General Conference: A double-Sunday, a Sabbath week-end!

What a marvelous general conference! The event that members of the Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-Day Saints look forward twice a year just concluded, until next October. What a blessing it is for us to have the words of God revealed to us through the prophet!

I love to watch general conference. As I was preparing for this week-end, I've been pondering about my "general conference traditions" and I realized that at least twice a year, I have a long Sabbath day... a long Sabbath day that lasts two days... sometimes even three, depending what I'am doing on Friday night before conference. I haven't done that all my life, but since I discovered, little by little, the magnificent impact of the teachings from general conference in my life, I do my best to prepare for it and to keep my week-end as holy as I can.

I don't know exactly when I started to listen to conference on Saturdays. Before I used to attend only on Sundays, and then, at one moment of my life, I probably decided to go to the Saturday session too, and since, then, I wonder if I've ever missed one. I seriously don't know when it was, but I know it did happen, and I feel so blessed that it did! Saturday sessions are always so uplifting and deep topics are taught there!

How do I live that week-end? Usually these are things I try to do the week before and during the conference, depending on my situation at the moment...

• I ponder about how present is the Spirit in my life, how close to him I feel, and I do my best to have the his company with me during that week to be able to recognize his promptings during the conference and to be taught by him as I listen to our prophet and leaders talks.
• I ponder about my life and decisions, or things I want to change in my life. Sometimes, when I don't have anything in particular to ask for, I just pray to be enlighten by the Spirit to find, during conference, the goals I  need to set in my life.
• I take every opportunity I have to uplift my spirit, in my daily activities. I will listen to more LDS music or messages when I am walking, getting ready or doing other chores; I'll attend the temple, institute or other church meetings; I'll teach with the missionaries or find an opportunity to share my testimony with others and to serve around me. I've found that, when I do these things, my spirit feels more receptive to revelation and more humble and meek to accept whatever I feel prompted to do during conference.
• I fast before or during the conference. Depending of the activities I have the Friday or Saturday, I try to fast. Since in Montreal I used to go eat between the two sessions on Saturday with my friend and her family, I would start my fast then, until lunch time between the two sessions on Sunday. I would sometimes start my fast on Friday though, depending of the other things I have to do, as "girl" nights or things like that during priesthood session...
• My scripture study the mornings of the conference are usually things about modern revelation and prophets, to strengthen my testimony about the importance of general conference BEFORE I listen to it, and not only after listening to the great quotes.
• I will sometimes try to read and learn a little more about the apostles too. I must confess that I didn't did that this time because I didn't had too much time and I was absorbed by another book (The Other Side of Heaven... a book about a general authority too, so it's also a good thing...). I read two weeks ago something about the wives of the First Presidency and Twelve apostles though and that was useful too...
• I usually attend both conferences at a meetinghouse. I've tried to do it at home, since it is really accessible, but I just feel better to go to a meetinghouse, specially on Sundays. In Montreal, we have the tradition to bring food to eat between the two sessions at church, and to get together with the other members who come. Maybe it is because of that tradition, but for me it works better at a meetinghouse... it's easier for me to resist to the temptation of getting to comfortable on a couch and to fall asleep... 
• I turn off my phone or put it on silence (unless I'm waiting for someone I've invited to come and need to be reachable by the person). The messages that are shared are too important to keep something that can distract on my hands. It helps me to focus on the teachings of the conference and on the notes I take.
• I wear "Sunday clothes", even if I listen to it at home. It just feels different! The couple of times that I've listen to conference in pajamas or casual clothes, I felt as if something was missing. Maybe is just a little thing, but for me it has made a difference in the way I receive the message. You know how little kids feel like a real hero when they are wearing a hero costume? Well, it's almost the same that happen to me when I wear Sunday clothes at General Conference... I feel as if I was there, among all those who are participating of the conference in the Conference Center... I feel more united to all of them... Try it!
• I pay attention to the lyrics and music of the hymns, and stand up and sing with the congregation when it's our turn to sing. I know sometimes many take that time to go to the bathroom, drink some water or just stretch and take a little walk, but I believe that music is powerful, and the hymns are carefully choose for conferences. Each hymn is another talk and has something to teach us. I ponder about why the specific hymn is at the beginning, middle or end of the conference and how they are related to the talks. I've had many experiences where the hymns have prepared me to receive personal revelation during a following talk. Music is an universal language, and even more when the Spirit is singing with them, don't forget that!
• I take notes. Sometimes I'll write quotes, but more often I write thoughts that come to my mind as I listen to it. If names of people, ideas or specific things come to my mind, I write them down next to the specific talk. If I had questions before and a talk responds to it, I will write it. 
• After every session and after conference, I try to keep a calm spirit in my other activities. I try to ponder on the things I heard, to take notes and plan my days according on the things I heard. I like to keep that Spirit as much as possible, not only liking some nice memes and quotes on facebook, but by going back to my notes and see what else I can learn from it. Since I wasn't staying at the meetinghouse as I am used to, this time between the sessions I came back home and ponder about the things I heard... it amazes me how many things I learned from doing that! I really needed it! Also, if I have the chance to talk with some friends about it, I try to do it, to share the things I learned and what changes I want to do in my life. I really appreciate those opportunities where I can share and learn with others how the conference have uplifted us.
• I pray a lot! Before, during and after the conference. That communication with Heavenly Father has to be there. If he is going to talk to me through his servants during the conference, I need to to the same and to talk to him. It really makes a great difference.
• I take a time, after conference, to re-study the talks and to set new goals or to improve the way I'm already working on current goals.

