Live Blogging General Conference, September 2014 General Women's Meeting

Yes, it's that season once again, and I'm live blogging General Conference, starting with the General Women's Meeting this weekend and continuing on Saturday and Sunday next weekend. I'm going to try to do less summary and more reflecting this time around. I'll update it periodically throughout the conference--typically at the end of each speaker's message.

I loved the Korean primary choir singing "I Love to See the Temple!" I loved seeing members of the worldwide General Young Women's board sitting on the stand, and the combined multi-generational choir from the Salt Lake area. In so many ways, I see women in the church leading the way by example, reflecting and teaching the values and needs of our worldwide sisterhood.

Linda K. Burton, Relief Society General President
President Burton spoke on wise preparation for service and blessings. She quoted Bonnie Oscarson's insightful reversal of a well-known scripture: "Where much is required, much more will be given." This is an answer to a concern that has been weighing on my mind for many days.

Jean A. Stevens, Primary General Presidency
Sister Stevens' recollections of the faith of her mother and other faithful women, and the priority they placed on making and keeping gospel covenants reminded me of my own mother, grandmothers, and other family members.

Video Presentation: Worldwide Sisters Testify of the Temple
For the past eight months, I have served each week in the temple. I testify that what these sisters have said about the blessings of the temple--the peace and power of that place--is true. I am so grateful for the expansive program of temple building that the church has carried out in the past few decades, to bring temples to so many more people throughout the world.

Neill F. Marriott, Young Women General Presidency
Temples bring light and hope to the world--and so do we. Each of the many roles women take on carry moral influence, in our families, communities, and workplaces. It is not only through great acts, but through small acts of love and service that this moral influence is felt. The Savior's call to discipleship is not only to learn of him but to do his works--to heal broken hearts, give gospel light to the spiritually blind, and redeem the dead through temple service.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, 2nd Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
OK. So President Uchtdorf just called this women's meeting the opening of another general conference. Not an auxiliary or supplement to it. This is the opening meeting of general conference. Is this news to you? It's news to me. Very welcome news! The question is, will these talks now be published in the conference issue of the Ensign? I hope so because this meeting has been filled with spiritual treasure. [Edit: they have been printed in the past, at the back of the conference issue. My memory was faulty.]

"It is good to remember that you are always a child of God.... however, it is also important to remember that being a daughter of heavenly parents is not a distinction that you have earned or that you can ever lose...[but it also] does not guarantee you a divine inheritance...it takes more than a spiritual birth certificate to qualify for [celestial] blessings." It is by walking the path of discipleship and obedience to God's commandments that we qualify to inherit all that God has. Sometimes it's unclear why we have to keep certain commandments. "I think God knows something we don't." God doesn't have blessings locked in a cloud, demanding that we keep his commandments before he will unlock them. Rather, God is constantly raining blessings down upon us, and our disobedience is like an umbrella blocking us from receiving this living water.

You can't see it, but I'm grinning right now because at the end of my temple shift today, I had to scurry through torrential rain, without any umbrella, to get to my car at the far end of the parking lot! I arrived soaking wet, but laughing--as perhaps only residents of arid Arizona can fully appreciate. Little did I know that as I drove home from the temple soaking wet, I was drenched in blessings.

Image: "Rain" by Navaneeth Ashok. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Observe, Think, Write, Reflect, Repeat. Not Necessarily in That Order.

I finished my first round of conferences with my ENG 215 students this week. Their first project is what we might call a "demi discourse analysis" of a scholarly and a popular source on the same topic. It's time-consuming but I like giving feedback in conferences a lot more than I like just collecting drafts, writing feedback all over them, and handing them back. It was an especially fascinating, exciting, and exhausting three days for me, as it's the first time I've taught this project and I was both nervous and eager to see, in my students' drafts, what they'd learned in the past few weeks about discourse analysis and, though their analyses, about the discourses of the fields they're majoring in. As usual, when I talk with my students about what they're writing and why, I learn a lot not only about my own teaching, but about their prior writing experiences.

Here's one thing I noticed:

A lot of my students focused at least in part on "credibility markers" as a significant discourse feature. Most of them reduced "credibility markers" to "citations" and many proceeded to not only describe the type and frequency of citations, but to make evaluative claims about the trustworthiness of the sources based solely on that. What I inferred from this: we tout peer reviewed sources as the "gold standard" for academic writing in FYC, and our students have bought into it heavily, and mostly uncritically. This is a problem.

I am pleased to say, however, that some of my students did hesitantly, haltingly, apologetically push back against their own parroting of this narrow FYC-induced view of credibility, which opened up a neat learning space for us to think and talk about how we construct credibility in a more nuanced way. In the future when I assign some version of this project, I'll be sure to spend class time exploring this before drafts are due.

