Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Conference Notes

I copied my conference notes from my blog :)
These were all my favorite parts of conference!
 
"Tolerating improper behavior without loving correction is false compassion and reinforces the common notion that wickedness might in fact be happiness." -Elder Brough 
 
"There is no amorphous entity called “the Atonement” upon which we may call for succor, healing, forgiveness, or power. Jesus Christ is the source. Sacred terms such as Atonement and Resurrection describe what the Savior did, according to the Father’s plan, so that we may live with hope in this life and gain eternal life in the world to come. The Savior’s atoning sacrifice—the central act of all human history—is best understood and appreciated when we expressly and clearly connect it to Him." -President Nelson

"...it requires two alls to receive the promise of the third. Turn from all; keep all; then all is forgiven. This requires being “ALL IN”! ...We don’t hold back to see what the minimum is we can get by with. The Lord requires the heart and a willing mind. Our whole heart! When we are baptized, we are fully immersed as a symbol of our promise to fully follow the Savior." -Elder Sabin
"Don't Fear, just live right."-Maxwell
Then Sunday came!
And we are getting a SARATOGA SPRINGS TEMPLE!  Although last time we lived in a city building a new temple we moved right before it was finished...
 
"Being sin-resistant doesn’t mean being sinless, but it does imply being continually repentant, vigilant, and valiant. Perhaps being sin-resistant comes as a blessing from repeatedly resisting sin.
Teaching children to keep simple promises when they are young will empower them to keep holy covenants later in life. A succession of small, successfully kept promises leads to integrity."
KEEP PROMISES BECAUSE YOU SAID YOU WOULD!
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin taught that “the consummate reward of integrity is the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.” -Sister Jones

 Accept God's word unconditionally and in advance. He knows the way because He is the way. 
 I am not speaking of “blind obedience” but of thoughtful confidence in the perfect love and the perfect timing of the Lord.
 "Over time, I have observed that those who are deliberate about doing the “small and simple things"—obeying in seemingly little ways—are blessed with faith and strength that go far beyond the actual acts of obedience themselves and, in fact, may seem totally unrelated to them. It may seem hard to draw a connection between the basic daily acts of obedience and solutions to the big, complicated problems we face. BUT THEY ARE RELATED. In my experience, getting the little daily habits of faith right is the single best way to fortify ourselves against the troubles of life, whatever they may be. Small acts of faith, even when they seem insignificant or entirely disconnected from the specific problems that vex us, bless us in all we do. … The trial of our faith will always involve staying true to simple, daily practices of faith. Then, and only then, does He promise that we will receive the divine response for which we long."
-Elder Clayton

 "Fear rarely has the power to change our hearts, and it will never transform us into people who love what is right and who want to obey Heavenly Father. People who are fearful may say and do the right things, but they do not feel the right things."
 There may be moments when we are tempted to justify our actions by believing that the end justifies the means. We might even think that to be controlling, manipulative, and harsh will be for the good of others. Not so, for the Lord has made it clear that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance.”
-Elder Uchtdorf

"Sometimes those who raise a warning voice are dismissed as judgmental. Paradoxically, however, those who claim truth is relative and moral standards are a matter of personal preference are often the same ones who most harshly criticize people who don’t accept the current norm of “correct thinking.” (or "shame culture") There are no permanent standards, just the shifting judgment of the crowd. It is a culture of over sensitivity, overreaction and frequent moral panics.
The guilt culture could be harsh, but at least you could hate the sin and still love the sinner.
Contrasted to this is “the rock of our Redeemer,”a stable and permanent foundation of justice and virtue. How much better it is to have the unchanging law of God by which we may act to choose our destiny rather than being hostage to the unpredictable rules and wrath of the social media mob. How much better it is to know the truth than to be “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine.” How much better to repent and rise to the gospel standard than to pretend there is no right or wrong and languish in sin and regret.  Elites don’t want to “impose” on those who really could use their moral leadership, but “it is perhaps time for those with education and strong families to stop feigning neutrality and start preaching what they practice pertaining to marriage and parenting. Do not succumb to false notions of tolerance or to fear—fear of inconvenience, disapproval, or even suffering.
 A crucial element of the parental duty to warn is to paint not only the demoralizing consequences of sin but also the joy of walking in obedience to the commandments. 
 Loving them, He could not let them go on in sin without clearly correcting them."
- Elder Christofferson

"Learn to see other as the Lord sees them. ...Those who are hardest to love need love the most.
How can I be more like the Savior?
 ...true teaching will happen only in an atmosphere of trust rather than condemnation. Our homes should always be safe havens for our children—not hostile environments.
...change those things that are hard for you and become who the Lord wants you to be.” -Elder Palmer

"The Savior tells us that the very best way to know God is to become like Him. Worthiness is essential to becoming like Him."  -Elder Grow

Monday, April 3, 2017