How Do You Plan to Participate in General Conference?

Wise parents will make it easy and comfortable for their family to watch the April 2024 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Twice each year, the Church of Jesus Christ holds general conferences – one in April and one in October. At each conference, prophets and apostles teach us what we need to know for the next six months. 

This site has information as to how to watch the session online as well as some links and other information. I will be watching, and I encourage you to watch also. 

Participating in General Conference strengthens faith in Jesus Christ and helps families to grow stronger. Strong families strengthen communities, states, and nations.

Are You Ready for General Conference?

             Families, communities, and nations are stronger when parents gather their children and watch General Conference. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds its General Conference on the first weekend in April and the first weekend in October.

            General Conference consists of five sessions, each of which are two hours long. There are morning and afternoon session on both Saturday and Sunday with an evening session on Saturday. The morning and afternoon sessions are for general audiences, from little children to their grandparents and priesthood leaders. The sermons are prepared for all ages.

The Saturday evening session in October is for girls and women ages 8 and over, and the sermons contain counsel for female members of the Church of Jesus Christ. The Saturday evening session in April is for males 12 years and over, and the sermons are directed to those who hold the priesthood. However, all sessions have counsel that any person can find useful and enlightening.

            The October conference will be like the one held in April in that all sessions will be held in a small theater and closed to anyone not actively participating. The music will be provided by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, but the music will be pre-recorded from earlier conferences. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ and friends will be virtual – over the internet, radio, and television.

            Members look forward to the conferences for six months because they know that the prophets and apostles will offer counsel to direct them for the next six months. Soon after the conference is completed, the sermons are available at the Church of Jesus Christ’s web site. They will also be available in the May and November Ensign Magazines.

            The conference is open – virtually – to anyone who desires to attend. It will be held at 10:00 A.M., 2:00 P.M., and 6:00 P.M. on Saturday and at 10:00 A.M. and 2:00 P.M. on Sunday. I encourage all my readers to come and listen to the word of Jesus Christ as delivered through His servants, the Prophet and Apostles. I know that their counsel can bless your life as well as strengthen your family, your community, and nation.

Follow the Prophet

            I taught a lesson about Elijah the prophet to my class of eight-year-old children last Sunday, and I cannot stop thinking about a certain story. Elijah lived in the northern kingdom known as Israel during the reign of Ahab and Jezebel. The king and queen hated Elijah because he called them to repentance for their idolatry. One day God told Elijah to tell Ahab that there was going to be a drought. The drought would last for more than three years.

            Elijah delivered the message and then followed God’s instructions to flee to a brook where he would be fed bread and flesh by ravens each morning and evening. Elijah stayed by the brook until the brook dried up. Then God told him to go to Zarephath where a widow woman had been commanded to sustain him.

            Again, Elijah followed God’s instructions and went to Zarephath. When he arrived outside the city gate, he saw a widow woman gathering sticks and made a special request.

10 … Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.

12 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.

14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.

15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah (1 Kings 17:10-16).

            I am intrigued by the actions of the widow woman. She had just enough meal (flour) and oil left to make a small loaf of bread. She knew that it would be the last of her flour and oil, so she and her son would not have anything more to eat. She was planning to die. Yet, she willingly used her little bit of flour and oil to feed Elijah.

            Was she acting on faith that Elijah’s words would be fulfilled? Did she believe him when he said that she would have plenty of flour and oil? I think that she believed him because she followed his words.

            There have been many prophets upon the earth since the days of Adam. Each of them taught the gospel of Jesus Christ, but each of them also had a special mission and needed personal revelation to fulfil their mission. A favorite Primary song tells of  some prophets: Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Samuel, Jonah, and Danial. What the Lord told one prophet might not work so well for helping another prophet. For example, Noah was told how to build an ark in order to save his family from the Flood, but Moses needed help to feed the million or more Israelites that he led out of Egypt. The last verse of this Primary song talks about the current prophet of God and is followed by the chorus.

Now we have a world where people are confused.

If you don’t believe it, go and watch the news.

We can get direction all along our way,

If we heed the prophets – follow what they say.

Follow the prophet, follow the prophet,

Follow the prophet; don’t go astray.

Follow the prophet, follow the prophet,

Follow the prophet; he knows the way.

