General Conference Weekend

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this is a special weekend for me.   Twice a year our Church holds a General Conference in Salt Lake City.   At this conference we hear talks from our leaders.   There are 5 2 hour sessions that are broadcast throughout the world.   We are watching on the internet.  You can check it out at www.lds.org.

The first session was this morning at 10 am.   President Monson was the first speaker.   He presented the name of the newest Apostle - Neil L. Anderson.   Elder Anderson filled the vacancy created when Elder Wirthlin passed away.    I've been fortunate enough to meet both of these Apostles.   Many years ago when I worked for Novell I was in Utah for work and I stayed at Wilma and Dave's place.  There was a Church satellite broadcast for something.   I went to Wilma and Dave's Stake Centre to watch.  To my surprise 2 Apostles were in attendance at the Stake Center.  Elder Nelson and Elder Wirthlin.  Both were in that Stake.   I was able to visit with Elder Wirthlin for a few minutes after the broadcast.   He told me that his wife said they had to leave and that now he was waiting for her.   Lives of the Apostles would be so different then ours in some ways, but in other ways they are the same.

Last August there was a special leadership meeting in Calgary where all the bishops and stake presidencies in the Calgary area were invited to attend.   At that meeting President Eyring, Elder Holland and Elder Anderson were in attendance.   It was a wonderful meeting.   What an opportunity to be taught by 2 Apostles and 1 person who would be an Apostle in less than a year.  

At conference time I like to read about King Benjamin's address in the Book of Mormon.

(Mosiah 2:1-2, 6-7)

• 1 And it came to pass that after Mosiah had done as his father had commanded him, and had made a proclamation throughout all the land, that the people ^agathered themselves together throughout all the land, that they might go up to the ^btemple to ^chear the ^dwords which king Benjamin should speak unto them.
•   2 And there were a great number, even so many that they did not number them; for they had multiplied exceedingly and waxed great in the land.
• 
  
•   6 And they pitched their tents round about the temple, every man having his ^atent with the door thereof towards the temple, that thereby they might remain in their tents and hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto them;
•   7 For the multitude being so great that king Benjamin could not teach them all within the walls of the temple, therefore he caused a ^atower to be erected, that thereby his people might hear the words which he should speak unto them.

The people of the time were gathered together for their General Conference.   In our time many gather in Salt Lake City - Candi and Alana and their friends attended the session this morning in the conference centre.  In verse 7 it talks about erecting a tower so the people could hear his words.  We have erected towers today so people throughout the world can gather in Church buildings to watch signals broadcast from those towers.   

In chapter 6 it mentions that they could remain in their tents and hear the words of King Benjamin.
For years we have been fortunate enough to watch conference in our "tent".   The local cable company would broadcast it one of those community service channels.   In the last couple years we have watched it over the internet.  

I love General Conference.