Keeping our balance and moving forward

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week we take a break from the October 1996 Conference to respond to the General Conference that happened a few days ago, the April 2022 Conference.

It was a good Conference, as always! The transcripts were put up on the church website yesterday or today, but I haven't read any of them yet. I wanted to type out my quick notes before I read them, because it's sometimes interesting to see what I heard compared to what the speakers actually said! Ha!

As far as overall themes, I definitely felt a strong emphasis on responding in Christlike ways to opposition. And not just the usual trials of mortality (though I'm sure we all need work on dealing with those too), but specifically opposition directed at us by Satan or enemies of the church. The focus on eliminating contention and being a peacemaker in spite of whatever comes our way seemed to run through practically every talk!

The other major emphasis I saw was missionary work. As I've been thinking about it, that topic actually goes well with being a peacemaker, because we can't share the gospel effectively until we're full of God's love! And maybe I was more attentive to the missionary themes because of Abe being on his mission right now. (Although I know, I know, not only full-time missionaries can share the gospel!)

All right, here are my hasty thoughts and favorite tidbits, from my none-too-coherent notes (at least I was able, unlike last time, to take a few notes). All quotes are paraphrases from my notes and not the speakers' exact words, but I'll link to the actual talks as well.

• Favorite talk by far was President Nelson's on Sunday. Can that man give a bad talk? He's always been a good speaker (and I should know; as part of this General Conference Odyssey I've read every Conference talk he's given since he was first called) but I feel like his talks since he became President of the Quorum of the Twelve and then the President of the Church have just gotten more and more insightful and full of power. I can imagine myself studying every part of this talk and I hope I can figure out how to put it all in to action! I was struck by the part about "burying our tempers, sharp tongues, and resentment" as well as outright "contention." As a conflict-avoider, I sometimes need reminding that just because I don't go around yelling at people (though I do more of THAT then I'd like to as well, with my poor children)—doesn't mean I have a heart free of contention. 

• I liked his theme of ending ALL conflict "even within our own hearts"—and that phrasing gave me the idea that maybe even my internal battles (with MYSELF!)—trying to banish cynicism, learn to hope for the best, and trust God to prevail—could be a type of "conflict." I can seek peace from those conflicts as well as the external kind! President Nelson's plea to "do the spiritual work to seek miracles" seems related. I need to learn to actively choose, lay hold of, grasp onto, hope and trust in the Savior! And it's encouraging to think that those efforts can build on each other to create the "spiritual momentum" I so need.

• I also needed the reminder that "it can be hard to let go of what seems fully justified anger—and yet, as followers of the Prince of Peace, we must." 

• From President Oaks, I liked that "the bearing and nurturing of children is a joyful and sacred duty." Also that "the family is centered not just in mortality, but in eternity."

• I was struck by President Ballard's story about losing the sight in one of his eyes—during General Conference!! Of all the times you'd think God would be there in the details helping the participants…but President Ballard didn't seem bothered by the "unfairness" of that at all. Instead, he trustingly spoke of what he is grateful for and how his trial helped him see that more clearly. It was a real-time example of the kind of faith and trust I was talking about above! I also liked when he said "The Lord already knows you—a mission helps you come to know Him."

• Elder Holland had a characteristically pithy insight about "beginning our search for happiness by embracing the bounty we've already received." What a cool way to say we're happier when we're grateful! I also liked his phrase "the discipline to guard against negative attitudes," and how he linked "discipline" to "disciple." Sometimes negative attitudes seem…inevitable, with things how they are in the world. So it was good to remember that disciples of Christ choose another way. (Another echo of President Nelson's charge above!)

• Elder Uchtdorf's talk was another of my favorites, maybe tied with President Nelson's. I liked it partly because I felt there was more in there than I could comprehend at the time. His bicycle/balance analogy seems like it could be life-changing, if I could actually apply it! I liked the parallel he drew between the scriptural command to "offer our whole souls as an offering" and the ability to keep our discipleship undivided.  He said something like, "Balance is not dividing your life between a bunch of competing interests, one of which is discipleship. Instead, balance comes when we focus on our destination and get pedaling, keeping our balance and moving forward in a constant direction. The motivating power beyond it all is Jesus Christ." 

