Don’t hyperventilate if when time to time issues arise. In this world, everyone is to walk by faith.

3)When doubt or difficult come, do not be afraid to ask for help. God will send help from both sides of the veil to strengthen our unbelief. Belief is a precious word and an even more precious act. Christ said, be not afraid, only believe. Belief is the first step toward conviction.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks

Reviews teachings from the Gospels in the New Testament and their relevancy to LDS teachings.

Baptism was necessary to enter the kingdom of God. He began by being baptized. We do this.

Jesus invited his listeners to repent. We do this.

Commandments — if you love me, keep my commandments. Followers were to be peculiar people. We do this. Still, some model themselves after worldly ways. They love the praise of men more than the praise of God. Examples: political correctness, extremes in dress and grooming, deviations on eternal values regarding the family. People who love Jesus will keep His commandments. Following Christ is a continual commitment.

Jesus taught that men ought always to pray. Like other Christians, we pray in all our worship services. We teach that we should have frequent personal and family prayers.

The savior called 12 apostles. We do this.

Jesus taught that God created male and female and that a man should leave his parents and cleave to his wife. We do this.

Go after members of the flock who have strayed. We do this.

Love thy neighbor and love enemies. We do this.

Give to the poor and needy. We excel in doing this. Tithing, fast offering, global humanitarian work. Church has assisted nearly 30 million people in 179 countries. Wow!

Take Gospel to every nation. We do this.

Seek perfection. This is part of Heavenly Father’s plan. We can inherit all that the Father has if we follow the Savior.

Elder Christoffel Golden Jr. of the Seventy

The heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a correct understanding of the Father and Son. The First vision confirms this. God actually exists. The Father and the Son are two separate and distinct beings. Man is created in the image of God. Our Heavenly Father is literally the father of Jesus Christ. God reveals himself to man and is near. And he answers prayers.

This agrees so well with other recorded events in the holy scriptures. Stephen saw the heavens open and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. John saw the same. In the Book of Mormon, the doctrine of the Father and Son stands along the Bible’s testimony. In the four Gospels, Jesus always refers to his Father in Heaven, same in the Book of Mormon.

The Son can do nothing of Himself but only what he sees his Father do. Jesus is the Great Jehovah.

The Father and Son are separate beings, but they are united in power and purpose. They desire the same oneness for those who will follow them and keep the commandments. The Holy Ghost witnesses of the Father and the Son.

The doctrine of the Father and the Son is the doctrine of the eternal family. We are the children of our Heavenly Father. President Benson: nothing will startle us more when we pass through the veil than to realize how well we know our Father in Heaven and how familiar His face is to us.

Hymn: “Now Let Us Rejoice.”

Elder Enrique R. Falabella of the Seventy

Cherished memories.

1)The temple is the place. Met his wife, she had set the goal to get married in the temple. Had to travel 4,000 miles. Had a civil ceremony first. We were married with an expiration date — “until death do you part.” They purchased a one-way ticket to the Mesa, AZ temple. In the temple, “for time and all eternity.” People gave him money when he shook hands with them at a ward in the US that Sunday. He said to his wife: “shake hands with everyone!” He gathered enough money to get back to Guatemala.

2)In order to contend, you need two people, and I will never be one of them. Use persuasion, long-suffering, meekness and love unfeigned. Less physical abuse. But we are still far from eliminating emotional abuse.

3)A child who sings is a happy child.

4)I need you to hug me. Love poems are rare. Technology allows people to do wonders. Text message from his wife that made him feel he is in heaven.

5)I love the Book of Mormon and my savior Jesus Christ. My wife reads the BoM every day. I can feel her testimony. Challenged granddaughter to read the BoM. Read a page in 3 minutes. Can read it in 32 hours. “That’s so easy grandpa.”

6)It is not enough to know the scriptures, we have to live them.

These are lessons that are learned in the home, a place that can become a piece of heaven here on the Earth.

Elder Erich W. Kopischke of the Seventy

Being accepted by people we love is a basic human need. If people cannot find acceptance from desirable sources, they may seek it elsewhere. They may go after false friends or wear certain clothing to find status. They may define their worth by a position they hold or status they obtain.

Seeking acceptance from Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father will always uplift us.

Three steps:

1)Know that our hearts are honest and broken. A broken heart is a soft and receptive heart.

2)Contrite spirits. Contrite means “feeling or expressing remorse at the recognition one has done wrong.”
If we are contrite we are teachable. Willing to listen to the Holy spirit.

3)Conscious decision to observe covenants through sacrifice. Sacrifice does not mean something difficult to do. We live day to day our covenants. Take the sacrament. Accept a calling. Faithfully serve. Do temple work. Strive for righteousness.

Seek the Lord’s acceptance and enjoy His promised blessings.

Elder Bruce D. Porter of the Seventy

In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. “I have overcome the world.”

We live in difficult times. But we too have cause for good cheer and rejoicing.

We need not fear the future no falter in hope and good cheer because God is with us. Fear not.

The church stands as a bulwark of safety for its members. Mentions a missionary companion who got MS after returning from his mission. Always of good cheer. Mentions another man who was always of good cheer and sang “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” during a dark storm.

We should rejoice in the knowledge that a beautiful morning is ahead. Beautiful morning during the First Vision. Another beautiful morning on the day of Jesus’ Resurrection.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Title of “Redeemer.” Pay off an obligation. Rescue or set free. Pay for Adam’s transgression by overcoming physical death and spiritual death. Redemption from the indirect consequences of the Fall. Our sins as opposed to Adam’s.

Redemption of the dead through the temple.

The redemptive work of helping the poor, defending the weak. This is work we should do on Earth.

Mentions “Les Miserables.” The bishop who offers shelter to Jean Valjean. Jean Valjean steals the silver, but the bishop refuses to send him to prison. The bishop said: “You belong to good, not evil. I am buying your soul for God.”

The Church humanitarian efforts are helping millions of people.

Without the atonement, there is no redemption, and there is only a gospel of social justice. Redemption is in Jesus Christ and Him alone.

President Monson

Testimonies are strengthened. I urge you to study the messages when they are printed. Express gratitude to each speaker. Great music. Love the Mo Tab choir. Thanks for the service of the young women, who were released yesterday. Be good citizens and good neighbors. May we be tolerant as well as kind and loving to those who do not share our beliefs and our standards.

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About Geoff B.

Geoff B graduated from Stanford University (class of 1985) and worked in journalism for several years until about 1992, when he took up his second career in telecommunications sales. He has held many callings in the Church, but his favorite calling is father and husband. Geoff is active in martial arts and loves hiking and skiing. Geoff has five children and lives in Colorado.

6 thoughts on “Notes from Sunday afternoon session of General Conference

  1. I haven’t watched conference in a long time but I’m sure glad I did, Elder Golden Jr’s talk was wonderful. Food for my soul for sure.

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