I'm a closet Church Nerd, there I said it!

I LOVE General Conference. If it were a Holiday it would be my favorite.

Being the far, far, FARTHEST from perfect or achieving said perfection, I manage to keep God on his toes daily. Whether He is laughing with me or crying for me, I know that He is always there to catch me when I fall, which is often, and cheer for me when I succeed, which isn't so rare either. ;) And, in case I start to doubt that, every 6 months I have 2 days of General Conference to needfully remind me of who I am and what I can do!

It is not very typical of me to shout my churchy-ness from the rooftops, or blog it from a lap-top, but this weekend I felt especially guided and uplifted. Since that is sadly so rare in today's world, I wanted to share in case you need some guidance and uplifting, too! :)

Here are some notes from my favorite talks this weekend:

Hope is one leg of a 3 legged stool together with faith & charity. The scriptures were written that we might have hope. They are a gift of the Spirit. We have the responsibility to make the Spirit an active part of our lives & overcome the temptation to loose it. Without hope we cannot receive a place in the Kingdom of God. Doubt, despair, & failure to care for our fellow man leads us astray from what life was meant to be. It kills ambition & darkens the heart. Hope encourages & inspires us to trust in God. The great hope of mankind is Jesus Christ. Hope gives us confidence, belief, optimism, enthusiasm, & patient perseverance that our prayers will be answered. With hope comes happiness. If only we could look beyond mortality into what awaits us because of Christ's infinite sacrifice allowing us to be cleansed of sin. Those who come unto Christ, repent, and live in faith will know a life of hope & peace! In the end, the book of our life will exceed our expectations if we live with hope. In times of darkest despair the things we hope IN can carry us. A hope in Jesus Christ, a hope in the Atonement, a hope in God's love. Hold tightly to the hope that things will work together in our goodness. Hope leads to good works. Read scriptures, commit to keeping commandments, take it one step at a time. Faith, hope, & charity compliment each other. When one grows, so do the others. Hope is there to uphold us & brace our resolve. The brighter our hope, the greater our faith. The stronger our hope, the kinder our charity. Hope teaches there is reason to rejoice even when everything is dark around us. Press forward with a brightness of hope! Fear not, God will wait with open arms to those who give away their sins to faith, hope, & charity. Never give in, never surrender, never allow despair to damper your spirit.
--DIETER F. UCHTDORF (2nd Counselor in the Presidency of the LDS Church)

Change is inevitable. It is said that nothing is as constant as change. Some is positive, some is not. Some is sudden, some is slow. Day by day, minute by minute, second by second, our lives go from where we were to where we are. This is it. Here & now. Our one & only chance at mortal life. It is brief. Distinguish between what is important and what is not. Find joy in the journey NOW. "Pile up enough tomorrows, you'll find you're left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays." (Music Man) Don't dwell on the past, make the most of today. The here & now. Stress is to be dealt with but should not get in the way of what's most important: those around us. Send a note, give a hug, say I love you more, always express thanks. Never let a problem grow bigger than a person to be loved. "The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone." (Harriet Beecher Stowe) Set goals, press on. Our realization of what is important in life goes hand in hand with our gratitude for it. Be grateful for the abundance that is present, not what is lacking. Whatever God has blessed you with, take it with grateful hand....that you may say you lived happily. Take great pleasure in small things. Despite the changes that come into our lives, and with gratitude in our hearts, may we take pleasure in the things that matter most. Follow Christ's example. His life is a legacy of love. Let us follow Him, emulate His example, and obey His word. Adapt to change, find joy in the journey, and discover what is most imporant.
--THOMAS S. MONSON (Prophet & President of the LDS Church)

(These are just my own personal notes I took while watching/listening. If you want to see the full talks you can visit www.byutv.com--the 178th Semi-Annual Conference--OR they will be printed and released on www.lds.org in about a month.)