We attended the tri-stake conference and it was lovely. The auditorium layout meant that most people were very close to the speakers, which made it more personal.
The first Speaker was Elder Phillips of the Area Seventy:-He spoke about how his youngest son could make a mess with lego, turning them out of the box and then leaving them all over the floor. He used this as a metaphor for how our lives sometimes get very messy with work, church, family and all other things. The message was to come unto Christ to be yokes with him. Elder Phillips made the point that this was a personal invitation from the Son to walk alongside him to share the burden if we let him.
Elder Phillips quoted from Matthew 11 v28-29
Elder Phillips also quoted from Elder Bednar when he said " we need never be alone".
Elder Boom- Area Seventy
United we stand- strong!
Nephi 12 v 1
Today we are blessed to have on of the Lords 12 Apostles.
We need to leave people better thant when we met them. Elder Boom related the story from the memoirs of Princess....... daughter of Queen Victoria. The Princess went to dinner and was accompanied by Prime Minister Gladstone, on the second night she was accompanied by Disraeli. Asked afterwards what she thought of these two men she said, that Gladstone was a very clever man but that Disraeli left her thinking that she was the cleverest woman in the world.
Sister Kearon
D&C 58 v 26-27
We are to be agents, we need to act and make choices.
We need to be anxiously engaged! Sister Kearon talked about being on a spectrum, she described the spectrum one end being anxiously engaged and at the other end of the spectrum merely being an observer but not engaged. Are we somewhere along the spectrum where we participate but are not fully engaged. Where do we put ourselves on the spectrum.
Sister Kearon also talked about a talk given by Elder Eyring when he asked us to ponder at the end of the day to think and record where the Lord's hand had affected our day. Sister Kearon talked of her own experience of doing this and then letting eventually stopping. Eventually in her query about how she would cope when her daughter went to university she was encouraged by the spirit to restart her recording of her days. Sometimes she might write a few lines other days she will write pages.
D&C 84 v 46
Elder Kearon
It is great to gather together it is an antidote to being overwhelmed, If your life looks the upturned box of Lego, let today be the start of order.
Understand the simple doctrine that helps us to heal.
Elder Kearon referred to the conference talk by Elder Oaks to understand the Role of Opposition in our life.
There is power to be had in reaching out to those who need help.. We can be refugees in our own bodies, we may need to start close to home befgore we can reach out further. Those that have reached out and helped from the ward and branches receive great joy in their service.
Be good Christians up and about and doing.
D&C 58 v 4
Small acts of kindness heal us. This is a gathering of the faithful. Be prepared to respond to the promptings of the words you hear from Elder & Sister Oaks.
Sister Oaks
The apostles work so hard and use their time so well! they operate using the same as David they put on the whole armour of God. Sister Oaks spoke of how she thought of the small stones that David chose to use against Goliath. Why five stones, why not only one. Because David was prepared.
There is a need to prepare in a multiplicity of ways. We chose to be here. We fought for our Saviour Jesus Christ in the pre-existence.
Being a member is not easy because salvation cost so much.
Salvation is not a weak experience.
We should prepares our stones of engagement.
Do what you can, start in the family then move out.
Elder Oaks
What I say is less important than what the spirit says to your hearts.
Elder Oaks spoke of his relationship with his wife, who is his 2nd wife who he married two years after the death of his first wife. He spoke of how his wife had gone with him to Japan and been able to deliver her talk in the native language, to the surprise of the audience.
We need to greater peace and serenity through Jesus Christ. He quoted 2 Nephi 26 v 33
Elder Oaks referred to the Area Plan and said we need to be spiritually self reliant. Elder Oaks spoke of how the 12 reviewed the church performance over the last 10 years, this took place around August 2015. The church was flat on a plateau and the 12 were praying and wondering what to do. Inspiration did not come at once, like everyone else we have to wait for the Lord to answer our prayers. Around October/November 2015 were received the inspiration and that was we were to stress the observance of the Sabbath day-to keep it holy-increase our spirituality- how do we use the time before the Sacrament meeting and after.
In church we need to understand better the taking of the sacrament. Remembering that the sacrament is an ordinance of the gospel. Elder Oaks told us to review John 14 v 24 in the footnote it refers to the Joseph Smith translation. We should think of the covenants we make, the way it is administered, deacons, teachers and priests are privileged to take part.
What we do before and after church is important. Elder Oaks then recalled when he was a law student he met an orthodox jew named Saul. During their study he had to leave early to catch a train to return home before the sundown when his sabbath would take place. Elder Oaks said he felt quite righteous and said to his friend he also kept the sabbath day holy. Elder Oaks said he never completed any study on the sabbath.
Saul said that he did study but his study was not effective because he could not use a pencil to mark his work. Using the pencil would have broken the rules of his sabbath observance.
It is interesting to compare how the sabbath was observed. Elder Oaks noted that he learned that the sabbath was devoted to the study of the Lord. Worshipping him and rejoice in the blessings, given over to family time together. Anything that detracts or splits the family should not be undertaken on the sabbath.
The sabbath is a day to rest, day to visit family. We can learn from others.
What is most important.
Two men formed a partnership, bought a truck and built a stand to sell produce. They went to the farmer and bought a truckload of melons for a $1 each. They then sold the melons for a dollar each. They went through this process a couple more times, when one of the men said were not making much money, his partner agreed and then he said do we need a bigger truck?
Are we hastening about doing much and ask the question above- If we don't know what is most valuable - The sabbath day is VALUABLE- we should use the area plan it will be of most value.
The Saviour is the answer. There are many accounts of Jesus Christ healing people of divers diseases. When he healed the people he healed every mortal affliction. He visits his people in their afflictions he healed them- the power of the atonement is for everyone.
Elder Oaks shared the story of his mother. His mother and father could not afford to marry for three years- both living in different places. They were only married for eleven years before his fathers early death. His mother brought up her children and as a child Elder Oaks could not understand why his mother paid her tithing as they were poor. His mother told Elder Oaks that tithing was for poor folks- she need the blessings of tithing-Elder Oaks noted that all her children went through school and college the fees were always found. Elder Oaks noted that he could not promise that for everyone but that his mother believed she was entitled to the blessings of paying tithing and she got them.
Elder Oaks noted that many people in the wards and branches in this need to pay tithing.
We need to get off the plateau- learn the doctrine and act upon it!
Elder Oaks used Moroni as a point of how we can pray for the gift of love for our fellow man. Elder Oaks said that he was not always someone who liked a lot of people and he had prayed for the gift of love.
