Category Archives: General Conference Book Club

General Conference Book Club Week 13: Elder Cook

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As the new year approaches, my wheels have been turning. I feel a natural pull to “organize every needful thing,” and set responsible goals.  I’m not talking about exercise and diet and cleaning out my closets (though they admittedly maybe should be high on my list), but to see if the way I live my life matches up with the things I really believe are most important.

I chose for this week a talk by Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve because it helps remind me where my greatest responsibilities (a.k.a. “stewardships”) lie.  I’m hoping that as I study it this week, it will help me to focus on what matters most as I set my goals and try to create places for righteous patterns in my life.  The talk is called “Stewardship — A Sacred Trust.,” and was delivered during the Sunday Afternoon session of conference.


“We try to do what is right because we love and want to please our Father in Heaven, not because someone is forcing us to obey.”

“I would suggest that if we think about giving an accounting of our actions to the Savior, our rationalizations will be seen in their true light.”

“My hope is that each of us will review individually and as families the stewardships for which we have responsibility and accountability.”

You can read it here, or watch it here, or listen here.  It’s also on page 91 in the November 2009 Ensign.  (Go here if you’re new to the General Conference Book Club and would like to learn more about it.)
I’d love to hear your thoughts about how this instruction can help us shape our goals.

General Conference Book Club Week 12: Elder Hales

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Maybe I should have taken a break this week from GCBC, but I figure: What better time than Christmas to focus on the Savior?  or what other week of the year needs more extra effort for quiet, peaceful reflection?

So, please join me this week in studying the talk by Elder Robert D. Hales, of the Quorum of Twelve apostles.  The talk is called “Seeking to Know God, Our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ,” and is from the Saturday afternoon session of conference.  I like how this talk lays out the basic doctrines about the nature of God and His son that we often take for granted, not realizing how powerful and rarely-understood they are.  And mostly I loved his closing testimony as I felt the depth of his love for Jesus Christ, and remembered my own.


“The light of belief is within you, waiting to be awakened and intensified by the Spirit of God.”

“I testify that the way to know the truth about God is through the Holy Ghost.”

“With your own testimony of God, you will be able to bless your family, your posterity, your friends, your own life—all those you love.”
You can read it here, or watch it here, or listen here.  It’s also on page 29 in the November Ensign.  Please share some of your thoughts in the comments after reading the talk.
(Go here if you’d like more information about this General Conference Book Club.)

General Conference Book Club Week 11: Elder Ringwood

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(Remember that today is the first day of the 12 days of Christmas.  If you’re interested in joining us in a challenge to spread kindness, click here for more information.)

I know the holidays are a really busy time.  Amidst all of it, try to remember this advice we learned in last week’s talk by Sister Matsumori:

“If we provide a still and quiet time each day when we are not bombarded by television, computer, video games, or personal electronic devices, we allow that still, small voice an opportunity to provide personal revelation and to whisper sweet guidance, reassurance, and comfort to us.”

So whether it’s this book club, or time in your scriptures, let’s take the time to replenish our Spirits so we can keep our priorities strong amid all the bustle.  (I slacked off last week and I felt it.)

This week’s talk is called “An Easiness and Willingness to Believe” and was given by Elder Michael T. Ringwood of the Quorum of the Seventy during the Sunday afternoon session of General Conference.  Our lives can become complicated, but the gospel is quite simple; just taking the most simple, basic steps in our daily lives gives us access to the knowledge, blessings and faith we need to wade through all the complications.

“The daily living of the gospel brings a softness of heart needed to have an easiness and willingness to believe the word of God.”

“If you are like me, you will find what really brought an easiness and willingness to believe were not the circumstances but the commitment to live the gospel during [significant] periods of life.”

You can read it here, or watch it here, or listen here.  It’s also on page 100 in the November Ensign.  Share your insights and goals in the comments after reading the talk.  I missed all your voices last week.  (Go here if you’d like more information about this General Conference Book Club.)

General Conference Book Club Week 10: Sister Matsumori

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Okay, back online.  (Insert MoTab singing Hallelujiah Chorus here.)

This week’s talk, “Helping Others Recognize the Whisperings of the Spirit” was given by Sister Vicki F. Matsumori during the Saturday morning session of General Conference.  I really liked this talk when I heard it because, as a mother, I feel like this is one of my greatest responsibilities– to teach my kids what to listen to when I’m not around to teach them or influence them.  Anyway, there’s some great stuff in here that reminds me how to teach, but also how to keep myself in line.

“We can help others become more familiar with the promptings of the Spirit when we share our testimony of the influence of the Holy Ghost in our lives.”

“One reason we are encouraged to pray and read the scriptures every single day is that both of these activities invite the Spirit into our homes and into the lives of our family members.”

“When we come to understand the whisperings of the Spirit, we will be able to hear Him teach us …”

You can read the talk here, listen to it here, or watch it here.  It’s also on page 70 of the November Ensign.  (Go here for GCBC information.)

Thanks to those of you who already commented about this talk on the previous post.  Rest assured your insights have been read, but feel free to cut and paste them into this post if you want them to be part of the comment thread.

General Conference Book Club Week 9: President Eyring

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Alright friends, step away from the pie.  Time to feast on the word of God.  (I hope you had a great Thanksgiving.  I did.)

Let’s study President Eyring’s fantastic talk this week, shall we?  President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency spoke during the Sunday morning session of General Conference and his talk was called “Our Perfect Example.”  I was immediately drawn into his talk in the introduction:  “Different as we are in circumstances and experiences, we share a desire to become better than we are.”

“The message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is that we can and must expect to become better as long as we live.”

“Love is the motivating principle by which the Lord leads us along the way towards becoming like Him, our perfect example.”

“I hope you will go out today looking for opportunities to do as He did and to love as He loves.”

 

You can read the talk here, watch it here, or listen to it here.  It’s also on page 70 of the November Ensign.  (Go here for GCBC information.)

I know you’ll really like this talk.  Please share some of the things that you learn or think or notice as you study it.  I love reading all your great insights.