A puzzle piece! found!!!

The last year and a half in the Church, for me at least, has been absolutely the most amazing unexpected adventure since I joined the Church!  The most exciting time ever, with change after change in policies and procedures but never a single change in the doctrinal base line- adherence to the 5 pillars...faith in Jesus Christ/repentance/baptism/Holy Ghost/endure to the end.  Led by revelation from living Apostles and Prophets!

I, along with every other member of the Church, looked forward with eagerness, to this specific Conference and it definitely went way beyond mere imagination!  It was, and still is, overwhelming and exciting with all that was announced!

The feeling of our being Christ-centered was cemented for the world to see!  It feels so good to be so Christian!!

When Elder Uchtdorf spoke with his powerful invitation to... come.  come unto Christ.  Come join with us.  We need you.  Christ needs you.... I had a flashback to a tent revival in Anchorage when I was a teenager and also a reminder of my Baptist preacher, ending each sermon, with a loud pleading call to repent and be saved.  Elder Uchtdorf's  had no resemblance in delivery but it was such a beautifully enticing summons to Come Join the Ranks (hymn #250).  here

If a General Conference could be likened to a celebration, then this was it!  To me, it was like the most glorious Christmas ever!  Package after package opened and revealing the most unexpected beautiful gifts ever heard of!  Line upon line.  Precept upon precept.  Joy!  Joy beyond description!

I'm thankful for modern technology that allows me the luxury of just sitting and hearing or listening to all of these gems, one by one...over and over!  

On a very personal note, I received an answer to something that I'd long tried to understand.  It has been a long time in my longing.  Years and years.  In my mind I have a Pondering Pot.  Much like a slow cooking crock pot.  I put in there things that I wonder about.  Things that I need a more clear understanding of or even just plain understanding.  I'm always on the lookout for answers.  They are like puzzle pieces to my gospel journey.  Occasionally I happen on something and check to see if I can now take that elusive puzzle piece out and place it on my board.  This Conference, to my shock and amazement...I took a very personal puzzling piece and placed it on my Gospel Journey board.  It felt right and good...Solved and resolved enough!!

Each day since Conference I've awaited when I could read the talks and check the footnotes as I wanted to see the footnotes in the most eager way!  Today....footnotes!

This was my personal miracle...one single paragraph!...from The Great Plan by Elder Oaks here  I cannot find the words, at this point, to explain how this impacted me.  I will try later.  Here is the paragraph that I've read over and over and over!  This paragraph created a mind-boggling experience of understanding for me!!!  

Fourth and finally, modern revelation teaches us that our progress need not conclude with the end of mortality. Little has been revealed about this important assurance. We are told that this life is the time to prepare to meet God and that we should not procrastinate our repentance (see Alma 34:32–33). Still, we are taught that in the spirit world the gospel is preached even to “the wicked and the disobedient who had rejected the truth” (Doctrine and Covenants 138:29) and that those taught there are capable of repentance in advance of the Final Judgment (see verses 31–34, 57–59).

General Conference....

Stupendous!

The day of...

all geared up and ready to go!  fueled by anticipation and excitement and conviction!  so wishing I'd seen this 6 months ago!!!  here 

This will be great to savor over the next 6 months!  What a fantastic resource!!!!

Tablet at the readiness!  General Conference will be on in less than 2 hours!!!!!

ready or not...here we go!!

So looking forward to General Conference!  I fit the category of GC geek!  or would GC nerd, be the right label?  Whatever you want to call me...a groupie?...I'm mad about GC!!!  I'm ready for it, as best I can be, for me.

Now I'm thinking that there won't be some huge major change but just a plea to live the Gospel and be more Christ-like and share the message?  That Ensign article by President Nelson just got to me.  big time.  Now I feel at peace and that is what I always seek.  Peace.  Not ever knowing exactly what any outcome will be but always knowing that He is aware and President Nelson is thus aware and I just need to listen to Him and him and the Holy Ghost.

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I thought this was so interesting.  I'd never tied all of this together, had you?.... Here

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Did you see this!?  by President Nelson.  Love it!!

During trying times, few things are as reassuring and comforting as truth. The Apostle Paul foresaw our day and prophesied that trying times would come. He added that MANY would be ever learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

What is true is that amid the gloomy darkness of a troubled world, the light of Jesus Christ shines ever brighter. He can speak truth to our hearts and minds as we seek Him and learn to hear Him.

In this regard, we look forward to the upcoming general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 4–5, during which we will hear from Church leaders about the glorious Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and how His gospel brings peace to our lives.

