Live-Blogging Conference (from California) Saturday AM

So, forgetting that we were now on the West Coast not the East Coast where my son & family used to live, I  got the times all mixed up and slept in. But here we are. [Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle were up late babysitting the Princess who isn't used to being without her Mom]

President Thomas S. Monson announces two new Temples! Rio de Janeiro!! and Cedar City, Utah! Both places I like.

As President Monson was reporting on the Temple dedications that have occurred  it seemed he was emphasizing the spouses along with the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. Is this the answer to the ordination activism and even same-sex marriage? Emphasizing the equality and partnership of male and female in the Priesthood?

President Boyd K. Packer, Quorum of the Twelve
Still going. He thought 68 was old and gave his poem on growing older. He has to keep updating.
He warns about snakes in the nest attacking the family.
So we get the sanctity and importance of the family right out of the gate.
Faith is a real power not just an expression of belief.
Everyone of those who has a body has powers over those who don't [the spirits who followed the adversary]
We are free to choose our acts but not our consequences.
Lord cannot look upon sin with any degree of acceptance (Alma)
Separate the sin from the sinner
Jesus said to the woman, "Go and sin no more" John 8:11
We need to be careful of tolerance that we do not get swallowed up in it.
To live righteously is part of the test of morality.
Light of Christ is given to all men (Moroni 7:16)
Holy Ghost can warn and guide us.
Of all the things he has experienced and learned his special witness of the Lord Jesus Christ is the most important.

Dean M. Davis, Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
[First California reference and it's about an earthquake. Great.]
San Francisco earthquake in 1989.
Buildings not built on a sure foundation.
Helaman 5:12
Temples are built for earthquakes with the best design and foundation.
Build ourselves
Paul to Ephesians "in whom all the building . . . groweth unto an holy temple." Eph. 2:21
Wise man built his house upon a rock. [so we had to sing that for my granddaughter]

Elaine S. Dalton, Young Women's President
Member of BYU folk dancers [did she also work at Disneyland?]
Young Women's Theme "We are daughters of our Heavenly Father who loves us . . .]
[As Sister Dalton was speaking, I was prompted to call the florist realizing we were later in Pacific Time so I could get flowers to my mom for her birthday tomorrow. As my Mom does not do computers, this won't spoil the surprise.]

Craig A. Cardon of the Seventy
[So, as a Cardon, he's one of the Piedmontese and likely related to us]
Which is easier to forgive sins or heal the sick? - to demonstrate that the Son of Man forgives sins and has power on the earth.
He can forgive sins now upon the earth.
Forgive 7 times 70

[and I just got a call back from the florist. I had ask what the chance was he had anything "Disney" oriented he could put on the flowers. He said there was a 1% chance because I had asked but he would look - I should have told him, "Never tell me the odds, Kid!" He told me he had come up with an Eeyore balloon that says, "I remembered it was your birthday." I said that would be fine as long as the Eeyore was on me and not on my Mom. I'll explain to her we were looking for Disney themes and couldn't come up with any Princesses.]

The Savior wants to forgive. The choir sings "Gently Raise the Sacred Strain." Fourth verse, "Holy, holy is the Lord/ Precious, precious is his word/Repent and Live, Repent and Live"

Elder M. Russell Ballard, Quorum of the Twelve
Reference to the Hubble telescope and the vastness of creation.
The power by which the earth was created was the Priesthood.
It is also the Savior's power of miracles
The keys to this power & authority he gave to Peter, James & John
Power is different from Authority. Authority are keys to exercise and Power is dependent on the righteousness of the bearer.
Men are not the priesthood. Men and women have different roles. Just as a woman cannot conceive a child without a man, a man cannot exercise the priesthood fully without a wife. [Hmmm]
"This is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." Moses 1:39
Little girl with tomato seed could become millions of seeds. But the plant needs care or it won't grow. It nearly died but with good care it "came back to life" and she said, "will now grow millions of tomatoes"
Divine light and living waters of the Savior and his priesthood power.
Don't be like the tomato plant all wilted.
The same priesthood power that built worlds can be used to strengthen our own families. The primary purpose of Priesthood is to bind our families together and live with God in the eternities.
Elder Ballard was in World-Wide Priesthood training. "Build and Strengthen the Family"
He's a descendant of Mary Fielding Smith [and of Hyrum] She relied on the Priesthood for blessings and has thousands of righteous descendants.
This is now available on the Church website for use of all members.
Strengthen families through the Priesthood
"If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink . . . well of water springing up into everlasting life . . . Light of the world."
Turn more fully to the Savior

