Live-Blogging LDS General Conference - Saturday A.M. - April 2015

Getting set up here. These are my personal notes on General Conference shared (potentially) with the world! For direct broadcast, do not rely on me, but see LDS.org and watch live or recorded sessions.

It will be interesting if there will be any mention at all of President Obama's recent visit to Utah. I'm bettin' on President Uchtdorf.

President Monson is there looking rather rather thin and drawn.

Please note that they started with the Mormon version of "Cwm Rhondda," the great Welsh Hymn.

President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency
Heavenly Father wishes to bless his children spiritually and temporally.
When we do that we are serving the Savior.
The Lord's future interview with us "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand . . . for I was anhungered and ye gave me meat . . . Lord when saw we thee? . . . The King shall answer and say it unto them, Verily I say unto you, even as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
The Law of the Fast is the way we can do this.
Obedience to the Law brings blessings.
Pres. Eyring felt impressed to check the world news and learned of a cyclone storm on a Pacific Island.
The strongest thing they had for shelter were cement churches. Pres. Eyring remembered visiting Vanuatu and visiting little homes. And then he remembered the warm welcome to him there. And he thought of them and their neighbors fleeing to the cement chapel. He could picture the bishop and Relief Society Pres. serving the people and the children in fear.
-Story of a woman in Sierra Leone. in civil war. Even in such times the LDS Church grew. Her husband served as branch president and district president during the civil war. She had mementos of clothing she received from the Church during the war including a bullet-ridden blanket that sheltered them when they had to flee their home. She thought of the people who had donated and thought they had come from God. A visitor found in her scriptures a receipt from the time of the war where she had donated $1 for each category of tithing, fast offering, and missionary.
-Story about young boy who had difficulty with the fast. Pres. Eyring's Grandson came to understand the principle of the offering to the poor.
We don't know all the reasons why Christ went into the wilderness to fast and pray, but it enabled him to resist the adversary.
Even as we do all we can to pray, fast and donate - "Then as they light shall break forth . . . The Glory of the Lord will be in thy rearward . . . "
"We are invited to help Him as He cares for the poor."

Choir sings "Have I Done Any Good in the World Today"

President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve
a cookie and a kiss - two essential ingredients of a successful marriage. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple and that began the great adventure of their lives. A man and a woman and children happy at home sealed together for all eternity.
The Gods went down and created man and woman. (quoting the Book of Abraham maybe to emphasize the plurality of Gods, both male and female).
The power of procreation is not an incidental part of the plan, it is the key to happiness.
The desire to mate is constant and very strong.
Our glory in exaltation is dependent upon how we respond to these desires.
In early manhood and womanhood these feelings are very strong [OK, he's getting really had to understand. Difficulty in speaking and short of breath. He is on oxygen tubes. He may be going out with a strong, positive statement on traditional and scriptural family.]
Only after legal and lawful marriage hopefully sealed in the temple is the way to express procreative powers.
A fullness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever.
A loving embrace by husband in wife. A child begins to form. In the image of God. The spirit and the body are the soul of man.

[OK, sorry, my boys and girls have been making breakfast -which I had a few hours ago but this one is with bacon, eggs, etc. so, I'm going to keep listening and take a break from typing.]

[I'm back "High on a Mountain Top" - the Choir, not me. I helped the kids clean up the breakfast they cooked - there were waffles, too! Hey, I'm trying to live these talks, not just listen!]

Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve
The Parable of the Sower
The seed that was sown was the word of God, the teachings of the Master and his servants.
The different soil was the differences in us to how we receive
He's speaking to those who receive and then fall away - offenses etc.
Internet magnifies messages that diminish faith [not here]
If you're texting during the Sacrament, then you are severing your spiritual roots and moving to stony ground.
The "key-hole" view of the Gospel focuses on one perceived deficiency and ignores the grand gospel plan.
The age of the "gifted pickle sucker"
Moderate and measured in political criticism [YEAH! oops moderation.]
Deceitfulness of riches [oh, yeah!]
Materialism - little needs to be added - Theology of prosperity are "suffering from the DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES" [Oh, my heck! Elder Oaks condemning the Gospel of Prosperity!]
[Social gospel next up]
Book of Mormon! The real message - Pride - riches
Spiritually sedated
Cares and riches of this life
Peter, thou art an offense because you savor the things of men.
Addicted - impairs our spirit.
Entitlement mentality impairs spiritual growth
Fear of the future inhibits going forward in faith
[NOW HE'S QUOTING HUGH NIBLEY!!]
That's been the whole story of the church, you have to be willing to offend here, take the risk, That's where the faith comes in it's supposed to be hard, supposed to be impractical - Nibley.
quoting the Archbishop of Philadelphia about concerns shared
Stressed importance of really living what we profess to believe in church, social dealings, work, politics, in caring for the poor - we have to be the leaven in society not digested by society.
Keep focus on the Lord and the leaders of his Church.

[Who is this next? I sort of lost focus getting too excited about Elder Oaks]
Elder Whitney L. Clayton of the Seventy [oh, yeah, he's a good guy.]
There will always be a spiritual light to rescue us that shines from the Savior of Mankind. It's different than physical light, it requires our desire to believe. Concepts of Alma 32.
"Choose to Believe" [How many times have I said that on this blog? I oughta just retire]
Repent and Believe
They are not passive. They are not accidents.
We actively choose to believe. [Leap, Soren, leap!!!]
Put belief into action.
Our actions are the evidence and substance of our belief
Never give up, ever
When Faith dims, Hope
Jesus Christ is the source of light and hope for all of us.

Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve
Attended colloquium on marriage and the family at the Vatican
Pope Francis - we now live in a culture of temporary in which more and more people are given up on marriage as a commitment - this has through history brought devastation especially to the poor and vulnerable - the poisonous philosophy of "temporary"
Marriage is between a man and a woman - families as basic unit of society
He felt commonality and unity - his favorite was a Muslim from Iran who quoted from our "Proclamation on the Family" [uh . . . ]
Marriage and Family centered priorities cut across religious and political realities.
President Henry B. Eyring gave final testimony of the colloquium [church has a great pic here]
How are we as LDS then different?
Only we have the eternal perspective of the restored gospel
It is so large and relevant that it cannot be overstated
Sanctity of marriage to a greater level  - families from before Earth was [spirit children of God] and after [through temple sealing of earthly family]
Families can be forever.
We believe in premortal life and marriage ceremonies - "for time and all eternity"
Family is basic unity of eternity and the kingdom and government of God - families and extended families.
We want to be leaders and participate in world-wide movements in support
It's not just those who believe but a great number of secular people too
No more efficient way to raise the next generation
Public opinion still says that marriage is the ideal
Never has it been harder to raise responsible children [I should get a medal - well, probably their mom]
Marriage and family are still the ideals of most people
As a church, we want to assist and help all that we can to support strong families.
We share it on the media
We share our genealogical information and data with all the world. [yep]
Marriage and Family really do matter and always will.
It is the way we can unite with most other faiths.
We have the greatest opportunity to be a light upon the hill.

[And it was all going so well until - the song that must not be sung. My son just pointed out they still have 9 minutes to sing it. My daughter just texted that they're singing for me. My musical son pointed out that they at least sing faster than in most wards. And he claims he just saw a guy singing the wrong verse. And they're changing the tune up a bit.]