The first thing yesterday morning the boys had the opportunity to collect cans for the Bountiful Food Bank. Our neighbors, The Tanners put the drive together to help out the Pantry with their supplies for Families that need assistance during the Covid-19 Quarantine.
I thought it was so cute of them running up and down the street, checking each house for donations. Fynn joining in on his bike.
Once they got a donation from a porch, they would put the loot in the back of our truck. We gathered everything and took it to the Tanner's where we and other neighbors loaded everything in their truck to be delivered.
We made it home in time for Conference to start. Boy was I so looking forward to what this conference was going to bring. Back in October President Russel M. Nelson announces that the April 2020 General Conference would be a Bicentennial Celebration of the Restoration of The Church. He said "general conference next April will be not only memorable; it will be unforgettable."
When he said that did he see that we would be in the middle of a Pandemic? Did he know that it would be unforgettable because we would all be gathering to watch only virtually? Did he see that no one would be allowed to gather at The Conference Center? Did he know that Utah (and the rest of the world) would have recently been given the "Stay At Home" order?
If you could only imagine how much I was looking forward to hearing what the leaders of the Church would have to instruct and lift us with. I have never before been so anxious to hear what the prophet would talk to us about.
6 months ago President Nelson asks us to do some personal preparations for the Conference regarding the Restoration. I got up early Saturday morning to do some extra study about it. I had been listening to David Butler's Restoration Celebration Classes on his YouTube channel. I finished the last one and thought I could do some further study from the church website. They of course had so many options to study everything about it.
I think about my personal testimony about the restoration and I feel like I have always believed. I enjoyed reading about it again to add more to my testimony about it.
We got started off with the boys and their Bingo boards to help with their attention.
President Nelson was the first speaker and he said "Little did I know, when I promised you at the October 2019 general conference that this April conference would be 'memorable' and 'unforgettable,' that speaking to a visible congregation of fewer than 10 people would make this conference so memorable and unforgettable for me!"
He announced that at the conclusion of the Sunday morning session there would be a worldwide solemn assembly he that he would lead us in a Hosanna Shout.
He also encouraged us to "...fill our personal spiritual storehouses with faith, truth and testimony." Because "our ultimate quest in life is to prepare to meet our Maker."
I love hearing from our prophet. He is always so happy and glowing with the love for all of us and our Savior. I was so happy to hear from him right at the start of the conference. He brings so much peace and comfort with this words.
My favorite talk Saturday morning was from Joy D Jones. I will definitely need to read it when it comes out. But from my notes and my thoughts I loved that she talked about Women in the Restoration and how we have the unmeasurable influence in the continuing restoring of The Church. She talked about how it is a NOBLE CALLING to be a Mother Right Now! She reminded us that women wear many hats and that it's not necessary to wear them all at once. SUCH a good reminder and thought.
She quoted James E Talmage "The World's greatest champion of woman and womanhood is Jesus the Christ!"
So many good things that she said. So empowering to women in the priesthood and their access to that power. Go and Read it!
Saturday afternoon session and lunch time I had the cute face of Murphy begging me for some of my lunch. That pup is quite professional at that begger look. Biggest brown eyes that says it all.
But my favorite talk was Gary E. Stevenson. He used the current renovation of the Salt Lake City Temple to illustrate his point. The Temple was closed at the start of this year to under go a 4 year earthquake proofing of it. He used that in comparison to our spiritual lives. What does our Spiritual Foundation look like? Can it withstand a Spiritual earthquake? What do my Spiritual Corner Stones look like? How can the renovating of the Salt Lake Temple inspire us to renew and renovate our spiritual lives and families? Can my Family sustain a Seismic Spiritual Earthquake?
Corner Stone ideas could look like: Family Prayer, Scripture study, Temple Attendance and Articles of Faith.
I definitely want to apply this talk into my life and into my family life.
Saturday evening would normally have a Priesthood session. But this time they made it so that everyone would attend. And for the first time ever they had 2 YOUTH SPEAKERS at the session. A Young Woman and a Young Man. No pressure right? So very cool though to see this change in our church.
SUNDAY:
Jesse was able to come home from work this morning and watch conference with us.
A few of my favorite thoughts from that session:
Ronald A Rasband.... We must be prepared in Heart and Mind to Receive Him
David A. Bednar... We go to the Temple to overcome EVIL, NOT to Hide from it.
And of course our beloved prophet spoke and OH MY GOODNESS! I had a whole page of notes from him. He really encouraged us to HEAR, HEARKEN and HEAD our Lord and Savior.
The Hosanna Shout was really neat. Each of the boys got to use a paper towel because I only had one real white handkerchief. We all got to do it together. Fynn later that day heard the word Hosanna and started saying "Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna To God and the Lamb." I loved hearing him say that because for that little moment I though "Oh my goodness you really are listening" Haha
Mike and Heidi stopped by in between the sessions to bring by an Easter kit for the boys to make chicks and eggs out of. Such a good Grandma.
He also read a Bicentennial Proclamation to the world called: The Restoration Proclamation. He read the whole thing to us but it was prerecorded in the Sacred Grove. So he was in the grove while he read this proclamation. Oh how powerful it was. So cool. The last time we had a proclamation in the church it was 1995? When The Family Proclamation came to us at that time. Back then it didn't seem like that big of a deal, but the Lord was smart to have those standards set up long before the attacks on the family and marriage between a man and woman would be heightened.
Such a memorable and wonderful time to be alive. I love our Savior and His Church!
Here's a picture of what it looked like when they were broadcasting the conference to the world. Fewer than 10 people in the room. So strange right?
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