Saturday, April 2, 2011

General Conference Priesthood Session

Went with my boys to our local ward to watch on satellite. As per usual, they turned out the lights so I really couldn't take notes. Actually, it was worse than usual because we were in the gym in the dark, and they still had lights on in the chapel washing out the screen. It also gave me a headache looking in through the dark. But I survived. Then we folded chairs and went off to Arctic Circle.

Anyway, I only got highlights:

President Monson told pretty much the same joke as this morning about wondering if they would fill the conference center.

President Eyring conducted.

Elder Neil L. Anderson of the Quorum of the Twelve spoke to 12 - 25 year olds about missionary service.

An Elder Snow of the Seventy spoke on Hope.

President Gibson of the General Young Mens Presidency spoke on keys of the priesthood that Deacon and Teachers Quorum Presidents have.

President Uchtdorf told the [apocryphal] story about a guy on a cruise ship who ate canned beans in his room to save money until the last day when he found out all the fancy meals were included in the ticket. The message was that as Priesthood holders we shouldn't live beneath our privileges.

He also listed the sections of the D&C on Priesthood that I always use to teach Aaronic Priesthood, Sections 20, 84, 107 and 121.
He quoted D&C 88:63 about drawing near to the Lord and he will draw near to you.
And he talked about those special people in quorums who are peacemakers and can bring people together by finding what is in common even among the most divergent views and backgrounds. [Hmm. kinda sounds like my theories on Constitutional government].

President Eyring talked about being the only Deacon in his ward and didn't do too well with converting others in the neighborhood because a couple of those boys went to jail. Then his family moved to Utah and he saw how quorums work and how the presidents receive revelation. Wait - Maybe it was him quoting Section 88 and talking about Peacemakers. [My notes are so scrambled from being in the dark, I can't tell]. But he did mention that ceremony for brotherhood in the priesthood that's at the end of Section 88 and said how "we don't do that anymore" but we should follow the principle. [Which I found interesting because I thought maybe that was an ordinance reserved for the Twelve or something. I guess not.]

President Monson spoke very strongly and tenderly at the same time about how he has to review cancellation of Temple sealings and how many of those marriages could have been saved and put the burden on the Priesthood. He told a story from when he was bishop and was called in the middle of the night by an arguing couple. He asked them to go to the Temple to see a sealing. They went and didn't know the couple but it renewed a spark with them and a commitment to covenants.

He also told young men to get married. And he talked about Section 121 as well.

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