Funny How Things Happen

This weekend was General Conference, a biannual meeting of all the Latter-day Saints worldwide to hear the prophet and apostles of Jesus Christ share the word of the Lord for this particular time in the history of the world. How thrilled I have been anticipating this meeting.

At the beginning of this semester, my roommates & I decided to attend the temple at least once a week. It is after all, as I stated in my last entry, only 5 minutes away, & the blessings are immense. It has truly become my refuge from the troubles of the world. No matter what is going on in my life, I know that I can always go to the temple and partake of the peace that resides in the house of the Lord. There is no replacement for such a blessing. It is immeasurable and absolutely fulfilling. It is the reason that I actually did feel prepared to not just hear, but to receive whatever inspiration was articulated on this glorious weekend which was not without its struggles.

On Saturday, the video feed kept stalling & my roommate & I spent a total of about 6 hours trying to watch the sessions. On Sunday morning, the feed stalled even more so we tuned in on a clock radio. On Sunday afternoon, we decided to take up our other roommate's offer and use her extra tickets to attend the last session in person. We booked it on the interstate, but arrived about 10 minutes too late to be seated on time. Miraculously, we found a parking place directly up the hill from the Salt Lake temple. We parked facing the splendor of the house of the Lord, rolled down the windows because it was a beautiful sunny day, and tuned in the radio to hear the servants of God. After the first hour, we walked to Temple Square & watched the rest of the session in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Yes, indeed, we were not without our struggles, but because of our struggles, we listened all the more attentively. Because of our struggles, we were staring directly at the temple for 2 beautiful talks about the blessings contained within them & because of our struggles, we learned a vital lesson about the importance of preparation. It was perfectly suited to our needs. It was perfectly inspired.

So, what did the prophet & apostles say that made everything so worth it? Well, I can't quote everything directly or perfectly. My notes are lengthy & attuned specifically to my needs, but I can tell you what I heard on a general basis & it should come as no surprise...

The world is wicked. It increases day by day, but so too should our faith. The divide between the standards of the church & the ways of the world grows wider & wider, but the change is only occurring on 1 side. The ways of the Lord are eternal & unchanging.

If we are to survive the torrent of opposition that will come our way, that is coming our way, we will need to be obedient - with exactness. We will need to take refuge in the temple. We will need to strengthen ourselves, strengthen our families, and be an example in righteousness all the days and hours and minutes of our lives. The adversary will not give up in his attempt to bring us down to be miserable like unto him, but neither will the Lord give up in his attempt to see that we are happy.

Beware of materialism, of debt, of pride, distraction, & doubt. Beware of selfishness, greed, and laziness. Beware of ingratitude, discouragement, & fear. Be strong & clean & avoid all types of evil, especially pornography. It will destroy you.

Remember that though the rain beats upon us, the Lord still pours out blessing without measure. Remember that if we are obedient, nothing can defeat us. Remember that our future is as bright as our faith. Therefore, take care & see that your faith is strong & founded upon the Rock of our Salvation, even Jesus Christ.

I KNOW these things are true. I know that the trials which beset us are nothing more than what the Savior has already overcome.

"In the world ye shall have tribulation," said the Savior, "but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

There is no way to escape the world. Just outside of Temple Square today were the ever-present protesters. I'm not sure what they thought to accomplish, but this I do know, conversion never happens through angry words and accusations. God does not abide in contention. Two steps into the street and I heard cursing, saw immodest dress, and smelled the acrid scent of a burning cigarette. It is here, even among us (each one of us, in fact, in our individual vices). The words of the servants of the Lord were not all honey & blossoms. We would not have to be constantly warned & reminded if the flaws discussed in conference were not our own. We are flawed. I am flawed (terribly so), but I know that I am on the right road. I know that I can overcome ALL through the Atonement, else the sacrifices of Jesus Christ were utterly wasteful & imperfect. Good luck proving that one, because it simply is not true.