April 2024 Saturday Afternoon Thoughts
So cool to see Elder Stevenson conducting (with a sharp looking suit and paisley tie combo, I might add)…AND President Nelson is present. First time we’ve had a 99-year old church leader in attendance!
Loved Elder Bednar’s experience with the media regarding the Celestial Room of the temple regarding stillness. I actually just finished a book called “The Power of Stillness” so that concept is fresh on my mind. Stillness is not just silence and quiet, it is confidence and calm in the midst of the chaos and loud. Elder Bednar has an ability to teach me from familiar scriptures in a way like I have never heard them before, even though I may have taught them dozens of times. He did that with Helaman 5:12 for me today. The Savior is not the foundation. We build our personal foundation upon the Savior. That is what true stillness of the soul is! Can’t wait to study this talk again.
Massimo De Feo (who I personally think Is Ray Romano’s doppelgänger) gave some powerful thoughts about blindness and improving our vision. Spiritual eye injections?!? We keep a clear spiritual vision when we focus on Jesus Christ and stay true to Jesus Christ and then “we need to cry even louder, our testimony of the Lord to the world” rather than listening to the worldly voices that are trylng to silence and blind us. As long as we make excuses to feel sorry for ourselves...we keep the beggar's coat on our shoulders. I will never read Mark 10 the same.
I remember hearing about the Seminary graduation requirement back in the day to name all the temples in the Church. Yeah, that would be pretty daunting today. Brent H. Nielson’s witness and talk about witnessing was awesome. There has never been a better time to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints than today. Great time to be a witness!
The profound questions of the soul, those that surface in our darkest hours and highest trials, are addressed through the unwavering love of Jesus Christ.” Elder Jose L. Alonso’s humble approach to yoking ourselves to the Savior by focusing on Him at the core of our thoughts and deeds was simple and beautiful. Jesus had both high love, and high expectations of his disciples. That hasn’t changed.
I missed the first couple minutes of Elder Gong’s talk to check the almost done brisket, but I came and heard this quote “When we trust God and His love for us, even our greatest heartbreaks can in the end work together for our good.” A great nod to one of my favorite verses in Romans 8. A loving Heavenly Father does not give trials to punish us. His tender examples of Saints were a reminder that trials are a mandatory part of life, but misery is optional.
Old Testament Prophet Job count so far: 3
Be true at all times, just as the stripling Ammonites were. Great counsel from Brother Michael T. Nelson from the YM Presidency. “No one serving in the Lord’s kingdom serves alone.” The more we let the youth lead, the more their faith and abilities will increase. Entire wards will be blessed as we all focus on strengthening the rising generations.
Love how the choir is taking on some new arrangements of some great sacrament hymns.
And we finish strong with Elder Cook! “The Lord’s saving mercy is not dependent on lineage, education, economic status or race. It is based on being one with Christ and His commandments.” Oneness is obtained through the atonement of Jesus Christ. "Given our ‘likeness’ before God, it makes little sense to emphasize our differences." WOW! I hope the world listens up to that principle. We DO have moral agency, it isn’t relative. Without it, we couldn't choose to be one with Christ.
Stillness, Sight, Witnessing, Gratitude, Perspective, Leadership, Oneness
Brisket is at 203 degrees - time to wrap, wait for a few, and then partake!
Excited for tonight’s session - see you then!