Another (related) thing I noticed:

It's genuinely hard for my students to describe discourse features without also passing judgment on them--regardless of how often I've pushed back against the idea that any particular discourse feature or convention is objectively, universally better or worse than another. I'm not sure if this is because of prior academic writing instruction (I suspect so, at least in part, but I think it might also be a cognitive development thing; as Andrea Lunsford said at an IHR seminar I attended last week, composition studies needs to pay more attention to neuroscience) but it seems to me that in teaching "critical thinking" we might be putting a little too much emphasis on the "critical" and not enough on the "thinking"--and definitely not enough on observing--an essential part of the process that is totally elided by the term itself. I'm reminded of Samuel Scudder's classic essay, "Learning to See." Are we so concerned with teaching our students how to write arguments (that is, to make claims and support them with reasons and data) that we're neglecting to teach them to really, really look at the data, and to think about it deeply, before deciding what to say about it?

These problems are, of course, partly the result of the absurd impossibility of having to teach "college-level writing" to a couple of dozen students in sixteen weeks or less. No curriculum is going to be able to do it all, and even if we could strike a perfect balance in a given semester, we can't necessarily control what skills and concepts and notions about writing our students carry with them once they leave us behind.

OK, two more things, really quick:

Thesis statements often have to be revised, sometimes significantly, after a draft is written. This surprises and troubles my students, until I tell them it always works that way for me, too. We don't just write to report what we think. We write to learn what we think.

Writing a conclusion is hard. Really, really hard. And no formula or procedure I've ever heard or ever given has ever actually worked at all consistently. There are as many ways to write a conclusion as there are papers. Possibly more. If you think I'm wrong--if you have a foolproof method for writing conclusions, please, please share it. I will thank you and so will my students. And so will our readers.

Image Source: ASU Writing Programs. Tag, you're it!

Faith and the new Doctor

Last night's premiere of season 8 of Doctor Who was good. It was far from being among the best the series has offered, but it did what a regeneration story needs to do: it breathed new life into the series. I'm especially delighted with the dynamics between Capaldi's Doctor and his current companion, Clara--a character who until now seemed destined never to live up to her original promise. The monsters were creepy and the callbacks to prior series were nice touches without being overbearing; plot inconsistencies were few. I also like the new title sequence a great deal, though I'm not too keen on the remixed theme song. Better still, the episode bugged me--in the good way that fiction sometimes does, entertaining you while you're consuming it but not leaving you when you close the book or turn off the television. Good fiction keeps working its way into your brain and shuffling things around. It changes you.

I don't want to overstate this. Doctor Who is a very silly show. That's one reason I love it. It's also a deeply thoughtful show, which is another reason I love it. It's not Great Art (or at least, not usually) but it often does for me what the greatest art does: it shines a revelatory light on some corner on the universe, allowing me to glimpse a truth. For now it's still just a notion, but I'm going to try to tease it out. There's lots more I could write about the good and bad of this episode, but that's not what I want to talk about. The review is up there in that first paragraph. What follows is less about Doctor Who than it is about me using Doctor Who as a mirror.

There's been something itching my brain since last night. The series has from time to time drawn symbolic parallels between the Doctor and God (or a god). It's sometimes ham-fisted and occasionally really interesting. As a believer and as a fan, I've got to stress that such symbolism, interesting as it can be, shouldn't be carried too far. Doctor Who isn't at all allegorical. Anyway, this isn't one of those episodes--that is, as far as I can tell, that subtext wasn't intentionally written into this episode. And yet  I think this episode is teaching me something about my relationship to God.

The rest of this post contains SPOILERS for Doctor Who season 8 episode 1, "Deep Breath."

"Deep Breath" is a regeneration story; it's about the Doctor and his companion coming to terms with this profound change. He's got a different face, a different voice (new and yet old), new personality quirks have surfaced and old ones have subsumed. He is the same man at his core--we know this because it is the twelfth time we (or rather, I; for you, maybe it's the third, or the first) have seen him go through this process. This episode deftly handles questions about the continuity of self, but I'm getting off track. I want to talk about Clara. I'll work my way back to her from here.

Like his companions of the moment, usually I'm quite skeptical of the new Doctor, but it rarely takes long for him to win me over. This time, for me, things were a bit complicated because I've been totally excited for Capaldi's take on the part since the casting was revealed, and it seems like Moffat was aware of that feeling among many of the audience because the story actually takes some pains to alienate us. Regeneration is always difficult for the Doctor; he's always disoriented for a while, or unconscious, and his companions are always weirded out and upset that the man they trusted with their lives suddenly seems to be someone else--someone far more alien than he seemed--someone they're not sure they know at all. But this time the new Doctor isn't just addled, not just unruly. He is dangerous. At a critical moment when it seems he and Clara have at last been reunited, when they're finally starting to reconnect, they're attacked by the creepy robots who've been harvesting human body parts to repair themselves for millennia...and he abandons her. As the metal door slams shut between them, she begs him to at least leave her the sonic screwdriver, but he won't even do that much. Sitting safely (as I thought) in my comfy chair, I felt like I'd been slapped hard.