            The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is holding its semi-annual General Conference in Salt Lake City this weekend, and millions of members of the Church of Jesus Christ are attending, watching, or listening to the conference proceedings. The words of the current prophet of God and His apostles will be read and studied for months if not years.    Members of the Church of Jesus Christ know that there is a prophet on earth today, and they seek to learn from him. However, there are many people who either do not believe in prophets or they have little faith in him. The following words of then-Elder Henry B. Eyring seem to apply at this time. 

Looking for the path to safety in the counsel of prophets makes sense to those with strong faith. When a prophet speaks, those with little faith may think that they hear only a wise man giving good advice. Then if his counsel seems comfortable and reasonable, squaring with what they want to do, they take it. If it does not, they consider it either faulty advice or they see their circumstances as justifying their being an exception to the counsel. Those without faith may think that they hear only men seeking to exert influence for some selfish motive….

Every time in my life when I have chosen to delay following inspired counsel or decided that I was an exception, I came to know that I had put myself in harm’s way. Every time that I have listened to the counsel of prophets, felt it confirmed in prayer, and then followed it, I have found that I moved toward safety. Along the path, I have found that the way had been prepared for me and the rough places made smooth. God led me to safety along a path which was prepared with loving care, sometimes prepared long before.

            I know that there is a living prophet on the earth today, even President Russell M. Nelson. I know that God speaks to us through His prophet. I sustain him as God’s prophet, seer, and revelator. I also sustain his counselors and the members of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators. I know that they too speak for God and work under the direction of President Nelson.

            I am grateful for General Conference, which is held twice each year, for the prophet, apostles, and other leaders speak to us. As I follow their counsel, I become a better person. If you are interested in listening to the Lord’s prophet and apostles this weekend, you can do so at this site. You can also read or hear their counsel at a later time at the same site. I love the prophet, and I gratefully follow him as he leads me safely back to the Savior.

The Savior's Love

                Families, communities, and nations are strengthened when we feel the Savior’s love for us. This weekend is the annual general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Prophets, apostles, and other general leaders will be speaking to the world about the Savior and His love for all mankind.  I will be watching the conference sessions held on Saturday and Sunday in Salt Lake City, Utah.  I hope you will tune into the conference  and feel the Savior’s love for you.

Part 2: General Conference

                If you had the opportunity to listen to a prophet of God, would you do it?  I would – and I did.  I went to General Conference anxiously awaiting what President Thomas S. Monson would say.  I was disappointed when he did not give his customary remarks to open conference on Saturday morning - as were most members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I was even more anxious to know if he would speak in conference.

                I was disappointed when a few members of the Church decided to vote “no” when I asked to sustain the Prophet.  I was a little shocked at the vote because I have only seen it happen a few times in my entire life.  I saw a “no” vote here in Anchorage, Alaska, many years ago when the boundaries of the wards were being changed.  I was as surprised by who made the vote as I was at the vote itself.  I do not know what she told the Bishop and/or Stake President, but I assume it had to do where the line was drawn.  Her thoughts were apparently accepted and taken into consideration, but the boundaries stayed the same and she remained active in the ward.

                The Prophet did not speak at all during the morning and afternoon sessions of conference on Saturday; he did speak in the Priesthood Session and again during the Sunday morning session but did not give his customary remarks closing the conference.  Here are a few of the words of the Prophet of God.

                Attend the temple:  President Thomas S. Monson spoke of the blessings of attending the temple:  “As we go to the temple, as we remember the covenants we make there, we will be better able to overcome those temptations and to bear our trials.  In the temple we can find peace…. 

                “May our Heavenly Father bless us that we may have the spirit of temple worship that we may be obedient to His commandments, and that we may follow carefully the steps of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

                Express gratitude for the many gifts given to us by Jesus Christ:  “May we offer prayers of gratitude for His great and marvelous gifts to us [as we celebrate Easter].”

               

                Ponder our duties and responsibilities:  “Let us consider our callings.  Let us reflect on our responsibilities; let us determine our duty; and let us follow Jesus Christ, Our Lord.”

                President Monson quoted Doctrine and Covenant 121:45:  “Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly.”

                To be righteous followers of Jesus Christ, we must learn of Him:  “We are engaged in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Let us learn of Him.  Let us follow in His footsteps.  Let us live by His precepts.”

