I\u2019m not even sure where to begin tonight…. this last\nweekend has been one of the most spiritually powerful and uplifting experiences\nof my life. I spent 6 hours on Saturday\nand 4 hours Sunday listening to a semi-annual General Conference that was\nfilled with inspirational talks, messages of hope, and indescribably beautiful\nmusical performances by the world famous Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. These messages of hope couldn\u2019t have come at\na more impactful time\u2026and honestly as I sit here tonight to put my feelings on\npaper there just aren\u2019t adequate words to describe how touched I\u2019ve been this\nweekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFaith is the antidote for fear.\u201d – President Russell M. Nelson <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSuffering is universal. How we react to it is individual.\u201d – Ricardo Gimenez<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe 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.\u201d \u2013 Whitney Clayton<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is no threshold of perfection you must attain in\norder to qualify for God\u2019s grace. Your prayers do not have to be loud or\neloquent or grammatically correct in order to reach heaven. \u201c \u2013 Dieter F.\nUchtdorf<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen personal difficulty, doubt, or discouragement darken our path, \u2026 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.\u201d – Neil L. Andersen <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking of COVID-19, Jeffrey R. Holland shared: \u201cWhen we\nhave conquered this, and we will, may we be equally committed to freeing the\nworld of the virus of hunger, and freeing neighborhoods and nations from the\nvirus of poverty; may we hope for schools where students are taught, not\nterrified they will be shot; and for the gift of personal dignity for every\nchild of God, unmarred by any form of racial, ethnic, or religious prejudice.\nUndergirding all of this is our relentless hope for greater devotion to the two\ngreatest of all commandments \u2013 to love God by keeping his counsel, and to love\nour neighbors by showing kindness and compassion, patience, and forgiveness.\nThese two divine directives are still and forever will be the only real hope we\nhave for giving our children a better world than the one they now know.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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. \u00a0The 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\u2019t even get through singing along because I was too choked up:<\/p>\n\n\n\n