Conference Saturday 31 March 2007
I woke early today to ready myself for our drive to Salt Lake to attend General Conference with my daughter Julia. A dear friend Pana had taken ill on Friday and had given her two tickets to us. Julia first asked a friend, but the friend had other plans, probably conference bookended with study. It was probably a good thing he did not go, as we were gone for 6 hours, and that would have eaten into his important study time. I was glad to go with Julia. We sat on the east side about 7 rows up from the main floor. Though I took copious notes, my real study will come when I can start downloading Conference off the Internet, and then reading, pondering, underlining, and applying. It was powerful to sustain the living Prophet, his counselors, living apostles, and other leaders of the church, in their very presence, and to sing “We Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet,” with over 20,000 others. When they released the Relief Society Presidency and the first and second counselor in the Primary Presidency, I leaned over to Julia and said, “they are going to call Julie Beck to be Relief Society President of the church.” It had struck me the previous week, when she spoke that she had changed, and then at conference, I realized why. That they did.
After Conference, we crossed the street to Temple Square, there were many street preachers, shouting at Conference goers, and carrying signs. There, along the sidewalks nearing the entrances of Temple Square, were lines of students with their hymnals, singing hymns of ZIon in the midst of the loud street preachers. It was not in their message that peace came, but in the sweet voices of youth singing hymns. We entered Temple square and viewed the newly refurbished Tabernacle. On the steps were a choir of Sister missionaries singing hymns with sweetness. Then Julia and I went to the church art museum and viewed the Tabernacle exhibit and paintings of Zion. We got to the car and headed home by 1230. It took us 30 minutes to go two blocks. We arrived home in the middle of Elder Packer’s talk, to find my son, his wife, and my grandsons were joining us for Conference.
Afternoon Conference was full of reminices of conferences past, held in the Tabernacle. As I listened, I too reminiced. When I was in college at BYU, we would rise early and stand in line for hours, hoping to get into the Tabernacle. I remember my second year in college going to Temple square and getting into both sessions. It was a particularly cold and rainy day, people went home to watch Conference on TV rather than stand in the weather. I was able to walk in on the main floor, and find a great seat. I remember vivdly my first Conference while at BYU. That was the conference that President Monson spoke to the girl in the balcony, Oct 2005. Conference has been a tradtion for us. My first Conferences when I joined the church in 1973, were broadcast to Hawaii and we rose at 6 am to watch it.
After conference we enjoyed a family dinner together, with those living at home, my oldest son, his wife and two sons. After dinner Julia, Jennifer, Mary and I headed to Provo for Julia’s roommate’s bridal shower. There had to be close to 40 people there, to celebrate with her.
When I came home, Roger and I took a long stroll, 1.5 miles,and discussed many things we had epiphanies about today. I came home and uploaded a pile of temple cards, into my PAF file, all waiting their sealing. This we will take care of when Julia returns home for the summer. I cannot wiat to be sealed to my parents, as I have waited for this blessing for 34 years.