• Elder Uchtdorf also said, "It is all one work, one joy, one holy purpose—that of loving and serving God and his children in a hundred different ways." I need to give it more thought, but I think that will mean something like taking everything I'm doing, and thinking of it ALL in relationship to how it can bring me closer to Christ. Like, how can I come to Christ through cooking—teaching my children—serving in my calling—grocery shopping—helping Seb with math homework—writing letters to Abe—planting flowers—getting the children to stop fighting—etc. Ha! Like I said, I'm not sure exactly how to do this, but I love the idea of sort of bringing all the threads of my life into one place like that!

• I loved Elder Bednar talking about "heed not." I definitely need to improve in the ability to "pay no attention to" mockers or scoffers or attackers. I also thought this tied in with the thoughts on finding peace and being grateful from the other speakers I've mentioned, when Elder Bednar said "Faith fortifies us…it's a principle of action and power that gives us the capacity to press forward while focusing on joys." Sounds exactly like President Nelson's spiritual momentum and Elder Uchtdorf's bike riding!

• I also thought it was powerful to think with Elder Bednar about the "covenant connection that binds us with Savior and Father. It's deeply personal and powerful as we are drawn to Him. He becomes an influence on our every desire thought and action…It's hard to describe, but it is real and a source of spiritual strength. It gives us courage and helps us not heed the wicked." I love the idea of it being the covenant relationship that saves us from caring what the Great and Spacious Building thinks! It makes sense. If I know Jesus loves and approves of me, what do I care if anyone else does?

• And that's exactly where Elder Christofferson took his talk, yet another one about being refined by our trials. He said, "Rather than get angry with God, get close to God." And, "Having a relationship means continuing to turn to God!" I love that. It reminds me of the idea that we can ONLY "fail" by ceasing to try. That's a very comforting doctrine to think of in relation to my own children, and I like it as it pertains to being a child of God too!

• Elder Andersen's talk (another favorite) made me notice the word "quench" for the first time in the scripture about the fiery darts of the wicked. He said something like "Quenching means cooling and calming. How do we quench? Not by shrinking—but always void of anger or malice. The strength to do this comes from faith in Jesus' words about peacemakers." He also pointed out that "sometimes Jesus said nothing, and sometimes we also have to resist the impulse to respond at all. We have to simply withdraw from the circle of anger and contention. We can move away and bless the lives of others without totally isolating ourselves in our own corner." 

• "Whenever we show love to our neighbors, we preach the gospel," said Elder Stevenson. So simple and powerful.

• I also thought this was logical (and empowering) from his talk: "We share all kinds of other things with those around us—movies, food, favorite places to travel, etc.—so why not add the things we love about the gospel too? We are just sharing what we love. There are hundreds of possible invitations we can give. This is not a new program, but just part of who we are." It reminds me so much of Uchtdorf's talk on balance. It makes me think that this testimony and conviction and relationship with the Savior should be just…beaming out from us, almost without effort (though of course it DOES take effort, and the Lord loves effort). But I got the idea that sharing the gospel doesn't have to be…a separate thing. It's just who we are. How we live. The balance that keeps us pedaling forward. None of this is new doctrine but it's a new way for me to think about it!

• I liked Elder Renlund saying that "when we don't feel God's love, we can try to improve our receptivity by asking if our own love is constant."

• Elder Gong's talk was great. He intrigues me. I wish I could just hear him tell us his whole life story. But I loved his theme of "gather in both directions—as daughters and as mothers and aunts and cousins. Gather pictures and record memories. Let the adventure of family life be natural and spontaneous." It encapsulates everything I want to do with this family blog, and makes me want to expand that outward to family history and learning more of my parents and ancestors. 

• And just a little snippet from Elder Mark L. Pace's talk that stuck out to me—this was what someone had listed to Elder Pace as being one of the blessings of studying the "Come Follow Me" curriculum—"I've been able to know my husband's heart more deeply and open my own heart more deeply to him as we study the scriptures together." That is a pretty profound blessing, when I think of it. As someone who likes to know other people's hearts and share my own, but sometimes feels like I'm not good at it—especially as my children get older and more opaque to me—I love the idea that studying the scriptures together could bring this benefit.