Sunday PM General Conference Session

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the great comments today. I couldn’t join in real time but I appreciate looking through these after the fact.

What do people think about general themes that crop up in conference? Do you think it’s coincidence or that themes are intended? Overall a good conference. Lots of generic expected messages, some throw aways, but also some encouraging ones (Holland, Uchtdorf). This is my first conference with this forum and I must say, I enjoyed conference much more this time around. Thanks everyone!

[Anonymous]

DoubtingTom wrote:

Thanks for all the great comments today. I couldn’t join in real time but I appreciate looking through these after the fact.

What do people think about general themes that crop up in conference? Do you think it’s coincidence or that themes are intended? Overall a good conference. Lots of generic expected messages, some throw aways, but also some encouraging ones (Holland, Uchtdorf). This is my first conference with this forum and I must say, I enjoyed conference much more this time around. Thanks everyone!

Fifty some years ago BKP, my mission president, told us that themes weren’t assigned but just seemed to develop. He attributed it to the Spirit influencing each speaker in their preparation.

[Anonymous]

GBSmith wrote:

DoubtingTom wrote:

Thanks for all the great comments today. I couldn’t join in real time but I appreciate looking through these after the fact.

What do people think about general themes that crop up in conference? Do you think it’s coincidence or that themes are intended? Overall a good conference. Lots of generic expected messages, some throw aways, but also some encouraging ones (Holland, Uchtdorf). This is my first conference with this forum and I must say, I enjoyed conference much more this time around. Thanks everyone!

Fifty some years ago BKP, my mission president, told us that themes weren’t assigned but just seemed to develop. He attributed it to the Spirit influencing each speaker in their preparation.

Yes, it is my understanding that speakers are not assigned topics and any similarities are coincidences (or for the more believing, inspired).

[Anonymous]

Wonderful. I will take my 3 coincidences, proclaim them loud and long, and be happy. I really should compile some file of my select favorites. It may only be handful, but keeping them select could prove useful.

Thanks everyone who moderated, commented, and chimed in. And Nibbler I hope the storm tossed sea calms soon.

[Anonymous]

mom3 wrote:

Wonderful. I will take my 3 coincidences, proclaim them loud and long, and be happy. I really should compile some file of my select favorites. It may only be handful, but keeping them select could prove useful.

Thanks everyone who moderated, commented, and chimed in. And Nibbler I hope the storm tossed sea calms soon.

I have a compilation of favorite all time talks. It’s easy to do using the bookmarks feature on LDS tools (and the bookmarks then show up on all your devices and when signed in to LDS.org). There will be at least a couple added to list when they become available later this week.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think that people are given specific assignments but I do think that the meetings that leaders participate in have an influence in what they decide to talk about. So while someone wouldn’t necessarily get assigned to give a talk about “the peace Christ offers” they may be influenced by the things they routinely discuss in leadership meetings which might create some similarities in the themes of the talks that are given.

– – –

Save a few talks, this conference didn’t speak to me one way or the other but overall I feel like this conference moved the needle in a net positive direction. The only real issues I had were:

1) I felt some of the stories that were shared set unhealthy expectations for the commitment level some members will feel like they are expected to have. I mentioned that I think there’s a fine line between inspiring people to keep going and overwhelming people.

It’s not like this was something new that was introduced during this conference. To be fair, I fully expect stuff like this to come up during general conference… or any church meeting for that matter. For whatever reason I was particularly sensitive to it this time. Perhaps because I’ve completely run out of steam. I’ve had to dial back church commitments as I’ve dealt with long term, draining life emergencies and it has taken its toll. I’m the giving tree and the little boy is rounding the corner with a stump grinder.

2) I was taken completely off guard by this but the very beginning of Holland’s talk was triggering. Yeah, explain that somehow. It was in the first few minutes before he got into the “meat” of the talk and it was like ripping a scab off a wound I thought was healed.

I don’t even think it was something he directly said but he reminded me of what I feel to be a shortcoming of Christianity in general.

Plus I don’t find much comfort in believing “Jesus is there” to listen to the song you can’t sing. At some point I think many of us have asked, “My god, my god, why hast thou forsaken me?” And maybe feeling entirely alone at some point is a necessary part of the journey. I don’t know. I’m worn, I’m beat, I have a bitter cup to drink, and there’s no one that can help me drink it.