                I am grateful for my knowledge that a Prophet of God walks the earth today.  I am grateful to know that he has the power and authority to speak for God.  I am grateful to know that he does reveal God words to those who will listen.   I am grateful for President Thomas S. Monson – Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, and I sustain him with all my heart, and I will follow his counsel!

Part 1: General Conference

                The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held its annual General Conference over the past two weekends.  The conference started with the General Women’s Session on Saturday, March 28, 2015, and continued with five more sessions on April 4-5, 2015.  That makes a total of six sessions of General Conference.  The Women’s Session is for women, young women, and girls age eight years and older.

                My post for tonight will be about the Women’s Session.  One highlight of the session for me personally came after the session was over.  About halfway through the session a video entitled “The Family Is Ordained of God” was shown.  I did not see the beginning of the video.  I was tired and went to sleep.  Imagine my surprise – and regret - when I later saw a picture of my granddaughter from the video.  I of course had to watch the video again just to see my granddaughter’s beautiful smiling face.  One of my sons by marriage does filming for the Church and included some pictures of his own children; one of them was put in the video. 

                The speakers at the Women’s Session speak to the needs of females.  Sister Cheryl A. Esplin, Second Counselor in the Primary General Presidency, spoke to the topic “Filling Our Homes with Light and Truth.”  “The concept of being filled with light and truth became particularly important to me because of an experience I had many years ago.  I attended a meeting where members of the Young Women general board taught about creating spiritually strong families and homes.  To visually demonstrate this, a Young Women leader held up two soda cans.  In one hand she held a can that was empty and in the other hand a can that was unopened and full of soda.  First, she squeezed the empty can; it began to bend and then collapsed under the pressure.  Next, with her other hand, she squeezed the unopened can.  It held firm.  It didn’t bend or collapse like the empty can – because it was filled.

                “We likened this demonstration to our individual lives and to our homes and families.  When filled with the Spirit and with gospel truth, we have the power to withstand the outside forces of the world that surround and push against us.  However, if we are not filled spiritually, we don’t have the inner strength to resist the outside pressures and can collapse when forces push against us….”

                Sister Carole M. Stephens, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, spoke to the topic “The Family Is of God” and based her talk on a Primary song.  “The first line of the song teaches:  `Our Father has a family.  It’s me!  It’s You, all others too:  we are His children.’  From the family proclamation, we learn, `In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father.’  In that realm, we learned about our eternal female identity.  We knew that we were each `a beloved … daughter of heavenly parents’ [Young Women theme]….

                “The second line of the song expands on the first.  `He sent each one of us to earth, through birth, to live and learn here in families.’  In the premortal life, we learned that we would need a period of mortality.  We `accepted [Heavenly Father’s] plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize [our] divine destiny as heirs of eternal life’….

                “The third line of the song further explains the purpose of our mortality:  `God gave us families to help us become what He wants us to be.’  The Savior taught, `Be one; and if ye are not one year are not mine.’  The family proclamation teaches that as beloved spirit daughters of heavenly parents, we have a divine nature, eternal identity, and purpose.  God wants us to be one.  God needs us to be – covenant-keeping daughters, united in the diversities of our individual lives, who desire to learn all that is needed to be back in His presence, sealed to Him as part of His eternal family….

                “The final line of the song returns to where it began:  `This is how He shares His love, for the family is of God.’  The Father’s plan for His children is a plan of love.  It is a plan to unite His children – His family – with Him….”

                Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson, Young Women General President, spoke to the topic “Defenders of the Family Proclamation.”  “I recently read the story of Marie Madeline Cardon, who, with her family, received the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ from the first missionaries called to serve in Italy in 1850.  She was a young woman of 17 or 18 years of age when they were baptized.  One Sunday, while the family was holding a worship service in their home high in the Alps of northern Italy, an angry mob of men, including some of the local ministers, gathered around the house and began shouting, yelling, and calling for the missionaries to be brought outside….  They intended bodily harm.  It was young Marie who marched out of the house to confront the mob.

                “They continued their vicious yells and demands for the missionaries to be brought out.  Marie raised her Bible up in her hand and commanded them to depart.  She told them that the elders were under her protection and that they could not harm one hair of their heads.  Listen to her own words:  `All stood aghast. … God was with me.  He placed those words in my mouth, or I could not have spoken them.  All was calm, instantly.  That strong ferocious body of men stood helpless before a weak, trembling, yet fearless girl.’  The ministers asked the mob to leave, which they did quietly in shame, fear, and remorse.  The small flock completed their meeting in peace….

