Sometimes Words Can’t Adequately Describe

I’m not even sure where to begin tonight…. this last weekend has been one of the most spiritually powerful and uplifting experiences of my life.  I spent 6 hours on Saturday and 4 hours Sunday listening to a semi-annual General Conference that was filled with inspirational talks, messages of hope, and indescribably beautiful musical performances by the world famous Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.   These messages of hope couldn’t have come at a more impactful time…and honestly as I sit here tonight to put my feelings on paper there just aren’t adequate words to describe how touched I’ve been this weekend.

Every talk this weekend gave such valuable words of wisdom. I wrote down a few quotes from some of the talks while I wait for the entire transcribed copies of the talks to get posted on the web. To give you a glimpse into why these talks inspired me so much, here are just a few quotes:

“Faith is the antidote for fear.” –  President Russell M. Nelson

“Suffering is universal. How we react to it is individual.” –  Ricardo Gimenez

“The finest characteristic of any home is the image of Christ reflected in the home’s residents. What matters is the interior design of the souls of the inhabitants, not the structure itself.” – Whitney Clayton

“There is no threshold of perfection you must attain in order to qualify for God’s grace. Your prayers do not have to be loud or eloquent or grammatically correct in order to reach heaven. “ – Dieter F. Uchtdorf

 “When personal difficulty, doubt, or discouragement darken our path, … the spiritually defining memories from our book of life are like luminous stones that help brighten the road ahead, assuring us that God knows us, loves us and has sent His Son Jesus Christ to help us return home.”   – Neil L. Andersen

Speaking of COVID-19, Jeffrey R. Holland shared: “When we have conquered this, and we will, may we be equally committed to freeing the world of the virus of hunger, and freeing neighborhoods and nations from the virus of poverty; may we hope for schools where students are taught, not terrified they will be shot; and for the gift of personal dignity for every child of God, unmarred by any form of racial, ethnic, or religious prejudice. Undergirding all of this is our relentless hope for greater devotion to the two greatest of all commandments – to love God by keeping his counsel, and to love our neighbors by showing kindness and compassion, patience, and forgiveness. These two divine directives are still and forever will be the only real hope we have for giving our children a better world than the one they now know.” 

Even more impactful than the talks given was the music performed. Because of the virus they had to insert past performances of the choir into the conference.  The performance clip shown below was so touching as you watch the young man in the audience stand up and encourage those around him to stand out of respect that I couldn’t even get through singing along because I was too choked up:

At the close of the conference President Nelson extended an invitation for everyone of every faith in the world to join in another worldwide fast that will take place this Friday, April 10th.  He stated: 

“I invite all, including those not of our faith, to fast and pray on Good Friday, April 10, that the present pandemic may be controlled, caregivers protected, the economy strengthened and life normalized.”

I’m so grateful I was able to get spiritual tank filled up this weekend in a major way. I’ll definitely be re-watching the talks over and over again in the coming weeks to help me cling to their messages of hope in these difficult days.

As we head into what will likely be the difficult weeks of this pandemic be sure to fill up your own spiritual tanks to help you through it. (If any of you would like to watch the conference i am referring to you can find it here.)

With Love To All:

~Amy Rees Anderson (author of the book “What Awesome Looks Like: How To Excel in Business & Life” )

2 Comments

  • Heather Vogeley says:

    The concluding hymn “We thank thee, O God, for a Prophet!” WOW! I loved being able to see my brothers and sisters from other countries united in song. It felt like a HUGE hug. Love! Love! Love!

  • Stan Parrish says:

    Amy, you caught the essence of the conference beautifully in your quotes. You re-inspired me again today. I think Elder Holland’s talk should be published all over the land, it is the greatest message I have heard to define hope and how we should seek it. Thanks for your good words. Love you, Stan

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