Thoughts on Themes of General Conference Oct. 2016

We all get something unique from General Conference. As it unfolded, I saw themes running throughout the talks. Interspersed with my thoughts, and without actually naming speakers, here is what jumped out at me: 

“Thy will, not mine, be done” was one theme.

The link between the authenticity of the Book of Mormon and its support of Joseph Smith’s prophetic call was another theme. The good feelings we have when we study it seriously, and the power that comes into our lives, are both strong confirmation that Joseph Smith actually was a prophet.

Repentance, simple and straightforward, was also there. The call to repent was repeated many times. Yet it was seasoned by a parallel idea: Stop beating up on yourselves! Keep trying—your efforts count, regardless of ultimate performance. The idea that God sees all our flaws, yet He patiently, lovingly works with us was expressed many times, and in varied ways. Regardless of how the individual speakers phrased it, the essence of the message was showing mercy and patience to self.

Another recurring theme was repentance involving confession to priesthood leaders and spouse, one’s family members. The image of the penitent husband trapped in pornography, yet confessing to his bishop and to his heartbroken wife was recurring. Hiding sin, minimizing it, rationalizing and justifying it impede us by leaving the unrepented sin in place.

(I think some sins are like fungus; they thrive in the dark. Confession is the safest way to throw light upon them, at which point we can deal with them effectively.) Beyond the need for confession is the need for assistance from priesthood leaders, family, and therapists in overcoming addictions. Nephi cried for strength to burst his bands with which he was bound; likewise, addicts need divine assistance to achieve freedom (and perhaps other support along the way).

“Intent,” and “real intent,” were other words that came up over and over. The sacrament prayer has that key word, “willing,” in it, and a fairly close synonym is intent. (As I look at the sacrament prayers, “willing” is hard to replace with any phrase or word; ready, intending, planning, determined, committed, excited, eager, prepared, resolute—all convey some part of the flavor of willing.) We are blessed for our sincere intent and attempts that fail, along with our success.

A companion to this theme of not beating oneself with guilt was the outstretched hand of invitation to all who are weary in Church membership, whose faith has dimmed, or who are teetering on the edge of abandoning the Church. I heard several talks directed at those who are weary, faith under assault, perhaps ashamed of a Church doctrine or policy.

It is so easy to be offended! Answers to our questions will come as we hold fast to our covenants, and what light we already have, however limited. Staying active in the Church and pushing uphill (which is what staying active always feels like) eventually lead to having the curtain of confusion pushed back as our questions are answered and the next level of truth is illuminated for us.

(The image that came into my head at one point was of a pyramid of Gospel knowledge. It takes a wide base of simple obedience to first principles in one’s pyramid of understanding before the blocks that are higher up can be added. The wider our foundation of obedience to simple truths, the more likely we are to have the blocks that belong higher up, the mysteries, explained to us. Without that wide base, we would have an unstable skinny structure, likely to topple. Conference reiterates the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel of Christ—if we live those things well and consistently, the Lord will reveal the rest to us as we are ready to receive it.)

Answers may come slowly, but for the faithful members of the Church, they come inevitably.

God’s love is manifest in the rigors and trials He puts us through as much as in the pleasant things He showers down upon us. (I think that for us, we define success as complete removal of all problems, trials, burdens, and discomfort; for God, success is achieved when we can be saddled with any discomfort and still remain cheerful. Ironically, that is the moment He is most likely to remove the obstacles and burdens!)

“Preach the Gospel” was another theme that resounded. Instead of inviting people to go on missions, the call was more an invitation to us as members, wherever we are, to not postpone opportunities to share the Book of Mormon, to follow promptings to invite others to take whatever step they need next, to invite non-member friends to feast at the table of the Gospel and find joy.

We should pray for opportunities to share the Gospel, and prepare ourselves by living it. Then we get chances to invite others to come to Christ by sharing the Gospel with them because they see the difference it makes in us.

Two late general authorities, President Packer and Elder Maxwell, were quoted frequently.

Living the Word of Wisdom, avoiding harmful substances and putting nourishing foods into our bodies, and subsequent blessings of stamina came up. We all need refreshment and energy to endure; the Lord provides it as we are obedient, and pray fervently for energy (perhaps this idea connects to being happy in all circumstances).

Do your part where you stand, however small, in your local Church calling, was another point of emphasis. There are no small callings in the Church. Our individual efforts, when combined, amplify one another. Small actions can precipitate huge effects down the road, results we are unaware of. So do not be weary in well-doing! (ESPECIALLY in the small things! Our consistency in the small things no one ever sees is the best indicator of what we really want, the actual condition of our hearts.)

