Solemn Assembly

If you, Gentle Reader, are not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this is General Conference Weekend for us. This happens twice a year, on the first weekends in April and October and means that the church membership, as a whole, watches the General Authorities (aka: leadership) of our church bear testimony of Jesus Christ and present talks to encourage, uplift and remind us of important gospel topics. These topics are meant to be pondered upon and internalized to bring us closer to our Savior.

As an adult, I love Conference because I DO feel uplifted after watching/listening to it. My children, however, have a hard time enjoying as much because it means 4 two hour sessions over the course of Saturday and Sunday (J attends the Priesthood Session on Saturday evening, so he has 5), and I think even for an adult, that's a long time. Happily, we have Dish Satellite, which carries BYUtv, so we watch conference here at the house. It's nice for the girls because they can float in and out of the room, and it's nice for me because I'm not freaking out thinking they are disturbing someone else's spiritual experience (J and I are, sadly, somewhat used to it by this time).

Yet I just have to say, even in my pajama's in our home, with some degree of mayhem going on...well, it was a privilege, Gentle Reader, to participate in today's Solemn Assembly. A Solemn Assembly doesn't happen every conference, and I totally forgot they would do it for this one, but we have a new President of the Church since the passing of our beloved Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley and it was an opportunity to show our support by sustaining our new President.

I want you to know, Gentle Reader, that I DO sustain and support Pres. Thomas S. Monson as Prophet and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What a wonderful blessing and element of peace and comfort it lends to my heart to know that our Church is led by Jesus Christ, and that He has an active mouth piece on the earth today to lead and guide us. I also support and sustain Pres. Monson's counselors and the rest of the General Authorities of our church. I know that they are men and women called by and of God. And I'm so glad I was able to stand "with my quorum" of Relief Society sisters and then with the General Membership beside my sweet husband to show that support. It was a special moment, and something that I treasure to have been a part of, and I wanted that recorded because when it's all said and done, a BBQ recipe is delicious and fun for my taste buds and stomach, but this was as sweet and delicious an experience for my entire being as one would hope for.

So, enjoy your day, Gentle Reader, and Conference Weekend. And if you don't know about it, I invite you to find out more! You can even get instructions and tune in via the computer at: http://www.lds.org.