This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday Morning Session of the April 1995 Conference.
Time marches on—this was the session where we sustained President Hinckley as the new prophet, after President Hunter's death. I remember it clearly!
Here's an interesting quote from President Boyd K. Packer, in the midst of an extended metaphor about crafting the "shield of faith":
Our Father’s plan requires that, like the generation of life itself, the shield of faith is to be made and fitted in the family. No two can be exactly alike. Each must be handcrafted to individual specifications.
I've been trying to think about what this could mean. I suppose maybe that each of our "shields" will have to withstand different trials, and therefore our preparation should be different too? I know that you can't teach all of your children the same way, but it does seem rather daunting to think, "THIS child will need THIS kind of shield, and THIS child will need this OTHER kind of shield…" rather than just teaching them all the Articles of Faith and calling it good. :) That would make things too easy, I guess!
Oh my, I remember that talk by Elder Packer. Has it been that long ago? Goodness time flies when you're raising a family.
ReplyDelete“Teaching them all the articles of faith and calling it good.” Hahah. Oh man. That IS what I wish (except that I haven’t actually taught those very well …). It is daunting. I really really hope that somehow He crafts their UNIQUE shields for them … out of the same old tired efforts I repeat again and again with little variation!
ReplyDeleteAlso, when you said 1995, I was like, “Oh, that’s weird. These conferences you were reading used to seem from so long ago. But now you are all caught up to our day!” … Haha. I really do think of 95 as about ten years ago.
ReplyDelete