Category Archives: General Conference Book Club

General Conference Book Club Week 8: Elder Sitati

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I know this will be a busy week, so I picked a short talk, but I wanted one that would help me focus on the things I should be most thankful for (in the spirit of Thanksgiving).  Elder Joseph W. Sitati gave his talk, “Blessings of the Gospel Available to All,” during the Sunday afternoon session of conference.  Did anyone else think it was as cool as I did to hear a General Authority from Africa speaking at General Conference?  My parents recently served a mission in South Africa, so I felt a connection to what he was referring to as the outpouring of the Lord upon the African nations.

His talk increases my testimony of the Lord’s hand spreading his church throughout the world, and it’s also a great historical/doctrinal summary of the building of the Lord’s kingdom.

“God’s children on the earth today have the opportunity to understand His plan of happiness for them more fully than at any other time.”

You can read the talk here, watch it here, or listen to it here.  It’s also on page 103 of the November Ensign.  (Go here for GCBC information.)

As you read this talk, what blessings do you feel grateful for?  What blessings from the gospel have you seen in your family, or maybe even throughout the world?

General Conference Book Club Week 7: Elder Zeballos

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This week we’ll spend a little time “Attempting the Impossible” and hopefully realizing that we truly have access to blessings we sometimes might feel are out of our reach.  This talk was given by Elder Jorge F. Zeballos during the Saturday afternoon session of General Conference.  I think it kind of slipped under the radar for me when I watched conference, but it caught my eye today as I was flipping through the Ensign.

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“From a purely human point of view, at first [the commandment to become perfect] seems to be an impossible task. However, it begins to appear possible upon understanding that in order to achieve it, we are not alone. The most marvelous and powerful helps for which a human being may seek are always available.”

“Eternal life is to live with our Father and with our families forevermore. Should not this promise be the greatest incentive to do the best within our reach?”

I’ve been learning a lot of lessons lately about how a “purely human point of view” just doesn’t cut it as far as seeing things how they really are.  Learning to see our circumstances, the course of our lives, and even ourselves the way the Lord sees them all is quite liberating.  I’m curious to hear what you find in this talk that helps you see the impossible through different eyes.

You can read the talk here, or watch it here, or listen to it here.  It is also on page 33 of the conference edition of the Ensign.  If you’re dropping by the GCBC for the first time, you can learn how it works here.

General Conference Book Club Week 6: Brother Osguthorpe

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Brother Russell T. Osguthorpe is the General Sunday School President.  (He was our Stake President when Matt and I were newlyweds, so that makes us famous by association, right?)  He gave a fantastic talk during the Saturday morning session of General Conference called “Teaching Helps Save Lives.” Many of us have opportunities to teach in our church or civic responsibilities, and the tips here are obviously valuable in those settings, but as I listened to this talk I felt a powerful impression that these were important tools for parenting.  Perhaps my greatest responsibility as a mother is to teach my children.  The really important stuff.  So I’m excited to go back and read it again and be reminded of the power of that role and what I should focus on.

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“We teach key doctrine, invite learners to do the work God has for them, and then promise that blessings will surely come.”

“All parents and gospel teachers are messengers from God.”

“Learning and teaching are not optional activities in the kingdom of God. They are the very means by which the gospel has been restored to the earth and by which we will gain eternal life. They provide the pathway to personal testimony.”

So what did you learn about being a better teacher?  You can read the talk here, or listen to it here, or watch it here.  Or, if you got your Ensign in the mail this week like I did (yippee!), you can find this talk on page 15.  If you’re visiting us here at the GCBC for the first time, check out the club here and jump right in and join us.

General Conference Book Club Week 5: Elder Andersen

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I loved all your great comments about last week’s talk.  When it comes to “schooling my feelings,” I’ve learned that I still have a lot of work to do.  Maybe that’s why I was drawn to our talk selection for this week:  “Repent . . . That I May Heal You” by Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, given during the Saturday afternoon session of conference.

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“The invitation to repent is rarely a voice of chastisement but rather a loving appeal to turn around and to “re-turn” toward God.”

“Divine forgiveness is one of the sweetest fruits of the gospel, removing guilt and pain from our hearts and replacing them with joy and peace of conscience.”

“Sometimes in our repentance, in our daily efforts to become more Christlike, we find ourselves repeatedly struggling with the same difficulties. As if we were climbing a tree-covered mountain, at times we don’t see our progress until we get closer to the top and look back from the high ridges.”

As women, we are so prone to guilt, to self-doubt, and to damning ourselves in our own minds.  I wonder how often this simple doctrine of repentance, when used sincerely and regularly, could purge us of that heaviness and literally lighten our souls, our outlook, and our understanding of our standing before the Lord.

You can read the talk here, or listen to it here, or watch it here.  Then share what you’ve learned right here in the comments.  (Click here to learn more about this book club if you’re arriving for the first time.)

General Conference Book Club Week 4: President Monson (Priesthood)

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This may seem like a strange pick this week, but unfortunately the reading schedule is somewhat dictated by my own needs.  President Monson gave the talk “School Thy Feelings, O My Brother” during the Priesthood session of General Conference.  I absolutely do not question his judgment on this, but I just want to add that anyone who thinks anger management is largely a men’s issue has not spent much time in the mind of a stay-at-home mom.

I struggle with anger.  I do not have temper tantrums.  I do not hit my children, scream violently, or throw objects, but I get mad.  And it is a challenge for me to let those feelings go so that I can move on with my day.  At a point of great humility, I went to Borders and asked the info desk for a book on Anger Management for mothers.  He eyed me suspiciously and probably wanted to push the red Child Protective Services button under his counter, so I tried to explain that it wasn’t about violent anger, just angry feelings.  Basically, I wanted to get past looking at my children with exorcism eyes.  Anyway, enough about me . . .  How does this talk speak to you?

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“If we desire to have a proper spirit with us at all times, we must choose to refrain from becoming angry.”

“Anger doesn’t solve anything. It builds nothing, but it can destroy everything.”

“May we make a conscious decision, each time such a decision must be made, to refrain from anger and to leave unsaid the harsh and hurtful things we may be tempted to say.”

President Monson’s talk was delivered during the Priesthood session.  You can read it here, or watch it here or listen to it here.

If this is your first stop at our book club, click here for more information.  Join the fun.