                “Sisters, few of us will ever have to face an angry mob, but there is a war going on in this world in which our most cherished and basic doctrines are under attack.  I am speaking specifically of the doctrine of the family.  The sanctity of the home and the essential purposes of the family are being questioned, criticized, and assaulted on every front….”

                Even though several priesthood leaders were in attendance – including President Thomas S. Monson, one of his counselors, and two members of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles – only one of them spoke, President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency; he spoke to the topic “The Comforter.” “My beloved sisters, it has been a joy for me to be with you.  I’ve thought of my mother, my wife, my daughters, my daughters-in-law, my granddaughters – a number of whom are here.  This wonderful program has made me appreciate them more.  I recognize that having had such a family and such a wonderful family life comes from their having the Savior at the center of each of their lives.  We have remembered Him tonight in music, in prayers, and through inspired sermons.  One of the attributes of the Savior we most appreciate is His infinite compassion.

                “Tonight you have felt He knows you and loves you.  You have felt His love for those seated around you.  They are your sisters, spirit daughters of our Heavenly Father.  He cares for them as He cares for you.  He understands all their sorrows.  He wants to succor them.

                “My message to you tonight is that you can and must be an important part of His giving comfort to those who need comfort.  You can play your part best if you know more of how He answers those prayers for help.

                “Many are praying to Heavenly Father for relief, for help in carrying their burdens of grief, loneliness, and fear.  Heavenly Father hears those prayers and understands their needs.  He and His Beloved Son, the resurrected Jesus Christ, have promised help….”

                Can you see how each of the speakers gave both challenges and praises?  I always come away from the session with a stronger desire to be a better person, a better wife, a better mother and grandmother.  I encourage you to link to the various talks for more information than I have given.

General Conference

                It is general conference time again!  It is one of my favorite times of the year.  General conference is a time when all the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meet to conduct general church business as well as to receive instruction. 

                The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized on April 6, 1830, with six members.  Two months later it held its first general conference on June 9, 1830, in Fayette, New York, with 27 members.  It was presided over by the Prophet Joseph Smith.  In the early years of the Church, general conferences were held every three months but gradually lessened to every six months. 

                There are now more than 15,082,028 members.  The annual general conference is held on the weekend closest to April 6 with the semi-annual general conference being held six months later in October.  Even though the Conference Center has room for approximately 21,000, the proceedings of the meetings are available to everyone over the Internet or printed in the Ensign.

                Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles spoke about the importance of general conference:  “In our dispensation, the Savior Jesus Christ referred to a gathering of Saints as `my general conference’ (Doctrine and Covenants 124:88; emphasis added).

                “Wherever we are in this world, however we receive these proceedings, I testify that we are gathered in His conference.  I also testify that we will hear His word, for He has said, `Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same’ (Doctrine and Covenants 1:38).

                “Conferences have always been part of the true Church of Jesus Christ.  Adam gathered his posterity and prophesied of things to come.  Moses gathered the children of Israel and taught them the commandments he had received.  The Savior taught multitudes gathered both in the Holy Land and on the American continent.  Peter gathered believers in Jerusalem.  The first general conference in these latter days was convened just two months after the Church was organized, and conferences have continued to this very day….

                “In conferences we can receive the word of the Lord meant just for us.  One member testified:  `As I listened to your address, I was astounded.  … Your talk was personal revelation directly from the Lord to my family.  I have never experienced such a strong manifestation of the Spirit in my life as those minutes when the Holy Ghost spoke directly to me.’

                “Another said, `I have never before felt so profoundly that a talk was being given to me.’

                “This is possible because the Holy Ghost carries the word of the Lord unto our hearts in terms we can understand.  When I take notes at conference, I do not always write down exactly what the speaker is saying; I note the personalized direction the Spirit is giving me. 

                “What is said is not as important as what we hear and what we feel.  That is why we make an effort to experience conference in a setting where the still, small voice of the Spirit can be clearly heard, felt, and understood.

                “Oh, how we need general conference!  Through conferences our faith is fortified and our testimonies deepened.  And when we are converted, we strengthen each other to stand strong amid the fiery darts of these last days."

