Every so often in life we all need to take a little break to be able to refill our tank, so to speak, to replenish our souls and to refocus on the things that are truly important. I often get so busy with everyday life that I forget to make time to do this, which is why I am really glad that every six months, one weekend in April and one weekend in October, there is a semi-annual General Conference that gets broadcast worldwide with inspirational speakers who give talks on a myriad of topics that are all aimed at helping us refocus and improve our lives. These two weekends a year are something I look forward to all year long and I always feel so refreshed and inspired after hearing all the talks, which is how I am feeling after these last two days of watching that broadcast.

Having something like this General Conference that you can set aside time to watch  every six months is a great way to make sure you are taking the time to replenish and renew your spirit, to refocus your attention, and to take stock and evaluate how you are doing in life and the things you need to improve upon.

I always come away from these Conferences having learned so much and I consider every one of the talks worth listening to, but I thought I’d give you some quick links to watch just a few of my favorites from this weekend’s Conference:

Stand Up Inside And Be All In – Gary B. Sabin

In reality, it is much easier to be “all in” than partially in. When we are partially in or not in at all, there is, in the Star Wars vernacular, “a disturbance in the force.” We are out of sync with God’s will and therefore out of sync with the nature of happiness.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04/media/session_2_talk_9?lang=eng

Return and Receive – by Russell Ballard

Experts on goal setting tell us that the simpler and more straightforward a goal is, the more power it will have. When we can reduce a goal to one clear image or one or two powerful and symbolic words, that goal can then become part of us and guide virtually everything we think and do.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04/media/session_2_talk_12?lang=eng

Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear – by Dieter F. Uchtdorf

My message has two purposes today: The first is to urge us to contemplate and consider the extent to which we use fear to motivate others—including ourselves. The second is to suggest a better way. …

It is true that fear can have a powerful influence over our actions and behavior. But that influence tends to be temporary and shallow. Fear rarely has the power to change our hearts, and it will never transform us into people who love what is right and who want to obey Heavenly Father. …

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04/media/session_4_talk_12/5382511756001?lang=eng

Songs Sung and Unsung – by Jeffrey R. Holland:

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04/media/session_2_talk_7?lang=eng

If you have any interest in watching more of the talks given this weekend  you can visit https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04?lang=eng

Have a great start to what will be a fantastic week ahead! 🙂

~Amy Rees Anderson