Can you believe it?!! General Conference is right around the corner! There are 33 days in counting! Not sure if you took the Part 1 Challenge (click here) of reading the April 2011 Conference Ensign cover to cover--but regardless of whether you did it or not--IF you start tomorrow (Monday)-- there are 33 talks (not counting the YW meeting talks) and you will finish all the April Conference talks by Oct 1st. How perfect! A talk a day will keep Satan at bay! Ha ha, doesn't sound as good as "an apple a day..." but I think you get the idea.
Part 2 Challenge is to re-read, look over what you highlighted for the first time, or simply read a conference talk every day until conference. What will this do for you?! Well, I have no idea! :) --but I can tell you what it has done for me in the past. :D By going over the General Conference talks in preparation to listen/watch the next conference, I have witnessed a power come into my life. With April's conference I had prepared this way and my mind was not only enlightened, but my heart and mind, I felt, were more prepared to hear what God wanted ME to hear. My ability to overcome temptations has been strengthened. My eye has been able to stay fixed, my heart has had the daily constant reminders of what is most important. Am I perfect in all areas of life... ! HA, NO WAY and those that are closest to me can write you a list of my awesomely perfect weaknesses. But I can testify of the power of studying conference talks!!
I usually don't share my notes until Conference "eve", but in preparation of just rereading the conference talks-- here are some of my FAVORITE quotes from Part 1's challenge:
I can think of no better way for us to begin or continue to be an example of the believers than in our observance of the Sabbath day. --L. Tom Perry
Partaking of the sacrament is the center of our Sabbath day observance. --L. Tom Perry
...the adversary succeeds when we relax our commitment to the Savior, ignore His teachings in the New Testament and other scripture, and cease to follow Him. --L. Tom Perry
...the greatest joy we receive in this life is in following the Savior. ----L. Tom Perry
Through love the Savior was obedient to the will of the Father under any circumstance. Our Savior was obedient even when it meant great physical and emotional pain, even when it meant being whipped and mocked, even when it meant that His enemies would torture Him while His friends abandoned Him. --Walter F. González
Truly loving Christ provides the required strength to follow Him. --Walter F. González
The power of our covenants is greater than any challenge we face or we may face. --Walter F. González
Elder Orson F. Whitney wrote: “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility. … It is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire.”1 -- Kent R. Richards
The Savior is not a silent observer. He Himself knows personally and infinitely the pain we face. -- Kent R. Richards
He [Jesus Christ] healed all that came to Him. None were turned away. -- Kent R. Richards
First, no woman should ever feel the need to apologize or feel that her contribution is less significant because she is devoting her primary efforts to raising and nurturing children. Nothing could be more significant in our Father in Heaven’s plan. Second, we should all be careful not to be judgmental or assume that sisters are less valiant if the decision is made to work outside the home. We rarely understand or fully appreciate people’s circumstances. Husbands and wives should prayerfully counsel together, understanding they are accountable to God for their decisions. --Quentin L. Cook
If you have been offended, forgive, forget it, and leave it alone. --Boyd K. Packer
If someone is looking for a church that requires very little, this is not the one. It is not easy to be a Latter-day Saint, but in the long run it is the only true course. --Boyd K. Packer
If you are carrying some burden, forget it, let it alone. Do a lot of forgiving and a little repenting, and you will be visited by the Spirit of the Holy Ghost and confirmed by the testimony that you did not know existed. You will be watched over and blessed—you and yours. --Boyd K. Packer
We have great cause for concern. But we do not need to let our fears displace our faith. We can combat those fears by strengthening our faith. --Russell M. Nelson
Obedience allows God’s blessings to flow without constraint. --Russell M. Nelson
When we are faithful, He [the Savior] and His angels will help us. --Russell M. Nelson
Unfailing faith is fortified through prayer. --Russell M. Nelson
How you deal with life’s trials is part of the development of your faith. Strength comes when you remember that you have a divine nature, an inheritance of infinite worth. --Russell M. Nelson
...there is great power and protection for us and our youth in establishing celestial traditions in the home. --Richard J. Maynes
...everyone has worth because we are all children of God. He knows us, loves us, and wants us to succeed and return to Him. We must learn to trust in His love and in His timing rather than in our own sometimes impatient and imperfect desires. --Cecil O. Samuelson Jr.
....we must learn to grow from our challenges and be grateful for the lessons learned that we cannot gain in an easier way. --Cecil O. Samuelson Jr.
Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming. --Dallin H. Oaks
When we have a vision of what we can become, our desire and our power to act increase enormously. --Dallin H. Oaks
If our righteous desires are sufficiently intense, they will motivate us to cut and carve ourselves free from addictions and other sinful pressures and priorities that prevent our eternal progress. --Dallin H. Oaks
...above all else we will desire to become like Him so that one day we can return to His presence to receive the fulness of His joy. --Dallin H. Oaks
...the gospel of Jesus Christ is simple, no matter how much we try to make it complicated. We should strive to keep our lives similarly simple, unencumbered by extraneous influences, focused on those things that matter most. --M. Russell Ballard
When this pure love of Christ—or charity—envelops us, we think, feel, and act more like Heavenly Father and Jesus would think, feel, and act. Our motivation and heartfelt desire are like unto that of the Savior. --M. Russell Ballard
Where charity exists, there is no place for gossip or unkind words. --M. Russell Ballard
President Spencer W. Kimball said: “It is vital that we serve each other in the kingdom. … So often, our acts of service consist of simple encouragement or of giving … help with mundane tasks, but what glorious consequences can flow … from small but deliberate deeds!” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball [2006], 82). --M. Russell Ballard
The Lord is very generous to those who love Him, and He will open other doors for you.--Neil L. Andersen
The Savior lives. He will return to the earth. And whether on this side of the veil or the other, you and I will rejoice in His coming and thank the Lord that He sent us to earth at this time to fulfill our sacred duty of helping prepare the world for His return.--Neil L. Andersen
The spiritual journeys of today require no less hope or faith than those of the early pioneers. Our challenges may be different, but the struggles are just as great.--Steven E. Snow
It is my prayer that our hopes will lead to the fulfillment of our righteous dreams. I particularly pray our hope in the Atonement will strengthen our faith and charity and give us an eternal perspective of our future. --Steven E. Snow
...President Thomas S. Monson, explains: “The priesthood is not really so much a gift as it is a commission to serve, a privilege to lift, and an opportunity to bless the lives of others” (“Our Sacred Priesthood Trust,” Liahona and Ensign, May 2006, 57).--Larry M. Gibson
Service is the very foundation of the priesthood... --Larry M. Gibson
...go to the scriptures and discover for ourselves what our duties are. I suspect that many of us will be surprised—and inspired—by what we find. --Larry M. Gibson
Don’t let a day go by without doing something to act on the promptings of the Spirit.--Dieter F. Uchtdorf
If we are not seeking to use this channel [revelations of the Spirit] of revelation, we are living beneath our priesthood privileges. For example, there are those who believe but don’t know that they believe. They have received various answers by the still, small voice over an extended period of time, but because this inspiration seems so small and insignificant, they do not recognize it for what it really is. As a result, they allow doubts to keep them from fulfilling their potential as priesthood holders.--Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Let us earnestly seek the light of personal inspiration. Let us plead with the Lord to endow our mind and soul with the spark of faith that will enable us to receive and recognize the divine ministering of the Holy Spirit for our specific life situations and for our challenges. --Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Love invites the Holy Ghost to be present to confirm truth. And the joy of learning divine truths creates love in the hearts of people who shared the experience of learning. --Henry B. Eyring
What will protect you from the sin and evil around you? I maintain that a strong testimony of our Savior and of His gospel will help see you through to safety. If you have not read the Book of Mormon, read it. ... If you do so prayerfully and with a sincere desire to know the truth, the Holy Ghost will manifest its truth to you. If it is true—and it is—then Joseph Smith was a prophet who saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. --Thomas S. Monson
The Church is true. --Thomas S. Monson
The Savior of mankind described Himself as being in the world but not of the world.( See John 17:14; Doctrine and Covenants 49:5) We also can be in the world but not of the world as we reject false concepts and false teachings and remain true to that which God has commanded. --Thomas S. Monson
If you choose wisely and if you are committed to the success of your marriage, there is nothing in this life which will bring you greater happiness.--Thomas S. Monson
...may righteousness guide our every step as we journey through life.--Thomas S. Monson
The truth is, those who diligently seek to learn of Christ eventually will come to know Him. --Dieter F. Uchtdorf
If we ignore or block out the promptings of the Spirit for whatever reason, they become less noticeable until we cannot hear them at all.--Dieter F. Uchtdorf
