The Season of Melted Faces...

General Conference. I love it. I was in Utah for the weekend and essentially did not sleep the whole time, but here are my initial top five favorite talks, and a few quotes and whatnot (in the order they were given at conference):

Richard G. Scott - To Acquire Spiritual Guidance

I always love his talks about revelation and prayer. He always uses a lot of great personal examples and illustrations which makes it so much easier to relate to. What struck me the most was the pattern he outlined that he uses when seeking revelation on any given question.

"[The impressions] came in answer to my prolonged, prayerful efforts to learn. As each impression came, I carefully wrote it down.... After each powerful impression was recorded, I pondered the feelings I had received to determine if I had accurately expressed them in writing. As a result, I made a few minor changes to what had been written. Then I studied their meaning and application in my own life.

"Subsequently I prayed, reviewing with the Lord what I thought I had been taught by the Spirit. When a feeling of peace came, I thanked Him for the guidance given. I was then impressed to ask, “Was there yet more to be given?” I received further impressions, and the process of writing down the impressions, pondering, and praying for confirmation was repeated. Again I was prompted to ask, “Is there more I should know?” And there was. When that last, most sacred experience was concluded, I had received some of the most precious, specific, personal direction one could hope to obtain in this life. Had I not responded to the first impressions and recorded them, I would not have received the last, most precious guidance."

This is deep stuff, and very helpful. I found the whole talk to be extremely enlightening and useful.

David A. Bednar - More Diligent and Concerned at Home

He always delivers. My favorite part from this talk was what he repeated twice:

"Each of us already knows we should tell the people we love that we love them. But what we know is not always reflected in what we do. We may feel unsure, awkward, or even perhaps a bit embarrassed.

"As disciples of the Savior, we are not merely striving to know more; rather, we need to consistently do more of what we know is right and become better."

I also thought the analogy he used about the painting in his office was extremely powerful. A lot of the times I feel with my scripture study or prayers that it isn't quite as edifying as I would like, and I get discouraged, and even miss days at a time. But that helps bring perspective that it's okay if each individual brush stroke isn't a masterpiece on its own; it is the over all picture that's being painted that matters.

Dallin H. Oaks - Love and Law

I just thought this talk was doctrinally brilliant. He just lays down the law every time. That was actually a pun on a few levels, but I claim no glory, since it was kind of obvious. Anyways, I love the clarity and simplicity of the doctrine he teaches, and how powerful the ideas are. So many people in the world get confused about this, and I think it's great that he decided to preach the word on it.

"God’s love is so perfect that He lovingly requires us to obey His commandments because He knows that only through obedience to His laws can we become perfect, as He is. For this reason, God’s anger and His wrath are not a contradiction of His love but an evidence of His love. Every parent knows that you can love a child totally and completely while still being creatively angry and disappointed at that child’s self-defeating behavior."

He also quotes D&C 130:20-21, which lays it out pretty nicely.

Jeffrey R. Holland - Safety for the Soul

I was in the conference center for this one, and all I can say is I am surprised that any of us walked out of there alive, because he brought down the house. What struck me the most powerfully I believe is when he said this:

"I ask that my testimony of the Book of Mormon and all that it implies, given today under my own oath and office, be recorded by men on earth and angels in heaven. I hope I have a few years left in my 'last days,' but whether I do or do not, I want it absolutely clear when I stand before the judgment bar of God that I declared to the world, in the most straightforward language I could summon, that the Book of Mormon is true, that it came forth the way Joseph said it came forth and was given to bring happiness and hope to the faithful in the travail of the latter days."

I also thought it was cool the little insight, almost given indirectly about the prophecy of men's hearts failing them in the last days. He referred to the heart as the figurative center of our faith, the poetic location of our loyalties and our values. I thought that was helpful to put it in those terms as reading many of the scriptures where it is used in that way.

D. Todd Christofferson - Moral Discipline

He is also one of my favorites, this talk is loaded with great stuff.

"By 'moral discipline,' I mean self-discipline based on moral standards. Moral discipline is the consistent exercise of agency to choose the right because it is right, even when it is hard. It rejects the self-absorbed life in favor of developing character worthy of respect and true greatness through Christlike service (see Mark 10:42–45). The root of the word discipline is shared by the word disciple, suggesting to the mind the fact that conformity to the example and teachings of Jesus Christ is the ideal discipline that, coupled with His grace, forms a virtuous and morally excellent person."

"The lack of internal control by individuals breeds external control by governments."

"I have heard a few parents state that they don’t want to impose the gospel on their children but want them to make up their own minds about what they will believe and follow. They think that in this way they are allowing children to exercise their agency. What they forget is that the intelligent use of agency requires knowledge of the truth, of things as they really are (see D&C 93:24). Without that, young people can hardly be expected to understand and evaluate the alternatives that come before them. Parents should consider how the adversary approaches their children. He and his followers are not promoting objectivity but are vigorous, multimedia advocates of sin and selfishness."

What could I really add? Precise and concise. I love it.

There were so many other great talks, and as always after I study them and listen to them again I'm sure some others will come to the forefront as my new favorites, but these five stood out to me right now.

After what I just experienced this evening with the missionaries I can't begin to describe my gratitude for the fact that I know there are living prophets and Apostles on the earth who teach us sound doctrine so often. It really is such a gift.