“Joy” was another word that jumped out of the talks. Everyone everywhere experiences pain and discomfort, physical and emotional, at some point. Can we have joy while we are in pain? Yes! (Jesus’ discourse to His Apostles in John 13-17 is basically: You will be persecuted and tormented by the world, but I will impart my otherworldly peace to you and direct you via My Spirit, so instead of moping, rejoice!)

Saints can have joy in any circumstance. People can try to be good through their own efforts, but only the power of the Atonement can sanctify us, literally saintify us.

We were warned against taking the bounteous blessings of the Gospel for granted, becoming “at ease in Zion.” Perspective and remembering generate gratitude and stave off complaints.

The inevitable success of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (despite our small numbers; part of success will include survival at the bottleneck moments before the actual Second Coming) was reiterated. Relax. Whether we choose to stay on board the Old Ship Zion or not, it will not sink.

Avoid Gospel hobbies and extremism, especially inflicting or imposing such extremes on other members of the Church. We should stay aboard the ship, but not dangle upside down from the mast.

When home teaching was discussed, it occurred to me that Satan throws his greatest opposition at the most useful parts of God’s plan; assaults on the family, the home, and morality are far more common than vandalism or violent persecution of the Latter-day Saints today. I wonder if that initial feeling of having one’s feet glued to the floor regarding home teaching is just evil opposition from Satan. It MUST be important! Home teaching is something that can feel onerous before we do it, yet we rejoice as we complete our assignment to watch over and care for each other.

This is a time of sifting, like never before, and we sift ourselves by choosing whether to remain in the Church. What makes the difference? No one boots themselves out of the Church on the spur of the moment. Just as we acquire testimony and conversion by degrees over time, so they can erode by degrees over time. We all need daily interaction with God to sustain and rebuild faith.

The social motivations to stay in the Church will not be enough to keep us there. We must have the Holy Ghost as our constant companion, receive the power of Christ’s Atonement, and worry more about what our heavenly Father thinks, our relationship with Him, rather than what mortals think, if we are to withstand the rude blast of Satan’s fiery darts and hail. We are to be converted to the Gospel, not to the Church.

Developing an open correspondence with God and living by the promptings and subtle directions He sends will eventually be the only thing that can keep us faithful to the end. Nothing else, no contrivance by teachers, leaders, parents, or us, will be enough to make up for the lack of that divine connection and relationship with God.

Family was a constant theme also in General Conference this time. Satan wants us disconnected, isolated, forgetting our past and fearing our future. Family context, remembering those who went before us and what God empowered them to do, can imbue us with solid identity, place us in a web of connections with ancestors, parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, uncles and aunts, and our own children. Pressing forward hand-in-hand is much easier and more encouraging than doing so alone. (Shepherds are often too busy tending sheep to worry about themselves anyway.)

Too often we think of ourselves as virtuous for struggling alone, without help, with our problems. The Savior (Rescuer) is there because there are some things we just cannot manage on our own. Humility enables us to admit we need Him, AND opens up the channel through which the enabling power of His Atoning sacrifice comes to us.

Sacrifice and holiness are connected terms; sacrifice makes something holy. Jesus Christ offered His whole self for us; when we offer our whole self to Him, it connects us with an invisible yet unbreakable cord. I feel that that cable is what He will pull on to reel us in, back to Him, after we depart mortality.

Success is inevitable for us when we are connected to, and obedient to, Christ.

This is by no means a comprehensive collection of ideas and themes that ran throughout this recent General Conference. This is the distilled version of some things I picked up on; I am sure there was individualized prompting for everyone who came with an open, humble heart. I look forward to hearing and reading the talks again.

As the world around us sinks into sin, it seems that Conference talks get more powerful. There is compensatory power available to us because the world is getting worse, and there must be opposition in all things. That includes greater goodness in the world, not just greater evil.

It was nice to have the notion that olive oil is blood-red when it emerges from the press confirmed. I had heard that years ago, yet could not confirm it with any research.

I was able to give a hearty “Amen” to every talk.

General Thoughts

Whether or not individuals attend or listen to General Conference seems to be an indicator of individual spirituality. There is a feeling of “have to” when it comes to regular Sunday church meetings, but during Conference weekend we see people sort themselves into those who go out and play, and those who come and listen, sitting at the feet of God’s living messengers.

We sift, sort, and judge ourselves by our choices.

Some of the most powerful parts of General Conference are not the words, but the incidental events and actions of those who participate, speakers and audience members alike. Not all lessons are delivered with words, but only those who are watching and listening pick up on them.

“Why should I listen? I can just read it later.” This is a false idea, in my experience. If we cannot find time today, when will we ever find time? There is something zesty about fruit right off the vine, something appealing about bread fresh out of the oven. They still have the same calories after spending time on the shelf, but have lost something—a bit of zing.

Conference talks are always good, and they keep forever in storage, but there is a little something extra as they are delivered live that we otherwise miss out on.