General Conference: Saturday afternoon

President Henry B. Eyring conducting

Choir: Glory to God On High

[ prayer ]

[ for the past month I’ve been taking a half dose of Zoloft every day because I was going to run out of refills while our insurance was being processed/cancelled – and a half dose isn’t quite enough, so I had a MAJOR ANXIETY MELTDOWN for a bit ]

Elder Richard G. Scott
The children of Father in Heaven can do amazing things when they feel trusted.
No doctrine more fundamental to our work than the Atonement
At every appropriate opportunity, testify of the Savior and the power of His atoning sacrifice
He is the perfect pattern for everyone in life
Don’t become absorbed by trivial things
We best serve our Father in Heaven by righteously influencing others
His gospel is the path to peace and happiness in this life
Share our love, trust, and knowledge of truth with others

Choir & congregation: We Thank Thee, O God, For a Prophet

Elder Robert D. Hales
Of all the lessons we learn from the life of the Savior, none is more clear and powerful than the lesson of obedience
In the premortal life, those who followed Lucifer ended their eternal progression
Jesus expressed His commitment to obey: “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thing forever”
He learned obedience by the things which He suffered
He prepared the way for us to return to our Heavenly Father, who knew we would make mistakes as we learned obedience in mortality
When we obey, we accept His sacrifice, for we believe that through Jesus Christ, all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws, ordinances, and commandments of the gospel
At baptism we take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ
Covenant with God that we will be obedient until the end of our lives
As we repent by turning away from disobedience and by beginning to obey again we show our love for Christ
We progress in our understanding of obedience as we live the gospel
Natural man’s obedience: we reject God’s law in favor of our wisdom or desires or popularity
[ internet stopped working ]
We will recognize the central role of agency
In the Garden of Gethsemane: “Let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
Savior obediently endured to the end even though it meant great suffering and death
Obedience is motivated by true love for Heavenly Father
[ crockpot made a noise and Ender thought it was someone knocking at the door ]
Using our agency to obey means choosing to do what is right and letting the consequence follow
It requires mastery and brings confident eternal happiness
It is impossible for others to modify God’s commandments, which were given for our good
To rationalize disobedience does not change spiritual law or its consequences
We have a sacred obligation to uphold the laws and commandments of the Savior
ex: Joseph Smith, Martin Harris – manuscript
“Learn in thy youth to keep
Obedience makes us progressively stronger, capable of enduring tests and trials in the future
“Be humble, be submissive, be gentle”

Elder Claudio D. Zivic
ex: child told to practice piano; gradually love music and practice without prompting
It would be wonderful to have a desire deep in our hearts to keep the commandments without anyone constantly reminding us
How often do we make a mistake about the right way, letting ourselves be led along by the trends of the world?
Are we being doers of the words of Jesus Christ?
Through repentance, we can humble ourselves, change our actions, and draw closer to our Heavenly Father
[ had to look up where Elder Zivic is from…born in Buenos Aires ]
Do not lose sight of the way
Currents of the world will not sweep us away
Jesus Christ lives. He exhorts us, “Hearken all ye nations of the earth, and hear the words of that God who created you.”

Elder W. Craig Zwick
ex: big rig cab filled with smoke, wife jumped out
“I was just trying to save our son.”
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but only that which is good and edifying that it may administer grace unto the hearers.”
Anger is an emotional electrical short
We have all had the opportunity to learn how destructive words can take a situation from hazardous to fatal
Treat all people with civility, even when we disagree
“Grievous words stirreth up anger”
Doesn’t mean we never speak directly or that we compromise doctrinal truth
The entire human race seems to be surprisingly proficient in the language of doubt, blame, and fear
Cultivate respect across wide distances of belief and behavior and across deep canyons of conflicting opinions
It doesn’t matter who is “more right,” what matters is listening to each other and understanding the other’s perception
Ministering grace can change us
Through compassionate language, we can have empathy for the feelings and context of others

Elder Quentin L. Cook
In this life we laugh, we cry, we work, we play…and then we die
Yes, we will live again because of the atoning sacrifice of the Savior
[ kids are CRAZY ]
[ I am CRAZY ]
We act as agents for those who have died without baptism and give them the privilege of coming forth in the first resurrection
[ snack ]
[ various distractions ]

Choir: High On the Mountain Top

[ prayer ]