Left all alone, Clara has to save herself but she can't. She does her best, she doesn't give up though she's running out of options and she believes--she really believes the Doctor would not abandon her, but she isn't sure and she's terrified she's wrong, that he's not the person she thought he was. And she reaches out behind her because she needs him to be there to rescue her. And at what seems like the very last moment he does; he's been there all along, hiding behind a mask made of human flesh. The fight is far from over but her struggle to survive alone has given them the information they need to ultimately defeat the enemy.

It's a triumphant moment for Clara, and a simultaneously reassuring but still unsettling one for the audience. I'm kind of furious at him for putting her through that. But it's not like it's the first time he's done that sort of thing, and like Clara, I still love him in the end and believe that even though he's scarier now than he seemed before, he's still him; that though he isn't safe (he never was really), he's still good. He did save her, like he always does--or almost always. He couldn't save Katarina, Adric, Astrid, Donna, or Adelaide. For that matter, he failed to save Clara not once but twice already. The Doctor isn't God. He's not even a god. He's a mad man with a box.

That's where the metaphor breaks down (we mustn't try to stretch it too far). God always saves us (He just doesn't always save us alive). For now though, I'm just identifying with Clara's terrified tears and shaking hand, outstretched to someone she must trust absolutely but whom she can't see and isn't entirely sure she really knows.

Image source: pinterest.com

Roots and Branches (or: Home)

In early June I traveled back to Pullman, Washington for the Computers and Writing conference at Washington State University, where I got my MA. As I sat in the Spokane airport with half a dozen other young academics traveling to Pullman, I asked them, "where are you from?" Immediately one of them asked, "what do you mean by 'from'?" and we proceeded to analyze the question. You know. Like academics do. It was amusing, but also kind of serious. We academics tend to be nomads, at least early in our careers. But I realized that for me, that trip felt more like a returning than a coming-from-somewhere.

There are few landscapes more beautiful to my mind than the Palouse in summertime, and as I wandered around the campus and town with new friends and old, I found myself saying, over and over again, "I forgot how much I love this place." I felt at home.

My view of the Palouse, June 2014, taken somewhere between Pullman and Spokane.

I once wrote that I felt unrooted--well-housed but not at home anywhere. My personal circumstances haven't changed much in the intervening year or so. But something in me has changed.

Last week, I flew to Utah, visited my three brothers there, plus three old friends in quick succession. And in the familiar shadow of the Wasatch mountains, I felt at home.

Utah Valley. Not my photo. But still my mountains.

I spent a day at my parents' house in Idaho Falls, and the next day Mom and I drove to Twin Falls for a Sorensen family reunion. And everywhere I went in the Snake River valley, I felt at home.

My brother took this photo of fields near our cousin's house outside of Twin Falls. 

I remember going lots of places for Robinson reunions. It doesn't seem to matter much where we go to be together as long as enough of us can make it. But on the Sorensen side, we always go back to Idaho, to the Snake River Valley. Home country. As a kid, this kind of bored me, but kind of made sense too.

So last week, in between updating genealogy charts and chasing after nieces and nephews and catching up with cousins, I overheard my uncle Mitch, who owns a farm in Lost River, near where my grandfather and great-grandfathers farmed, talk with his siblings about wanting to be cremated and his ashes strewn in the Mackay Reservoir, so that the Sorensens would be part of that valley forever. He was only half-joking. Maybe less than half. I felt that no matter where I go or how much I change, part of me will always belong there too.

Like Tennyson's Ulysses, "I am a part of all that I have met;" and it is a part of me. I'd have to have my ashes spread pretty far to reach all the places I've called home--places I realize I can still call home. My own branch of the family tree is still kind of just a nub. And sometimes it feels quite far from the roots. Sometimes it's hard to feel the roots at all, but they're always there, giving me life and stability. Those roots run deep and spread wide.

Flying in to Phoenix--it took a long time for this place to feel like home. But it does.

I Am a Feminist Because...

Here's a definition of feminism from Wikipedia:

Feminism is a collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights for women. This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in education and employment. A feminist advocates or supports the rights and equality of women.

How can any sane person not agree with that?

But in case you need further convincing:

I am a feminist because my mother Eve chose knowledge and generation, and has been vilified by every generation ever since.

