3 Fun Ways to Engage with LDS General Conference

The fall session of LDS General Conference kicked off last weekend with the General Women's session. It will close this weekend with five more sessions and numerous talks and words of encouragement from the latter-day leaders of the church. 

As a child, I remember every radio and TV in the house tuned in to each session. There was no way to escape it--so I learned to embrace it. I developed a method to effectively take notes and study the words of the prophets. I looked forward then, and now, to this special time every six months. 

Since I've become a parent to three busy toddlers, the days of quietly watching LDS General Conference and intently taking notes are long gone. I tried to reserve personal study time to reflect on and review each talk, but had been searching for a way to still make those few hours feel special while they are happening. I recently came across three new and fun activities that have helped me engage and participate in General Conference in a rewarding way. Have you heard of any of these ways? 

The Living Christ: Testimonies of Latter-day Saint Youth

During the summer of 2015, we challenged the Young Women and Young Men of the College Station 3rd ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to memorize The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles. We are extraordinarily proud of all the Youth who made an effort to memorize this inspired declaration originally issued on January 1, 2000, by 15 living Apostles and prophets. Many of our Youth memorized the entire document of over 700 words. What follows is a video--recorded, edited, and produced by one of our talented Young Women--that shows the product of their efforts to make the words of this declaration part of their own personal testimonies of Jesus Christ.

Faith and Football: Lessons Learned on the Field by a Modern-Day Apostle

Football season is back! Like most college towns, Aggieland is full of excitement and anticipation to see how our team will fair as the season progresses. Watching some great early-season matchups over the past few weeks, I’ve reflected some on the many life-lessons we can take from this great sport. Many of those lessons can be found in stories related by the late Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, running back for the University of Utah during the late 1930s and apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Below are just a few of my favorites.

I Will Go Before Your Face: A Small Missionary Miracle in Nebraska

My great-grandfather, Robert Hill, passed away just a month after my eighth birthday, so I have mostly faint memories of him from my childhood. I knew him as a tough, old Idaho farmer who lost the three middle fingers on one of his hands in a farm accident. A favorite scene on our visits to my great-grandparent’s farm in Ucon was watching him retrieve little candies—he called them “hummingbird eggs”—from his candy jar using just his thumb and pinky finger. He would pass out the candies to all the grandkids.

5 short scripture verses that say more than you think

Every once in a while, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints find themselves in a position where they are spontaneously asked to share a spiritual message. As has been said, “when the time for performance arrives, the time for preparation is past.”[i] As a youth, I overcame this dilemma by memorizing the shortest scriptures I could find to have ready at a moment’s notice. Now as an adult, I’ve found that many of these scriptures are actually quite profound.

Below is just a sample of some of the short but meaningful scriptures I have come across in study throughout my life and as I searched for hidden gems over the past few weeks for this post.