I'm pretty excited about this plan. A quick search for "how to prepare for General Conference" led me to this page on lds.org, which has great resources. I read through the talks on the page and selected quotes we will use as our scripture study every night this week. They will be mini-FHEs where we will take turns reading through the quote, stopping to discuss the topics and ask and answer questions, as well as review previous discussions from the week. We started tonight and it went really well. I hope we can keep it up all week.
I decided I wanted to share in case any of you have had the same thoughts. I apologize that the formatting isn't perfect - when I copied and pasted from lds.org, it just looked funky. I don't know why. But you can still read it. I should probably just re-type it, but... it's just too late at night.
Sunday - History of & Reason for General Conference
In our dispensation, the
Wherever we are in this world,
“
Conferences have always been
We testify to every nation, kindred, tongue,and people that God not only lives but also that He speaks, that for our time and in our day the counsel you have heard is, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, “the will of the Lord, … the word of the Lord, … the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation.”3
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.
Tuesday - The Role of Prophets
Heavenly Father reveals this wisdom to His children on earth through His servants the prophets (see Amos 3:7). From the days of Adam, God has spoken to His children through appointed oracles who are charged with revealing His will and counsel to others. Prophets are inspired teachers and are always special witnesses of Jesus Christ (see D&C 107:23).Prophets speak not only to the people of their time, but they also speak to people throughout all time. Their voices echo through the centuries as a testament of God’s will to His children.
God’s priceless instructions to humankind are found in the Bible, theBook of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. In addition, the Lord speaks to us through His servants, as He will again at the upcoming general conference.
To all who wonder if such a thing can be—who might ask, “Is it possiblethat God speaks to us today?”—with all my heart I invite you to “come andsee” (John 1:46). Read the word of God as found in the scriptures. Listen to general conference with an ear willing to hear the voice of God given through His latter-day prophets. Come, hear, and see with your heart! For if you seek “with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ,[God] will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost” (Moroni 10:4). By and through this power, I know that Jesus Christ lives and directs His Church through a living prophet, even President Thomas S. Monson.
Wednesday - Ponder about Questions Prior to Conference, and Answers Will Come
Members of the Church are entitled to personal revelation as they listen to and study the inspired words spoken at general conference.
As you prepare for general conference, I invite you to ponder questions you need to have answered. For example, you might yearn for direction and guidance by the Lord regarding challenges you are facing.
Answers to your specific prayers may come directly from a particular talk or from a specific phrase. At other times answers may come in a seemingly unrelated word, phrase, or song. A heart filled with gratitude for the blessings of life and an earnest desire to hear and follow the words of counsel will prepare the way for personal revelation.
General Conference - No Ordinary Blessing by Pres. Uchtdorf, Sept. 2011 Ensign
Thursday - Ponder & Discuss What You Learn
After King Benjamin taught his people, “he dismissed the multitude, and they returned, every one, according to their families, to their own houses.” In his day, King Limhi did the same. After teaching and ministering to the people at the temple in Bountiful, the Savior entreated the people, “Go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again.”
In addition to inviting us to hold personal and family scripture study,Heavenly Father wants us to regularly study and apply what we have learned in conference. I testify that those who put their trust in the Lord and heed this counsel in faith will gain great strength to bless themselves and their families for generations to come.
Friday - Listen With the Spirit
" 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."
Saturday - Act on What You Hear and Learn, and You Will be Blessed
In order for the messages of general conference to change our lives, we need to be willing to follow the counsel we hear. The Lord explained in a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith “that when ye are assembled together ye shall instruct and edify each other, that ye may know … how to act upon the points of my law and commandment.” But knowing “how to act” isn’t enough. The Lord in the next verse said, “Ye shall bind yourselves to act in all holiness before me.” This willingness to take action on what we have learned opens the doors for marvelous blessings.
Every time we are obedient to the words of the prophets and apostles we reap great blessings. We receive more blessings than we can understand at the time, and we continue to receive blessings long after our initial decision to be obedient.
On the day the Church was organized, Joseph Smith received a revelation that included an important principle for all Church members. Speaking to the Church about Joseph Smith the Lord said, “Thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you … for his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth.”
Now listen to the blessings promised to those who heed: “For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good.”
Wow! What a wonderful way to prepare. Thank you so much, not only for doing this for your own family, but for making it available for us, too.
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