I am a feminist because Sarah, Rebekah, Miriam, Deborah, Ruth, Hannah, Esther, all the Marys and Martha the under-appreciated, the Samaritan woman whose name is lost to history, Lydia, Lois and Eunice, Priscilla, Sariah, Abish, Lucy, Emma, Eliza, and many others left me an unspeakable (and largely unwritten) legacy of spiritual power, and I shall not squander it.

I am a feminist because my mother, my grandmothers, my great-great-great grandmothers, are and were women of faith and learning and strength who inspire me every day.

I am a feminist because I want a better world for my nieces and nephews, and for my unborn daughters and sons.

And...

I am a feminist because I was eleven and innocent and I got away yet it still haunts me, because what if he hurt another girl worse than he hurt me because I never said anything, not for all these years, and maybe it's too late for her, but not for you, whoever you are reading this now.

I am a feminist because I have a voice.

I am a feminist because "modest is hottest" is a perverse oxymoron that fuels rape culture, reduces men to puppets, and re-converts the virtue of women into a sexual commodity.

I am a feminist because throughout the world women still experience illiteracy at twice the rate of men, because the gender wage gap, although complex, is real, because 1 in 5 women reported experiencing rape is a statistic that should make every soul shudder.

I am a feminist because some men shot Malala in the head because she is a girl who dared to go to school. And she survived and continues to stand up for all women.

I am a feminist because last month, some men in Nigeria kidnapped more than 200 girls and now threaten to sell them into sexual slavery because they dared to go to school. It's been more than a month and these girls are still captive. And when these girls get home (I pray to God they get home), their lives will still be inconceivably hard because they are girls, and because they were victimized. And maybe some of them will never dare to go to school again, but I hope that some of them become crusaders for their own and their sisters' and daughters' sake, because we need them. We all need them.

I am a feminist because when I publicly voiced my anguish at this crime perpetrated against these Nigerian girls, these fellow daughters of Eve, my sisters though I've never met them and don't even know their names, one man--a colleague--instead of taking a moment to weep with me for such an atrocity, chose to question my choice of words, as if the suffering of over 200 courageous schoolgirls were insignificant next to the enticements of a semantic argument.

I am a feminist because yesterday, a young man killed 7 people, including himself, because he felt his mere existence entitled him to sex, and imagined that a murderous rampage was an appropriate revenge for its denial.

I am a feminist because I have to state the obvious: that not all men are monsters, but no man or woman can afford to sit by while the monsters rage.

I am a feminist because sometimes we sit by and say nothing because we've been made afraid or ashamed or powerless to stand up, to speak out. And I'm sick and tired of it.

I am a feminist because the world is far too full of hatred, cruelty, and injustice, and maybe you can't fight them all but it's OK to choose the battles that hit you closest to your heart.

I'm a feminist and so should you.

Image source: http://bodyremember.com/2013/07/06/shes-someone/

Update 6/22/2014: Most of the Nigerian girls are still missing, but now I can pray for some of them, at least, by name.

Live blogging General Conference (again): Saturday and Sunday

General Conference is here again. This year it's going to be extra awesome because two of my brothers, their wives, and five of my nieces and nephews are coming to Arizona! That might make it harder to blog Conference. But they won't be here until late Saturday afternoon. I wanted to live blog the General Women's meeting last weekend as well, but the flu had other ideas. It was an extraordinary--and I mean extra-ordinary--meeting and I recommend watching it.

How my live blogging works: I'm updating this blog every few minutes during the conference sessions, typically at the end of each speaker's remarks. It's mostly summary, because I'm using it as a way to record the things that stick in my mind, but sometimes I add a bit of commentary.

SATURDAY MORNING

President Thomas S. Monson

President Monson always opens conference more or less the same way, with expressions of love and welcome, and a brief overview of significant progress or change in the church since the last conference. He mentioned being in Arizona for the dedication of the Gilbert Temple just last month--an event that I was privileged to attend.

Jeffrey R. Holland

The saints have been rejected and slain throughout the history of the world. Some members of the church today will endure ridicule and abuse because of their faith. It is worth it, for the sake of discipleship and redemption in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a reality of the present day that if people want any gods at all, they want comfortable gods, who do not demand much. And some invoke the name of Jesus as one of this kind of comfortable god. But Jesus consistently spoke hard things: not only should we do no sin, we should not even think of sinning, and that we ought to cut off our own limbs rather than allow them to lead us into sin. He is indeed the God of love. But Christlike love is "tough love"--it wants to save us from the things that would hurt us (our sins), not allow us to be complacent in our sins. Holland testifies that he is more certain of the restoration of the gospel and priesthood keys than he is that he is standing before the congregation at that very moment.

