A Survival Guide for General Conference: Saturday Afternoon (October 2022)
This series will be a cheat sheet guide for people who would prefer not to watch all of General Conference. Now you can have some points to discuss with your TBM family or friends where necessary and gives you the option to choose which talks you want to listen to (if any).
Saturday Afternoon Session
Session conducted by: Dallin H. Oaks - First Counselor, First Presidency
Session Choir: Missionary Choir
Invocation (opening prayer): Takashi Wada
Benediction (closing prayer): Hans T. Boom
Songs sung:
Called To Serve
Faith In Every Footstep
Glory To God On High
I’ll Go Where You Want Me To Go
Hope Of Israel
Opening speech: Dallin H. Oaks - First Counselor, First Presidency
Key Points:
Sustained Russell Marion Nelson as Prophet
Announced all new leaders and those who had been removed from their assignments.
Second Speaker: M. Russell Ballard - Acting President - Quorum of the Twelve
Topics: Follow Jesus with Faith, be a pioneer, and importance of following the commandments
Key Points:
Ballard discusses the message that is within the hymn just sung, ‘Faith In Every Footstep’. He feels that the chorus “which faith in every footstep we follow Christ the Lord; and willed with hope through his pure love we sing with one accord”.
He testifies that as we follow Jesus Christ with footsteps of faith that there will be hope
This year marks the 175th anniversary of the arrival of the early pioneers to the Salt Lake valley. This has caused Ballard to reflect on some of his own ancestors, some of whom walked from Nauvoo to the Salt Lake Valley.
The word “pioneer” is both a noun and a verb. As a noun, it can mean a person who is among the first to explore or settle new territory. As a verb, it can mean to open or prepare the way for others to follow.
When Ballard thinks of those who have prepared the way he first thinks of the prophet Joseph Smith, whose footsteps led him to a grove of trees where he knelt in prayer and opened the way for us to have the fullness of Jesus Christ.
Our missionaries today are modern-day pioneers because they share the glorious message with people around the world, this opening the way for our Heavenly Father’s children to know Him and His son, Jesus Christ.
Ballard reminds members of several statements issued by President Nelson, including the call for all able-bodied young men to serve a mission (and the optional opportunity for women), and the call to “take charge of your testimony”.
He goes on to remind members that in the coming days it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.
We should not lose the sense of urgency to keep the commandments. Satan tries to dull our commitment and our love for God and Jesus Christ.
Quotes:
“As we follow Jesus Christ with footsteps of faith there is hope…there is hope to overcome our mistakes, our sorrows, and our struggles, our trials, and our troubles. There is hope in repentance, and being forgiven, and forgiving others”
“ Our missionaries today are modern-day pioneers because they share the glorious message with people around the world, this opening the way for our Heavenly Father’s children to know Him and His son, Jesus Christ”
Personal Synopsis:
It always makes me cringe when people bring up Joseph Smith and the first vision in their talks. Mostly because I now know that the official “first vision” is not the only account that Joseph gave of the events in that grove of trees. It is not that there were some minor differences between his various accounts, they were wildly different. He has given different accounts as to the number of personages that appeared, in some cases it was one person, in others it was two, in another it was hundreds. He has given a different account of the prayer, one version is that he knew all churches were false and he was asking for God to forgive the people for moving away from him.
Some apologists have argued that his story is bound to change as it took years before the Book of Mormon was translated, and he spoke to lots of people. But then you would think that the church would adopt the first vision of events - the one closest to when it actually happened, but they didn’t.
It is also a bit of a drag when they bring up the last days or preparing for the coming days. I feel this constant narrative really helps to keep people afraid of the world around them - and when something bad happens they have a confirmation bias that the world is getting worse/more sinful. The fact is there is and always has been good and bad in the world, if you go looking for the bad then that is what you will find.
I think this is such a sad way to live because there are so many wonderful people outside of the church, and if members could get past the fear and judgment they have of the world then they could really get to experience life, joy, and the wonderful and diverse world.
