Thank goodness we are back in an appropriate time zone to enjoy General Conference! Asia was rough. Usually I'm busy making a Jeopardy game or a seminary quiz, but none of that was needed this year. Here are my favorite moments.
Elder Tai Opening Prayer. Oh my goodness, I love this man. He was in charge of senior missionaries in the Asia Area office and he was always interested in our welfare. When our son was having serious difficulties, he called us into his office to see if he could help. I miss him and his family. I was able to teach his daughter piano lessons each week and his wife is an incredible cook and teacher.
Bonnie Cordon, "Never Give Up an Opportunity to Testify of Christ." With that powerful talk she is released as General Young Women President. I am really working on this admonition in Spanish.
Elder Peter F. Meurs, "He Could Heal Me!" We were so sad when Elder and Sister Meurs left the Asia Area Presidency in July of 2022 for the Pacific Area. His home is in Perth, so it was a great opportunity to serve closer to home. I remember him telling the story of his car crash. What an amazing example he is. And goodness, he can play anything on the piano.
Mark A. Bragg, "Christlike Poise." Be a calm man in a storm. This talk on poise was unique to me and something I need to work on. What a great opportunity he had to be tutored by Coach Wooden.
Elder Neil L. Anderson, "My Mind Caught Hold upon This Thought of Jesus Christ." The story Elder Anderson told of a dying mother and her three children was heart-breaking. Later the next day, Elder Anderson posted on Facebook that Maddy (who is in the MTC) had heart surgery at the age of 13. The Harpers, who served with us in Hong Kong, are serving as her MTC leaders and posted their love for her and admiration of her strong testimony.
President Russell M. Nelson, "Peacemakers Needed." How much do we need this message today? I know when I scroll through social media, I become changed by the language and criticism displayed. I remembered some friends who do nothing but speak encouraging words; that is an example I can follow.
President Dallin H. Oaks, "The Teachings of Jesus Christ." Knowing the kind of scholar President Oaks is, I bet he slaved over his talk. And because he spoke only the words of Jesus Christ, his talk was incredibly powerful.
Elder Ahmad S. Corbitt, "Do You Know Why I as a Christian Believe in Christ?" When I taught seminary, I would encourage students to try to explain doctrine in the most simple way possible. How would you explain this to a 5-year-old, a 20-year-old, or a 60-year-old? The simple doctrinal principles are the most important.
If you haven't seen Elder Corbitt's talk on Activism, check out this powerful message:
Finally, the temple announcements. There were a few temples we had been waiting on: Iquitos, Peru--where you can only enter by plane; San Jose and Bakersfield, California--which have long distances to travel. But the remaining were such a surprise. Jakarta was the one that made me gasp. We have only 2 dozen missionaries in the majority Muslim country of 273 million people. My brother was thrilled about the Charlotte, North Carolina temple announcement since he served there from 1984-1986.
What an uplifting weekend. I hope you enjoyed General Conference and that you make time to rewatch and study the words of these inpired servants of God. If you use Alexa, ask her to download Gospel Voice. Then tell her, "Alexa, ask Gospel voice to play General Conference."
I love that Conference is broadcast in Quichua for the Otavalo saints. We were able to watch every session in the comfort of our apartment. My favorite message was given by Elder Robert M. Daines. His talk about being face-blind was so touching. The quote that I researched immediately was, "A few years ago, I got a calling I didn't feel up to. I awoke early, nervous--but with a phrase in mind I had not heard before: that to serve in this Church is to stand in the river of God's love for His children." A wonderful blog post from Faith Matters tells the story of Elder Daines becoming a stake president in Palo Alto. He was currently working as a law and finance professor at Stanford University. In his first address to his stake he said something similar: Think for a minute of your favorite story of Jesus. What is it? You show me your favorite store of Jesus and I'll show you a story of Jesus reaching out to and loving someone on the margins of society, someone who w...
We returned to the Quito Temple for a week of worshiping and recharging. The temple has a split schedule (or a siesta schedule) so they open in the morning, close for the afternoon, and then reopen for the evening. This means we can attend an endowment session and then an extra ordinance before leaving for lunch. On Monday we arrived about 4pm and went to the Scala Mall for dinner. They are adding a 4th floor, so in the 6 weeks we have been gone, they opened the new food court up there. It is an exact replica of the 3rd floor. As you look across the open area of the mall (with its tarp roof), you can see where the 3rd floor was open. We would eat KFC there by the windows. Today we are enjoying McDonalds for the first time in over 2 years. On Tuesday-Friday we walk up from the Scala Mall on this wonderful ciclovia. Some of its largest trees were blooming with huge yellow flowers. One of the most popular restaurants in Cumbaya, El Palacio de la Fritada, is always busy. I order...
Papo's is our new favorite spot to eat. They always give you lots of food and it's delicious. I was starting to feel a cold coming on, but it was still nice to go out and eat. We picked up some of these fried bananas on the way out of Quito and they were the most delicious snack I've had. I should have bought more. They were only $1. Crunchy, sweet, and delicious. In the middle of our trip, we hit a pothole and got a flat tire. Right in the middle of the Andes. Luckily, Paul found a bus stop to pull over into because there are no shoulders on the road. He put the spare on and we drove the 100 miles home on it. And it wasn't raining. What a blessing!
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