                I love general conference and look forward to it.  I schedule my time in order to attend or watch every session.  I often feel like I am being spiritually fed from a fire hose!  I take notes for my personal use but am particularly grateful for having the information fully available to me over the Internet.  When my conference issue of the Ensign arrives, I begin at the front cover and systematically read the entire magazine with the intent to finish it before the next general conference.  I refer to the talks many times during the six months following the conference and sometimes years later.  In fact, many of my blog posts are based on talks from general conference.  I consider the counsel given in general conference to be my guide for the next six months.  I believe I will be safer by following that counsel.  I encourage YOU to watchgeneral conference and to see for yourself.  

Whether by Mine Own Voice

                The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds General Conference every six months with the most recent one being held October 5-6, 2013.  Members are encouraged to “await patiently and diligently for further instruction at my general conference, saith the Lord” (Doctrine and Covenants 24:88; emphasis added). 

                Members are also instructed to listen carefully to what is taught by the prophets and apostles:  “What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:38; emphasis added).

                Last month Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about the importance of General Conference:  “Conferences have always been part of the true Church of Jesus Christ.  Adam gathered his posterity and prophesied of things to come.  Moses gathered the children of Israel and taught them the commandments he had received.  The Savior taught multitudes gathered in the Holy Land and on the American continent.  Peter gathered believers in Jerusalem.  The first general conference in these latter days was convened just two months after the Church was organized, and conferences have continued to this very day.

                “These conferences are always under the direction of the Lord, guided by His Spirit….

                “In conferences we can receive the word of the Lord meant just for us….

                “This is possible because the Holy Ghost carries the word of the Lord unto our hearts in terms we can understand [See 2 Nephi 33:1.]….  [The Holy Ghost carries the word of the Lord “unto our hearts” but not “into our hearts” unless we invite Him to do so by our thoughts and actions.]

                “What is said is not as important as what we hear and what we feel.  [See Spencer W. Kimball, in Conference Report, Tonga Area Conference 1976, 27.]  That is why we make an effort to experience conference in a setting where the still, small voice of the Spirit can be clearly heard, felt, and understood.”

                Elder Hales said that “we need general conference” to fortify our faith and to deepen our testimonies and then “strengthen each other to stand strong amid the fiery darts of these last days.”  [See Luke 22:31-32.] ….

                “We may not know all the reasons why the prophets and conference speakers address us with certain topics in conference, but the Lord does.  President Harold B. Lee taught:  `The only safety we have as members of this church is to … give heed to the words and commandments that the Lord shall give through His prophet.  … There will be some things that take patience and faith.  You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church.  It may contradict your [personal] views.  It may contradict your social life.  But if you listen to these things, as if from the mouth of the Lord Himself, with patience and faith, the promise is that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; … and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory” (Doctrine and Covenants 21:6).’

                “How did President Lee know what we would be facing in our day?  He knew because he was a prophet, seer, and revelator.  And if we listen and obey the prophets now, including those who will speak in this very conference, we will be strengthened and protected.

                “The greatest blessings of general conference come to us after the conference is over.  Remember the pattern recorded frequently in scripture:  we gather to hear the words of the Lord, and we return to our homes to live them….”

                When Jesus Christ visited the Christians living in ancient America He gave us a pattern for gaining the most from our conferences, “I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time.

                “Therefore, go ye unto you homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again (Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ,

3 Nephi 17:2-3).

                Elder Hales continued, “We accept the Savior’s invitation when we ponder and pray to understand what we have been taught and then go forward and do His will.  Remember President Spencer W. Kimball’s words:  `I have made up my mind that when I go home from this [general] conference … there are many, many areas in my life that I can perfect.  I have made a mental list of tem, and I expect to go to work as soon as we get through’ [“Spoken from Their Hearts,” Ensign, Nov. 1975, 111].  President Monson recently said:  `I encourage you to read the talks … and to ponder the messages contained therein.  I have found in my own life that I gain even more from these inspired sermons when I study them in greater depth’ (“God Be with You till We Meet Again,’ Ensign, Nov. 202, 110).

                “In addition to inviting us to hold personal and family scripture study, Heavenly Father wants us to regularly study and apply what we have learned in conference…” (“General Conference:  Strengthening Faith and Testimony,” Ensign, Nov. 2013, 6-8).

