General Conference
Another six months has come and gone and we were able to have the privilege of hearing from our Prophet, Apostles and other leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ again. It’s one of my very favorite weekends.
As always, (but maybe even more so this conference) the messages and testimonies were focused on our Savior, Jesus Christ. But more than anything, I felt like this conference focused on DISCIPLESHIP. I have felt this theme before but it has been a couple years since I have felt it so strongly presented. Along with our discipleship, I felt this urging to get our priorities in order. To make our discipleship and our love for the Savior and our Father in Heaven our biggest priority. They have to be our focus and purpose every day.
I felt like their was such an urgency to all of the messages which has me feeling more than ever that it is critical that I spend dedicated time in them the next six months.
The BIG THEMES I saw this conference were:
- Jesus Christ (always)
- Discipleship
- Adversity
- Covenants
- Faith
- Repentance
- Temples <– this was the main theme I felt from last conference
The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again
President Russell M. Nelson was the grand finale of conference. I am so very grateful for the time we have with him. It was special to celebrate his 100th birthday last month and I am amazed by all that we continually learn from him.
His message was shorter this go around. But it contained all of the components I have come to expect from his teachings – invitations and promises. But, as with many of the other messages, I felt such an urgency and pleading in his message.
He spoke of the second coming of our Savior. He said, “The best is yet to come, my dear brothers and sisters, because the Savior is coming again! The best is yet to come because the Lord is hastening His work. The best is yet to come as we fully turn our hearts and our lives to Jesus Christ.”
He also spoke of temples and the Atonement. And this is where the urging happened (or the invitation) as well as the promise. He said, “I urge you to devote time each week – for the rest of your life – to increase your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.” It has my mind and heart brainstorming how I can do this and be really intentional about this invitation – to understand the Atonement more every week for the rest of my life. That’s a big invitation and I know I won’t be perfect at it but I want to try.
President Nelson announced another seventeen more temples. It is shocking and amazing all at the same time. But I also loved his response as to why we are building so many temples – because the Lord instructed us to! It felt like I was hearing Nephi with his “I will go and do”.
Promptings
I felt such a stirring inside myself after his message. That urgency – not in a frantic chaotic kind of way, but in a “you need to get to business” kind of way, really got to me. I left feeling like NOW is the time to prepare myself and to focus all of my time and energy on the Savior and what He has asked of me. My discipleship has to be my highest priority.
Invitations
These were all urges or calls – I think word choice is important to President Nelson and I think he used these words for a reason:
- Study the messages from this conference (this was an urging)
- Devote time each week – for the rest of my life – to increase my understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ (this was another urging)
- Rededicate my life to Jesus Christ (this was a call)
- Help gather scattered Israel (another call)
- Prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord (and another call)
- Talk of Christ, testify of Christ, have faith in Christ, and rejoice in Christ (our final call)
Promise
Every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find Him in the temple. <– Isn’t this an INCREDIBLE promise?!!!
My Favorite Takeaways
“The Lord is…hastening His work.
The blessings of the temple help to gather Israel on both sides of the veil. These blessings also help to prepare a people who will help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord!
Brothers and sisters, now is the time for you and for me to prepare for the Second Coming of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Now is the time for us to make our discipleship our highest priority.
Regular worship in the temple will help us. In the house of the Lord, we focus on Jesus Christ. We learn of Him. We make covenants to follow Him. We come to know Him. As we keep our temple covenants, we gain greater access to the Lord’s strengthening power. In the temple, we receive protection from the buffetings of the world. We experience the pure love of Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father in great abundance! We feel peace and spiritual reassurance, in contrast to the turbulence of the world.
Here is my promise to you: Every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find Him in the temple. You will feel His mercy. You will find answers to your most vexing questions. You will better comprehend the joy of His gospel.
I have learned that the most critical question we each must answer is this: To whom or to what will I give my life?
Brothers and sisters, the Lord will comfort you…He will strengthen you. He will bless you with peace, even amidst chaos.
There is no limit to the Savior’s capacity to help you. His incomprehensible suffering in Gethsemane and on Calvary was for you! His infinite Atonement is for you!
I urge you to devote time each week – for the rest of your life – to increase your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ took upon Himself your sins, your pains, your heartaches, and your infirmities. You do not have to bear them alone! He will forgive you as you repent. He will bless you with what you need. He will heal your wounded soul. As you yoke yourself to Him, your burdens will feel lighter. If you will make and keep covenants to follow Jesus Christ, you will find that the painful moments of your life are temporary. Your afflictions will be “swallowed up in the joy of Christ.”
My dear brothers and sisters, in a coming day, Jesus Christ will return to the earth as the millennial Messiah. So today I call upon you to rededicate your lives to Jesus Christ. I call upon you to help gather scattered Israel and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord. I call upon you to talk of Christ, testify of Christ, have faith in Christ, and rejoice in Christ!
Come unto Christ and “offer your whole [soul]” to Him. This is the secret to a life of joy!
The best is yet to come, my dear brothers and sisters, because the Savior is coming again! The best is yet to come because the Lord is hastening His work. The best is yet to come as we fully turn our hearts and our lives to Jesus Christ.”
FULL text and video of President Russell M. Nelson’s talk can be found HERE.
