Stake Conference: Participating in the Work of Salvation

I've been slacking a little with my Sunday reports, and with most everything, the last few weeks. I've taken many Sunday afternoon naps and spent one Sunday ironing applique to a dress and making gold duct tape boots for Halloween. Not the best use of my sabbath day ever. So I decided to get back to it and take up again with blogging my gospel learning from time to time. Today seemed like a good time to start because it was stake conference and pretty great.

It was a regional broadcast so Elder Parry of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, Elders Zwick and Callister or the 70, and Sis. Oscarson the Young Women's president, all came to the USU Spectrum to speak. We just went to our stake center and listened over broadcast, but we didn't mind because it was a better view and more comfy seats anyway. The theme was not hard to detect. "Participating in the Work of Salvation". I think every single speaker used that exact phrase at least once. Elder Zwick probably used it 10 times. They didn't just focus on missionary work, but also on ensuring our own salvation and that of our families by coming closer to Christ. All the talks were good, but Elder Callister's really got me thinking.

He talked about several ways to PitWoS, but he spent a while talking about personal salvation and doing the things we need to in order to become more like Christ and have the faith and spiritual strength we need to assist others in working towards their salvation as well.It was pretty well aimed at things I've struggled with. He talked about the importance of learning, and teaching our kids, not just to pray, but how to pray. Prayer was compared to playing racket ball. If you hit a ball softly, it returns off the wall softly. If you really hit it hard it will return with almost equal force. If we pray with little force or conviction we can expect that they will not be returned with much speed or power. But when we learn to pray with force and the power of the Spirit we open up the door for answers and guidance and the Holy Ghost to return with equal power. He told a story of when he was around 18 years old saying his nightly prayers- unaware of his mother standing in the doorway of his bedroom. When he finished she asked if he had prayed for God to send him a good spouse. He responded that he wasn't even thinking about that, he was only 18 after all, but she encouraged him to pray for that as it would be of paramount importance in his life. Makes me think, how much do I pray about things like that? Do I pray about those things that are of the most importance in my life?

In a similar way he compared scripture study to food. Once a parent asked a music teacher if their child had to practice their instrument every day. The teacher responded with "No, only on the days they want to eat." He said the same goes for our scripture study. Do we have to study every day? No, only on days we want to eat. Why should we nourish our physical body and ignore our spiritual well being? He told of his habit as a lawyer of coming to work and spending time in the scriptures before he would begin calling people and sorting through case files. He would often look at all the work that needed to be done and think he should begin right away, but the spirit would always tell him "No, stick with the scriptures." I think I should listen to that more often. Things will get taken care of, put the scriptures, temple, prayer, first. Finally he compared scripture study to, not just regular food, but Pop-eye's spinach. He would eat his spinach and all his muscles would bulge and he'd have power to fight of the bad guys or whatever he needed to do.  So does scripture study provide us with power to ignore temptation and stand up for what is right.

Again it just drives home the importance of doing those daily things that connect us to Christ and our Heavenly Father. As we do those things then we'll have the courage and understanding needed to reach out to those around us, in whatever method we can, to share the gospel with them and invite them to come unto Christ and learn of him. As Sis. Oscarson said, success isn't the convert baptism, it's the invitation given with love. My personal mission plan needs to begin with improving my own faith and diligence in the daily things. Then I'll have an added measure of the Spirit and power to be better at opening my mouth and extending invitations to those around me. Sounds like a good plan to me.