Sermons from General Conference

The first weekend of October is a minor holiday in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We call it General Conference.

 In most homes, General Conference celebrations include sweat pants and baked goods. The cozy getup is necessary, because we watch broadcasted sermons from church leaders for a sum total of TEN hours. The best of us fall asleep at least once, but the honest truth is that we LOVE hearing the good news of Christ from our chosen leaders.

Here are three of my favorite sermons. If you’d like to hear current words of prophets and apostles for yourself, you can watch General Conference live this weekend.

Joy in the Journey (President Thomas Monson, October 2008)

This message was given when I was in my early twenties. I was searching for light, optimism, and anti-depressant habits. This talk changed my life.

A favorite quote? “Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.”

And Upon My Handmaids in Those Days I Will Pour out my Spirit (Sister Julie Beck, April 2010)

Sister Beck took her inspiration from a prophecy in Joel 2:29, “[U]pon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. “

Exciting, right?!

Sister Beck reminded us, “A good woman knows that she does not have enough time, energy, or opportunity to take care of all of people or do all of the worthy things her heart yearns to do…But with personal revelation, she can prioritize correctly and navigate this life confidently.”

It’s a promise that I lean on heavily these days.

The Abundant Life (Elder Joseph Wirthlin, April 2006)

This talk includes an excellent horse story and some truly timeless life lessons. The sermon, of course, comes from John 10:10, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

My favorite quote? “The gospel of Jesus Christ . . . is not a gospel of chains but a gospel of wings. To embrace it fully is to be filled with wonder and to walk with an inner fire.”