“It has been my experience that some of the most powerful promptings we receive are not only for our own benefit but also for the benefit of others. If we are thinking only of ourselves, we may miss some of the most powerful spiritual experiences and profound revelations of our lives.” --Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Selfless acts of service and consecration refine our spirits, remove the scales from our spiritual eyes, and open the windows of heaven. By becoming the answer to someone’s prayer, we often find the answer to our own. --Dieter F. Uchtdorf
A pattern in the scriptures and in life shows that many times the darkest, most dangerous tests immediately precede remarkable events and tremendous growth. --Paul V. Johnson
In the midst of problems, it is nearly impossible to see that the coming blessings far outweigh the pain, humiliation, or heartbreak we may be experiencing at the time. --Paul V. Johnson
The Apostle Paul taught, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). It is interesting that Paul uses the term “light affliction.” This comes from a person who was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, imprisoned, and who experienced many other trials (See 2 Corinthians 11:23–28). I doubt many of us would label our afflictions light. Yet in comparison to the blessings and growth we ultimately receive, both in this life and in eternity, our afflictions truly are light. --Paul V. Johnson
Sometimes we want to have growth without challenges and to develop strength without any struggle. But growth cannot come by taking the easy way. --Paul V. Johnson
Not one of the trials and tribulations we face is beyond our limits, because we have access to help from the Lord. We can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us (See Philippians 4:13). --Paul V. Johnson
As sons and daughters of God, we cannot inherit the full measure of eternal life without being fully invested in caring for each other while we are here on earth. --H. David Burton
Since the foundation of the world, the cloth of righteous societies has ever been woven from the golden threads of charity. --H. David Burton
Self-reliance is the ability to provide the spiritual and temporal necessities of life for self and family. --Silvia H. Allred
The pure love of Christ is expressed as we give selfless service. Helping one another is a sanctifying experience which exalts the receiver and humbles the giver. It helps us become true disciples of Christ. --Silvia H. Allred
In many of the uncertainties and challenges we encounter in our lives, God requires us to do our best, to act and not be acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:26), and to trust in Him. We may not see angels, hear heavenly voices, or receive overwhelming spiritual impressions. We frequently may press forward hoping and praying—but without absolute assurance—that we are acting in accordance with God’s will. But as we honor our covenants and keep the commandments, as we strive ever more consistently to do good and to become better, we can walk with the confidence that God will guide our steps. And we can speak with the assurance that God will inspire our utterances. This is in part the meaning of the scripture that declares, “Then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God” (D&C 121:45). --David A. Bednar
Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings. There are never too many miles to travel, too many obstacles to overcome, or too much discomfort to endure. They understand that the saving ordinances received in the temple that permit us to someday return to our Heavenly Father in an eternal family relationship and to be endowed with blessings and power from on high are worth every sacrifice and every effort. --Thomas S. Monson
...there is no more important goal for you to work toward than being worthy to go to the temple.--Thomas S. Monson
Two of the vital pillars that sustain Father in Heaven’s plan of happiness are marriage and the family. --Richard G. Scott
Pure love is an incomparable, potent power for good. --Richard G. Scott
if we faithfully pay our tithing, we will not lack for the necessities of life, but He does not promise wealth. Money and bank accounts are not His richest blessings. --Carl B. Pratt
I have come to understand that the Lord’s richest blessings are spiritual, and they often have to do with family, friends, and the gospel. --Carl B. Pratt
...to be good parents, one of the most important things we can teach our children is how to be more like the Savior. --Lynn G. Robbins
Let us not forget that even He had to suffer all things. --Benjamín De Hoyos
...if we place our confidence in the Lord, we will be sustained in all of our difficulties, our trials, and our afflictions (see Alma 36:3). --Benjamín De Hoyos
Immerse yourself in prayer and scripture study. As you do so, you will feel the sanctifying influence of the Spirit. --C. Scott Grow
If you are suffering from feelings of guilt or remorse, bitterness or anger, or loss of faith, I invite you to seek relief. Repent and forsake your sins. Then, in prayer, ask God for forgiveness. Seek forgiveness from those you have wronged. Forgive those who have wronged you. Forgive yourself.--C. Scott Grow
I believe that none of us can conceive the full import of what Christ did for us in Gethsemane, but I am grateful every day of my life for His atoning sacrifice in our behalf. -Thomas S. Monson
At the last moment, He could have turned back. But He did not. -Thomas S. Monson
Amazing stuff!! I know many quotes, and the format is a little off, but just skim if you need to! If you end up taking the challenge, you can find your own "favorites"!
:)
HE Lives!
Posts
