Sunday, April 6, 2014

How to Drink From a Fire Hose

Between sessions of General Conference yesterday, there was a frequently repeated commercial (that's not really the right word for it - they weren't selling anything) that basically said that the effects of General Conference are meant to last longer than just for Conference weekend. One of the main quotes that was shared during that "commercial" was from Elder Robert D. Hales from last Conference:

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.

In other words, the greatest blessings of Conference come not as we hear the inspiring messages, but as we follow the inspired counsel.

Right now, at this moment, I can barely remember what was said in a few of the amazing talks we heard yesterday, let alone all of them. My sister-in-law, Teresa, related the experience of trying to absorb the messages of General Conference to trying to drink out of a fire hose. I got wet and it knocked me off my feet, but I can't say that I really got a lot to drink. My plan right now is to let that fire hose fill up a swimming pool, and I'll spend the next month or two drinking out of that.

About a year ago, shortly after I first started my daily blogging, I spent most mornings re-watching General Conference talks and blogging about what I learned. I plan to do that again this year, as I should have done six months ago. That should give us all enough time to absorb, reflect upon, and apply the inspired counsel we have been and will be given. I'm not sure wether the videos for the individual talks are up yet. I'd be very surprised if the text was. But there are one or two blog posts I can pull out of the General Women's Meeting while we're waiting for the other sessions to become available as well.

So, that's my general plan for blogging for the next month or two. I still have a list of a few blog ideas, and I haven't given up on trying to blog about toucans, either. Maybe I'll hold on to those and slip them in when I feel like I need to take a brief break from Conference (and/or when I find something blogworthy about toucans). So, if you like General Conference, look forward to the next month or two of blog posts, because that's what I'm going to focus on for the time being.

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