General Conference April 2012

One of our favorite times of the year has just come to pass.  April General Conference!  We love this time of year when we gather as a family, pull out the tables and chairs, print out some conference worksheets, turn on the internet and make a yummy candy mix.  Something special happened this year though...we were able to receive 4 tickets to the Sunday afternoon session at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, UT.  So, we watched Saturday's sessions per our tradition, and then Sunday morning, Matt, Alice, Carter and Chloe all prepared to travel to Salt Lake City to see President Monson and the apostles speak at the Conference Center.  What a treat!  We were able to listen to the morning session on the radio throughout our morning travel and then to be able to see, for our first time, a live session at the Conference Center...what a memorable experience for all of us.  (Mason and Josie were so lucky to stay home and watch conference with Memaw!  Their day will come when they turn 8 and we are able to go again.) 

We had to wait over an hour once we found our seats in the Balcony section 7.  We were on the very front row of the balcony, until we realized the gold bar was blocking our view of the podium.  We moved up one row and Carter was a little more relieved because he discovered he has a little fear of heights.  "It's a long ways down..." he said as he looked over the railing.  As we were approaching section 7, one of the ushers told us that once the seats are filled, the balcony drops 2 feet.  Then he reassured us that it was April Fool's. 

Here are Matt and Chloe anxiously waiting...

 ...and Carter and Mom waiting as well. 

 It was fun watching all the Mormon Tabernacle Choir members file in to their seats as well as the 70's and the Apostles.  There was a soft rumble of voices while everyone continually filed in to their seats.  Once everyone was seated, an absolute hush came over the entire congregation of 20,000 + people and then everyone stood as the President Thomas S. Monson, President Henry B. Eyring and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf all entered the building and took their seats.  It was a special and powerful feeling to witness.  President Monson was cute because as he began to sit down, he motioned with his hand for everyone to sit down.  I wondered what he must feel like to be so revered.  Chloe was so disappointed when she realized she would not be able to shake her favorite apostle's hand - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.  Carter kept saying, "I am so excited to just be here in the same room as the prophet!"  He was almost giddy.

 After the session, we were able to walk around the Conference Center for a few minutes and look at the waterfall and over the balcony at the Salt Lake Temple.

 Carter and Chloe witnessed, for the first time, the anti-mormons picketing outside of Temle Square.  The men were yelling "Joseph Smith can't save you!" and "You claim Adam is your God!"  Carter and Chloe were both able to recognize the true and false acusations that were being made.  We know that Joseph Smith and all the prophets are the Lord's mouthpieces on the earth and that Jesus Christ is the only one who can save us.  We also know that Adam is not our Heavenly Father that we worship and pray to.  Carter and Chloe recognized the contentious feeling that accompanied these statements and the aggression with which they were spoken.  We were very touched as we heard and then felt the Spirit radiating from young adults as they lined the sidewalks and sang hymns of our Savior as we entered the gates to Temple Square.  There was a very obvious contrast in feeling.  The Holy Spirit immediately dispelled the contentious spirit and it felt good to know the difference. 

 We walked around Temple Square for a few minutes and looked inside the Assembly Hall.  Carter and Chloe enjoyed going up the narrow stairs and touring the balcony.  Matt asked Carter how he would feel if he was assigned to sit in this seat during a meeting...

What a wonderful weekend!  We truly feel blessed each conference weekend to be able to saturate ourselves with the Spirit of the Lord by listening to our magnificent leaders.  They have so much inspiration and wisdom to lead, guide and direct us throughout our lives.  Absolutely uplifting!

My testimony in leaving this special experience is that President Monson is the prophet for our day.  It doesn't matter if we are sitting in a small room gathered around a computer monitor, sitting in a car listening to the radio, or gathered among thousands in an assembly hall, when we listen to his voice and the words he speaks, we can feel a powerful spirit of truth.  He is the mouthpiece for the Lord and he will lead us back to our Heavenly Father.  Nothing or nobody can take that feeling away from me or anyone who feels it.  It is true and it enlightens my soul.  I am so grateful for this experience, but I think I honestly prefer to be gathered in a small room among my sweet family listening and learning together.  This is the gospel of Jesus Christ and I know it is true.