Ronald A. Rasband

Last year, tornadoes in Oklahoma changed the landscape and the lives of residents. They needed sustaining hands to love and help them in the work of rebuilding their lives and homes. Each of us faces challenges and responsibilities, and each of us has opportunities to love, help, and sustain those whose burdens are too great to bear alone. We each have the responsibility to "bear one another's burdens, that they may be light...mourn with those that mourn..comfort those that stand in need of comfort...and stand as witnesses of God at all times, and in all things, and in all places" (Mosiah 18:8-9).

Carlos H. Amado

During His mortal ministry, Jesus brought three people back to life, providing irrefutable evidence that he had power over death. Elder Amado then narrated and testified of the truth of Christ's suffering in Gethsemane, his trial, crucifixion, ministry in the spirit world, resurrection, and future second coming. It was a beautiful testimony.

Linda S. Reeves

What do I want my grandchildren to know? Human sexual desires should draw couples together in marriage and strengthen ties of love and devotion. But pornography distorts such desires and can entrap both men and women, and children as well as adults are increasingly likely to stumble upon pornographic material unwittingly. Calm and loving counsel, not shock and disgust, are the best way to respond to those who reveal their exposure to it. Computers are not the biggest culprit. There are resources available for those who desire help in breaking the influence of pornography in our lives. Daily scripture study and prayer, and weekly church attendance and family home evenings should not be added stressors, but rather sources of strength and peace, and a time of relief from the cares of our daily lives. They are the very things that help us guard and grow our spiritual wellbeing.

Neil L. Andersen

Another tornado story. "The world will not glide calmly toward the second coming." As the influence of the gospel spreads through the earth in the last days, so too does the opposition of the adversary. Repentance has the power to subdue the winds of sin. Not all sorrow comes because of personal sin. Some comes because of the choices of others, and some because of the weaknesses of the mortal condition. Strong winds stimulate roots to grow and deepen, and cause the trunk and branches to grow stronger and more resilient to the whirlwinds of life. If we are built upon the rock of our Redeemer, we will have safety in the whirlwind. Elder Andersen quoted a recent official statement that "Changes in the civil law do not, indeed cannot, change the moral law that God has established." While many governments have changed the legal definition of marriage, God's definition of marriage remains between a man and a woman. It may be necessary to stand alone on this issue. But remember that everyone, regardless of their position on this or other issues, deserve our love and kindness. There is no place for ridicule, bullying, or bigotry.

Note: Elder Andersen's comments about same-sex marriage will be among the most controversial of this conference. I want to make clear my own position on this issue. I believe that societies have the right to define the kinds of relationships officially recognized by civil authorities, including civil marriage. As stated in the 12th Article of Faith, I believe in "obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law." Yet I also affirm that governments do not have the authority to dictate to churches the definition or practices of their marriage sacraments. Those who would wish the Church to change its practices should understand that it is not in our power to do so--we are subject to God, not the opinions of human beings. and only a revelation from God would have the authority to alter our marriage practices (as happened with plural marriage). I believe that it is possible to honor both the law and the free exercise of religion on this, as on other matters. For people on all sides of the discussion, this is not only a matter of principle but something that touches the very core of their identities, and one that requires us to stretch our willingness to hear, to care, to understand, respect, and love one another.

Henry B. Eyring

Well, shucks. I was typing my note, above, and missed most of President Eyring's talk. I love his messages, so I paused conference and I'll watch and blog this one in a little bit. Meanwhile, MY NEW TV JUST ARRIVED. So I'm going to swap them out and watch the next sessions of GC in 32 inches of 1080p beauty.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

I skipped the statistical church auditing reports because after spending two hours setting up two entertainment systems (my new TV, in my room, and my old TV and VCR to the entertainment system in the living room) I was all dusty and needed to clean myself up. Elder Nelson looks wonderful on my new TV, though.

Russell M. Nelson

"What are we missing in our lives, if we are ever learning and never coming to a knowledge of the truth?" God's guidance should be our primary source of knowledge of the truth. We ought not to segment our lives ethically into "public" and "private", but have courage never to compromise our integrity.

Richard G. Scott

Elder Scott shared stories of how his grandmother and his sweetheart's personal convictions and influence helped to steer the direction of his life through love, example and support. One way we can be such an influence is to ask them questions that will prompt them to think, and then allow them time to do so, whether it take hours or years. Provide additional support and answers to their questions as they work out for themselves how best to respond to the message of the gospel. Keep your sharing of the gospel simple. Concentrate on the basic principles of the gospel, particularly the atonement of Christ. Allow the Holy Spirit to bear witness. Study the doctrines and principles of the gospel diligently, and do not spend too much time on trivial matters. Be worthy of trust. This is one of the greatest talk on how to share the gospel that I can ever recall hearing. It is insightful, compassionate, and practical.