Third Speaker: Kristen M. Yee - Second Councilor - Relief Society General Presidency
Topics: TW ABUSE and Forgiving abuse
Key Points:
The book of Samuel includes a lesser-known story of David (the future king of Israel) and Abigail. After Samual’s death, David and his men went away from King Saul who taught David’s life.
David and his men provided watchcases for the flocks and servants of a wealthy man named Nabal who was mean-spirited. Yee tells the story of how Nabal responded to a request for much-needed food and supplies with an insult.
David was offended and prepared his men to go against Nabal. When Nebal’s wife heard of this news she went out to meet David with the required food/supplies and she bowed herself before him saying “upon me let this iniquity be”, she urging him not to have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed.
David responds “I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted they person” and they departed in peace.
In this account, Abigail can be seen as a powerful type of symbol of Jesus Christ. Through his atoning sacrifice he can release us from sin and a warring heart. He can provide us with the substance we need.
The Saviour took upon himself our sins and the sins of these who have hurt or offended us. He made a way for us to let go of a vengeful heart.
Forgiving can be one of the most difficult things we ever experience.
The Saviour offered us the ability to forgive. Through his infinite atonement, you can forgive those who have hurt you and who may never accept responsibility for their cruelty to you
It is usually easy to forgive one who sincerely and humbly seeks forgiveness. But the Saviour will grant you the ability to forgive anyone who has mistreated you in any way
We are not left to deal with the consequences of others’ actions on our own we too can be made whole and given the chance to be saved from the weight of a warring heart and any actions that may follow.
We are required to forgive all men.
Forgiving someone does not mean that you put yourself in a position where you will continue to be hurt.
Yee grew up in a home where she did not always feel safe because of emotional and verbal abuse. Yee resented her father and had anger in her heart from that hurt. In her efforts to find peace she came to realise that the same Son of God who atoned for her sins is the same redeemer who will also save those who deeply hurt her.
It has taken years to replace hurt and anger with healing, and it has required courage, vulnerability, perseverance, and learning to trust in the Saviour’s divine power to save and heal.
Quotes:
“the Saviour offeres us the ability to forgive. Through his infinite atonement, you can forgive those who have hurt you and who may never accept responsibility for their cruelty to you”
Personal Synopsis:
To put it simply, you do not have to forgive anyone for anything, ever!
I hated this talk. It tells people that they can and should forgive those that hurt them regardless of whether these people have shown contrition. This is just wrong. You do not have to love or forgive those that hurt you.
Tee goes on to quote Richard G. Scott saying “you cannot erase what has been done, but you can forgive. Forgiveness heals terrible, tragic wounds, for it allows the love of God to purge our heart and mind of the poison of hate”. This quote is from a talk Scott gave on abuse, a talk where he also said “the Lord may prompt a victim to recognize a degree of responsibility for the abuse. Your priesthood leader will help assess your responsibility so that, if needed, it can be addressed…no matter what degree of responsibility, from absolutely none to increasing consent, the healing power of the atonement of Jesus Christ can provide a complete cure”.
Nelson and other church leaders can say all they want about abuse being “a grievous sin”, but when they still have these articles available online to read and they reference them in General Conference it makes it more difficult to accept they have changed their opinion on victims being responsible for the abuse.
The church continues to cover up cases of abuse, they don’t take action to protect those in their congregation from know sex offenders, they refuse to report abusers to the police (even when legally allowed to do so), and there are instances where they have paid for the legal defence of abusers. How can we ever believe that the LDS church has the best interests of survivors and the congregation in mind when they continue doing things that suggest the opposite?
People who have experienced abuse will need help getting through the difficult thoughts and feelings that come with this. But they 100% do not have to forgive their abuser to move on. Rather than taking advice from any church leader, survivors need to be able to talk about their path to healing. They do not need to be made to feel that they need to forgive anyone.