                I am grateful for the opportunity to listen to prophets and apostles every six months.  I am also grateful to have the talks available to study later.  The talks are available on the Church’s website within days to watch on video or to read in print, and I encourage you to go here to hear the words of prophets and apostles.  I especially appreciate having the talks printed in the Ensign and other Church magazines and delivered to my mailbox for later study.  In fact, we have been counseled to keep our conference edition of the Ensign with our scriptures for easy access during our daily gospel study.  I usually read one conference address each morning after studying the scriptures.  I pay particular when one prophet quotes another prophet because I know the Lord establishes His word by the mouths of two or three witnesses.  General Conference is valuable to all people who desire to know what the Lord would have us do for the coming six months.  The Lord has promised that He “will do nothing [until] he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7) – which is one of the most important reasons why we need General Conference! 

Running the Federal Government

                Our federal government has supposedly been shut down for the past week or so.  I say supposedly because only a small part of the government has actually shut down.  In reality, it appears that the Obama Administration shut down only those parts of the government that will “cause the most pain,” such as the open air monuments in Washington, D.C., or the turn outs to see Mount Rushmore or the cemetery in Normandy.

                Byron York at The Washington Examiner said that he asked a Republican source on the Senate Budget Committee for an estimate of how much of the government was actually shut down.  This was the source’s answer:  “Based on estimates drawn from CBO and OMB data, 83 percent of government operations will continue….  This is about 83 percent of projected 2014 spending of $3.6 trillion.”

                “So the government shutdown, at least as measured by money spent, is really a 17 percent government shutdown.  Perhaps that is why the effects of the shutdown, beyond some of the most visible problems, like at the monuments and memorials on the Washington Mall, don’t seem to have the expected intensity.  Seventeen percent of federal expenditures is still a huge amount of money, and the shutdown is affecting many people.  But many more who are dependent on federal dollars are still receiving their money, either as salary, transfer payment, or in some other form.  Viewed that way, it’s no wonder both Republicans and Democrats appear to believe they can last the shutdown out, at least for a couple of weeks until they try to resolve the debt limit crisis due to arrive October 17.”

                Democrats, particularly Barack Obama and Harry Reid, have simply refused to negotiate with Republicans.  Obama claims that he will come to the negotiating table when the federal government is open for business once again.  John Boehner, Speaker of the House of Representatives, said that Obama must come to the negotiating table before the House will not pass bills to re-open the federal government or raise the debt limit.  Only negotiation will re-open the government, and Obama refuses to negotiate.  The blame for the shutdown rests squarely on the President of the United States.

                The BunYion offered a suggestion for solving the problem with the federal government.  It is only satire, but it contains some true principles.  Their article began:  “As an answer to the government shutdown crisis, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced that Church President Thomas S. Monson met with President Obama today with one single proposal:  `The LDS Church will run the government during the shutdown.’” 

                The article then suggested some inspired programs used by the Church that would make the government run more smoothly.  1) The tax system would change to a Flat Tax of 10%.  [The Lord runs His programs on 10% income; why can’t governments do the same?]  2) The poor and the needy would be cared for through the Church welfare program with home teachers and visiting teachers serving on the front lines and necessary funds coming from fast offerings.  [The welfare program requires that individuals do all they can to help themselves and then turn to their families before coming to the Church for help.]  3) The new foreign relations policy would be “Every member a missionary.”  [There would be great peace in the world if every person knew and followed the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.]

                Although the article was satire and there is no hope that Obama would give control of the government to anyone, our nation and the world could be greatly blessed by the leadership of prophets and apostles.  Consider some of the counsel given in the ten hours of general conference held on October 5-6, 2013.  

                President Thomas S. Monson opened the conference by announcing that the Church has grown to 15 million members and has a missionary force of over 80,000 missionaries.  He affirmed the Lord’s instructions to His apostles to “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).  He quoted the Prophet Joseph Smith as saying that our most important duty is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He said that now is the time for members and missionaries to come together to spread the gospel.  One way we can help the missionary cause is to contribute to the ward or general missionary fund.  In his main address he spoke of his dearly departed wife Francis who passed away in May and how his testimony that their separation is only temporary brings great comfort to him.  He said that we grow stronger as we face and survive adversity and become better and more spiritually refined.  He told the priesthood brethren that they are responsible to teach, inspire and motivate the sons and daughters of God.

                Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles quoted the Lord as saying “What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:38; emphasis added).

                Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about tithing.  He said that when we pay an honest tithe, we receive significant but subtle blessings that are easy to overlook, such as fewer medical expenses.  These blessings can only be discerned by spiritual attentiveness and observance.  They include more gratitude for what we have, contentment, increased ability to do more with less, greater capacity to change our own circumstances, an assurance of deliverance from our adversities, hope, and peace.  He also spoke about the simplicity of the Lord’s law of finance.  The finances of the Church are under the direction of the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the Presiding Bishopric.  This group of leaders follows the instructions given by the Lord in Doctrine and Covenants 119-120 on the fiscal affairs of the Church as well as by revelation.  Members are commanded to pay ten percent of their annual income to the Lord, and these sacred funds are used to further the work of the Lord.  The Church follows the same counsel it gives to members about fiscal simplicity and orderliness.  The Church 1) lives within its means and does not spend money it does not have and 2) sets aside a portion of its funds for “rainy days.”  The honest payment of tithing is a step toward purification and should not be procrastinated.

                President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency said that the LDS Church does not require anything of its members – but the Lord requires consecration of all things.  With this requirement, why would anyone want to join this church?   He said that the Church is one of the fastest growing churches in the world.  People are joining it because 1) they are converted to the idea that Jesus Christ restored His church to the earth, 2) they love Jesus Christ and wish to follow Him, and 3) they realize that assignments are opportunities to grow.  To the priesthood brethren, he said “whatever you do, do it with all your heart and with God.”  He said to keep our eyes on where we want to be in eternity.

                President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, told us that we live in the perilous times spoken of by the Apostle Paul in his letter to Timothy.  (See 2 Timothy 3:1-5.)  The safest place for our children in these perilous times is in a righteous family.  The scriptures hold the key to safety and salvation because they teach us where to go and what to do.  Since all scripture is given of God for our benefit, we should make scripture study a routine part of our personal and family life. (See 2 Timothy 3:16-17.)

                Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about the moral foundation of good women and encouraged all women to cultivate the innate moral power within us.  He said that the forces of evil are striving to destroy this moral foundation because women are the guardians of the well spring of life.  He mentioned three ways in which this moral foundation is being destroyed: 1) the devaluation of marriage, women, and homemaking as a career, 2) attitudes toward sex – abortion, immodesty, equal sexual opportunities, and 3) erasing the difference between masculine and feminine.  We need women who are kind, refined, faithful, good, virtuous, and pure.  We need men and women working together to produce a whole – not simply two halves or two copies of the same half.  He encouraged us to have clean language, modest dress, and pure actions.  He encouraged us to put our relationship with God first and to not be afraid to apply moral goodness.

                President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency reminded us that we each make choices every day.  We should ask ourselves: what choices do I make that help me feel the love of the Lord?  We can feel the love of the Lord as we repent and put the Atonement of Christ into action in our individual lives.  He told the priesthood brethren that “to hold the priesthood of God is to be responsible to God for the children of God.”

                Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles reminded us that the first two commandments are 1) “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” and 2) “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image….”  He said that we offend God when we serve other Gods and named several “other gods” such as cultural and family traditions and political correctness; he added that there are many “other gods” that people worship as evidenced by certain conditions in our nation, such as the family becoming the exception rather than the rule and the diminishing importance of fathers in the home.  He encouraged us to follow the principle:  “What is our ultimate priority?”  “Man’s law cannot make moral what God has declared immoral.”  The commandments of God are inseparable from God’s plan of happiness for His children.

                Elder Richard G. Scott admonished us to recognize the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives because personal strength comes from the Atonement.  He used the story of the stripling warriors in the Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ to show how the Atonement can bless our lives.  Choices have long and short term consequences.  One of the long term consequences is that Satan uses our guilt over past sins to lure us back into his territory.  We need to protect ourselves spiritually from our past sins and fortify our weak areas in order to maintain our spiritual strength.  Since each of us has made poor choices, we each need the Atonement.  We can access it through “sincere, thorough, complete repentance” and “service to others – particularly our spouse and children.”

                We have clowns running the federal government.  It would be most refreshing to have mature adults in charge of our nation, adults who truly want what is best for us as individual Americans and for the United States of America!

Words of Prophet

                    Millions of members and friends of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints took time to listen to General Conference on 6-7 September 2012.  We heard the counsel of the prophet of the Lord for us in our day as well as words of counsel from Apostles and other leaders of the Church.  Brief comments from the Apostles can be obtained at this site, but the words of the prophet are as follow.  Entire remarks will be available later on line and in the Ensign Magazine.

