This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday Morning Session of the April 2005 Conference.
I remember listening to President Nelson's talk (he was Elder Nelson then, of course) in this conference where he talked about his wife Dantzel's unexpected death. He was just sitting next to her on the couch, holding her hand, when she suddenly slipped away. I wonder if he could have ever anticipated then that he would still be alive, and leading the church, almost 20 years later? It's sad that he's had to live so long without her, but I'm so glad he's still here with us! Think of all the things he's taught even just at Conference in those two decades!
My favorite thing from his talk in this session was actually a quote from Joseph Smith:
"[The celestial] rest is of such perfection and glory, that man has need of a preparation before he can, according to the laws of that kingdom, enter it and enjoy its blessings. … God has given certain laws to the human family, which, if observed, are sufficient to prepare them to inherit this rest.”
I just like the wording there: God's laws are "sufficient" to prepare us for celestial glory. Sometimes when I "think celestial" as President Nelson has counseled, all I can think about is how far away I am from being ready for celestial behavior! But it's helpful to think that God already anticipated how much preparation and transformation we'd all need to be celestial people, and he already put in place every commandment we'd need to get there. Now, instead of figuring it all out for ourselves, we can just "observe" the laws He's already given us and if we keep doing that, we'll be fine!
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