stake conference

Yesterday was Stake Conference.  I almost was late.  I slept in until 9:33 and it started at 10.  I couldn't get my roommate out of bed for it, but I later found out that he pulled a girls car out of a ditch. (it was the run off ditch of the BYU dairy farm and so her car was buried in manure to the window).  While I was learning about the gospel he was living it...

This was the best stake conference to date.  Do you ever get the feeling that the general authorities are so perfect and don't relate as well.  Elder Pace (Glen..?) really did.  He simply talked to us.  He was amazing, I didn't see him look down at a talk save maybe once or twice.  I loved how he talked about not micromanaging stakes and even members.  They can only show us the way to the Lord but I have to build my own relationship with Him. 

I went to the temple session of stake conference on Friday night.  I have never in my life seen the temple so busy.  If you know the Provo temple, imagine  parking lot full, parking lot across the street full, street sides of the temple full, and people parking at the "front" of the temple. (yes, the back of the temple, is actually the front).  It made me so happy.  It was the first time that temple work seemed as busy to me as missionary work; though they are one in the same.

----side note----

When I came home from my mission I did a session in the temple on a weekday morning and there were ~8 people total in the session.  I was frustrated the whole day.  I couldn't understand why the temple had such a bleak session.  Later that day the Spirit worked on me and told me to go do another session that day in the temple.  I went back that night and WOW! it was busy.  I realized that most people have jobs and school and such....

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This past Friday I arrived at the temple just after 6:30.  They ran out of lockers and were putting us downstairs in the basement lockers.  They took our stake in two sessions and I didn't go in until the 8 o'clock session!  I loved it!

Saturday night is the adult session and many YSA want to date and play and I want them to come play with me.  I planned a dinner before the session at my parents house and we had a good crowd come out.  Thanks Ma and Pa and everyone that came out.

The last thing I want to say is how much Elder Pace and I love Joseph Smith.  He and I fantasize about living in the day with and being faithful to the Prophet Joseph Smith.  Elder Pace, while serving in the Presiding Bishopric, had a speaking assignment in Palmyra/Rochester, New York.  He skipped out of his Thursday meeting so he could be in the Sacred Grove.  

There he was in the Sacred Grove, on a "beautiful spring morning," reading his scriptures, and soaking it in.  He was alone and started feeling the Spirit.  Suddenly, the Spirit worked on him deep and hard.  He thought how he wanted to be faithful to Joseph Smith, yet there was an empty chair in front of Spencer W. Kimball where he should have been sitting.

I thought about this recently.  The Lord no longer is asking the saints to cross the plains but rather to cross our streets and do our home teaching.  The road to sanctification is not any easier but the terrain may have changed somewhat.

There are some in my family who have had some deep trials that I don't wish on anyone save it be that they come out as victorious as they have.  Thank you for your examples to me!