General Conference

Well, it has come and gone like a flash - like always - General Conference weekend always seems to be so short. I suppose it is because it is so uplifting that we would just like it to linger on. And this was a particularly great Conference, if there can be such a thing. From Elder Perry's sermon to Elder Cook's, it seemed that they all spoke to me and delivered a message that I need - and in a way that I needed to hear it. I began taking very good notes, but finally just gave up and listened, relying on the written word that will become available later this week.

Of all the aspects of the restored gospel of Christ that I love, and have a strong testimony of, the blessing of living prophets & apostles is foremost. As I have been known to say, if I could only leave my posterity a single phrase to guide them, it would be "Follow the Brethren." If we do this, we'll be okay. I suppose this will become more and more difficult as times go on, but the only way the perilous times that surround us can get at us is if we "get off the train." As long as we stay on the train, we'll be okay, even if we pass through hard times. And we never have to worry about losing the train, because we have been promised that it will never go away now until the Savior returns.

In addition to the great sermons we have heard this weekend, there have been some other shows aired on BYU-TV that are worth looking up. Thank heaven for Move networks that allows us to go back in time to watch things we missed the first time. World Report is always good, and the presentation on the life of President Monson is superb. Then this evening we watched a very interesting program entitled "Journey of Faith". It was on at 5:00 p.m. MDT and follows a likely route that Lehi & Co. took after leaving Jerusalem as commanded in 600 BC. I am usually not much on these kinds of shows, considering them very speculative. But I was impressed by the level of professionalism and research upon which this show is founded. In the beginning of the show, Truman Madsen quotes the Prophet Joseph as saying to a colleague, "If you live into the next century you will see evidence for the Book of Mormon come forth in droves." One of the most interesting points made in the show is the archealogical confirmation of 1 Nephi 16:34 which identifies a place called Nahom as where Ishmael died and was buried. I encourage you to go back and watch this show, as it is very interesting.