For those who are not aware, next weekend (Sep 30 & Oct 1) is the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is a very incredible opportunity that comes to us twice a year, and it is important to prepare for this appropriately. Those who are more spiritually in tune will receive greater revelations.
General Conference is not a recent invention. We read about how people prepared for the general conference of their time in the Book of Mormon:
"the people gathered themselves together throughout all the land, that they might go up to the temple to hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto them....
"And it came to pass that when they came up to the temple, they pitched their tents round about, every man according to his family, consisting of his wife, and his sons, and his daughters, and their sons, and their daughters, from the eldest down to the youngest, every family being separate one from another.
And they pitched their tents round about the temple, every man having his tent with the door thereof towards the temple, that thereby they might remain in their tents and hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto them;"
(Mosiah 2:1,5–6)
I really like this scripture, and not just because the prophet is named Benjamin. It teaches that one of the great things about conference is how it brings us together as families. Even those who do not live close to their families can gather with like-minded saints to hear the word of the Lord.
For another example of an ancient conference, see Acts 11.
In more recent times, this is how the Lord has commanded general conference to take place:
"The several elders composing this church of Christ are to meet in conference once in three months, or from time to time as said conferences shall direct or appoint;"
(D&C 20:61)
Now, what is the purpose of general conference? Today, as in ancient times, it is to determine the will of the Lord for ourselves. As revealed in latter days, the Lord said,
"What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."
(D&C 1:38)
Thus, whatever we hear from the apostles and prophets, we are under the same mandate to follow as if it had come from the mouth of Christ himself.
Pres. Hinckley felt strongly about what we should do as a result of our attending/listening to general conference.
"As a result of this great conference each of us should be a better man or a better woman, a better boy or a better girl."
(October 2003)
"This has been a most remarkable thing, this conference. We have listened to twenty-eight different speakers. No one was assigned a topic on which to speak. Each was free to choose his or her message. There is always the risk of repetition in that. But isn’t it remarkable that all of it seems to have been woven together into a beautiful fabric of expression of faith and testimony. I am grateful for what we have heard. I will be a better man if I will put into my life the things of which I have been reminded in this conference, and I would like to suggest that each of you will be a better man or woman if you will put into your lives something of what you have heard in this great conference."
(October 1995)
If Pres. Hinckley can stand to become a better person, I think that we all can as well.
In conference of October 2013, Elder Hales said:
"What is said is not as important as what we hear and what we feel. That is why we make an effort to experience conference in a setting where the still, small voice of the Spirit can be clearly heard, felt, and understood.
Oh, how we need general conference! Through conferences our faith is fortified and our testimonies deepened. And when we are converted, we strengthen each other to stand strong amid the fiery darts of these last days."
And just recently, Pres. Monson said in the First Presidency message,
"How blessed we are that the restored Church of Jesus Christ is upon the earth and that the Church is founded upon the rock of revelation. Continuous revelation is the very lifeblood of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
May we prepare to receive the personal revelation that comes in abundance during general conference. May our hearts be filled with deep determination as we raise our hands to sustain living prophets and apostles. May we be enlightened, uplifted, comforted, and strengthened as we listen to their messages."
(Ensign Sep 2017)
One of the most beautiful things about general conference is the remarkable blessing we can have of having questions answered. I have experienced this myself many times, and I know of others who have received similar blessings. If you go into your conference experience with a sincere question for God, you will receive an answer. Elder Holland said on this subject:
"Perhaps you already know (but if you don’t you should) that with rare exception, no man or woman who speaks here is assigned a topic. Each is to fast and pray, study and seek, start and stop and start again until he or she is confident that for this conference, at this time, his or hers is the topic the Lord wishes that speaker to present regardless of personal wishes or private preferences. Every man and woman you have heard during the past 10 hours of general conference has tried to be true to that prompting. Each has wept, worried, and earnestly sought the Lord’s direction to guide his or her thoughts and expression....
If we teach by the Spirit and you listen by the Spirit, some one of us will touch on your circumstance, sending a personal prophetic epistle just to you.