Fourth Speaker: Paul V. Johnson - Presidency of the Seventy
Topics: the atonement, how we need Jesus Christ to save us
Key Points:
Johnson tells a story about his grandson Aaron who became very sick with aplastic anaemia, a disease where his bone marrow stopped producing red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Without treatment his blood could not clot properly or fight off inventions - small injuries could become life-threatening.
The doctors advised the only cure would be a bone transplant, and the best chance of success would be to have a sibling as the donor. His four younger brothers were tested and his youngest brother was a perfect match.
The hope was that Aarons's body would not reject the donor cells and his body would gradually produce the needed cells and platelets.
Aaron being saved by his brother's blood has spurred many thoughts for Johnson about the attaining blood of Jesus Christ and the effect of his atonement on us.
There is a permanent, life-giving change as we allow the Lord to work miracles in us. Exaltation is only possible through Jesus Christ, it is his atoning blood that cleanses us and sanctifies us.
In Aarons's case, for the transplant to work he had to be willing to do what the doctors asked - even challenging things.
We are children of God with a majestic destiny. We can be changed to become like Him and have a fullness of joy
Satan on the other hand would have us be miserable like he is. We can choose who to follow. When we follow Satan we give him power, when we follow God he gives us power.
The Saviour taught that we should be perfect. We may tend to think that we then have to perfect ourselves, but the only way this can come. We are made perfect through Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant.
Unlike a medical procedure, with a spiritual change, we don’t have to wonder if it will happen. When we live accosting to His will then there is a 100% guarantee of being cleansed by his blood and being perfected in Him.
Quotes:
“we can have our hearts changed, have His image in our countenances, and become new creatures in Christ”
“We have the ability to choose who to follow. When we follow Satan we give him power, when we follow God he gives us power”
Personal Synopsis:
Thankfully this talk was a bit of a change in pace. Johnson gives a very typical "‘Jesus loves you and died for you” talk, there is nothing worth noting here.
Fifth Speaker: Ulisses Soares - Quorum of the Twelve
Topics: men and women have different roles and responsibilities but are equal
Key Points:
When in the first few years of marriage Soares knew that his wife had a desire to study music. He decided as a surprise to purchase a piano for her to play.
He excitedly put the purchase receipt in a box with a beautiful bow and gave it to her expecting a reaction of gratitude for her extremely loving and attentive husband.
Instead, she loving looked at him and said “oh, my dear you are wonderful. But let me ask you a question. Is this a gift or a debt?”. After further discussion, they decided to cancel the purchase. This experience helped him to recognise the importance of partnership in a marital relationship and how its application could help the couple to be one.
The restored gospel of Jesus Christ proclaims the principle of full partnership between woman and man, both in mortal life and in the eternities. Although each possesses specific attributed and divinely appointed responsibilities, men and women are equally relevant and each fills essential roles in God’s plan of happiness.
It has been this way since God created a help meet for Adam who would walk shoulder to shoulder with him in full partnership. Eve was a divine woman who inspired Adam to work in partnership with her to achieve God’s plan of happiness for all of mankind.
There are two fundamental principles that strengthen the partnership between man and woman:
1. We are all alike unto God. The differences between woman and man do not override the eternal promises made for his sons and daughters. one has no greater possibilities for Celestial glory than the other.
When spouses understand this they do not position themselves as president or vice-president within their families. There is no superiority nor any inferiority in the marriage. Neither walks ahead of the other.
2. The second principle is the golden rule, “as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise”. This principle indicated an attitude of mutuality and reciprocity, unity and interdependence and is based on the second great commandment - “thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”.
Through the temple sealing a woman and man enter the holy order of matrimony in the new and everlasting covenant.
Couples can move forward interdependently and in full partnership with the Lord, especially in regard to each of their divinely appointed responsibilities of nurturing and presiding in their family. Nurturing and presiding are interrelated - Mothers and fathers are obligated to help one another as equal partners and share a balanced leadership of their home.
To nature means to nourish, teach, and support family members. This is done by helping them learn gospel truths and develop faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
To preside means to help lead family members back to dwell in God’s presence. This is done by serving and teaching with gentleness, meekness, and pure love. It also includes leaving family members in regular prayer, gospel study and other aspects of worship.
