I love General Conference! This morning/afternoon, I watched it from my home in Wisconsin. Modern technology is wonderous to me. I recall President Kimball talking about the Lord’s hand in developing technology that would spread the Gospel to the whole earth. We have seen that development in a most dramatic way over the past few decades. The following are some thoughts generated by the Saturday morning session:
Is it bad to have a favorite Apostle? I don’t think so. Mine is Henry Eyring. And Jeffrey Holland. And Dallin Oaks.
David B. Haight has a great sense of humor. Of course, we give old people the benefit of the doubt and laugh at anything that looks like an attempt at humor. I met him 20+ years ago as a missionary in Austria. He sat down next to me before one of our meetings and said, “So, Elder, where are you from?” I responded, “Osseo, Wisconsin.” His face was the embodiment of the phrase, “stupor of thought.” He made absolutely no verbal response. He just turned the other direction and said, “So, Sister, where are you from?” When she named someplace in California, he proceeded to talk about all of the Church people he knew in that area. (By the way, did he mention Ruby today?)
Dallin Oaks spoke about the Second Coming and asked, “What if the Second Coming was tomorrow?” This was the first major talk of the first session. I could stop listening right now and be a changed person. It isn’t so much what he said, but that he “felt prompted” to say it.
We are attentive during the talks. During the hymns we talk about the talks, take restroom breaks, or grab something to eat. Does Kristine turn the volume up for the songs?
Henry Eyring could not run for political office, but I like to see him cry.
Thomas Monson is 76 years old. He has been an Apostle since 1963. This is his 81st General Conference as an apostle! And most amazing: he still has faith-promoting stories from his time as a bishop!
And, most importantly, the question that hangs over all of these proceedings: will anyone talk about The Passion? No way! That topic is radioactive.
I thought it was interesting that, contrary to some popular opinion, there were Apostles, Primary, Young Women, Relief Society, Young Men & GAs in the front ‘leadership’ seats.
I love the fact that Saturday and Sunday morning sessions are always viewed in our jammies. It’s great.
Elder Oakes. What to say? Could it be prophecy? I think so. We need to be paying attention. There was such a firm conviction in his voice. I appreciate his comment on whether it is the Savior returns or us returning either way are we prepared? Thought provoking.
Elder Eyring. What a guy.
And no Gordon, today Ruby was not mentioned.
Hmm, streaming audio instead of streaming video this time.
BTW, for a counterpoint http://www.princeton.edu/~eszter/passover.html
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I still remember a regional leadership conference of about fifteen years ago, some silly stake president thought that a female general board member was not due the deference a general authority gets.
The apostle leading the conference straightened him out in very direct terms. Glad Lyle commented on the seating arrangments that are in line with that.
[Restoring Comments Inadvertently Lost in the WP transfer] :
I caught two or three of the talks this morning, including Dallin Oak’s. I was interested in the use of visual aids for the talks–photos, quotations, paintings. How long has that been a feature of the conference. I was also very impressed with how the podium knew in advance the height of the speaker (I guess everyone’s height is programmed in a computer? ah the wonders of technology). Also, I think my husband figured out that he was roommates in college with Todd Christopherson. And all this while we were waiting to take his parents to breakfast!
Comment by: Susan at April 3, 2004 04:53 PM
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Do I turn up the volume for the songs? Sometimes. Not when they do a perfectly nice 19th-century gospel songs (We Are Sowing) at half the tempo it’s supposed to go, with silly descants and moves into minor mode, as though it were a Serious, Earnest Hymn.
Yuck.
Comment by: Kristine at April 3, 2004 04:54 PM
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About the visual aids in conference talks: a couple of conferences ago, someone told the story of _the little engine that could in the priesthood session, using cartoon-type drawings. It was a little strange. I was watching in my stake center in Chicago. I got a text message on my mobile phone from my dad in Dallas: _I found the picture of that little train engine strangely moving. . Maybe you had to be there, but I found it hilarious.
Comment by: gst at April 3, 2004 09:25 PM
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Elder Faust began his remarks by in the October 2002 priesthood session by reminiscing about a book he had read as a child. As he then related the story of “The Little Engine That Could,” the original 1930 illustrations were projected as visual aids. I found this neither odd nor silly.
Comment by: Dan at April 6, 2004 12:06 AM