General Conference

I'm not shy about my beliefs. You can learn all about them by clicking the "we believe" button above. I've shared my feelings on the gospel, my testimony, and the things I have learned through my experiences many times on this blog. Still today I am learning more about the gospel and I am learning more about myself in the gospel. This weekend marks a special weekend in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It is general conference weekend. A weekend in which there are 4 sessions for all members of the church and 1 session for the priesthood holders to tune in and listen to a prophet and the apostles speak. And not just here in the U.S. Everywhere. It is translated into 92 different languages so these messages can be shared with everyone!  

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And beyond that, some members in other countries save up for years just to get a chance to come to America and hear the good word live from the conference center. A lot of foreign members make a big trip out of it. Touring the temple grounds, taking in the sites around Salt Lake, and spending time where the Saints established a home. One of the member families from Adam's mission in Mexico is here for conference. And Adam was lucky enough to speak to them once he found out they were here so he could invite them to his team's baseball game Thursday. They said yes, so Adam worked to get them all free tickets and free BYU shirts. We all talked, I mostly just listened because only the Father spoke solid English, for about an hour after the game. Watching Adam speak in Spanish to this member family was so incredible. I could see the love he had for not only them, but for his mission. And for that brief moment I got a glimpse into the two years previous to us meeting, to see the things that made him the man he is today. It was such a humbling moment in my life. And I am truly grateful for Adam and the work he put in as a missionary. It was a great reminder of one of the many reasons I love and admire him. But, the thing about it, is that isn't just Adam's experience. Missionaries are all over the world building those relationships with members, converts, and investigators in their area... and that is what makes it beautiful!

With the member family from Adam's mission.

These missionaries, the families saving and travelling from all over the world, the investegators, the members in your community... we are all happy and working for one reason. The gospel. And so if you have any interest in what makes us tick, in what keeps us interested in the gospel, this is YOUR chance to know without having to ask someone. Conference is broadcast live for everyone and you can watch any of the sessions HERE, Saturday and Sunday at 10 am MST and 2 pm MST. And if you have questions, don't hesitate to ask me. I am so happy where I am, I am grateful for the gospel, and I will gladly answer your questions.

Love,
Deidre

Dear Knowing,

I love this song. It is one of my holiday favorites. Because there was so much to this man. The man that we celebrate this holiday season. Jesus Christ. I love thinking about him as a child, with his mother Mary. I know that my parents think so many wonderful things of me, and I know that Mary thought so many wonderful things of her son. I like to think about all the things Mary thought of her son and what she knew. Did she know from that moment that Jesus Christ would be more than a carpenter. He would be our Savior, a teacher, a leader, an example.

I am so grateful for Jesus Christ. I am grateful for the man he is, that he would volunteer his life to save mine. That he would go through the atonement to help save me in the last day. I am grateful for his time spent in the garden that he knows all the things I feel every day. The joy, the sorrow, the trails, and success. He knows me and He has faith in me. I know. I know who He is. I know what He has and will do for me. And I know that Jesus Christ, my brother, is the reason for this season. Let us celebrate Him. Love, Deidre

Dear Time Out,

Remember a long time ago when I talked about Time Out for Women? Well... if you don't... Let me tell you what I said last time. "This wekend I am going to Time Out for Women with my Mom!" That was about it... and that was about... a month and a half ago. And when I was looking through my drafts I realized I never posted about it. Let me tell you, besides the fact that I got food poisoning, it was WONDERFUL!

The speakers were:

• Virginia. She was all about forgiveness.
• Sheri Dew. She talked about women in the Church and their importance.
• Chris Williams. He talked about letting it go, joining the Savior in healing, and saving souls. His big question was, "What burden can you lay at Jesus' door?" Because if we do that, He will heal us. Find out what Chris let go and what burden he laid at Jesus' door here.
• The Ladies from "Our Best Bites", Sara and Kate. They talked about looking for ways to serve and mother. And how life is more than being that picture perfect family.
• Brad Wilcox. His talk was all about names. Our name and God's name. And knowing God's name when we take it. He talked about thinking of the Savior writing His name across out heart just as Michael Angelo wrote his name across the statue he carved.
• Jon Bytheway. He said, "Regardless of your original intentions you will become what you surround yourself with." We need to surround ourselves with good things, good people, good music... just good in general. One thing he said that I loved was, "You are the average of the 5 people your surround yourself with."
• Emily Freeman. Her whole talk was based on this quoted, "Trust god enough so that you can trust his timing for us." - Neal Maxwell
• We also had wonderful musical performances from Jenny Oaks Baker, and she talked about the importance of family combined with Christ and the Gospel as well as not sweating the small stuff. And Mercy River, a group of three women. They talked about how Heavenly Father really loves it when we put our needs in His hand, letting him know He can calm us and looking to Him for hope.

This is my beautiful mother and I.

