Stake Conference today

After having lived out of Utah for a few years, I have realized how blessed we are to live so close to the leaders of our Church. Today we had Stake Conference in our new ward. It was kind of like a regional conference held at the Conference Center at Temple Square. We walked over (which was great since there was CRAZY traffic) and got in line to get in. Once inside we found our assigned seats and just hoped that the girls would last at least for half of the meeting.

We were so excited to get in there and see that President Monson was presiding over the meeting!!! Elder Hinckley of the Seventy (and Presindent Hinckley's son) was conducting and also the first speaker. One thing that he said in his talk that I absolutely loved was that about 8 months before Pres. Hinckley died he had the opportunity to seal his last granddaughter in the Temple. He had sealed all of his children and all the grandchildren that had been married. When the sealing began he made a few comments and as he was concluding his comments about to start the official sealing he said that he had had the opportunity to seal all of his children and grandchildren in the Temple, and sealing his family together for Eternity was the greatest accomplishment of his life. Of all the things he has accomplished, this is what he valued the most! I loved that!

Then, as if we weren't in enough awe already, the general Primary President spoke and then Elder M. Russell Ballard spoke. Wow, this was such a great Stake Conference. He spoke about the importance of listening to the Spirit and relayed an experience he had when he was a Bishop and didn't listen to a prompting to go visit a sister in his ward one evening. The next morning he decided he had better go and visit her, only to find that she had passed away only 2 hours earlier. He regrets missing out on the opportunity to give her a blessing and comfort the rest of the family in time. It is so important that we heed promptings when we receive them.

After the intermediate hymn, Elder Hinckley got up and announced that President Monson would be our concluding speaker. This was one power packed line up of speakers! He started out by telling the funniest story that I just wanted to post on here so I wouldn't forget it. During a session of Conference one time President Hinckley turned to him and said, "If I start to doze off will you nudge me awake?" He agreed. Then President Faust turned to him and asked him the same favor. He agreed again, wondering to himself how on earth you "nudge" the Prophet awake. Well, partway through the meeting he noticed that both President Hinckley and President Faust had dozed off at the same time. Still apprehensive to wake up President Hinckley, he lightly touched his shoulder and said (pointing to President Faust) "Look, he's asleep!" So President Hinckley elbowed President Faust in the ribs and told him to WAKE UP! I thought it was funny, first off that President Hinckley would doze off and even funnier that President Monson would throw President Faust under the bus to President Hinckley the way he did. :) President Monson laughed as he told us this story and then said, "that's just a little inside joke between us!" He went on to tell a great talk, but I don't remember a whole lot of it because Emma had lost her patience by this time so I was chasing her around the top of our terrace at this point.

I am feeling so grateful to be living back here in Utah where these experiences are possible, and that our children are able to have them too. In Connecticut we always had great meetings, but I am so blessed to live within such close proximity to the headquarters of the church.