Stake Conference

We had a wonderful stake conference again.  I took lots of notes so I can remember the words that were said.  Sorry to say one of the talks I didn't take very many notes because I was busy listening.  That speaker was my brother-in-law, Kent.  He did a terrific job of making me think of things, so I was took busy listening and pondering to write.  Sorry Kent.  What notes I did take will help me remember my thoughts, which I'm not ready to share here, yet.  I will put them all in my personal journal.

Last night President Sharp showed us a Mormon Message that is also a book we have about a man who lost most of his family in a car accident because of a young driver.  He explains that he knew from the time he became aware of what had happened, he knew he had to forgive the driver.  It was a very moving video, not just about the loss the man experienced but forgiveness.  He stressed that if we don't forgive others for the things they have done to us, we are the ones who will miss out on blessings.  President Sharp spoke about how important it is that we forgive, and show it. We may think that we don't care, that we are free from the effects or pain of the things that hurt us, but if we don't let the person know, if we avoid them, if we don't let them know we are not holding any negative feelings about them, then sometime in the future we will realize that we are missing some blessings that would have come our way had we done as the Savior would have us do.  It is our responsibility to make sure our families are strengthened, that we aren't the link that is keeping families apart.  And "families" does not mean just spouses and children, but parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, grandchildren, etc.  When we are not working to strengthen families we are making Satan happy.   He talked about the need of repentance being as strong as the need of forgiveness, and that if we don't forgive we have greater need to repent than the person we did not forgive.  These notes are a blend of both of President  Sharp's talks, Saturday night and Sunday session.  They fit in very well together.

Mary Huntington also spoke on the same subject.  She told of a time when she was very offended by someone else and felt she had to call her parents and vent about it.  She was talking with her dad and he just said, "Mary, I'm sorry you are experiencing this, but you have to let it go or it will eat away at you for eternity."  She explained that he further said that if not in this life, but in the life to some she would have to learn that she could have made life better if she had let it go, that relationships are far more important than the anger, and that she was very wrong in not being understanding with the other person.

All the other talks were wonderful as well, but right now I have been pondering these three messages and seeing what I can do to strengthen myself.

I did have a scary experience when I nearly choked to death during the Sunday morning meeting.  I get these spasms when I can't swallow and I start to cough and can't get air, and I feel like I am ready to pass out before I start to breath again.  But that is another story.  I survived.

I am so thankful for the words I heard at conference. I hope I can keep the spirit I felt there and improve myself this week.