Day 3: More conferences!

On to the Sunday Sessions!!

HENRY B. EYRING:
More about following prophets! I've got this feeling that Monson's talk is gonna be pretty good. I need to listen to conference to learn, to repent, and to GO AND DO. Eyring talked mostly about faith, about how Christ is the one who really causes true faith to be planted in your heart. What I really liked about Eyring's talk is when he mentioned people in the scriptures who had their faith shaken. He said he did not comletely know how they felt, and he could not completely understand why they had such little faith, but from what he knew, he wanted to teach us. I need to be that understanding and empathetic. I need to take care of my own faith before worrying about anyone elses. And my faith does need work. I pledge to strengthen my faith by finding time every day to think about Christ and his Atonement.

BOYDD K. PACKER
Packer gave an EPIC chastity talk today! My favorite part of his talk was how he said, "It is very liberating when an individual chooses to be obedient." That is SO TRUE. I find a renewed sense of power when I say no to sin, especially sexual sin. I love also that Satan cannot create life like we can, so he's trying to use us to get to that power. He also laid the spiritual SMACKDOWN when it comes to morality and politics. He said morality cannot be changed by battle or ballot. I LOVE IT. WE WILL NOT CHANGE. WE WILL PROTECT AND FOSTER THE FAMILY. I pledge to NEVER EVER step down from that ideal when it comes to morality in politics. I also pledge NOT TO LOOK BACK. To delete the immorality I have committed in the past both in thought and in deed from my mind.

JAY JENSEN:
Gaining a testimony does not involve hearing a voice or seeing a being. It's about feelings. This talk was all about the holy ghost. I also found out that Lehi and Joseph Smith have a ton of stuff in common. I pledge to listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, especially the promptings I get as I fervently pray.

Mary M. Cook
I want to start today, now. I want to have kids now so I can raise them in righteousness and be a good example! I am so enthusiastic about it now!! However, I have trouble maintaining this enthusiasm by keeping the faith and keeping a strong testimony. I especially want to teach my children the importance of their baptismal covenant. I'm not sure I realized the committment I made when I was baptized, and I want my kids to understand how they make a promise to God when they enter the waters of baptism. I pledge to start today in preparing to care and raise my children to be virtuous and pure.

Dallin H. Oaks
Oaks talked about two lines of revelation. There should be a balance between personal revelation and priesthood revelation. The church is the only place where we can have both. We can't rely too much on either one of these. And they should go together. God won't tell you one thing through personal revelation and then tell you another thing through the preisthood. Furthermore, in order to recieve personal revelation, we need to be following the priesthood revelation. Priesthood trumps personal. We are not receiving inspiration from God if we have been told that we are excused from Priesthood guidance. Oaks puts the SMACKDOWN ON AGNOSTICS. ORGANIZED RELIGION IS SO IMPORTANT, we NEED it!! We need to be united. We need to work together. We need preisthood leadership. I pledge NEVER to forget this important principle, and to not let the world tell me otherwise.

THOMAS S. MONSON:
"Here we go, here we go, to a birthday paaarty." DO WE REMEMBER TO GIVE THANKS FOR THE BLESSINGS WE RECEIVE? Holland mentioned this too, as did Gordon B. Hinkley. If we give thanks, the miracle follows. How often do we focus on what we lack? Thank God for EVERYTHING. Ingratitude is one of the most serious sins, and gratitude is the parent of all virtues. Let's have an attitude of gratitude! Be optimistic! Let love overpower jealousy and light drive darkness out of you life. Don't be prideful or selfish. Be happy! Be satisfied! I pledge to live with gratitude in my heart, not just in my actions, especially my gratitude for my Savior, Jesus Christ.


L. TOM PERRY:
This is mostly pertaining to priesthood stuff, but I think it applies to me, too. He told me to avoid things that are degrading in the media. To maybe avoid abuse of the media in general.
But I need to respect the priesthood and live worthily to have it in my home. I pledge to treat holders of the priesthood with respect and dignity.

DAVID A. BEDNAR:
How do you receive the holy ghost? It's harder than it looks.. at least for me. Just because I've been given the gift of the holy ghost after baptism doesn't mean I have it all the time. I need to live worthily of it. And come on, it is a GIFT. If someone gives me something, shouldn't I appreciate it. If I have a desire, I'm farther than I think. And I don't have any control over what the Holy ghost does. He comes to me. What I can do is withdraw myself, which I need to stop doing. I need to quit making the gospel a checklist. There is no end to what we need to do. We need to continuously work at things, maintain things, etc.

Larry R. Lawrence:
The parents of youth... I'm not one of them. Does that mean this doesn't apply to me? NO! "Be strong and of a good courage. Be not afraid." Let's remember this, whether or not we are youth. A child is standing before sin just as a child stands before a rushing freight train. It's THAT dangerous. I don't have kids yet, but I need to remember this for when I do. I also need to remember that my spouse has a say, too. I must not be afraid of my own kids. I need to lead them the right thing. Aaaand he mentions sleepovers!! GO PRESIDENT PAYNE!

Per G. Malm:
I like evocative metaphors. I am a tree. Am I hollowed out by Satan, or has Christ given me strength to stand tall and strong? Am I at rest? I have bee looking for peace in my life. True peace can be found in Jesus Christ. I gotta start there. I have been feeling the urge to repent. I need to act on those feelings. Remember, wickedness never was happiness. That is the key to having peace of mind. I pledge to find rest in Jesus Christ, not the things of the world that can eat me from the inside.

Jairo Mazzagardi:
Sin makes God sad. Am I letting sin into my life without even noticing it? Are we letting sin grow right under our noses? Little sins lead to worse sins. He mentioned night time. I have that problem. I go out at eleven and I dance and goof off and I don't have the spirit with me when that happens.


Mervyn B. Arnold:
When I take on Christ's name, I am responsible for it. One day I'm gonna look back and see my life: Will people remember my name with reverence? Rules are there to give you PROTECTION, not to hurt you. We break through these rules and cause our own deaths all the time! The rules will keep me from DYING! I plege to act in accordance with how I wish for my name to be remembered -- I will be reverent and follow Christ. I will finish my course and keep the faith.

M. Russell Ballard:
Satan tries to sneak his way into our lives through deception. He knows my weaknesses... my failures. He won't let me go. He wants me to be miserable forever. Avoid addictions. Avoid drugs. You know drug addicts. You know people who keep going until it's too late. STAY AWAY. Remember... one drink can take you down. And it's not just drug addiction. It's anything that takes away your agency. Gaming and texting are addictions. There's a way out, though. A way to escape. Prayer is the secret! Prayer can break any bad habit.

Thomas S. Monson:
"I have miles to go before I sleep. And promises to keep."
READ THE CONFERENCE TALKS.