General Conference

This weekend of General Conference was SO good! I love to hear what the Lord wants us to know. This year I tried to be a little more prepared so that I could enjoy Conference more. I wrapped up some treats and little activities for the kids to open. I put the prophet and apostles faces on the bags. Then when that person was speaking the kids could open a bag. It was a great thing to do. The kids loved being able to open some surprises, and I feel like they learned a little bit since they were listening to when they would announce that someone from the quorum of the 12 apostles were talking. It also gave them something to do so that I could listen and learn the things that I needed to learn.

Friday night I had made some cinnamon rolls and put them in the fridge so I could bake them Saturday morning before conference. They turned out so good. I keep making cinnamon rolls for the kids, and they keep not eating them. I feel like it is sugar on sugar on sugar and that they should love them for special occasions, but every time I make them, the kids never eat them. This time was no different. But Kevin and I enjoyed them, and I brought some over to our friends the Kollers who enjoyed them as well.

The Saturday Morning session was great. It was amazing to be a part of this historic time and the changes that are happening. President Nelson announced that we will be changing to a 2 hour schedule instead of the current 3 hour block. He said the church is going to be Home focused with a church supporting role. I love this. When I heard the announcement I was so nervous because now I have so much responsibility to teach my children the gospel. It is meant to be learned here, but now I really need to step it up. A couple talks later, the topic of fear was addressed and I just felt at peace. I know that if I follow the prophet and do the best I can, that my children will be blessed  and the Lord will make up the difference.

Another historic thing that happened this conference was that the Women's conference and the Priesthood Session are going to start switching conference weekends. So this October, instead of having a Priesthood session, there was a Women's Session. It was so good. I learned so much, but President Nelson challenged the women of the church to read the whole Book of Mormon from now to the end of the year. I am excited for this challenge, but also it is going to take some planning and work to read it. I need the blessings he promised would come from reading though, so I am doing it.

Another thing that President Nelson announced was that we are going to stop calling ourselves Mormons, or LDS , or any other nickname instead of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. When he first said this I was wondering why it would matter so much. But he said that the Lord is disappointed in us for taking His name out of the title. In the scriptures Jesus tells us what the church's name is supposed to be, and we have gone and changed it. President Nelson said that was a win for Satan. We need to put Jesus Christ back at the center of our lives, and when people ask us what religion we are a part of to say, "I am a part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!" It was a great talk.

He also announced 12 new temples that are going to be built. While he was announcing them I just wanted to cry. I felt the spirit testify so strongly to me the blessings these temples were going to be in continuing the work of the gospel and to those who live in those areas. I feel so blessed to be a part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I should urge myself to go back and reread this October 2018 General Conference when I am looking back on this post, because it was so good. I am looking forward to implementing the changes and changing myself to be better until the next General Conference.

After Conference we went on a long walk by the river by our house. Camille is starting to get pretty good at riding her bike, and Jason is getting better at pedaling his bike. I just love my family.