It is important to observe that the government in the family follows the patriarchal pattern, differing in some respects from priesthood leadership.
The patriarchal pattern entails that wives and husbands are accountable directly to God for the fulfilment of their sacred responsibilities.
These special responsibilities do not imply hierarchy and absolutely exclude any kind of abuse or improper use of authority.
Quotes:
“We are all alike unto God. The differences between woman and man do not override the eternal promises made for his sons and daughters. one has no greater possibilities for Celestial glory than the other”
Personal Synopsis:
This is another talk where I believe that the words really mean nothing until they begin to change the actions of the men within the church. This is not just some men behaving poorly towards their wives, there are bishops and stake presidents who will cling to the idea that the man has the last word in the relationship.
This is not something that is just a carryover from very old beliefs, the position of women in a relationship has been continually made clear. this talk feels like no more than some symbolic ‘bone’ they are throwing to say they are doing what they can.
The reality is if they want to make real change, and show that women are no longer subject to the authority of their husbands/fathers then they need to be removing all church leaders who offer advice which is contrary to this new belief.
It does nothing to stand at the pulpit and claim that women and men are different, but equal when in practice women are not supported or allowed to “walk shoulder to shoulder”.
Sixth Speaker: James W. McConkie III - Of the Seventy
Topics: We all have a duty to bring people to Christ
Key Points:
While serving a mission McConkie was advised that if he loved the Lord that he needed to spend time with Him, that he must meditate on His works and take His yoke upon himself.
He spent time reading the gospel and gained a deeper appreciation for who Jesus was. Among other things he learned about the way He showed His love, what He did to bless and serve, and how He responded to betrayal. He learned about the world Jesus lived in, how He encouraged unity and kindness, and about his capacity to forgive and heal
McConkie shares part of Mark 2:1-12 (the story of the man cured of the palsy by Jesus after being lowered down through the roof to Him). McConkie advises that there are some important truths to be learned from this story.
First, when we help someone we love come unto Christ, we can do so with the confidence that He has the capacity to lift their burden of sin and forgive.
Second, when we bring physical, emotional, or other illnesses to Christ we can do so knowing that he has the power to heal and comfort us.
Third, when we make the effort to bring others to Christ we can do so with certainty that he sees our true intention and will appropriately minor them
Quotes:
“We are all engaged as latter-day said disciples in the work of bringing others to Christ…each of us has a role to play in the kingdom of God”.
Personal Synopsis:
Another talk is about bringing people to Christ and sharing the gospel.
Like many of the talks so far this weekend this just feels like a filler episode. It is a message that members hear all the time and there is not really much out of the ordinary with this request.
Seventh Speaker: Jorge F. Zeballos - Of the Seventy
Topics: withstanding temptation
Key Points:
Zeballos advises he would like to give a story related to his profession (as many other speakers have done in the past), that is in his field of civil engineering.
He advises of one class where he was eager to learn about building anti-seismic structures. Zeballos remembers the lecture of this class explaining to the students that he couldn't teach them how to design a building that is “anti” or that is opposed to an earthquake.
the lecturer went on to explain that this made no sense because the earthquake will occur anyway as the earthquake will happen whether we like it or not. However, what he could teach the students is how to design seismic-resistant structures. Structures that can resist the forces coming from an earthquake so that the structure remains standing without suffering any serious damage and can then continue offering the service for which it had been conceived.
We are blessed to be able to count on the knowledge of the plan of salvation created by Jesus Christ and to rely on the inspired direction of a living prophet.
The divinely designed plans and the technical specifications teach us clearly how to construct happy lives. Lives that are resistant to sin, to temptation, to attacks from Satan
Jesus himself was tempted by Satin, and what made him triumphant was his spiritual preparation which permitted Him to be in a state to resist the temptations of the adversary.
Just like a well-designed and built building can be damaged during an earthquake (but still be operational), the buffetings of the adversary can also cause cracks/damage in our lives.
