by Jessie Oliveros
I hope everyone had a great General Conference weekend! I always feel so spiritually renewed after listening to General Conference. There is also this wonderful spiritual energy knowing that Saints all over the world are listening to the same talks and feeling the same Spirit at the same time.
A couple members of my family were lucky enough to attend the Saturday morning session at the Conference Center. I wish I could have been there, but I am so grateful that I can listen to General Conference in my own living room. Plus, all those conference talks I missed because my children were screaming or I was feeding them or putting my baby down for naps (or um, dozing off myself which may have happened once)...well, I can watch them on the Internet. How blessed we are by technology!
I always love Elder Uchtdorf's talks, and this time was no exception. I took a few notes, and what really stood out to me were his words on sharing the gospel. He said (approximate quote) "Testimony of truth is given to those that share it." I KNOW there is much room for my testimony to grow, and I think that this is an essential ingredient that I've often left out. To be honest, I'm afraid of sharing because I'm afraid of how people will take it. But Elder Uchtdorf said that we shouldn't be wary of sharing our testimony because we have a GLAD message, a message of JOY.
We do have a joyful message! Sometimes I forget this...even for my own benefit. I forget to take joy in what I know, which is amazing and eternal and beautiful.
He also spoke of true discipleship, of remembering whose Name we bear. Which is really behind everything we do and stand for...including what we do on our blogs and in our writing. Sometimes it seems easy to just read and write and say what is trendy in our chosen calling as writers, but how then do we stand apart? Without Christ, our gifts are nothing--dust. Let us not forget whose Name we bear!
Well said!
ReplyDeleteGeneral Conference was great! Elder Packer's Saturday afternoon talk really struck a chord with me. What an inspirational feast we were given.
ReplyDeleteLast night I had a DREAM that I read a book with questionable parts in it. At the end of the book in the author bio, it mentioned that she was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with an invitation to learn more about her church. This really stuck me. That what we write reflects what we believe in just as much as the way we act and what we say. And if we truly bear HIS name then we will write in a way that will show it.
ReplyDeleteNikki-Thanks.
ReplyDeleteLisa-I enjoyed the story Elder Packer shared about the country doctor. And have repeated to myself a few times since, "Leave it alone. Anything you do can't make it better, and whatever you do will make it worse."
R.S.J.-Dreams are powerful. I believe that what we write is a reflection of who we are. Even if the issues and the characters are very different than us-the presentation of the story is us. And Him.
Thanks for the thoughtful post.
ReplyDelete