This Conference I prayed to receive some specific instruction and, as usual, Heavenly Father did not let me down. There were two issues on my mind as Conference weekend approached (1: questions and a desire for reassurance regarding a beloved family member's health, and 2: a need for guidance and direction in a certain aspect of my own life) and I felt my Savior's arms around me several times as I listened to the counsel and love offered from our Church leaders. I fervantly scribbled eight full pages of their words, but here are my favorites:
President Packer:
"Authority of the Priesthood comes from ordination. POWER of the Priesthood comes from faithful, obedient, honorable living."
Julie B. Beck:
"There has never been a greater need for increased faith & personal righteousness."
"Qualifying for the Lord's Spirit starts with worthiness & desire. Then add to it with temple worship."
"Insight found in the scriptures increases in time. Write & read impressions & ideas."
"Promised personal revelation comes when we: 1) ASK, 2)PREPARE, 3)GO FORWARD WITH FAITH."
"Peace, joy, & hope are available to those who MEASURE SUCCESS PROPERLY."
M. Russell Ballard:
"When you are willing to listen & learn, some of life's most meaningful lessons will come from those who have gone before."
"It is critical parents & children listen to and learn from each other."
President Eyring:
"Personal Progress requires Consistency, Effort, and Learning."
"Personal Progress helps you understand who you are, why you are here on earth, and helps you prepare for the day you enter the temple & make covenants with your Heavenly Father."
David Bednar:
"The best Family Home Evenings are not necessarily the product of pre-prepared or purchased lessons."
President Uchtdorf:
"It seems only proper that we extend to others what we so desperately want for ourselves."
Donald L. Hallstrom:
"Great joy is sometimes opposed by great pain."
"Spiritual declines can happen as an affect of how we respond to our trials."
"Never let an earthly circumstance disable you spiritually."
Quentin L. Cook:
"We must find time to slow down, ponder, & pray if we want to feel the spirit in our lives."
President Monson:
A Hopeless Dawn
"To understand the meaning of death, we must understand the purpose of life."
"I have read, and I believe."
"The darkness of death can be dispelled by the light of revealed truth."
Revelation 21:4
Bradley D. Foster
"There is no greater good in all the world than motherhood."
"A distraction does not have to be evil to be effective."
"The end will be better than the beginning."
James B. Martino
"Each of us will face trial & tests, but it is how we react in those situations that will get us through them."
"We may never know in this life why we face the things that we do, but we can have confidence it will be for our good."
"What we can learn from the Savior's last hours on Earth:
1. He desired to accomplish the Lord's will, not his own. Trust in Heavenly Father.
2. He did not complain or murmur. Instead of asking 'Why me?', ask 'What am I to do? What can I learn from this? How can I change?'
3. Seek greater help from God. Often the answers from Heavenly Father do not remove the trial from us, but He will always strengthen us.
4. Learn to serve & think of others in the midst of your trials.
5. Forgive others & do not seek to blame our situation onto them.
6. Keep an eternal perspective."
Gregory Schwitzer
"A person can never be a good judge without the gospel in their life as a reference."
"Learn to listen to the Holy Ghost. Listening is vital in developing good judgment. Provide a quiet environment where one can listen & ponder. The peace that comes from listening to the spirit removes any fear of making a wrong choice."
and the quote that meant the very most to me, the one that was an answer to my prayers, was:
"Many blessings in life are missed
because worldly judgment was applied
to what was really a spiritual decision."
(Elder Schwitzer)
