Make Conference a Priority

By Elder Paul V. Johnson

Of the Seventy

Adapted from “The Blessings of General Conference,” Ensign, Nov. 2005, 50–52.

Decide now to listen and follow the teachings that are given.

My mother loved general conference. She always turned the volume loud enough that it was difficult to find a place in the house where conference couldn’t be heard. She wanted her children to listen and would ask us from time to time what we remembered.

Once in a while I went outside with one of my brothers to play ball during a Saturday conference session. We would take a radio with us because we knew our mother might quiz us later. Occasionally we would take a break to listen carefully so we could report to Mom. I doubt my mother was fooled when we both happened to remember the same thing from an entire session.

That is no way to listen to conference. I have since repented. I have grown to love conference, partly because of my mother’s love for the words of the living prophets. I remember listening to the sessions of a particular conference all alone in an apartment while I was in college. The Holy Ghost witnessed to my soul that the President of the Church was truly a prophet. In the mission field, the country where I served did not have conference broadcasts, but my mother sent me audiotapes and I listened to them over and over. I grew to love the words of the prophets and apostles.

However, in order for conference messages to change our lives, we need to follow the counsel we hear. Every time we are obedient to the words of the prophets and apostles we reap great blessings, and we continue to receive blessings long after our initial decision to be obedient.

Decide now to make general conference a priority in your life. Decide to listen carefully and follow the teachings that are given. Listen to or read the talks more than once to better understand and follow the counsel. By doing these things, the gates of hell will not prevail against you, the powers of darkness will be dispersed from before you, and the heavens will shake for your good. (See Doctrine and Covenants 21:4–6.)