For week 4, I have selected the talk called “Get On with Our Lives” given in the Sunday morning session of conference by Elder Steven E. Snow. He acknowledges that all of us struggle with change, and lays out some ways that we can prepare for it and progress through it when it comes.
>>Click here to read the talk “Get On with Our Lives” by Elder Steven E. Snow.<<
The GCBC pattern is: Read. Ponder. Comment. Then read everyone else’s great comments. 🙂 As in weeks past, just leave your comments here on this post. The previous weeks’ posts will remain open indefinitely, so you can always return to catch up or revisit those great talks as well.
If this is your first visit to the General Conference Book Club, click here to learn more about it. You’re welcome to join us at any point along the way.
I just got into town and I had not yet thought through which talk to choose for this week (By the way, I learned so many great things at Women’s Conference and I can’t wait to share them with you.), so I resorted to a random number generator online to pick a talk. This one came up. Initially, I thought “nah, that’s not really what I had in mind,” and almost started over, but then I began to read through it. I personally am not going through any big changes at the moment, but something stuck out to me that’s in line with a lesson I feel the Spirit has been teaching me lately. I am learning how important our PROCESS of becoming is. It might even be more important than the actual becoming. I guess I’ll restrain myself and save all my input for the comments section after I’ve read more thoroughly. Can’t wait to hear what you have to say. Thanks so much to all of you that have been so enthusiastic about this GCBC; it’s been great for me.
(p.s. Thanks also to those of you who commented on my Mormon Mommy Blogs guest post and made me feel so good. If you haven’t seen it yet, hop over and check it out because I was pretty darn proud of it. Pretend that sounded meek and humble.)
Diapers and Divinity 
Your guest post was fabulous, and I just read on the Meanest Mom that you won the giveaway. This is your lucky week—days away from the kids AND free stuff, does it get any better than that?!
You’re right, Queen, I’ve been kissed by good fortune this week. I feel like now that I’ve recharged my batteries, the Lord is expecting a lot from me in return.
I read your guest post, and thought it was wonderful! I actually like to comment on the person’s blog, rather than the post, and I meant to come over here and tell you so.
Can’t wait to hear about your trip!
I just finished reading this talk and love it! I can’t wait to study it more throughout the week-thank you for choosing it, I really needed it today. I read your guest post on the MMB and also truly enjoyed it, thank you for sharing your perspective!
Oh man. That talk was impressive to my soul. My oldest/only child is turning 1. He’s learning to walk, talk, whine, cry and want things he shouldn’t have. Worst of all, he’s going to lose those cheeks that are so soft and lovely against mine. And you know what? I am having a hard time with change. I love the little investigative, stubborn person he is becoming, but I want my baby back so bad. Reading this talk has taught me many things, even after one read. 1. I need to embrace the change that is inevitable and maybe even be excited about it. 2. Some of the things that he is going to do need to be looked at as funny if I’m going to be able to keep sane about it (like your yogurt on the floor). 3. No matter how many times I get frustrated and it looks like quitting would be easier, I know I’ve got it in me to pull a Robert Gardner and “[look] and spit, t[ake] off my hat and [scratch my head] and thought and said; ‘All right.” Though I probably won’t be wearing a hat. Maybe I’ll spit. I’ve got it in me because I know the Lord’s got my back. My weakness of being afraid and wary of change can be made a strength through the Atonement.
Tay, I love your number 3. Speaks to me.
I think the change I fear most is when my kids become teenagers. My oldest is only 5 1/2 but I am TERRIFIED of those teenage years. When he said to follow the prophets it made me think that I need to follow their counsel (FHE and family scripture study) now if I expect the Lord’s blessings as I go through those years. And even more than family things, I need to do my own study so I can be strong and patient and wise (have the Holy Ghost) when I am dealing with this in the future.
I know I am growing a little because even though I don’t laugh INSTEAD of groan like Elder Wirthlin encouraged, I do moan AND then laugh, well usually.
I agree with Tay, we will have to learn to spit, scratch our head and say all right when hard things are asked of us. Actually, I think I’ll skip the spit part since I don’t want my kids doing that. 🙂 I don’t need to add that to the mess I mop up hourly from the floor.
It’s so interesting how we each have different strengths and weaknesses, yet God trusts us anyway. It’s entirely possible that I’m delusional, but my trial is the toddler/preschool years and I feel much more equipped for those teenage years. God may have surprises in store for me though.
What a nice idea! If I get a few minutes I may be back.
