Here are my notes from the Saturday Morning Session of the October 2024 General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I don’t anticipate being able to record everything, but I will share my initial thoughts on the different talks. Either way, I am truly looking forward to being spiritually fed today. I could sure use it. Life has been turbulent to say the least.
I don’t have a DVR, so I won’t be able to review the talks until they are posted on the church website.
I love General Conference. It is such an exciting time. As the day approaches each season, my heart is filled with wonder and amazement that I am part of God’s restored church. None of us are perfect. The church as an entity is not perfect. But the gospel of Jesus Christ is perfect. I glory that I am part of it.
Song – Glory to God on High
Conducting – Henry B Eyring
Song – Press Forward Saints
Prayer –
Present the General Authorities – President Henry B Eyring
Speaker – Elder Neil L Andersen
- Pure Revelation
- If you have not sought the Holy Ghost, please do so.
- Faith Hope and Charity
- Hope
- Temples Dot the Earth
- House of Hope
- Death of a Husband and Loss of Hope
- Sick Child – Trey – Needing a Heart Transplant – Looked forward to a mission – Died in Heart Surgery
- It doesn’t seem possible to feel joy… Quote.
- As you trust in the Lord, his peace will come.
- Our hope is our Savior Jesus Christ
Speaker – Sister Emily Belle Freeman
- Her husband had a cancer diagnosis
- Received the Sacrament at home.
- She needed help from heaven.
- Partaking of the sacrament would give her power.
- It’s not who officiates, the ordinance deserves attention.
- First – In order for an ordinance to matter, it must be done with authority.
- Second – We don’t just make covenant promises, we must keep them.
- How to draw power.
- Invitation by the prophet during a Women’s Conference
- Emma Smith in Harmony NY – inward sanctification
- First – Her place in his plan
- Second – The Lord gave her purpose in morning
- Last – Process of inward sanctification – Daughter, to Elect Lady, to Queen
- Granddaughter – Priesthood Blessing
- Become the woman God knows they can become
- Live up to your privileges
- Carefully study and ponder the priesthood ordinances matter
- Partaking of the Sacrament
- Wearing the Garment
Speaker – Elder Karl D Hirst
- Two of his children have passed out while speaking
- Love for his children
- Which of his six children are his favorite
- John describes himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. This may have been because of the love he felt.
- Nephi said my Jesus
- We can call him our Jesus as well
- We are each a cherished favorite.
- We all overlap on a Ven Diagram
- Great commandment to Love God and Love Others
- Do things that bring us closer to God, then do things that bring us closer to them.
- What causes you to feel God’s love (music)
- Maybe you don’t feel it, you are too wounded, week, and unloveable.
- Those voices are wrong.
- Every time we take broken bread, he was broken, in spite of our brokenness we can make us unbroken
- What makes you unloveable, you are wrong, you are not beyond the reach of God’s love
- Mountains being evidence of the certainty of God’s love
- If God’s love us doesn’t leave us, why don’t we feel it?
- Can you take a step back from whatever is in front of you? To see the world around you?
- A private place where you and Jesus could meet?
- If you feel love, splash it wherever you go
- The sunshine in the sky is made brighter by the sunshine in our souls
- Joy is our purpose, the the gift of our circumstances.
This is the most beautiful talk. Holy Cow!
Song – How Firm a Foundation
Speaker – Elder Dale G Renlund
- Black Powder
- Nitroglycerin – Absorbing it into Kisolgorn – Dynamite.
- Something of Great Value – Nitroglycerin
- Something of little value – Kisolgorn
- Parallels of the Chuch
- The church plays a central role in making the gospel available
- We are ordinary people
- Dynamite without Nitrigycerin is nothing exceptional
- The church without the Authority of God is nothing exceptional (I may have written that wrong)
- Prone to doctrinal drift
- The church provides access to God’s power.
- The access to God’s covenantal power and love is through His church
- Ancestors
- Comparing the teaching to the bible
- Dynamite was valuable
- The church is priceless
Speaker – Elder David P Homer
- Pioneer story
- Eternal Boundaries
- Saving Truths are Absolute Independent and Defined by God
- Moments of learning when we are not in alignment with the prophet of God
- Loss of the capacity to understand, Like those who left the savior.
- Doubt your Doubts before you Doubt your Faith
- One’s will is the only unique thing we have to lay upon God’s alter – Niel A Maxwell
- The choice to submit our will go God is an act of faith. Our agency is not diminished but magnified.
Speaker – Elder Gregorio E Casillas
- Reserved for these Latter Days
- We must learn to be disciples of Jesus Christ
- Visiting members with the Stake President
- Member had been suffering and received chemotherapy the day before
- Served her and her son
- Realize your full potential
- As disciples of Christ we should avoid comparing ourselves to others, we are unique
- Your potential is divine
- Become a disciple of Jesus Christ and follow the impressions of the Holy Ghost
- Makes us think we can not change (adversary) and hope to try once more.
- By going and blessings the lives of our brothers and sisters, our testimonies will increase
- Please remember the Lord Jesus Christ is Your Savior
Song – God’s Gracious Love – Wow, what a great song
Speaker – President Dallin H Oaks
- Millions inspired by Come Follow Me. It is a continuous commitment and way of life.
- All are invited
- Obey what he defined as the great commandment, love the lord thy God, love thy neighbor
- The commandments of God
- Kite flying, the string holds the kite in place.
- Son suggested they should cut the string.
- As we honor covenants their promised blessings allow us to sore to celestial heights
- Christ – I am an example, I am the light
- Sacrament – Covenant to always remember him and keep his commandments
- Book of Mormon – Fundaments in the Doctrine of Christ
- Commandments – Permanent and Temporary
- Temporary – Directions to early leaders to move the church
- Permanent – Tithing (took time to follow), Proclamation of the Family, Name of the Church
- Another teaching needs emphasis
- Harsh and hurtful words, hostility, hatred, toxic communication
- Emnity
- The savior taught us to avoid contention
- Love your Enemy…
- Most difficult to follow
- There is no better way to manifest the Love of God
- Blessed are the Peacemakers
- How that person treats other people – President Nelson
- Contention is a choice – Peacemaking is a choice – You have your agency
- We need to love and do good to all
- This does not mean compromising our principles but ceasing attaching others for theirs
- Let God Prevail in your life.
- Let us avoid what is harsh and hateful.
Song – Teach Me to Walk
Prayer – Elder Isaac K Morrison
FINAL THOUGHTS
That was a beautiful meeting. I feel spiritually fed. I especially loved two things.
- The talk by Elder Karl D Hirst was the most amazing talk of the session. They were all excellent but there was something extra special about this talk.
- The song God’s Gracious Love was so deeply emotional to me. I’m not sure what the words were, but I felt God’s Gracious Love while listening to this song.
There were amazing stories of faith that were so touching. But the overall theme seemed to be to have hope and be a peacemaker. At least that I what I took from it.
There is one more thing I want to add. I had a thought while I was listening to general conference. It’s the idea of there being a period of persecution. I know that time is coming. That time will require hope and peacemakers. They’ll require people who are firm in their faith, not suede by the world. People who know how to hear the Holy Ghost and follow its guidance.