From the First

From Sarah:

Tuesday Grad Party for  Sarah with Hadlie and Christian

Hadlie with face paint....

Our stake just had stake conference with Elder Bednar and it was Incredible! I have needed to feel the spirit like that for so long. I have needed to feel God's love for me. Yesterday was the adult session and we arrived two hours early to sit in the 3rd row and then today in the 4th row we arrived 2 hours early again. Completely worth it! I was reminded and filled.

Yesterday 4 recent converts bore their testimony. It was a beautiful start to the program- they really brought the spirit. Sometimes we forget how much the gospel can change our lives. It was beautiful to hear how the gospel changed their lives and what they were willing to do to have the gospel in their lives. Elder Bednar was great! He talked about how the church is progressing and how prophecies are being fulfilled. He said if we youngins could have been 20 years or so during the 1970's there is no way we would believe that the countries around Germany etc. would be united in one place and worshipping together for a dedication of a temple. He said that the progress of the church is Incredible- in just the last year Africa has created over 100 wards. And they have NO missionaries and they do not want them. Because they get it! They GET the beauty of the gospel! Elder Bednar said that if he could have the wish of his heart that we all could be transported in a time machine to hear one of the stake presidents in Africa bare testimony. This same guy was supposed to be the next chief but he knew that as chief he would have to do things that were against the church. His father was the chief and dying and everyone would force him to be the next chief and so on the way to the funeral everyone in their car turned left but he turned right and drove away and hid for 6 months so he would not become chief and could live his life in line with the gospel. Elder Bednar wanted us to just hear him are his testimony to his people. I wish I could hear it. I would love to be surrounded by people that Live the Gospel the way it was meant to be lived and loved! What a beautiful exciting sight. Really his whole message was about hope and how the church is progressing more than we realize-and no one can stop it. No unhallowed hand. This was so comforting bc its so easy to get in this trap of thinking that the world is taking over and nowhere is safe and nothing is safe.

Our stake president talked about how sometimes we will not understand the reasons why, but we need to put faith in and trust our leaders- the prophet. We need to follow their counsel in this there is safety and peace. Elder Bednar reemphasized what our stake president said and talked about how the Stake president does not give talks. He is speaking with the KEYS for the stake in behalf of our Savior. I never realized that before. He added on to one of the President's stories about a missionary that got involved with a minister and was wanting to go home because of these questions the minister had that this Elder did not know the answers to. He wrote a list of questions and sent them to  the general authorities at the time. He received answers to those questions. Our stake president (as an elder in the office at the time) got to read the questions and every time he read the question his faith dwindled, but when he read the answer he cheered and was So sure that that was the right answer. This was to show again that just bc we do not know why or how does not mean there is not an answer. But he said I have a question for this man and all others that come to him with questions they have that stemmed from anti-mormon material. Every time, before answering their questions he asks them if they are reading the Book of Mormon and always the answer is No. He said that if we put minimum equal amount of time into the Book Of Mormon that people put into reading anti-material they would not have these concerns. He pointed out in the Stake Presidents story with the Elder that it took the same amount of time to read the question he did not understand as it did to read the answer that helped him understand. He said the Book of Mormon has a particular convincing power that was meant for our latter-day- TODAY! ( Safety for the SOUL)

Elder Bednar shared his experience of writing a talk for general conference and then a week before it was due he got a feeling that it wasn't right. He didn’t know why he got the feeling, he didn’t understand why but he still rewrote the talk and knew that it was God who wanted him to rewrite it. This was to show that even he as an apostle does not always have the answers- despite what many members believe. Faith is necessary!

He also took time to explain to the members about how revelation works for apostles and how NO general authority it assigned a topic and no discussion occurs before so coordinate topics. They do not hear or know what others are talking about until we do. He also said that his pattern for studying the words of the prophets was he takes 14 talks ( not including his which would be 15) and he writes down what the general principle of the talk is and then the invitation and the promised blessings. That is his pattern though he did not recommend it- he said to come up with your own idea- but that is how he follows the prophets and has safety for his soul. He knows what he is working on for the next 6 months.

Elder Bednar spoke about some of the exact same things as are in his talk entitled The Character of Christ- how Satan when he tried to tempt Christ really only presented one real temptation which was to turn in. TO turn to self. He really hit home here talking about how Satan says go do good FOR YOU, go help your neighbor SO YOU can be seen, etc. everything is for yourself. We have to watch this in ourselves and turn out.

He was so profound and incredible- the spirit stirred my heart when he talked about what real repentance is. It was as if I had never heard it before, but he talked about how Christ must be at the center of our repentance. Us feeling we have disappointed Christ and never wanting to do so again must be the center of our repentance and our Sorrow. It cannot be out of embarrassment. He really just got me thinking about how I repent and how I don’t think I use the atonement. I really need to get to know my Savior again and look unto Him in every thought. …. I needed this reminder.

And then Elder Bednar talked about how overwhelming his Msg was. Which I was grateful for bc yes I was at that point feeling the pressure of needing to be perfect. Elder Bednar talked about those who are beating themselves up and how we can do so much good and only see the what we are missing and how the Savior's atonement can help us see the good we are doing. When Christ says line upon line He means it but sometimes that makes our progress seem hard to see- so we have to rely on his atonement not sheer grit. But the ATONEMENT… Mosiah 3:19, It is THRU the atonement that we become like Christ. I know he looked at me a time or two while talking about this because im in tears and he says -- this is in particular for the sisters.

He said exactly what I needed to hear. He reminded me of what real repentance requires- REAL INTENT and the SAVIOR! Or else it is not repentance. He reminded me that I can feel the spirit strong and that I am loved by my Father in Heaven. I was reminded that there is hope.. In talking to the Young People he repeated and said very slowly the words "DOUBT NOT, FEAR NOT" we live in the best times regarding the church. We are so blessed and just bc we don’t see the miracles does not mean they are not happening. HOPE was what he wanted the "young" people to remember and take from this conference and I think he did a wonderful job. The spirit was so tangible. How I love Elder Bednar, How I love my Savior for sending him here to talk to me.

During the closing song "How Firm a Foundation" I could not sing bc I was in tears and Elder Bednar smiled at me and I smiled back and then he winked at me. I know he did because I had little girls in front of me too short to reach the top of the bench and was surrounded by men on sides and back. I was in the fourth row. I know it was for me. The Lord is so good to me! I feel like an angel wrapped his arms around me today and took the cover from my eyes. This gospel is Amazing! I wish everyone could feel this way.