These things have helped me to be better prepared for general conference. Sundays are supposed to be "the best day of the week". Isn't that cool that twice a year, that day can last for two days? I feel it is. Of course sometimes Saturdays won't be exactly as a Sabbath day... I mean, many go eat after conference, or we have to work, or to do school, and other things. But I can testify to you that my best general conferences have been those when I've been able to save my complete week-end to it. Even if I have to work or to do other things, like Saturday night, where I had to help at my friend's restaurant, I keep listening to uplifting music, I ponder about the things I heard, I try to share with others the things I heard during the first sessions and to encourage people to listen to it on Sundays. 

When I keep those two days holy, something inside me is different. Sometimes is not the best thing, in a natural man point of view. I mean, sometimes when our spirits are in that spiritual mood, Heavenly Father makes us feel things or changes that we have to make in our life but that we don't want to do or we don't feel prepared to do. But I've discovered that when we feel this and we take the challenge with humility and faith, before the next general conference we can see how it has blessed our lives. As said Elder L. Tom Perry, "Obedience is a Choice - between our own limited knowledge and power, and God's unlimited wisdom and omnipotence." I feel that when we prepare for general conference and that we keep that spirit at least through all the week-end, our capacity to obey to the promptings and to improve our lives with the counsel and advice received during conference increases. Our faith become stronger, our hope shines, and we are willing to do the will of the Lord. 

I am so grateful for our living prophet. I am so grateful for all the formidable brethren and sisters who serve as general authorities and care for us. I am so grateful for the Mormon tabernacle choir and the other choirs who participate with their talents to uplift our spirits through music. I am so grateful for the technology and for the meetinghouse that allow us to listen and watch the conference. I am so grateful for the unity and strength we can feel all together, reunited through all the world, for this wonderful event. I am grateful for being member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

I would like to finish with some words from the hymn "We thank thee O God for a Prophet", that we sang yesterday at the conference and that caught my attention. At the end it says: 

"... they who reject this glad message

Shall never such happiness know."

As we were singing that, I thought about how blessed we are for having a Prophet! An extraordinary happiness come to our  lives when we follow the words of our Prophet. Sadly, many don't even have idea of it, and many reject the message, or maybe don't reject it but neglect it after the conference is over. I invite us all to review the conference and to accept the messages in our lives, and to fill our life with the Spirit to know the things Heavenly Father wants us to do. I promise you that you will see unimaginable blessings in your lives, and an eternal happiness (remember what elder Bednar said: "bearing a load is a necessary and essential part of the plan of happiness"... so don't think that because you have trials, challenges, loads, you can't find happiness). And that eternal happiness is there, available to us, if we follow the glad message from our prophets!

I love Sundays!

To watch general conference, click here.