183rd Semi-annual General Conference

Image source: http://www.mormonchannel.org/

For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the first weekend in October (and the first weekend in April) is when we get to watch a worldwide televised broadcast of counsels and instructions given by chosen church leaders. This broadcast is called, General Conference. Each speaker delivers both inspirational and uplifting messages. Each message is unique, and touches our heart in different ways. Each message addresses issues and concerns that are going on in the world around us. And most definitely, these messages (or counsels) can be compared to as a "guide map" for our everyday life decisions.

A wide range of topics were shared during the two days of conference. For example, President Thomas S. Monson shared with us certain matters concerning eternal love, faith, endurance, and perseverance. I can testify to you that President Monson is truly a marvelous man of God. He has a way of telling stories that you'll remember years from now. Should you have a desire, or just a glimpse of curiosity to know what was shared the past two days of conference, feel free to click on this link (October 2013 General Conference). It will take you to the church's official website and from there you can choose from a number of different conference talks. I hope you will enjoy these inspirational and heart-warming messages as much as I did.

Going down memory lane, I will admit that when I was a young convert to the church, I was not a big fan of sitting for a total of four hours a day (a morning and an afternoon session on both Saturday and Sunday) and listen to different speakers share messages about gospel related stories. Yes, you heard it right. I was not thrilled about General Conference.  Aside from having to sit for long periods of time, I believe that I wasn't excited for General Conference because I was a bit too young (in convert years) to fully understand the importance of it all.

Latter on though, as I grew in age and have gained better understanding of the gospel, I found myself appreciative of the efforts that each speaker has put forth in their talks. This past weekend is no different; I was eager to watch and take heed to each church leader's inspired messages. And I look forward to the next General Conference that will take place the first weekend in April 2014.

Before I go, I just thought I'd include a short video on the history of the Latter-day Saints Conference Center, and a link (Mormon Channel) to video highlights from this weekend's General Conference.