3) Christofferson’s talk. It’s not really worth getting into but it’s a talk that can easily be ignored.

– – –

When I was orthodox I loved Holland. In contrast to others, he gave messages that made you feel like a lowly person such as yourself could be saved. Salvation was still possible! Now I’m unsure how I feel. I still like him though, he makes a lot more sense to me when I look at his talks as him addressing issues he himself struggles with. He’s meeting a need for many members out there and I love him for it.

[Anonymous]

nibbler wrote:

3) Christofferson’s talk. It’s not really worth getting into but it’s a talk that can easily be ignored.

I agree, but I feel so guilty about doing so. 😥

[Anonymous]

nibbler wrote:

When I was orthodox I loved Holland. In contrast to others, he gave messages that made you feel like a lowly person such as yourself could be saved. Salvation was still possible!Now I’m unsure how I feel. I still like him though, he makes a lot more sense to me when I look at his talks as him addressing issues he himself struggles with.

I think there’s a very fine line between “feeling like a lowly person such as yourself…” and just feeling like a lowly person. I feel, especially in the last ten years, or so, like his talks do the latter for me. I used to just enjoy the language and literary and doctrinal beauty of his talks, but there’s a extra heavy mood now, and a broken feeling that they engender in me. I say that, even as I’m grateful for him speaking to mental health issues, etc.

Quote:

He’s meeting a need for many members out there and I love him for it.

I agree. My daughter was really inspired yesterday by his comments about poverty.

Quote:

Perhaps because I’ve completely run out of steam. I’ve had to dial back church commitments as I’ve dealt with long term, drain life emergencies and it has taken its toll. I’m the giving tree and the little boy is rounding the corner with a stump grinder.

I might as well go all the way and admit that I’ve never found that book anything but horrifying. Sending you whatever strength you can get from others.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the GC comments. I enjoyed reading through them and since we never have attempted to watch it all in one go since having a toddler, I was able to just listen to the talks you all recommended and wow! The Uchtdorf talk did so much for me!

[Anonymous]

I think most of you know I also don’t believe “Jesus listening can hear….” Perhaps he can hear, but that’s all – the rest is crickets. I have indeed literally cried “Why hast thou forsaken me?” Nibbler. Most orthodox Mormons don’t believe that’s possible, but quite frankly they are the blind and deaf ones so deceived by their own understandings. Not only do they not understand, they don’t want to understand and that is the real problem all of us face. Such things are outside their tiny little Mormon shoeboxes.

That said, I view the “songs I cannot sing” as very much like a line from another well known hymn. “In the quiet heart is hidden sorrow that they eye can’t see.” There are songs I cannot sing (besides Praise to the Man, that’s a different story). There are things of which I cannot testify. There are things other people “know to be true” which I know not to be. Those sorrows are all hidden in my heart. Holland’s message spoke to me in very much the same way Uchtdorf’s Come Join With US spoke to me – but that doesn’t mean it speaks to anyone else or even has to. And it doesn’t actually give me comfort or peace, but I do appreciate that someone in top leadership does seem to understand.

I had some issues with Christofferson’s talk as well. I think I know what he was trying to say and I don’t totally disagree. I admit I gained an insight into what I often refer to as guilt – it’s really shame I’m thinking about. He didn’t say this and I don’t think he even inferred it – but I realized when I say letting go of guilt is freeing what I am really referring to is shame. Letting go of the shame associated with the church (or more correctly people therein) is freeing. God sees our nakedness anyway, the fig leaves are useless and unnecessary. I try very hard to not fall prey to the Jedi mind trick of shame by others (which included some talks in GC you mentioned in #1 Nibbler). I was also concerned with Chrstofferson’s remarks in light of cultures which espouse shame. In some ways our own culture could use some more of that kind of shame while at the same time it could use less – but it fits in their culture nonetheless. His talk is not on my list of favorites, it did not resonate with me, and I can ignore it.

Interestingly when I was orthodox I didn’t care much for Holland. I wonder how many other more orthodox members ignore him.

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