General Conference and Scriptures

General Conference is a two-day conference that is broadcast from the conference center at Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah.  It takes place twice a year and the purpose is to listen to the messages of the prophet and apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.   The most recent conference was a few weeks ago.  


A video of highlights is available here (16 minutes long).   


These messages were meaningful and instructive for me.  One talk was about studying the scriptures; here is an excerpt from the full talk.  It was given by one of the apostles (Richard G. Scott):  

"The scriptures provide the strength of authority to our declarations when they are cited correctly. They can become stalwart friends that are not limited by geography or calendar. They are always available when needed. Their use provides a foundation of truth that can be awakened by the Holy Ghost. Learning, pondering, searching, and memorizing scriptures is like filling a filing cabinet with friends, values, and truths that can be called upon anytime, anywhere in the world...Scriptures can calm an agitated soul, giving peace, hope, and a restoration of confidence in one’s ability to overcome the challenges of life. They have potent power to heal emotional challenges when there is faith in the Savior. They can [also] accelerate physical healing."  

He continued by quoting scriptures that have been a resource and "precious gems of truth" for him through his life (I'm selecting just a few): 

 (Proverbs 3:5–7, 11–13)....

'Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear [trust in] the Lord, and depart from evil...

'My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction:  For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.  Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding'....

(Matthew 22:37–40):

'Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets'....

[And from the Book of Mormon:]

(Moroni 7:45–48)

'And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure.'"

These scriptures are comforting, reassuring, or corrective for me too.  Repentance and change is an ongoing process and I'm grateful for the time to be alive to learn how to become more Christlike.  I am also so grateful for the scriptures and for a loving Heavenly Father who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.