(source...here)

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want a quick review?  sort of a scan exam?  like checklists?  Here you go!

How President Nelson Has Invited Us to Prepare:

Study Joseph Smith's account of the First Vision as recorded in the Pearl of Great Price. More resources at Restoration.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Ponder questions like "How would my life be different if my knowledge gained from the Book of Mormon were suddenly taken away?" or "How have the events that followed the First Vision made a difference for me and my loved ones?" Select your own questions. Design your own plan. Take steps to hear the Savior better and more often. For ideas, visit HearHim.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. To the sisters: Study prayerfully about the restoration of the priesthood and how to draw upon that power, beginning with reading Doctrine and Covenants sections 25, 84, and 107. Look for opportunities to share your feelings about the Lord Jesus Christ with your family and friends. ************************

here is another goodie of info!  What a great list!  Crash course in viewing all of Joseph Smith's First Vision accounts!  Technology...amazing!  what great research was done!

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another amazing thing....

The 2020 April Conference will be unique due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In February as events in the world were only starting to unfold and before Church meetings had been cancelled, Choir leaders were asked to have the conference music selections prerecorded for use if the need arose. These recordings were made after Music & the Spoken Word broadcasts while the Choir was still able to meet before restrictions on assembling large groups were put in place.

Choir members have remarked that their feelings during these rehearsals and recordings were deeper, more profound, and more powerful than other previous conference preparation experiences. They have all felt the chaos and tumult of the world but understand that now more than ever the world needs the power of music to uplift us, to help us find peace and comfort, and to bring us closer to Jesus Christ.

Feeling peaceful

well, I've finally settled down in my soul and feeling at peace about the talk!  At this point...I'm familiar with it!  I re-read it looking for mentioned things that I can do and made this list...

continue to be worthy of admission go His holy house...keep myself unspotted from the world...individual commitment...help prepare the world...strengthen my faith...resilient faith...remember divine nature...reserved for this time...standard bearer...covenant person...increase understanding of Church doctrine...relentlessly seeking truth...anchored in pure doctrine...pray for courage...follow Jesus Christ...increasing precision in keeping covenants...defend the Church...be a builder of faith--individually-in Christ-in His Church-in our family...prepare for my own divine destiny.

....and then I looked for .........

Promises-

Spiritual security will always depend upon how one lives, not where one lives. I promise that if we will do our best to exercise faith in Jesus Christ and access the power of His Atonement through repentance, we will have the knowledge and power of God to help us take the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord.

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You will have days when you will be discouraged. So pray for courage not to give up! Sadly, some whom you thought were your friends will betray you. And some things will simply seem unfair.

However, I promise you that as you follow Jesus Christ, you will find sustained peace and true joy. As you keep your covenants with increasing precision, and as you defend the Church and kingdom of God on the earth today, the Lord will bless you with strength and wisdom to accomplish what only members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can accomplish.

I keep referring to it as the talk  -  actually it's an Ensign article  here

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Then I read the following and enjoyed every word...

March 28th. Elder Holland spoke to the Church News here 

I drew strength and increased peace from all of it but especially this.... 

“The Spirit is not blocked by a virus or by national boundaries or by medical forecasts.” There are “gifts from heaven that are not limited by trouble in the land or illness in the air. …

“He who created this marvelous world in which we live can say to any of the elements in it: ‘This far and no farther.’ That is what He will say to this blight we are facing. In the presence of His majesty, even subatomic-sized creations must bend—if only figuratively—and each in its own way ‘confess’ that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the great Redeemer of all. Under the direction of His Father, the Savior is in charge of the destiny of this world. We are in very sure and loving hands.”

the talk...

Last night, at the close of our day, Terry and I were still talking about the talk his desire that I share the talk, along with my feelings to our children.  Perhaps that explains why I awoke early this morning and had a first ever experience for me.  Tears in my ears!  I did not know that could happen!  but it can and it does and it did!

Gently awaking, and flat on my back, quiet and still in my non-motion recline- the talk filled my mind as seemingly unending tears coursed down my cheeks and into my ears and then down my cheeks to my pillow.

I mourned and wept and prayed and pleaded and questioned (not the happenings or the talk contents) but...what about our children...our grandchildren...our relatives...our friends?  What about our fellow members--those nearby and those far away...our neighbors?  What about this virus...the pending disaster afterwards- personal economics...world economics...dreams and plans that will not come to pass?

My heart pleaded for all the above and at the same time asked...What can be done?  What can I do?  

