Heaven on Earth

General Conference was everything we had anticipated and more. The children were excited and involved as never before because of the preparations we had done all week.



We hung this poster above our kitchen table, and reviewed the leaders’ names at mealtimes. The boys learned most of them very quickly. All week long, I overheard Isaac muttering “M. Russell Ballard, Joseph B. Wirthlin, President Kimball”… Well, President Kimball died more than 20 years ago, but no matter how many times I explained that, the boys still included him in the lineup. (The illustrations beneath each photo were added after Conference was over - our Family Home Evening project on Monday.)

Come Saturday, we prepared our special breakfast and settled in to the family room for a peaceful weekend of spiritual feasting. And what a wonderful Conference it was! Two days of heaven on earth. There isn’t enough time or attention span to list all of my favorite talks or insights, but I’ll include a few from our beloved prophet, President Thomas S. Monson:

“This is our one and only chance at mortal life – here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come; then they’re gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we’re to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that elusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey now.”



“Rather than dwelling on the past, we should make the most of today – of the here and now – doing all we can to provide pleasant memories for the future. If you’re still in the process of raising children, beware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon, and that you will, to your surprise, miss them profoundly.”



“We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us. Send that note to a friend you’ve been neglecting. Give your child a hug. Give your parents a hug. Say 'I love you' more. Always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.”



And most importantly, President Monson testified of Jesus Christ: "His life is a legacy of love.... He is our Master. He is our Savior. He is the Son of God. He is the Author of our salvation."



To watch this talk or others, go here.

General Conference is always amazing, but the best part this time was the boys’ eagerness to learn what the Lord wants them to do, and do it. When I asked Jacob what he liked best about Conference, he said “feeling the Spirit tell me it’s true.” That says it all.