And believe me, a few minutes – while very rare – would sure be a nice thing these days.
I really loved this talk.
I loved the story of Brother Gardner, and just his steady obediance. That is the way to do it – even though it is hard – to just say “all right” to whatever is put before us. My testimony about this is growing. That it is in the slow and steady, seemingly mundane, quiet service, quiet sacrifice over time where we reap the greatest blessings. It is the JOURNEY. The length of it, the depth of it, and the steadiness of it that determines what we recieve. Just like the Isrealites, Nephi’s family, and the pioneers. That is what we need to do. Carry on. Endure to the end.
I love it.
Boy, that journey thing just keeps coming back to me. Joel taught about it in Gospel Doctrine today, too. The PROCESS. The BECOMING. We miss it for what it’s worth.
We are on the brink of some very significant changes in our family right now, and it is so good to be reminded how important it is to step outside our comfort zone and get on with our lives, without hesitation, doubt, or fear. I am going to repeat his counsel over and over like a mantra: Follow the prophet, Eternal Perspective, Have Faith, and Be of Good Cheer. (I was so glad he referenced Elder Wirthlin’s talk!)
Charette, maybe we can commission someone to turn that mantra into vinyl cut-out lettering and hang it on our walls. 🙂
Tay, my little boy turned one on St Patricks Day. He can walk all by himself and now says, “No.” I am heartsick to let go of the baby, but I have pondering a lot on the words of Elder Snow and I am excited to meet the boy and later the man that he will become.
Wow what timing you have. I was diagnosised with MS in Aug 08 even though I had thought I had it for over three years. I was so relieved to have a name for what was happening to me and had studied ever thing about MS. I was thrilled to start my daily shots and go on as I had been. CHANGE never crossed my mind then I had a major relapse in March of 09 and still am not improving. What a wake up call this has been. I am now legally disabled unable to live my life in a ?normal? way. But guess what my way was not what it should have been I was living in the world and letting my spirit die. Now my body is dieing slowly but my Sprit is beginning to live again. This message was one that impressed me as I listened during conference, but I had forgotten it already. I was so depressed this week and tonight especially. Then i happened upon your blog and followed it here.
Thank You so much for listening to your small voice and choosing this one for tonight. You have returned my faith to me along with hope of greater spirituality as I join your book club and grow.
I love your story and what you’ve learned about body and spirit. A great lesson.
Just back from Time Out for Women, but wanted to say that I did read this week’s talk and really enjoyed it. I will try for a more… intelligent… comment tomorrow. 😉
I read this talk early in the week, but have simply been slow at sharing my thoughts this time around. Here goes:
1. When he talked about following the prophets, I liked how he said that they raise a voice of warning (which we always sit up straight and pay attention to), “but also provide steady, pragmatic counsel to help us weather the storms of life.” I need to be more exactly obedient to all of their counsel and suggestions, and not just those that come with a stern warning.
2. A simple fact, but one that is easy to forget when I am in the thick of things: “change and challenges are part of God’s plan.” And His plan is wiser and more efficient than mine.
3. My biggest rebuke from the talk (and one you’ll see us focus more on next week in GCBC) is the counsel to “be of good cheer.” SOMEday I hope to master the whole laugh instead of groan thing. I’m a habitual groaner, and old habits are hard to break.
4. This resonated with me: “It would be nice if we could anticipate all the changes…” Isn’t that so true? Apparently our agency and character would not be fully tested if God clued us in to everything that’s around the next corner. I suspect that if that were the case, we would react in a very Jonah-like way and run from Ninevah as fast as we could, simply because we don’t (yet) see ourselves as capable of handling such a challenge. But in a strangely merciful way, God “springs” those challenges on us and lets us find out that we ARE capable of facing them and overcoming them with His help. “These are changes over which we have no control. . . . The answer is the same:” (obedient, faithful, cheerful.)
And that Robert Gardner dude is my hero. I hope I can turn my groaning into faithful shrugging and move forward with the plans God has for me.
I read it!
My calling is Teaching for Our Times, the forth Sunday lesson in R.S. Anyhow, this is my first teaching calling ever. I love that your website was recommended to me.
This is my lesson for this next Sunday, and didn’t really know where to go with it. Reading all the comments has helped me get a direction and some perspective. We all know change is a part of life. We have to welcome the good, bad, and sometimes ugly. If it makes us stronger in the end, then it was well worth it.
I will for sure be checking new posts through out the week.
Thank you