I mentioned in my last post that I have been sick for the last few days (thus, my return to the blogging world after a ten month hiatus). And since I spent the day in bed instead of at church, I decided to spend some time reviewing conference talks that I have really impacted my life. It turns out, the list was pretty long, so I thought I'd share my top 5.
In April 1985, Elder Bruce R. McConkie gave a talk entitled, The Purifying Power of Gethsemane. I love it and have thought a lot about it over the years. It's an incredible witness and testimony of Jesus Christ. One of my favorite parts of the talk, though, is in his introduction. He said the following:
"In speaking of these wondrous things I shall use my own words, though you may think they are the words of scripture, words spoken by other Apostles and prophets.That resembles how I feel about these messages. Though every talk at General Conference touches me in some way, these five have changed my life. They've changed who I am and what I want. They have become a part of me. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I have.
True it is they were first proclaimed by others, but they are now mine, for the Holy Spirit of God has borne witness to me that they are true, and it is now as though the Lord had revealed them to me in the first instance. I have thereby heard his voice and know his word."
-Place No More for the Enemy of My Soul, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
"...Remember that the only real control in life is self-control. Exercise more control over even the marginal moments that confront you. If a TV show is indecent, turn it off. If a movie is crude, walk out. If an improper relationship is developing, sever it. Many of these influences, at least initially, may not technically be evil, but they can blunt our judgment, dull our spirituality, and lead to something that could be evil. An old proverb says that a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, so watch your step."
-Approaching the Throne of God with Confidence, Elder Jörg Klebingat
"...Acknowledge and face your weaknesses, but don’t be immobilized by them, because some of them will be your companions until you depart this earth life. No matter what your current status, the very moment you voluntarily choose honest, joyful, daily repentance by striving to simply do and be your very best, the Savior’s Atonement envelops and follows you, as it were, wherever you go. Living in this manner, you can truly “always retain a remission of your sins” (Mosiah 4:12) every hour of every day, every second of every minute, and thus be fully clean and acceptable before God all the time.
"Yours is the privilege, if you want it, to come to know for yourself, today or soon, that you are pleasing God in spite of your shortcomings."
-The Miracle of the Atonement, Elder C. Scott Grow
"He moved far from home. He continued his self-destructive behavior for more than a decade, but the Savior had not forgotten or abandoned him. Eventually the pain of his despair allowed a spirit of humility to enter his soul. His feelings of anger, rebellion, and militancy began to dissipate. Like the prodigal son, "he came to himself." He began to reach out to the Savior and to make his way back home and to faithful parents who never gave up on him.
"I testify of the miracle of the Atonement. I have seen its healing power in the life of my brother and felt it in my own life. The healing and redemptive power of the Atonement is available to each of us—always."
-The Way of the Disciple, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
"A friend of mine recently wrote to me, confiding that he was having a difficult time keeping his testimony strong and vibrant. He asked for counsel.
"I wrote back to him and lovingly suggested a few specific things he could do that would align his life more closely with the teachings of the restored gospel. To my surprise, I heard back from him only a week later. The essence of his letter was this: “I tried what you suggested. It didn’t work. What else have you got?”
"Brothers and sisters, we have to stay with it. We don’t acquire eternal life in a sprint—this is a race of endurance. We have to apply and reapply the divine gospel principles. Day after day we need to make them part of our normal life."
-None Were with Him, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
"Brothers and sisters, one of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so.
"Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said: “I will not leave you comfortless: [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you].”
Okay, so I probably shouldn't pick favorites when it comes to Conference addresses, but these are all so good!
What are some of your top picks? What talks would you suggest I study next?
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