His sheep shall safely graze – photo by Linda Hoffman KimballIt’s October – that time when we think about pumpkins and goblins … and General Conference. In a different order perhaps? This month I decided to pull some treats out of the proverbial goodie bag of Conference addresses and see what gems our sisters at the podium had to say.
In the Saturday morning session Tracy Y. Browning – 2nd Counselor in the Primary General Presidency spoke[1]. Sister Browning – a handsome woman of color and confidence – addressed abundances in her talk called “Seeing More of Jesus Christ in Our Lives”. Just having her up there, at that podium, speaking confidently and candidly thrilled me. Like her, I have my own reasons for being concerned about vision (and – in my case – the shots I get every 8 weeks to keep my right eye functioning as well as it can). As to spiritual vision, she was right on target:
Friends, Jesus Christ is both the purpose of our focus and the intent of our destination. To help us to remain fixed and heading in the right direction, the Savior invites us to see our lives through Him in order to see more of Him in our lives.
Striations of Autumn photo by Linda Hoffman KimballSaturday afternoon we heard from Kristin M. Yee – 2nd Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency. Another articulate woman of color, Sister Yee spoke poignantly and very candidly about serious personal injuries and the challenge it is to forgive those who harmed us. She said:
I have personally witnessed the miracle of Christ healing my warring heart. With permission of my father, I share that I grew up in a home where I didn’t always feel safe because of emotional and verbal mistreatment. In my youth and young adult years, I resented my father and had anger in my heart from that hurt.
She learned the difficult lesson that:
… to find peace and healing on the path of forgiveness, I came to realize in a profound way that the same Son of God who atoned for my sins is the same Redeemer who will also save those who have deeply hurt me. I could not truly believe the first truth without believing the second.
She personally knows the struggle and acknowledges the challenge of overcoming the anger and complex feelings the injured person bears:
It has been a process of many years, requiring courage, vulnerability, perseverance, and learning to trust in the Savior’s divine power to save and heal. I still have work to do, but my heart is no longer on a warpath. I have been given “a new heart”—one that has felt the deep and abiding love of a personal Savior, who stayed beside me, who gently and patiently led me to a better place, who wept with me, who knew my sorrow.
Her candor is compelling. She gives me confidence that with time, patience, and perseverance, the gift of a “new heart” is possible through Christ.
On the path photo by Linda Hoffman KimballSaturday Evening, Michelle D. Craig spoke about robust “wholeheartedness” that: 1) can help us “[keep] our covenants even when it is not easy”; 2) “we can act in faith. As disciples of Jesus Christ, [we] understand that faith in Him requires action—especially in hard times”; and 3) we can be joyful in our devotion.[2]
I especially appreciated this sentence from Sister Craig:
“The point of walking the covenant path is to approach the Savior. He is the point, not our perfect progress.”
(I have issues when deep truths morph into slogans. She gets it.)
The fourth sister to address us was Sister J. Anette Dennis, 1st Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency.[3] Her final question gets at what is very sorely needed in this time of division and strife:
Friends, let us remember that each person on this earth is a child of God23 and He loves each one.24 Are there people in your path who you have felt inclined to judge? If so, remember that these are valuable opportunities for us to practice loving as the Savior loves.25 As we follow His example, we can be yoked with Him and help foster a feeling of love and belonging in the hearts of all our Father’s children.
4 out of 35? That statistic gives me something else to take to Jesus in prayer. I guess that’s an exercise of faith and looking forward, too, right?
Care to share your highlights from General Conference? I’d love to read them!
[1] https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/10/13browning?lang=eng
[2] https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/10/32craig?lang=eng
[3] https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/10/42dennis?lang=eng
