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Our General Conference ‘Walk and Talk’
Adapted from Sarah Jane Weaver, “Episode 24: Elder Bednar Shares His Pattern for Studying General Conference Messages,” Church News (podcast), Mar. 30, 2021, thechurchnews.com.
As we listen to, watch, and read general conference messages, Elder Bednar counsels us to look for the doctrine taught, the invitations extended, and the blessings promised.
President Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) urged members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to let general conference messages “be the guide to their walk and talk during the next six months.” He taught, “These are the important matters the Lord sees fit to reveal to this people in this day.”1
Likewise, President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) emphasized the importance of listening to and studying general conference messages. He taught, “No text or volume outside the standard works of the Church should have such a prominent place on your personal library shelves.”2
At the conclusion of the October 1977 general conference, President Kimball said: “This has been a great conference and as each one of these wonderful sermons has been rendered I’ve listened with great attention, and I have made up my mind that I shall go home and be a greater man than I have ever been before. … I urge you to take much thought in your return home from this conference and think again of the things that have been brought to your attention.”3
Knowing that even Presidents of the Church learn from the messages shared in general conference greatly impressed me as a young man. As I began to follow their counsel, I discovered three things:
1. Church leaders emphasize fundamental doctrine and principles in their messages.
2. Almost always, their messages include invitations to act related to the doctrine or principles taught.
3. In accordance with the invitation, Church leaders offer promised blessings.
I established a pattern of drawing three columns on a sheet of paper. I then tried to identify and briefly summarize the doctrine, the invitations, and the promised blessings in general conference messages. That, in essence, became my walk and talk for the next six months.
The Importance of Invitation
If people appropriately are seeking for the spiritual gift of faith in the Lord, they need to act in accordance with His teachings. Invitations are key because faith in the Savior is a principle of action and power. And as His servant, I strive to extend invitations that can help people strengthen their faith in and devotion to Him.
Many times in our Church service we may say things such as, “I challenge you to do X.” But I do not find such language in the ministry of the Savior, in the scriptures, or in the teachings of Church leaders. The Savior did, and Church leaders should, invite, entice, encourage, and promise blessings—a more Christlike approach to helping individuals and families.
President Dallin H. Oaks, as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, extended an important invitation in a message to Aaronic Priesthood holders. He shared an example of the principle of non-distraction. He said, “The principle I suggest to govern those officiating in the sacrament—whether preparing, administering, or passing—is that they should not do anything that would distract any member from his or her worship and renewal of covenants.”4
An Aaronic Priesthood holder might ask himself, “Well, what clothing should I wear when I participate in the ordinance of the sacrament?” If a young man understands this simple principle, he will not try to make a personal “statement” with his dress or demeanor. Rather, he will try to be inconspicuous so that he does not interfere with or distract the people renewing covenants in the ordinance of the sacrament—or in any other ordinance.
President Oaks added, “I will not suggest detailed rules.”5 To me, that was an invitation to all priesthood holders to think about how this principle can lead to a higher and holier way of performing priesthood duties.
President Russell M. Nelson issued a similar type of invitation in the April 2015 general conference, when he taught us that “the Sabbath is a delight.”6 He said, “How do we hallow the Sabbath day? In my much younger years, I studied the work of others who had compiled lists of things to do and things not to do on the Sabbath. It wasn’t until later that I learned from the scriptures that my conduct and my attitude on the Sabbath constituted a sign between me and my Heavenly Father [see Exodus 31:13; Ezekiel 20:12, 20]. With that understanding, I no longer needed lists of dos and don’ts. When I had to make a decision whether or not an activity was appropriate for the Sabbath, I simply asked myself, ‘What sign do I want to give to God?’ That question made my choices about the Sabbath day crystal clear.”7
In President Nelson’s question and President Oaks’s example, we can identify invitations to act. And as we act, magnificent blessings always follow.
Act and Be Blessed
Latter-day Saints can do many things to prepare for general conference. I will highlight just two.
First, we need to prepare to act. As we are anxiously engaged in asking, seeking, and knocking, we exercise faith in the Savior and invite the Holy Ghost to be our teacher. The Spirit will bring thoughts to our minds and feelings to our hearts, and the Spirit will teach us individually and personally the things that are needful.
Receiving what we need will be more difficult if our frame of mind is, “I am simply going to listen to the messages and hope something will help me.” The revelatory process requires anxious engagement and not just passive participation.
Preparation precedes effective acting, and one specific way to prepare for general conference is to have a question or questions in mind as we listen to general conference messages.
The second element of preparation is to specifically invite the Holy Ghost to be our companion, which is one of the purposes of prayer. The ongoing companionship of the Holy Ghost is not automatic just because hands have been placed on our heads and we have been admonished to “receive the Holy Ghost.” We must do our part to receive the gift.
We invite the Holy Ghost when we pray sincerely and with real intent. We invite the Holy Ghost as we feast upon the words of Christ in the scriptures. We invite the Holy Ghost as we follow the counsel given by our Church leaders. Such expressions of faith in the Savior invite the Holy Ghost to be our companion. And I believe He comes more readily as we specifically invite Him.
We also need to learn and recognize that blessings do not necessarily come into our lives when we want or the way we want them to come. Rather, they are bestowed upon us in accordance with the Lord’s will and timing.
Regardless of position or status, any member of this Church—so long as he or she is striving to be worthy and seeking the companionship of the Holy Ghost—can ask, seek, and knock (see Matthew 7:7; 3 Nephi 14:7) and receive answers and spiritual guidance.
Orchestrated by Heaven
When Latter-day Saints consider the connectedness and cohesiveness of the messages given during general conference, some may wonder if topics are assigned and if themes are planned. They are planned—by heaven, not by those participating in the conference, per se.
I have participated in general conference for nearly 20 years, and only on the rarest of occasions has a specific assignment been given to a speaker to address a particular topic. But there have been instances while sitting on the stand and knowing I would speak soon that I have noticed a continuity building in the messages being delivered. Church leaders who have not talked to each other about the content of their individual messages each contribute to a cohesive conference crescendo that is miraculous. So, yes, general conference is orchestrated—but by heaven, not by the participants.
In the 52nd section of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord reveals that He will give us “a pattern in all things” (verse 14). One of those patterns is how the Savior ministers to us. When He appeared to the multitude of 2,500 people at the temple in the land of Bountiful, He did not invite only one or two to come and feel the wounds in His hands, His feet, and His side. He gave that opportunity to all the people “one by one” (3 Nephi 11:15).
In general conference, the Lord speaks to a global congregation through His servants, and He speaks to each of us “one by one” by the power of the Holy Ghost. This spiritual pattern can benefit all of us as we listen, learn, and strive to become devoted disciples of the Savior.