Robert D. Hales

Elder Hales repeats the theme of submitting our will and obedience to God's law, and not supplanting it according our own ideas or popular sentiment. Christ himself submitted his own desires to the Father's will, though it meant suffering the agony of Gethsemane and Golgotha. Spiritually mature obedience is motivated by love for our Father in Heaven and his Son, Jesus Christ. Obedience to God's will "requires mastery, and brings confident, eternal happiness, and provides a sense of fulfillment." The scriptures and church history are filled with examples of those who have learned by experience the peace that comes from keeping the commandments, and the sorrow of disobedience. Even prophets have suffered and had need to repent because of disobedience and yielding to the pressures of others.

Claudio D. Zivic

How joyous it would be if we could reach a point in our conversion where we followed the right path for the love of God alone, and not because of the continual prompting of others. We can easily be led astray if we follow the trends of the world rather than the signs God has provided to lead us along the path of righteousness. If you depart from the path to follow your own will or the fashion of the world, you will feel the pain of remorse and have need to repent and return to the path.

W. Craig Zwick

Elder Zwick is speaking about the need to understand another's perspective before communicating rashly. It's an important message. However, in the examples he gave, he repeatedly characterized the actions of people who acted without a full knowledge of the situation as "irrational." In fact, his wife's actions in jumping out of a smoking semi truck, and Sarah and Sariah's words and actions, were utterly rational according to the knowledge they had. It a crucial distinction. The principle Elder Zwick is communicating is true, though he seems not to have fully applied it himself. I can appreciate the principle and forgive the man's inconsistency and imperfection in practicing what he preaches. We're all works in progress, even our teachers and leaders.

Quentin L. Cook

We have a doctrinal obligation to perform family history and temple ordinances on behalf of our own ancestors. This is because the order of heaven is organized by families. Advances in computer technology and the proliferation of temples throughout the world have increased both the ease and the urgency of participating in this work of salvation. "Our family history centers are now in our homes." Do not underestimate the influence of the deceased in assisting your efforts, and your joy on being reunited with them on the other side of the veil. Remember, we without our roots and branches, cannot be saved. Our families, living and dead, will be blessed as we share in the spirit of Elijah in turning the hearts of the children to the fathers, and the fathers to the children.

I've really enjoyed the choir in this session! "High on the Mountain Top" gave me chills!

SUNDAY MORNING

Half my family is here. 7 adults (including roommates) and 5 kids under the age of 12, all watching conference at my house. I'm in heaven. But I can't promise my blogging will keep up quite as well as usual.

Image: Robinsons watching conference at my house

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Many of us suffer under heavy burdens. Others are tremendously blessed. It is easy to have an "attitude of gratitude" when circumstances are easy. But we can learn to be thankful in our circumstances, whatever they may be. With a spirit of gratitude we can experience gentle peace in the midst of tribulation. Gratitude is not only something we experience after our troubles are over, but it can be more. It doesn't mean that we are unrealistic about our challenges, but that we are able to look beyond them. It is an act of faith in God and submission to his will. It is an expression of hope and testimony. We can acknowledge that we do not understand why we must endure particular trials, but trusting that through God's grace, all these things will work together for our good. "Gratitude is a catalyst to all Christlike virtues."

M. Russell Ballard

Followthrough and followup are essential to successful missionary work. We should not only invite, but reach out to, and walk with those we invite to hear the gospel. The field is white, and the harvest plenteous, but the laborers are few. With the lower missionary age, we have had an influx of full-time missionaries, bringing greater opportunities for members to work with them. Let them know you are willing to help, and how. Pray and work to identify at least one person per year that you can invite to hear the missionaries.

Jean A. Stevens

Prayer is a source of miraculous help, though it may not come in the hour or in the way we want. We must be willing to submit our will to God's will. In prayer, we do not seek to change God's will for us, but because we need that personal connection to God, and because we are changed through prayer.

Congregational Hymn: Teach Me to Walk in the Light

An hour is really a long time for kids to sit and listen to grownups talking on TV, and we still have another hour to go this morning! My nephews and nieces are doing pretty well, but thank goodness for the rest hymn. "Restless hymn" would be more accurate!

Gary E. Stevenson

Several Mormons were among those who competed in the recent Winter Olympics. These athletes had 4 minutes or less to run their race and win the prize. In some cases, performance at the highest level is measured in as little as tenths of a second. Likewise, in our spiritual lives it is often seeminly miniscule adjustments that make the difference in our spiritual progress. Ordinances and covenants are essential steps along our path of discipleship. We and those around us need help and encouragement as we face the challenges of life's race.

David A. Bednar

We ought to be careful not to haul around in our lives so many fun but unnecessary things that they distract us or impede our ability to do what is most important. When we are yoked with the Lord, our burdens will be made light, but they may not be lifted entirely. The atonement not only redeems us from sin but enables us to do good and become better. The atonement is not only for sinners, but for righteous men and women who struggle with the many pains and trials of mortality.

