General Conference and related thoughts

This last weekend was the general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. As usual it was very uplifting, motivating, and wonderful. How blessed we are to be guided through these troubled times by living apostles and prophets! Two of the themes I picked up from conference were hope and unity.

Our Elders' Quroum can relate very well to President Uchtdorf's talk on moving pianos. We have moved a couple of pianos and many other items in the last couple of months. Hopefully we can stand close and lift where we are in all aspects of our quorum service. My friend Akbar came with me to the Priesthood session of conference. I realized it may have been more appropiate to invite him to a different session. Priesthood was directed specifically to Priesthood bearers and I was concerned how he would take Elder Scott's condemnation of cultures that treat their wives poorly. I am not sure how they treat women in the culture Akbar comes from.

With my sister, Rachel in the MTC preparing to go to Lithuania, it was neat to hear the son of Lithuanian parents speak in general conference about his father. And with my brother, Clay just arriving in Mexico to serve his mission, it was fun to hear President Monson tell the missionary choir about a missionary who was in the MTC that was convinced that he could not learn Spanish. President Monson suggested that he be sent to the Japanese class for a day. He quickley decided it was possible to learn Spanish. I'm posting a picture of Rachel and Clay in the MTC standing in front of a picture of Legrand Richards

5 new Temples were announced, including Kansas City and Rome, Italy. I found out today that the Kansas City Temple will actually be in Missouri, near Liberty Jail, that will be neat. I am excited for our brethren at the St. Louis Temple from Kansas City, however we will miss them. We will have to lengthen our stride to fill the Temple back up. While in Spain on my mission, several people mentioned their surprise that "the Mormons" had a Temple right in the middle of Catholism (Madrid, Spain). Imagine their surprise when they learn we will have a Temple in Rome! It's a miracle!

General Conference time is also mission reunion time. Missing my mission reunions is really one of the hardest parts about living in Illinois for me. I had the great blessing in my life of serving under President Mask and President Bowen, both of which had reunions last week. Sunday night one of my mission buddies, Elder Furse, called and told me all about them. President Bowen is serving as an area president in Argentina and Elder Mask is serving in the missionary department in Salt Lake City. All mission presidents are good, but I got to serve under exceptional mission presidents.

My sadness at missing mission reunions was partially eased by participating in a zone conference here in Champaign. Dale Kirby was baptized last Friday in our ward. The mission president was doing a zone conference on "eyes to baptize" and also wanted to be present for Dale's baptism, so he asked that the baptism be part of zone conference. I got to welcome Dale to the quorum, so I got to speak at zone conference, something I didn't expect to do again so soon after my mission.