General Conference was this Easter weekend, and I enjoyed all of it. I also managed to crochet about a dozen granny squares while watching it, so a double score! Anyhow, a couple of thoughts . . .
The talk that impressed me most was President Nelson's talk on Sunday about faith. I am eager to read it when it is transcribed. When he spoke about the power of faith, I felt power resonate in my soul. Something happens when you put your whole trust in God; something powerful gets turned "on" that was not on before. I feel like it removes some type of barrier that prevents heaven from helping and reaching to you, and now that helping power comes rushing down to you. “Your growing faith in Him will move mountains — not the mountains of rock that beautify the earth — but the mountains of misery in your lives,” he said. “Your flourishing faith will help you turn challenges into unparalleled growth and opportunity.”
This endless turning of lemons into lemonade, and with that lemonade a new and higher understanding of the ways of God, has been the story of many people's lives, and my own is included in that set. There is a wrestling between faith and despair that occurs when those lemons start raining down upon you. If you can bear that wrestle and hold onto your faith, the keys start turning in the locks of heaven. I think part of that wrestle is acting upon your faith, and not your doubt or despair. How you act is a choice. So while your soul is in the midst of a battle between faith and despair, how you act can show God that you choose faith even in the midst of the wrestle--even if you are honestly unsure which way the wrestle will go.
Another thing I really like about President Nelson's message is his emphasis on seeking revelation. Believing that the Lord would want to shed light on things for you is a powerful principle. While we are to trust the Lord and have faith, asking for revelation is the balm that emboldens faith. When you feel individualized messages distill on your soul from heaven, you realize that God wants you to understand what is happening. He doesn't want you left bewildered and faithful, though often that is a stage through which we must pass. God wants your faithfulness to be repaid with understanding, even if our ability to understand is limited in this life. Sometimes that understanding is not an intellectual thing; sometimes God sends emotional understanding, and our intellect has to run to catch up with our heart.
Easter is my favorite holiday--Christmas is a promise, but Easter is the fulfillment of that promise--and I think the fact that Easter and General Conference coincide is a great blessing. Easter is a time of renewal, and General Conference is always the fuel for that renewing. Happy Easter to you!