So! We have a lot of family visiting this weekend! Yeah for Conference Weekend! A couple of days ago, I started wandering around my pantry and making a list of meals, treats, and favorites for the weekend festivities. Quite normally, I found myself saying, "Oh, I really should make some of my taco soup, DAD loves that. And oh! Pick up some nuts from Costco..he loves those too!"
It only lasted for a few seconds, but the thought of my dad coming to my new house, eating with us, and TALKING! JUST TALKING! Almost left me in tears....But not for long! Thank Goodness for the Gospel of Happy Endings!
I have long loved General Conference! It always happens at the very best times of the year! And you had better believe that we are LOVING FALL this year! We have spent 10 long years without seasons....leaving us feeling like we live in the Garden of Eden!
But 7 years ago, Conference started to totally change my life! Bishop Leavitt called me into his office to issue a calling! There was not a name for it, because he made it up :) But, one week later, I would be sustained as the "Ward Teacher". A calling I kept for 7 years! I loved it!
My job. I was to teach every 5th Sunday Lesson, on a topic the Bishop assigned. Topic: whatever was weighing heavily on the Bishop's mind. The Text: The Latest General Conference!
I tried to remember the topics...try being operative! Here are the few I DO remember!
*Budgeting
*Employment
*Housekeeping
*Education
*Pornography
*Using Technology
*Extremism
*Using the Atonement EVERY DAY
*Studying Scriptures
*Being Willing and finding the time to SERVE
I would be assigned my topic and then I would dive head first into the Conference Ensign Issue. Marking and Marking and Marking everything that pertained to the topic, and the questions I had about it. THE PROCESS NEVER FAILED ME...NOT EVEN ONCE. I never had to go to another source. The Prophets of Latter Days answered REAL LIFE QUESTIONS!
I love Bishop Leavitt for a lot of reasons (mainly his family :) But this opportunity he afforded me changes me still to this day! Thank You Bishop! Because of you! I KNOW! No more a stranger, tossed to and fro! I know there are PROPHETS OF GOD! They speak to us, if we cling to their words, WE GAIN THE ETERNITIES!
Happy Conference Weekend! May your heart be soft! May your ears be searching for truth! And may your answers be MANY!
