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As a young boy, I always looked forward to General Conference weekend, and not because I was naturally “spiritual.” No, in Maryland, back in the 1960’s and 70’s, General Conference was not available via satellite transmission per today’s technology. Thus, General Conference provided for me, a free weekend from church!...
I didn’t really begin to appreciate General Conference till I came home from my mission. Now, decades later, I have continued to develop a love for hearing the live words of apostles and prophets. I have found over the years,that they provide simple and practical ways in which to enjoy life. Yet, they also provide profound spiritual counsel that can, if heeded, give direction andmeaning to our lives.
Technology now brings the messages of the prophets to our own homes. If we listen closelyto their words, we will gain insights and understanding that we will not findelsewhere. A NUMBER OF YEARS ago in our April conference I wasparticularly impressed by these thoughts. Perhaps you remember:
“Mostfrequently, revelation comes in small increments over time and is grantedaccording to our desire, worthiness, and preparation. Such communications fromHeavenly Father gradually and gently “distil upon [our souls] as the dews fromheaven” This pattern of revelation tends to be more common than rare…We asmembers of the Church tend to emphasize marvelous and dramatic spiritualmanifestations so much that we may fail to appreciate and may even overlook thecustomary pattern by which the Holy Ghost accomplishes His work. The very“simpleness of the way” of receiving small and incremental spiritualimpressions that over time and in totality constitute a desired answer or thedirection we need may cause us to look “beyond the mark”
Ihave talked with many individuals who question the strength of their personaltestimony and underestimate their spiritual capacity because they do notreceive frequent, miraculous, or strong impressions. Perhaps as we consider theexperiences of Joseph in the Sacred Grove, of Saul on the road to Damascus, andof Alma the Younger, we come to believe something is wrong with or lacking inus if we fall short in our lives of these well-known and spiritually strikingexamples. If you have had similar thoughts or doubts, please know that you arequite normal. Just keep pressing forward obediently and with faith in theSavior. As you do so, you “cannot go amiss”
It was uplifting for me to hear Elder Bednar address a subject that I havelong seen as a stumbling block for many who think that somehow, they are lacking because they have not had miraculous manifestations in their life. Thescriptures are replete with examples of miraculous interactions between man and deity. But too often we forget that the time frame of the scriptures covershundreds, or even thousands of years. The Book of Mormon covers a period of a thousand years. The Bible over four thousand years! Wow! Divine miracles and manifestations have occurred throughout history, but let us not forget thatthey are the “exception”, not the norm. I thought Elder Bednar’s talk on “The Spirit of Revelation” was a hallmark lesson in how the spirit works in ourlives. There ARE hundreds of small nuggets of spiritual education that areoffered to us each General Conference. Yesterday was no different. Sometimes Ithink we want to hear some abot some spectacular new program the church hascome up with, or some doctrinal change, but most often we hear commen senseanswers to everyday problems we face. And isn’t that wonderful. Counsel l for ourdaily lives. The messages are simple and direct.
May we take the time to listen and studythe words that are spoken. In them we will find redemptive concepts that canrevolutionize the world, one person at a time.