                    In his opening remarks, President Thomas S. Monson announced a change in missionary age.  "I am pleased to announce that effective immediately, all worthy and able young men who have graduated from high school or its equivalent, regardless of where they live, will have the option of being recommended for missionary service beginning at the age of 18, instead of age 19….

                    "As we have prayerfully pondered the age at which young men may begin their missionary service, we have also given consideration to the age at which a young woman might serve.  Today I am pleased to announce that able, worthy young women who have the desire to serve may be recommended for missionary service beginning at age 19, instead of age 21.

                    "We affirm that missionary work is a priesthood duty - and we encourage all young men who are worthy and who are physically able and mentally capable to respond to the call to serve.  Many young women also serve, but they are not under the same mandate to serve as are the young men.  We assure the young sisters of the Church, however, that they make a valuable contribution as missionaries, and we welcome their service."

                    President Monson told members of the priesthood:  "We need to bear in mind that people can change.  They can put behind them bad habits.  They can repent from transgressions.   They can bear this priesthood worthily.  And they can serve the Lord diligently….

                    "It is our responsibility to give them opportunities to live as they should.  We can help them to overcome their shortcomings.  We must develop the capacity to see men not as they are at present but as they may become when they receive testimonies of the gospel of Christ."

                    To the general membership of the Church, President Monson counseled:  "As I have reviewed the past 49 years, I have made some discoveries.  One is that countless experiences I have had were not necessarily those one would consider extraordinary.  In fact, at the time they transpired, they often seemed unremarkable and even ordinary.  And yet, in retrospect, they enriched and blessed lives - not the least of which was my own.  I would recommend this same exercise to you - namely, that you take an inventory of your life and look specifically for the blessings, large and small, you have received."

                    In his closing remarks, President Monson said:  "Let us be of good cheer as we go about our lives.  Although we live in increasingly perilous times, the Lord loves us and is mindful of us.  He is always on our side as we do what is right.  He will help us in time of need.  Difficulties come into our lives, problems we do not anticipate and which we would never choose.  None of us is immune.  The purpose of mortality is to learn and to grow to be more like our Father, and it is often during the difficult times that we learn the most, as painful as the lessons may be.  Our lives can also be filled with joy as we follow the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

                    "The Lord admonished, `Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world' (John 16:33).  What great happiness that knowledge should bring to us.  He lived for us, and He died for us."

                    The prophet has spoken once again, and wise men and women will pay attention to his words.

The Prophet Speaks

                    Wise people listen when a prophet speaks, and the Lord's prophet for our day will be speaking this weekend.  You can hear the words of President Thomas S.Monson here on October 6-7, 2012.  Fourteen other men sustained as "prophets, seers, and revelators" as well as other leaders will also speak.

                    We would all be wise to listen to the counsel of our living prophet in order to know what we should do in the next six months.  We live in the "perilous times" described by the Apostle Paul. 

"This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come.

                    "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.

                    "Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers [slanderers], incontinent [without self-control], fierce, despisers of those that are good.

                    "Traitors, heady [rash, reckless], highminded [puffed up, conceited], lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

                    "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:  from such turn away" (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

                    A living prophet speaks the words of God.  He is the Lord's spokesman for all the earth.  An Old Testament prophet named Amos said, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but [until] he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7).

                    In these last days before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, all men and women can gain knowledge and wisdom by listening to a prophet of God.  A favorite hymn is entitled "We Listen to a Prophet's Voice" (Hymns, 22; words written by Marylou Cunningham Leavitt with music by Darwin K. Wolford).

                    We listen to a prophet's voice and hear the Savior too.

                    With love he bids us do the work the Lord would have us do.

                    The Savior calls his chosen seer to preach the word of God,

                    That men might learn to find the path marked by the iron rod.

                    In ev'ry land, in ev'ry tongue, our prophet will be heard;

                    How swiftly round the world his voice reveals the gospel word!

                    The sacred message that he brings will witness and agree

                    With ev'ry prophet called of God throughout earth's history.

                    Hosanna!  Let our praise ascend unto the Savior's throne;

                    Rejoice!  The prophet has confirmed that by Him we are known.

                    Attend, ye earth!  The prophet speaks; come listen and obey.

                    He is the man who holds the keys of priesthood pow'r today.