Here are my notes from the Saturday Afternoon Session of the October 2024 General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Song – Children Holding Hands Around the World
Conducting – Elder Gerrit W. Gong
Song – Press Forward Saints
Prayer –
Speaker – Elder D Todd Christopherson – Repentance
- Sons of Mosiah
- The key to the enduring conversion of the Lamanites
- They buried their weapons of rebellion
- It’s been all we could do to repent…
- Sincere repentance took away the pain, but God also took away the stain of their sins.
- What can we do to follow this pattern?
- Rebellion can be active or passive
- Wilfull rebellion was Satan
- Active rebellion is Nehor and Korahor
- William W Phelps was active in the church but turned against the church. Later Phelps wrote and asked for forgiveness. It is true we have suffered much. The cup has been drunk.
- Passive rebellion. Ignoring his will. (that is what many members are guilty of today)
- Frank Sinatra, I did it my way.
- Our theme song ought to be, I did it God’s way.
- There is no My Way if we are to follow Christ’s commandments
- The same Lamanite weapons in the hands of their sons were not weapons of rebellion.
- Things today that are good, but when used in the wrong way…
- Speech – The tongue
- Career – It is possible that devotion to a career can be
- Physical Being – Glorify God in body and spirit. Care for our bodies.
- Mark of rebellion to deface and abuse. Obsessed with physique and appearance.
- Put off the natural man.
- May we burry, very very deep
Speaker – Elder Jose A Teixeira – Salt / Sin / Repentance
- Salt
- Two elements bound together.
- We are salt when we are bound to the Lord
- We are never alone in this journey
- Jesus used familiar elements, he declared, ye are the salt of the earth
- Portugal Salt Harvest (Marnotos) – Salt Cream
- Salt can lose its savor by becoming diluted or contaminated
- Be anxiously engaged
- They use simple tools to harvest the best salt
- We too can do simple things
- Becoming the salt of the earth takes more than endless scrolling
- Salt in its purest form has power to enhance and preserve
I was surprised to hear such a detailed talk about salt. This was amazing. You would think everyone from Utah would be a salt expert, being that we are all next to the Great Salt Lake. But no. No one knows anything about it.
I had at times wondered what exactly the term salt losing its savor was in reference to or what it meant. This talk clarified that to me. It is diluted or contaminated. The Great Salt Lake would not be as salty a lake it more water was added.
Song – Gethsemene
Speaker – Elder Juan Pablo Villar – Think Celestial / Relying on Christ
- Native of Chile
- Went to the beach and were playing where the waves were breaking.
- He thought he was big enough and strong enough.
- He didn’t realize how big they were until he stood closer.
- His brother told him to be careful and offered to teach him.
- He was told he needed to attack the waves.
- He was rescued a second time.
- Think Celestial
- If we think Celestial, we will understand we will face challenges
- If we think Celestial, we will think of Jesus Christ as flawless
- If I think Celestial, I know why we are not left alone.
When he talked about challenges, like those massive waves that kept pulling him underwater, I couldn’t help but think of my wife and the challenges she has faced. She suffers from Trigeminal Neuralgia. She has had it for about 10 years now, but it has been flaring up for the last year. I know there are many out there who have the same thing. Likewise, I think of myself before my hip surgery a few months back. For a time I really felt what people feel when they suffer. So many suffer with so many diverse conditions.
Speaker – Elder Patrick Kearon – Joy
- Baptism
- Welcome to the Church of Joy.
- We can and should be filled with joy.
- Joy comes from and because of Him. To Latter Day Saints, Jesus Christ is Joy.
- Some believe reverence is folding your arms, closing your eyes, and holding still
- Sing and Praise Him
- We sit in the pewes thinking about the ways we have messed up the week before.
- We can flip that on its head
- We sometimes get stuck in the garden, the cross, and in the tomb
- We should be looking upwards
He caught me with that one. I’m guilty of that. Focusing on the garden, cross, and tomb. This was great. The joy theme was honestly rubbing me wrong at first. ha ha ha. But, Elder Kearon’s joy and enthusiasm is infectious. And his talk had a great deal of common sense. I must admit I had never thought of focusing on my blessings during the sacrament meeting.
Song – Redeemer of Israel
Speaker – Elder David L Buckner – Be One
- My friends
- Can we just be friends / Friends Zone
- Nowhere does it say, ye are just my friends
- No greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends
- Higher and Holier
- Raised his family in New York City
- COVID / Personal Ministry / Faith leaders
- One faith / one purpose / one prayer
- There is more that unites us than divides us
- Becoming One
- Sense of Belonging – To be one with Christ
- Sitting in the pew on Sunday doesn’t make you a good Christian
- There is room for everyone.
Speaker – Elder D Martin Goury – Repentance
- He thought the Savior was returning
- He asked his mother to clean something (I didn’t understand maybe an outfit)
- He waited as the Savior did not come.
- No unclean thing can enter into His Kingdom
- Don’t procrastinate your repentance
Speaker – Elder Aroldo B Cavalcante
I accidentally didn’t take any notes
Speaker – Elder Elder Ulisses Soares – Repentance
- Merchant searching for pearls
- The kingdom of heaven is like a priceless pearl
- He sold all his possessions to obtain that pearl
- We should willingly do all we can during our earthly life to obtain an eternal reward
- “Having the mind of Christ”
- Always doing those things that please the Lord
- Pain and Suffering of Christ
- “I live my own truth,” or “I do what is right for me.” (This reminds me of an LDS personality who I am not going to name drop)
- Don’t be tempted to adopt worldly philosophy
- Adopting Christ is more important than being “authentic.”
- Without the Lord’s guidance, we can justify anything.
- I do it my way .
- Mental gymnastics, what is right for me, what is right fo the Lord is not new.
- It is a deceptive path by the advisory.
- We are constantly confronted by sin
This is being Worthy of Zion. At least for me.
Song – When the Savior Comes Again – We sang this song in church the other week. I love it. Beautiful children, song, and voices.
It was fun seeing the prophet waving as he left. He was not in the first session. He truly looked happy. But, he looked so old and frail. He was in a wheel chair being pushed by an assistant. He may not be with us much longer. Everyone knows that. He looks so healthy today, but I know that can change so fast at his age. He could also live another 5 years. If so, we will likely just see him less.
There were some great talks. I realize there were a number of messages about becoming Worthy of Zion. It may just be me but I see my weaknesses. They are as though they appear on a jumbotron. I see the flaws in my speech. My hypocrisy at times. Speaking ill of others. My language. My thoughts, and so many other things.
Frank Sinatra’s song was name-dropped twice. “I Did It My Way.”
There were so many messages about Self-improvement… But where was the talk on church statistics and finances? Weird?