These “cracks” can manifest themselves through feelings of sadness, feeling we have committed some error or feeling like we are not as good as we want to be. But what is truly relevant is that having followed the plans and designs set out by Jesus Christ, we are still standing.
The Lord always provides us with an escape when we face adversity…he will never abandon us.
Quotes:
“the divinely designed plans and the technical specifications that teach us clearly how to construct happy lives. Lives that are resistant to sin, to temptation, to attacks from Satan”.
“we can have the tranquillity of knowing that the Lord will never permit us to be tempted beyond what we can resist”
Personal Synopsis:
I personally never get tired of the analogy stores that appear in every general conference. They always remind me of times I was asked to give a talk and I would think about some silly mundane thing that happened in my life and then work some sort of gospel lesson into the story.
I just wonder sometimes if people do gain the spiritual experiences they say they do at the time the event happens. It is easy to look back and draw a comparison to some greater story, but I think it is rare that all of these people learned some spiritual lesson that they carried with them for years and years.
Anyway, there are some things in this talk that make no sense. Particularly the bits about never being tempted more than we can resist. It is a silly claim since one of the main reasons that Mormons believe people leave the church is because they want to sin…if God would never tempt us more than we can resist then why are so many people “giving into temptation”?
Eighth Speaker: D. Todd Christofferson - Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Topics: Racism, belonging
Key Points:
Christofferson advises that he believes there is a doctrin to belonging in the LDS Church. This is in 3 parts:
The role of belonging in gathering the Lord’s covenant people]
The importance of service and sacrifice
the centrality of Jesus Christ
The LDS Church in its early beginnings was largely made up of white, American and Northern European saints with a handful of Native Americans, African Americans, and Pacific Islanders. Now eight years away from the 200th anniversary of its founding, the church has greatly increased in numbers and diversity.
As the long-prophesied Latter-day gathering of the Lord’s covenant people gains momentum, the church will truly be compromised of members from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.
This is not a calculated or forced diversity, but a naturally occurring phenomenon that we would expect, recognising that the gospel net gathers from every people.
We cannot permit any racism, tribal prejudice, or other divisions to exist in the latter-day church of Christ. the Lord commands us, ‘be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine’.
We should be diligent in rooting prejudice and discrimination out of the church, out of our homes, and most of all out of our hearts.
McConkie shares a story about a husband and wife being in a new ward and having to answer several questions about when they were starting a family - this was a particularly difficult question because they were struggling with infertility.
This couple had a particularly difficult meeting as they had just found out they had not been successful in pregnancy again, and the lesson that day was all about the divine role of motherhood.
They left and the woman was particularly upset and did not want to go back, but after talking it over they realised that they would keep attending not only because the Lord asked them to, but because they joy they got from renewing covenants surpassed the sadness they felt.
The Lord invites us to come unto him no matter our circumstance. Let us leave judgement in the Lord’s hands and those he has commissioned and be content to treat the others the best we can.
Much of our belonging comes from service and the sacrifices that we make for the Lord. Excessive focus on our personal needs or our own comfort can frustrate that sense of belonging
Belonging comes not as we wait for it but as we reach out to help one another.
Being one with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is without a doubt the ultimate in belonging.
Quotes:
“We cannot permit any racism, tribal prejudice, or other divisions to exist in the latter-day church of Christ. the Lord commands us, ‘be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine’”.
“a sense of belonging is important to our physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing”
“Let us leave judgement in the Lord’s hands and those he has commissioned and be content to treat the others the best we can”
Personal Synopsis:
I know I keep repeating this point. But when Church leaders take measures to root out racism and when the president of the church apologises for past racism in the church and makes amends then I might be impressed.
These talks mean nothing. Not only that, McConkie in part blames people who might not feel safe or comfortable in the church by saying they are “frustrating” their sense of belonging by focusing on themselves too much.
Volunteering more for the church, or throwing yourself into a calling is not going to make people less racist.