Thomas S. Monson

"The great commandment in the law" is to love God with all your heart, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. We cannot truly love God if we do not love our fellow travelers through mortality, nor can we truly love our fellow mortals if we do not love God. "Actually, love is the very essence of the gospel, and Jesus Christ is our exemplar." He saved sinners and rebuked the self-righteous. Love is manifest in kindness, patience, compassion, understanding and forgiveness, and in many other ways. Our ability to recognize another's need and willingness to respond is crucial. Though expressions of loving kindness may require personal sacrifice, nobody ever regretted being "a little too kind." Often, opportunities to show our love come unexpectedly. A commercial flight was diverted because an injured boy needed urgent medical attention. Though the flight was delayed by several hours, not one passenger complained, but as the hours passed, a collection was taken up to help provide for the boy's medical expenses. Loving kindness sometimes requires that we reprove another person's wrongdoing, but let us do so with compassion and encouragement. Do not leave ill feelings or blame to fester and canker the soul. You may forget within moments your simple words and deeds of kindness to another, but the recipient may cherish them for a lifetime. "Heavenly Father, I am glad that you are always here and there."

I asked each of the kids to share something that impressed them from this session of Conference. At their parents' request, I have not used their full names:  

S: was tired and crying and went down for a nap before the session ended. He obviously thought conference was too long. 

J: i like the erch dorj (J typed that: it says "I liked the arched doors" that they walked in and out of at the beginning and end.) J also said he liked when we all stood up and sang "Teach Me to Walk in the Light", and he liked Elder Bednar's talk. 

M2: I liked President Monson's talk about being kind. I also liked when Elder Bendar said that today, April 6th is the original day that the LDS Church was founded and also the day that Jesus Christ was born. 

M1: I liked how the guy, I forget his name, but when he told about when he wanted a new 4-wheel drive truck and he told his wife the reason "what if there is a huge storm and we have to get to the store to buy milk?" And his wife said "If you buy the truck, we won't have any money for milk." I liked when the Tabernacle Choir sang "A Child's Prayer." 

D: I liked Elder Bednar's story about the guy that bought the truck and got stuck in the snow and had to get a bigger load so he could get out. 

SUNDAY AFTERNOON 

Boyd K. Packer

A deep, abiding witness of the truthfulness of the gospel is both a light to follow and a burden to carry. Much of what I know is of a nature that it cannot be taught, but can be learned. Those who do not marry or cannot have children are not excluded from eternal blessings which may now be beyond their reach. These blessings will come, in this life or in the eternities, to all those who make and keep sacred covenants. The Holy Ghost is real, and so is the gift of the Holy Ghost, which all can receive by priesthood blessing. Every blessing, every ordinance, every ordination, every official act in the church is done in the name of Jesus Christ. It is his church. He is the anchor that holds us and gives us shelter through the storms of life.

William R. Walker

First accidental doze-off of confrence. Hope y'all enjoyed the talk while my eyes were closed. I'm not naming names but let's just say that I'm not the only adult here falling asleep during Conference while the kids play quietly on the floor.

L. Tom Perry

Teams of horses may sometimes begin to veer off course, but their course can be corrected by a gentle tug of the reins. The promptings of the Holy Spirit often come as a gentle tug that may easily be ignored, if we are not attuned to the will of the Master. We need faith to follow God's lead. Such faith is more difficult for some than for others. Obedience is a choice between our own limited knowledge and power, or God's unlimited knowledge and power.

Congregational Hymn: "Hark, All Ye Nations"

Wandering attentions are restored as we all stand together and sing. The kids got really into it.

Lawrence E. Corbridge

The revelations received by Joseph Smith affirm his calling as a prophet of God. Revelations have not ceased; the heavens are not closed. There is a living prophet on the earth today. Revelation is available to us today, as a church and individually. The billions who live and die without a knowledge of Christ are not lost: through the ordinances of the restored priesthood all mankind may be saved, both living and dead. We need not take anyone else's word for it; we can do as young Joseph did himself, and ask God to know the truth. God the Eternal Father and Jesus Christ live, and we worship them and none else.

Michael John U. Teh

Unfortunately there is a tendency in our societies to acquire more and more, and to have the latest, greatest, and most costly material goods--things that are too often trivial and transient. Let us not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor our labor for that which cannot satisfy, but lay up treasures in heaven, and be rich toward God. Such treasures include faith, hope, humility, and charity. We ought to spend our time strengthening families, serving others, and studying the Gospel. How we spend our time and energies will have a direct effect on our next estate.

