No, General Conference it not a competition. However, people who know that I always watch all the sessions often ask me what my favorite talks were. This time around was no exception, though it took me a minute to settle on my top three. But settle I did, and now I'll share!
3rd Favorite
Elder Ulisses Soares closed out the Saturday Evening session of Conference with a lovely talk that focused on respect and dignity for all God's children. He encouraged us to spread that respect across all borders to everyone, everywhere, regardless of circumstances. He spoke of how it requires individual effort to build those necessary bridges of understanding. Those who speak, look, act, or live differently than us should not be judged but rather loved and welcomed! There is no place for prejudice in the community of Saints.
But how do we live this principle when our very humanness leaves us quick to judge and exclude? Elder Soares said the answer is to look with the Savior's eyes. Since we are all "fellow travelers" through mortality and all imperfect, we must celebrate our differences and not criticize others; we must seek to see others as Jesus does. He analogized God's family on earth to a large waterfall. We all originate from God, but we travel in different directions as we find our way home. And through these travels, we are blessed by our diversity.
Finally, he reminded us that we re all equal before God and have the same eternal possibilities. Yes!!!
2nd Favorite
Robert M. Daines of the Seventy spoke in the first session Saturday morning about how to "see" Jesus in all we do. We follow Jesus, not a formula, not just a set of rigid rules, by which we are measured. If all we see are rules, Elder Daines suggests that perhaps we are blind to God's redeeming, transforming love. Our covenants are, instead, about relationships, with our Heavenly Parents, with our Savior, and with each other.
He spoke of the pitfall of trying to earn the Savior's love. Instead, he taught, our goal is to "shape our lives to His perfect love." Bravo! We already have His love, and we couldn't possibly earn it, even if we needed to. The Good News is... we don't! Instead, we choose to live in response to that love, that radical grace, that transformative power of sacred covenants. Woot!
Who Won Conference?
Sister Tamara Runia, First Counselor in the Young Women’s General Presidency gets my vote for the weekend. Her words offered so much hope to a world burdened with so much pain. Mortality is clearly not for wimps! But Sister Runia taught us that because of Christ, it all works out. It's all gonna be okay. She suggests that we choose hope over despair, hope in our Creator!
Step back, she admonished, and see the bigger picture. Eternity is a long time. Let's see our kids [and everyone!] through the "lens of love!" Everybody needs a cheerleader, she explained, so why not be that for those we love. Tell them just how loved they are. Tell them we love them more than anything. Forever. Just as our kids can't mistake their way out of Jesus's love, make sure they know they also can't mistake their way out of ours.
She went on to remind us that "The Savior can turn any nightmare into a blessing through His atonement." But it's not our job to judge or condemn. We are to love fully, and leave God's work to God. She called us "shared companions" on this earthy journey. How much do you love that? She concluded by promising that we can shine forth Christ's love to everyone because everything is going to turn out so much better than we think.
Ahhh, what a hopeful message! With Sister Runia and President Emily Belle Freeman, the young women of the Church are, indeed, in fabulous hands!
There's my list. Until April, friends...
