Meg Lingard - Read all October 2013 General Conference talks

My goal for March was to read all the talks from the last General Conference (Oct. 2013) before this next conference. I've never been a great "watch ALL of conference" Mormon. Ever. It's usually in the background of whatever else I'm doing. I always tell myself that I will just read the talks that I missed in the Ensign and so it's okay! However, I never really get around to that either. So this is something that I've always wanted to do but always seem to find other things to fill my time with instead.

Since becoming a mom I've really struggled with managing my time, and that was apparent to me with this months goal. March 15th came around and I still had not even read a single talk!

But I'm happy to report that I have spent some lovely, dedicated nights to reading through these talks and it has been a great experience for me. I tried to make it special... just me and a nice warm bath or a cup of hot dandelion greens (yes I've taken up drinking weeds... an okay replacement to hot chocolate). No distractions or obligations other than to just read.

I didn't finish them by the end of the month, but after I put the kids to bed tonight I decided that even though it's already April... to finish off the last five talks that I was missing. I'm so glad that I did! The last few talks were some of my favorites, and really what I needed to read and reflect on right now in my life.

I did have a neat experience this month while reading through the talks. I have a sister who is serving a mission right now, and she has been having a hard time. Depression runs in my family. Most of my siblings and my father have serious bouts of depression that come and go over the passing time. My sister had a time this last month where she almost came home from her mission due to this. The night before I found out about this I had read Elder Holland's beautiful talk, "Like a Broken Vessel." I sat down to write my sister an email the next morning and shared some quotes and insight that I had while reading that with her in mind. I try not to be a bossy, preachy sister but I felt like I was prepared to help give her some guidance and food for thought on this. But mostly that whatever happened I was here to support her and not judge her, but to love her. I hope that she could feel that through my letter.

Since the spring conference starts tomorrow and those of you who would like to watch are going to be filled with such spiritual advice I don't want to bombard you too much with quotes and words from last conference. But there were so many little nuggets of beautiful wisdom... I can't help it! Here are a few of my personal favorites that really spoke to me. I've made my very favorite ones nice and big if you don't want to read them all :).

"In this Church that honors personal agency so strongly.... we respect those who honestly search for truth. It may break our hearts when their journey takes them away from the Church we love and the truth we have found, but we honor their right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own conscience, just as we claim that privilege for ourselves." - Elder Uchtdorf (my thoughts exactly!)

"Make scripture reading a part of your regular routine, and the blessings will follow. There is in the scriptures a voice of warning, but there is also great nourishment."
"Children taught an understanding of the scriptures early in life will come to know the path they should walk and will be more inclined to remain on that path." - President Packard

"Though we may feel we are "like a broken vessel" as the Psalmist says, we must remember, that the vessel is in the hands of the divine potter. Broken minds can be healed just the way broken bones and broken hearts are healed. While God is at work making those repairs, the rest of us can help by being merciful, nonjudgmental, and kind." - Elder Holland

"Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with dignity have courage as well." - Elder Oaks

"Heavenly Father has organized our journey through life to be a test of our character." - Elder Maynes

"A testimony, like your body, needs to be in shape if you want it to endure." - Elder Maynes

"There is a common theme: fill your life with service to others. As you lose your life in the service of Father in Heaven's children, Satan's temptations lose power in your life." - Elder Scott

"My brothers and sisters, may we have a commitment to our Heavenly Father that does not ebb and flow with the years or the crises of our lives. We should not need to experience difficulties for us to remember Him, and we should not be driven to humility before giving Him our faith and trust." - President Monson

"...I am thrilled with the educational and other opportunities that are available to women. I treasure the fact that the backbreaking work and domestic drudgery required of women has been reduced in much of the world because of modern conveniences and that women are making such magnificent contributions in every field of endeavor. But if we allow our culture to reduce the special relationship that children have with mothers and grandmothers and others who nurture them, we will come to regret it." - Elder Cook

"A man may open the drapes so the warm sunlight comes into the room, but the man does not own the sun or the light or the warmth it brings. The blessings of the priesthood are infinitely greater than the one who is asked to administer the gift." - Elder Andersen (yes!!)

"After you have prepared yourself and your lesson to the very best of your ability, you must be willing to let go. When the quiet promptings of the Holy Ghost come, you must have the courage to set aside your outlines and your notes and go where those promptings take you. When you do this, the lesson you deliver is no longer your lesson, but it becomes the Savior's lesson." - David McConkie

"The companionship of the Holy Ghost is not just a pleasant convenience - it is essential to  your spiritual survival." - Elder Ochoa

"That's exactly how I feel about the Savior. He is always near, especially in sacred places and in times of need; and sometimes, when I least expect, I feel almost like He taps me on the shoulder to let me know He loves me. I can return that love in my own imperfect way by giving Him my heart." - Elder Vinson

"Scripture teaches that the body and the spirit are the soul of man. As a dual being, each of you can thank God for His priceless gifts of your body and your spirit."

"Stellar spirits are often housed in imperfect bodies."

"You were chosen not for your bodily characteristics but for your spiritual attributes, such as bravery, courage, integrity of heart, a thirst for truth, a hunger for wisdom, and a desire to serve others.

"When we master our appetites within the bounds of God's laws, we can enjoy longer life, greater love, and consummate joy." - Elder Nelson (this was one of my favorites... thus all the quotes).

"Another mother I know of has sat alone at church for a number of years with her four young children. Seldom able to concentrate on the Savior during the sacrament, she formed a plan. Now she tries to spend time each Saturday reviewing her week and thinking about her covenants and what she needs to  repent of. "Then, " she says, "No matter what kind of an experience I have with my children on Sunday, I am prepared to partake of the sacrament, renew my covenants, and feel of the cleansing power of the Atonement." - Linda Reeves

"We sometimes as women have a tendency to be very critical of ourselves. During these times we need to seek the Spirit and ask, "Is this what the Lord wants me to think about myself, or is Satan trying to beat me down?: Remember the nature of our Heavenly Father, whose love is perfect and infinite. He wants to build us up, not tear us down." - Linda Reeves

"My dear sisters, your Heavenly Father loves you - each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, o by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities. It is simply there. It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God's love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there." - President Monson


What I learned this month from doing this project is that I really would like to do this every time there is a conference. I need to be better at getting the conference Ensign when it first comes out and spend the next six months reading through the talks, not try to squeeze it all in the last month. This is a great way to put into practice what Elder Maynes said-  "A testimony, like your body, needs to be in shape if you want it to endure." As someone who was raised in this religion and has made the choice to raise my own family in this way I need to continue to fill my spiritual bucket if I want my testimony to endure and become stronger. This is a great way to do that!

Goal for April: Catch up with my family blog and get at least two years worth of books printed. I can tell you right now this isn't going to happen! How ambitious I was when writing my list ;). Now that the sun is finally shinning I can't imagine sitting in front of the computer all month! Maybe get my family blog caught up and get started on May's project early because I think it will take me longer than a month to make a quilt.