(2011, April, Jeffrey R. Holland)
I encourage all of you to make preparations for this upcoming general conference so you can make the most of this amazing spiritual opportunity. It is well worth all the effort.
General Conference is not a recent invention. We read about how people prepared for the general conference of their time in the Book of Mormon:
"the people gathered themselves together throughout all the land, that they might go up to the temple to hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto them....
"And it came to pass that when they came up to the temple, they pitched their tents round about, every man according to his family, consisting of his wife, and his sons, and his daughters, and their sons, and their daughters, from the eldest down to the youngest, every family being separate one from another.
And they pitched their tents round about the temple, every man having his tent with the door thereof towards the temple, that thereby they might remain in their tents and hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto them;"
(Mosiah 2:1,5–6)
I really like this scripture, and not just because the prophet is named Benjamin. It teaches that one of the great things about conference is how it brings us together as families. Even those who do not live close to their families can gather with like-minded saints to hear the word of the Lord.
For another example of an ancient conference, see Acts 11.
In more recent times, this is how the Lord has commanded general conference to take place:
"The several elders composing this church of Christ are to meet in conference once in three months, or from time to time as said conferences shall direct or appoint;"
(D&C 20:61)
Now, what is the purpose of general conference? Today, as in ancient times, it is to determine the will of the Lord for ourselves. As revealed in latter days, the Lord said,
"What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."
(D&C 1:38)
Thus, whatever we hear from the apostles and prophets, we are under the same mandate to follow as if it had come from the mouth of Christ himself.
Pres. Hinckley felt strongly about what we should do as a result of our attending/listening to general conference.
"As a result of this great conference each of us should be a better man or a better woman, a better boy or a better girl."
(October 2003)
"This has been a most remarkable thing, this conference. We have listened to twenty-eight different speakers. No one was assigned a topic on which to speak. Each was free to choose his or her message. There is always the risk of repetition in that. But isn’t it remarkable that all of it seems to have been woven together into a beautiful fabric of expression of faith and testimony. I am grateful for what we have heard. I will be a better man if I will put into my life the things of which I have been reminded in this conference, and I would like to suggest that each of you will be a better man or woman if you will put into your lives something of what you have heard in this great conference."
(October 1995)
If Pres. Hinckley can stand to become a better person, I think that we all can as well.
In conference of October 2013, Elder Hales said:
"What is said is not as important as what we hear and what we feel. That is why we make an effort to experience conference in a setting where the still, small voice of the Spirit can be clearly heard, felt, and understood.
Oh, how we need general conference! Through conferences our faith is fortified and our testimonies deepened. And when we are converted, we strengthen each other to stand strong amid the fiery darts of these last days."
And just recently, Pres. Monson said in the First Presidency message,
"How blessed we are that the restored Church of Jesus Christ is upon the earth and that the Church is founded upon the rock of revelation. Continuous revelation is the very lifeblood of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
May we prepare to receive the personal revelation that comes in abundance during general conference. May our hearts be filled with deep determination as we raise our hands to sustain living prophets and apostles. May we be enlightened, uplifted, comforted, and strengthened as we listen to their messages."
(Ensign Sep 2017)
One of the most beautiful things about general conference is the remarkable blessing we can have of having questions answered. I have experienced this myself many times, and I know of others who have received similar blessings. If you go into your conference experience with a sincere question for God, you will receive an answer. Elder Holland said on this subject:
"Perhaps you already know (but if you don’t you should) that with rare exception, no man or woman who speaks here is assigned a topic. Each is to fast and pray, study and seek, start and stop and start again until he or she is confident that for this conference, at this time, his or hers is the topic the Lord wishes that speaker to present regardless of personal wishes or private preferences. Every man and woman you have heard during the past 10 hours of general conference has tried to be true to that prompting. Each has wept, worried, and earnestly sought the Lord’s direction to guide his or her thoughts and expression....
If we teach by the Spirit and you listen by the Spirit, some one of us will touch on your circumstance, sending a personal prophetic epistle just to you.
(2011, April, Jeffrey R. Holland)
I encourage all of you to make preparations for this upcoming general conference so you can make the most of this amazing spiritual opportunity. It is well worth all the effort.
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