As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I always look forward to April and October every year since those are the months when our Church leaders speak to the members in a global scope. Church leaders share messages that inspire us to be better daughters and sons, better husbands and wives, better brothers and sisters, better friends, better people. We are reminded of who we are, of the things we should focus on and of our potential as children of a loving God.
In the midst of this chaotic world, it is always delightful to get an opportunity to stop, listen and refocus on the most important things. And over the weekend, I had that opportunity and got my spiritual battery recharged.
I woke up Saturday morning right before the conference started. I turned the TV on and was greeted with a beautiful hymn rendered by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I settled myself on my bed and indulged in the uplifting messages being shared. The power of the words penetrated my soul and I felt the spirit so strongly that from time to time brought tears to my eyes. Pres. Dieter Uchtdorf's message left a huge impression on me because it was very timely and it was imperative that everyone heard it. I think the last two parts below of his talk best summed it all up.
"Strength comes not from frantic activity but from being settled on a firm foundation of truth and light. It comes from placing our attention and efforts on the basics of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. It comes from paying attention to the divine things that matter most.
"Let us simplify our lives a little. Let us make the changes necessary to refocus our lives on the sublime beauty of the simple, humble path of Christian discipleship — the path that leads always toward a life of meaning, gladness, and peace." ~Pres. Dieter Uchtdorf~
Sunday came and I had to get up a little early for another day of General Conference. My friends and I headed to Temple Square where members from different parts of the world and from all walks of life gathered to watch and listen. We attended both the morning and afternoon sessions and had a relaxing and enjoyable lunch picnic of pot roast and crepes for dessert in between. The weather was warm which was pretty unusual in October but nothing to complain about since we had the beautiful capitol building as our backdrop with the tree branches swaying as the wind blew and having picnic with great friends was priceless.
Pres. Thomas S. Monson's message about gratitude stood out to me. The impact of his words could not have been more powerful as the spirit bore witness of its truthfulness. It may be a simple principle but it is something that people tend to ignore. Sometimes I overlook what I have and look for what I don't have. I forget to be grateful for the blessings I am able to enjoy and the knowledge that Heavenly Father is aware of my needs. Pres. Monson's message was a wake up call and below is an excerpt of that message:
"We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude."
"If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues. Someone has said that gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others ~Pres. Thomas S. Monson~
I find it interesting that Pres. Uchtdorf's message about simplifying our lives is directly correlated with Pres. Monson's message about having an attitude of gratitude. Simply put that if we have gratitude for simple things, we would be content, appreciate things more and love people more because we are able to make room for the more important things.
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