This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week I'm jumping into the present to write about the Conference from last weekend, October 2026.
Whew! This General Conference had a lot of talks! I was awake for most of them but I don't know that I truly digested very many of them. Hmm. More study needed! As always. But here are a few random tidbits from my notes.
Elder Jeremiah J. Morgan had an interesting story. Who would have thought we'd have a General Authority who grew up in the Community of Christ (or RLDS or whichever spinoff church it was??). I think it's cool to think of his ancestors gently tugging him back to the Restored Church through the power of their covenants. He said the power of our covenants has a "discernible influence, has no time limit, and can keep working over generations and beyond the grave." Pretty amazing to think about that!
I loved Elder Michael A. Dunn's story about his ultramarathon and his friend Ted who helped him through it. I liked the visual of Ted giving Elder Dunn a happy fist bump while carrying his (Elder Dunn's) waterbottles and backpack! Just like Jesus carries our burdens AND runs the race beside us AND cheers us on for even our small efforts. I gave Teddy a Significant Look when Elder Dunn said that when we have hard races to run, God will "send us a Ted."
I liked Elder Paul H. Sinclair's story about the little boy buttoning his sleeve button to his lapel buttonhole. I could very much envision that happening with any one of my little boys and I almost wished he had used that part of the story as the basis of his talk. ("When we button the sleeves of our pride to the lapels of our insecurity, it constricts our ability to…etc.) But I liked where he did go with it—"Quick to help, slow to judge."
One of my favorite talks: Elder Timothy Farnes who told the story of meeting President Oaks in the temple and feeling so loved and ministered to by him. It seemed a little sad that President Oaks didn't even remember it later, but as I thought about it, in a way that makes it even more meaningful. First of all it shows how constantly the apostles are ministering and loving people they meet. As he said, "It's what we do, isn't it?" But I also liked thinking about how really what was happening in that story was that Jesus was ministering to Elder Farnes—through President Oaks. And Jesus remembers it. I loved how Elder Farnes said "People should experience Jesus Christ in us." And the whole concept of "divine appointments" is something I've been trying hard for a long time to work on. I'm sure I've written about it before—that idea that your "ministering assignment" is the people right in front of you, the people you meet and run up against and interact with in the course of normal life. I loved his story about helping the scared missionary in the airport and want to do what he says—"Pray for eyes to see divine appointments and minister to the person in front of you."
As for the apostles. Well, they were all good, of course! But my favorites were Elder Rasband and Elder Kearon. I loved when Elder Rasband said something like "Jesus has already paid the price for the sins of those we are grieving for. He will bring them home—all the way home." And I loved him saying "Trust Jesus; He's got this!"
I loved Elder Kearon's because I love every word that comes out of that man's mouth including "and" and "the"—but also because it was such a great analogy. I could just feel the idea of lift—of being drawn upward and rising joyously to "soar in the joy of the Lord." I do feel it in gospel service…or I have felt it…but I do not always feel it and I want so much to improve! I want to be able to stop complicating things and just "turn into and toward the Savior, the source of lift." I want to help others feel that same lifting, soaring gospel joy. I want people to see it in me; I want especially my children to see it in me. I don't want to always seem merely exhausted and dutiful and resigned. I want to draw others upward to what the gospel is truly about!
I could write more, but taking my cue from all the newer shorter talks…I will end here!😁