President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor, First Presidency
Jesus Christ is a God, immortal and perfect
We are mortal and imperfect
"Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you . . ." D&C 88:63
D&C revelation to Oliver Cowdery
Felt light & warmth in a Sacrament meeting as a youth. At the end they sang "Abide with me, tis eventide"
"Oh Savior, stay this night with me" He felt the Savior's closeness.
He kept another commandment to search the scriptures. He read of the third day after his crucifiction - faithful women went to annoint the body and received the declaration of the angels, "He is risen!"
Road to Emmaus - walk with Him. "He went in to tarry with them." at their request. Luke "Did not our heart burn within us while we talked by the way?" Luke 24:13-35
He appeared again and reviewed the prophecies that he would offer the remission of sins.
We are witnesses of this things - true for us as well.
Alma at waters of Mormon. Mosiah 18:8-11. "This was the desire of their hearts"
"Mine angels round about you to draw you up." D&C 84:88
In our families. The Lord blesses our families to draw them closer to him. Many have loved ones who are wandering off. Depend on the Lord as you serve in faith. Promise to Sidney Rigdon, "My friends, your families are well. They are in my hands . . ." D&C 100:1
The adversary's purpose is to destroy families.
Christ by his example has shown us how to draw closer to Him.
"Come unto me"
He is a witness of the resurrected Lord as sure as if he had been there as those on the road to Emmaus or the testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Prayer by Jean A. Stephens, First Counselor, General Primary Presidency

[update, thanks to A.E. Parshall via FB - and now Keepa]:

"Our beloved Father in heaven. We come before thee at the conclusion of this magnificent opening session of our general conference, and we do so with an expression of our love for thee, and our great gratitude for the gifts thou hast given us, most importantly the gift of thy son Jesus Christ, our savior and redeemer. We are grateful for the restoration of the gospel, and with it the blessings of priesthood power, temple covenants, scriptures, and living apostles and prophets. We are grateful this day for President Thomas S. Monson, our beloved prophet. We pray for him. We support him and love him, as we do his counselors, the members of the Quorum of the Twelve, and all who labor to assist in this great work. We are so very grateful for the inspiring words and messages we’ve received, and the beautiful music that has all contributed to what we have felt this day. And as we come to a close of this session of conference, we pray that thy spirit will abide with us, and that we may take with us an increased faith and hope in Jesus Christ, a more certain witness of his redeeming love and his great atoning sacrifice, and a deeper conversion to living and sharing his gospel. We offer this prayer in humility and in the sacred name of thy son, Jesus the Christ. Amen." – Jean A. Stevens, General Conference, 6 April 2013

And there it is, History - And hey! I sat next to her at breakfast a while back at the Scout-a-Rama!

[It seems to me that the church's answer to the same-sex marriage business is purely religious that both man and woman united are necessary for the fullness of the priesthood. That is the ideal and while civil law and circumstances of life require us to work with other arrangements the best we can, the ideal remains. There is no person or circumstance that prohibits us from seeking that ideal even if it takes time and even pain and agony before the eternities close.

Yin & Yang - With a little bit of Yin in Yang
And vice-versa within an eternal circle

I mean, this isn't that different from a concept of yin-yang or the union of duality including male & female in Eastern religion and philosophy. I don't see why we can can't promote it in similar religious ways. We have a lot of work to do in finding that unity of balance.]