Markos A. Aidukaitis

The internet offers many opportunities for learning, but it can also be used to promote doubt and fear, and to destroy faith and hope. We must consider carefully how we use the internet and other such tools. That which entices to do good and invites belief in Christ is of God. God has counseled us to seek for knowledge. How can we recognize truth in a world that is increasingly more blunt in its attacks against the things of God? Three principles: 1. That which is good brings forth good fruit, and that which is corrupt will bring forth corrupt fruit. Thus, by their fruits and by their works we can recognize what is of God and what is not. 2. We can find truth by experimenting upon the word ourselves, by planting the seed of faith in our hearts, experiencing growth, and receiving the fruits of our faith. 3. We can receive a knowledge of the truth by personal revelation, by first studying the matter, and then asking God in faith to know if it is right. God giveth liberally to those that ask in faith. It requires more diligence than merely searching the internet, but it does work.

D. Todd Christofferson

Elder Christofferson offered a beautiful testimony of the death and resurrection of Christ, and its significance in our lives. Because He lives, we all shall be made alive. No injustice in life is permanent, for his perfect justice and mercy shall make all things right. By understanding who Christ is and what He has done for us, we can understand the purpose and meaning of our own existence. We will one day see Christ face to face; until then we have the many witnesses of prophets and apostles, and the Holy Spirit's witness to our own hearts, of His divine identity, life, and atonement.

President Thomas S. Monson

May we be kind and loving to those who do not share our beliefs and standards. The savior offered a perfect example of love and service; may we follow Him. May we constantly nourish our testimonies, that they may be a protection to us, and may we ever be found doing the work of the Lord.

Final update: I noticed that M1 was diligently writing in her notebook all through conference. My SiL usually makes "conference notebooks" with attention activities for them to do during sessions. She didn't have time to do that with all the travel preparations, so M1 made her own, based loosely on what her mom had done in the past. I asked if I could share some of them and she graciously agreed. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Mormons and the Path of Revelation

Disclaimer: The contents of this blog are my opinion. I believe that opinion to be well-informed and in harmony with the teachings of the LDS church, but my words should not be taken as official doctrine or policy. I invite you to study and reflect on the matter yourselves. 

Second disclaimer: There's some stuff going on right now in the church that certainly informs the context of what I'm saying and why I'm saying it now. My post should not be taken as endorsement of any of those ideas, issues, voices, or movements currently in the spotlight (and they are many and varied, which is why I'm not linking to any of them in particular). It is, rather, a response to a criticism of such ideas generally, which I have increasingly heard in recent months--a criticism which I claim is misguided. Please do not misunderstand my purpose, or impute motives beyond what I have stated here. I've chosen my words carefully; at this time I do not mean to say any more nor less than what I have said.

Latter-day Saints (Mormons) share a strong belief in continuing revelation, and that changes to church policy and additional doctrine always come by revelation, and are disseminated to the whole church through the proper channels of authority--the prophet.* This is true, and wise; it prevents fragmentation.

But many Latter-day Saints also believe that such revelations are always a completely top-down affair--that if God wants something to change, he will tell the prophet (or maybe one of the general authorities) first. The scriptures and LDS church history demonstrate that this last proposition is not true. As this blogger documents, there is a long tradition of revelation coming first to members, working its way up to the prophet, and from there spreading out to the whole church.** But don't stop with his handful of examples. Last year, LDS Sunday Schools throughout the world studied the Doctrine & Covenants. Even a casual reading of that book of scripture will provide many more examples of the pattern of revelation Brother Swift and I are describing. A study of the other books of scripture will yield additional examples; I invite you to look for them as we study the Old Testament this year.

In other words, my first paragraph contains two connected, but separate propositions:

1. God is continuing to reveal truth to the world. 

2. Revelation affecting the whole church must go through the prophet.

A third proposition--really a modified form of the second--that "major" revelation must originate with the prophet (or at least the general authorities), is neither true, nor necessary to the conclusion that God stands at the head of this church and guides it. 

We often say that we have to have stewardship in order to properly receive revelation in a given area. But note that, while Sarah Granger Kimball became one of the first leaders of the Relief Society, at the time she began to organize a women's organization in the church, she held no such "stewardship" in any official sense. My point is that we cannot lightly dismiss "ordinary members" when they have questions or ideas concerning the church, simply because they are "ordinary members."

Because continuing revelation is a cornerstone of our faith, there are few things more important for Mormons than to understand how it operates, both for the church, and in our own lives. As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 12, we are one body in Christ, and each member is necessary and honorable. All of us have access to the Holy Spirit; all are entitled to receive revelation from God. We cannot dictate our ideas to the church, it is true. God's house is a house of order. But all of us--the newest baptized member no less than Thomas S. Monson himself--have the privilege and responsibility to seek inspiration concerning the work of building Zion, and to act faithfully and humbly on the inspiration we receive.

image: The Sacred Grove, by Greg Olsen. source: history.lds.org