It is such a privilege that we have General Conference.
Every 6 month the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' church leaders speak on a variety of spiritual topics over the course of 2 days.
These talks are broadcasted throughout the world and are available on lds.org and church magazines to read and view thereon after.
Technology can be amazing.
The morning of April 6th I was exhausted. My awesome husband brought me the iPad in bed while he took our little one downstairs to watch conference on our local cable station. I laid cuddled up in bed with the iPad propped on a pillow watching it via the Internet. The first talk I got to hear was President Dieter F. Uchdorf's. It was nothing short of amazing and awe-inspiring. Even though my viewing situation was shall we say
slightly pretty irreverent, the spirit of it's truthfulness struck me ever-so awake and hanging on every word. I LOVE this talk! So much so that not only am I doing a post on it, but I'm begging you to read it before reading on any further.
Click on the link below where you can read it or watch the video. Then you can read on back here at your leisure :)
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Feeling guilty about not reading it yet?
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Read it yet?!
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All done?
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Thank you for adhering to my plea. Wasn't it so good! Such an eye opening talk for me for sure.
I think a little background leading up to the Sunday I first heard this talk needs to be shared:
We spent Saturday skiing in the neighbour country to the south, first time in a couple years skiing, and it was nothing short of wonderful. There was no wind, it was so warm that I was never cold, the snow was perfect - powder on top then a little slushy closer to the bottom
(which I actually kinda prefer cause I'm weird like that). Our daughter was being tended at the bottom lodge by her grandma and was ever so good. We got to watch the fun year end pond skimming contest that was super entertaining and consisted of a sweet flip off a jump into the pond. It was just great. Then we headed back to the nearby town lending a ride to a fellow skier who missed his bus. We found out upon starting to leave he was hammered,
BUT that was ok, the town wasn't that far, we were doing a good deed, and he really wasn't
that obnoxious. After dropping him off we came to realize my coat, hoodie, and the hubs' gloves were left at the base lodge. So, we drove all the way back up the mountain,
BUT they were right where we left them and we beat the cleanup team as the mountain was being closed for the season. We drove to Taco Bell for a much craved crunch wrap supreme. We went through the drive-through because the little one was asleep. It was soooooo slow with a big line in front and behind us,
BUT we noticed my parents pulled into the parking lot and went inside and while rummaging through the console for something, we noticed my dad's
passport. I quickly jumped out and ran in to return it to him, he didn't even notice it was gone and if the line up had been short we would have missed seeing them pull up and probably wouldn't have noticed we even had the passport. We went shopping quick
(not so quick actually, dang you ROSS, sorry honey!!) and then due to some unforeseen and unplanned pit stops were running very late for the border. So late we had to turn back, and drive 2 hours out of our way to a different border.
BUT our little kidlet was fast asleep in the back happy and healthy the whole drive to the next border, we got to stop at a gas station where the hubs bought a can of jalapeno pringles that took me back to memory lane to our first month of marriage in that teeny tiny apartment
(the 1 and only month I'd ever tasted and ate them daily), and upon reaching the border we zipped through the quickest we've ever encountered at a border. Our home was accounted for, tidy, and the bed was amazing to crash on. However, it was obviously very late so that is why Sunday morning I clung to my covers whining to watch conference in bed.
(Thanks honey!) Then, as I stated, I listened to the talk which keeps playing in my mind rooting a deeper connection within.
I was so pleased with myself from Saturday's experiences. There were many things to complain about, but my mind quickly flipped each situation with a positive or an at least _________
(worse case scenario)_______ didn't happen. I had adverted every bitter complaint of that day and focused on the positives and even pridefully thought I had managed to selflessly give my husband the same rose-colored goggles.
This talk opened my eyes into the depth of
true gratitude. Not the gratitude from 'I'm grateful these things didn't happen', or even gratitude from materialistic things, to health, to independence, to people currently in my life, but the much larger, constant, unchangeable truths that I need to draw my thanksgiving foundation from.
The primary song '
The Wise Man and the Foolish Man' comes to mind:
1. The wise man built his house upon the rock,
The wise man built his house upon the rock,
The wise man built his house upon the rock,
And the rains came tumbling down.
2. The rains came down, and the floods came up,
The rains came down, and the floods came up,
The rains came down, and the floods came up,
And the house on the rock stood still.
3. The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
And the rains came tumbling down.
4. The rains came down, and the floods came up,
The rains came down, and the floods came up,
The rains came down, and the floods came up,
And the house on the sand washed away.
Have I been building
a house my spirit of thanksgiving on sand or rock? It really struck me to dive deeper into my thankful-hood. The words of the talk forced me to look upon that which I am most grateful for and that which I know to be a constant truth to be grateful for. When circumstances start pulling away some of the bounteous blessings I have been given, I can know of a surety my house can still stand in gratitude.
My knowledge of Heavenly Father and his love for me, Christ's infinite atonement for all, life after death, and many other gospel truths can still be a force of gratefulness in my life despite situations I encounter. How wonderful that is.
This talk was an invitation for me, an invitation to put forth more focus on the gratitude of god and less on worldly circumstances, and I hope I can rise to the call.
" May we “live in thanksgiving daily”18—especially during the
seemingly unexplainable endings that are part of mortality. May we allow our
souls to expand in thankfulness toward our merciful Heavenly Father. May
we ever and constantly raise our voices and show by word and deed our gratitude
to our Father in Heaven and to His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. "
- Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf
For more talks from this past General Conference here is the link: General Conference April 2014
Heaven's slice is a grateful heart.
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