Conference Y’all

Although it is our first GC since the challenge to our faith, MadamCurie and I will be doing a live blog of Conference this year. You are welcome to join us.

I would say I have a polarized response to the talks. Some I LOVE – E. Wirthlin’s last talk, E. Cook’s talk in April GC. Others irritate me (I’m not a fan of obedience talks, temple talks, ones with historical or intellectual problems inherent, or maudlin stories). And there are a few that I just think “well, that one wasn’t for me.” But I always get at least a few talks that I think were valuable in some way, and I suspect that’s the most we can hope for – how many things can you focus on in life anyway? For me, just 1-3 at a time.

We always invite ward friends over for desserts after the last session to talk about whatever we saw and just to hang out.

Hmm, I thought all speeches were given forethought? You really find research and preparation to a televised talk before thousands to be troubling? As troubling as the Gettysburg Address, I Have a Dream speech, and Christ’s second go at the Sermon on the Mount in the BoM?

I think peope can be guided and directed by the Holy Ghost in their preparation of talks that then are read with a teleprompter to accommodate being broadcast on television to people meeting around the world. I don’t think inspired and extemporaneous are synonymns, and I don’t think inspired and prepared in advance and read are mutually exclusive. Perspective really is a key here, imo.

I generally love conference. There are talks that don’t inspire me, and occasionally one to which I simply choose to not listen, but there are lots of really good messages delivered by sincere people each year – and they uplift me. My life has been better JUST for hearing Elder Wirthlin’s last three talks, and they would have been worth it alone even if everything else was rubbish. Since everything else isn’t rubbish, I generally feel fed – even if I have to skip a few of the menu items to avoid indigestion.

Also, we have lived close enough to our church building for years to sit with the few who don’t watch in on BYU TV – and that is a choice experience for me, since many of them are the elderly. They really appreciate seeing children in their midst, so we’ve done that for years. We don’t have cable tv right now (purely a cost issue), so we probably will drive the 30 minutes to church this time, as well.

I really like the fact we can watch it from home, relax as a family and spend time together. It really makes me feel close to my family and I love that more than anything.

As far as the talks…I have no expectations. Last conference I had little that inspired me, but I did find many talks that I went back and read afterwards did inspire me. I can’t make sense of when or why things seem to impress me, but I don’t enjoy listening to 2 hr blocks of talks, and care even less about hymns.

To be completely honest, I look forward to it as a day off from regular church and that’s what I look forward to the most (I sound pretty negative, huh? 😳 Meetings and talks just have burned me out…I don’t look forward to them anymore). Maybe I’ll check out the Curie’s blog this time and see if that adds any interest for me.

I love watching conference at home. It is SO relaxing and restful. I put up my feet in the recliner, lean back, pull a blanket over me, and the next thing I know, the choir is singing the closing hymn. Awesome!

ROFL. That works!

HiJolly