The gravity of the situation is...I cannot make any of this go away.  It is what it is and it's a part of prophecy foretold about the last days.  This is the signs of the times.  You know by now that I'm a believer in the if/then of living my spiritual life.  If you do as scripturally mentioned then you will receive the promised blessing.  That is a scriptural promise that I hold to.  (D&C 130:20-21;132:5)

There is no way I can stop the happenings.  I am also a believer in feeling personal peace.  You also know that if I can feel inward peace...the assurance that comes from that, no matter the direness of any situation, then I can be okay.  I then know that I can deal with a freight train coming at me and know that the switch-man will pull that lever, and even if he arrives late for that switch and disaster happens to me or to those I love...I can still be at peace with that blessed assurance of the peace that passeth all understanding. 

How long I was engaged in this early morning experience I don't know.  I know it was a long time and I know that I've not explained it very well and have just shared an overall description, of a part of it but I tried.

I pled for understanding of the things that are so bothersome to me in the talk.  I plead for what should I do?   what can I do?  is there a measure of peace anywhere in the talk that I can cling to?

To my mind came the thought to re-read the talk again about the world weeping.  I re-read the talk again.  That is in the very 2nd paragraph.  I looked at the article title...The Future of the Church: Preparing the World for the Savior's Second Coming.  I realized that my part in preparing the world at large, is me preparing my world that is small in comparison.

And then, as a wonderful personal blessing...the answer I pled for...I found the if/then clause that I so longed for!!  A promise!  Promises!

However, I promise you that as you follow Jesus Christ, you will find sustained peace and true joy. As you keep your covenants with increasing precision, and as you defend the Church and kingdom of God on the earth today, the Lord will bless you with strength and wisdom to accomplish what only members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can accomplish.

 That entire section of Face the Future with Faith, when I re-read the talk for the umpteenth time, seemed bathed in new light.

I do believe as I continue to study and ponder in preparation for General Conference that other things will be said that dove-tail with this!

the talk here

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this   Just now seeing it for the first time!

Countdown to Conference!

This particular upcoming General Conference...I've felt like I was given so many assignments to study in order to be ready.  Did you feel that way also?  LOTS of homework!

Study Section 25...study Section 84....study Section 107...do the Come Follow Me program...study about the Restoration and read JS-H.  In spare time read Saints and watch Book of Mormon videos!!  I've read and studied and pondered and prayed.  Currently Quarantined!  Asked to fast by our Northwest Authority and then being asked to fast world-wide by the Prophet!  It has a been a busy and very enjoyable and enlightening nearly 6 months of preparing.

Thank heavens for technology.  Obviously this was in the master plan of the Master Planner!  Nowadays anyone can write a book or do a blog or do a YouTube and there are YouTubers all over the place...all promoting the Come Follow Me program.  Some I enjoy and some I don't.  It's nice to find something that works for each person's likes and learning curve preference.  My personal overall favorite is here  Every day a reminder comes to my email and I can be as involved as I want.  Today I read about the different accounts of the first vision.  I really enjoyed it...especially Orson Pratt and Orson Hyde and Levi Richards.  here

Last week I watched a 5 part series on The Restoration by a young man that has some great info... it's a really nice presentation.  I see that the WYM are watching it as a group.  If you are interested...it's on YouTube...David Butler and the Restoration.  Plus the Church has a wonderful podcast series on the First Vision. 

We are ready as we can be.  For us, anyhow.

Truth be told.  I'm teary over the magnitude of that article by President Nelson.  The one in the April 2020 Ensign. here   I've read it several times.  I've marked it up with lines and stars and numbers and circles.  I've looked up the mentioned scriptures and followed the footnotes.  I've looked up words in the Dictionary.  I've thought about it and prayed about it and pondered and wondered and mulled it over...what on earth is going to happen?  How will this come about???  and then I do, my most female thing...I sit down and I cry.

I cry over certain words and certain phrases and certain paragraphs.

Words like...unprecedented...accelerated...unparalleled

Sentences like...the time is coming when those who do not obey the Lord will be separated from those who. 

Why do we need such resilient faith? Because difficult days are ahead. Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint. Each of us will be tested.

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You will have days when you will be discouraged. So pray for courage not to give up! Sadly, some who you thought were your friends will betray you. And some things will simply seem unfair.

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(I love the paragraph below!!)

Do whatever it takes to strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ by increasing your understanding of the doctrine taught in His restored Church and by relentlessly seeking truth. Anchored in pure doctrine, you will be able to step forward with faith and dogged persistence and cheerfully do all that lies in your power to fulfill the purposes of the Lord.

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This seems to me to be the time of the women.  Elder Oaks has said that President Kimball's prophecy was being fulfilled now. here  He has said that a couple of times.