There wasn't much to take photos of. We honestly just sat and listened to wonderful speakers for two days straight. And this was the most scenery we got... besides the shopping at City Creek during lunch. I am so glad I got to spend those hours learning and growing with my Mother. She is beautiful and kind and such an inspiration to me.

Dear Missionary.... Whhhhat?!,

Okay. Big news. And I am sure you have heard it. Or maybe you haven't. But I just want to blog it.

Remember how I talked about conference last week? Well. The first session of conference on Saturday morning holds all the announcements. And after all the traditional statistics and temple announcements our dear Prophet dropped a HUGE announcement. President Thomas S. Monson, announced that the church would be lowering the minimum age required to serve full time LDS missions.

Since the day of my birth until I thought forever the age to serve would be 19 for men and 21 for women. And then, through inspiration from God, the age has been changed. For men, I guess they are men since they are "adult" age, it would now be 18 and for women 19! My. Mind. Was. Blown. You might be thinking, yeah, one or two years difference? That isn't too big of a jump. But for me it means a whole new world for the LDS culture in which I grew up. In fact. I love the idea of this change.

A few faces as the announcement was made. The kid on the left clearly in shock.

Instead of going to college for a year and potentially ruining their college GPA (like so many do, because hey they are just leaving in a year) or making some wrong turns, these young men can go on a mission DIRECTLY after high school. It is a game changer. 

And not only that, women can go on a mission right away, and instead of waiting around all day for their missionary or not dating until they are 24... they can head out on their mission. It will change the idea of what a Sister missionary is. No longer will it be the girl that "went because she wasn't married". It will be the young women that WANT to be out there serving. The women that want to be missionaries.

I am looking forward to seeing how things move forward. This age change is something truly amazing. Now I want to take the time to answer a question I got on my conference post.

So how come the men go to a 2 hour "priesthood" meeting? Do the women go to a meeting for their gender only as well? And if not, why? 

Men go to a priesthood meeting to receive direct messages from the presidency of the church. The men, generally  have a little more responsibility because of the priesthood so they talk about things that are more serious and directly related to holding the Priesthood. Men are the head of families so if they're strong, families will be.

The women have their own meeting the week prior to general conference. It is called the Relief Society broadcast. During the broadcast we have the opportunity to listen to the Relief Society presidency and a member of the presidency of the church. This broadcast is related to the responsibilities women have to teach and to take care of those around them. 

The reason there are two different meetings is because men and women have different responsibilities  and the Church wants to be able to focus on specific items that come through revelation.

What do you think of the big announcement?

What did you love at conference?

What did you learn?

Love,

Deidre

Dear General Conference,

First. Let me apologize. I really wanted to do a fashion Friday post.... But. Adam and I have both been busy so I barely get ready on a daily basis and Adam doesn't have time to be my photographer. I hope they come back quick!

Second. I am going to share something EVEN better than fashion with you today.

I am sure you have seen the "We Believe" tab up above or noticed me talking about my beliefs and church and different things like that. And I would hope that through my writing you get a good idea of what my morals and values are. If you can't, let me know, because obviously I am not really being myself. The most important thing in my life, even more than Adam (sorry husband), is the Church. I have learned a lot through my years of being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And this year, more than any other, has brought a lot of attention to my faith with things like The Book of Mormon Musical, Jabari Parker the basketball boy wonder, and Mitt Romney the Republican candidate... and many other things I am sure. I am grateful that the Church has taught me the importance of faith and prayer. the Church has taught me proper public speaking skills through all the talks (which I hated when I was younger... and still get super nervous about) I was asked to give to the congregation where I attended. The Church has also taught me that it is okay to share what I believe but to still respect other's opinions, to look outside myself and serve those around me, and to take time to meet new people. Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints brought me to Utah, where I was able to attend a beautiful school, and where I eventually met Adam. And now I am able to be sealed to Adam, for time and eternity, thanks to the wonderful ordinances performed in the temple. Everyone has their own learning path in the Church, but that was mine. And I am GRATEFUL for every second I spent in the church learning, asking questions, and figuring it out for myself.

So... besides all that, what am I going to share with you? This weekend is the best weekend. It is General Conference weekend.

Our entire church will be tuning in from their homes, from chapels, from the internet, over the radio, and any other way possible for a total of 8 hours (10 if you include the men's preisthood meeting) to listen to our Prophet, the Apostles, and many other leaders in the Church. And I invite you to do the same. If you have ever wondered why we go to church for three hours? Or why we all think modesty is so important? Or if you ever really wanted to know what Mitt Romney believes? This is your chance, to not only learn about me and so many other people and what makes us us, but to learn about a church that is so commonly mistaken for our beliefs.

Like I said, there are 8 hours you can tune in, but you can even just listen to one speaker. Each talk usually goes about 10-15 minutes. The sessions are Saturday the 6th and Sunday the 7th at 10 AM MST and 2 PM MST. Also. If you have any questions. At all. Please do not hesitate to ask!

Love,
Deidre