Spring General Conference 2012

I loved General Conference this year. That is, the General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

For me, there were there main themes.

1. Strengthen your family. By strengthening your family, you will strengthen everything else in your life. Things may not be perfect, but they aren't supposed to be. However, by strengthening your family, you will have a desire to be a better person yourself; you will have a desire to help those around you without being cynical; and you will not only "want" the best for your children, you will seek ways to achieve the best for your children.

2. Seek the Holy Ghost as your companion and listen to Him. We have been given an amazing gift from Heavenly Father: the Holy Ghost. He will let us know the truth of all things. He will help us when we seek personal revelation. And, He will help us to achieve good things, including all things regarding our families (see #1 above).

3. Share your testimony including with those who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This should be a natural sharing of the Gospel. And, it should especially be shared with those close to us, like family members (see #1 above). The Holy Ghost can help us know the right things to say (see #2 above). And by sharing our testimonies, we will strengthen our own testimonies.

Yah, I have already shared my testimony with one wonderful friend. I invited him to know more if he would like to. I don't know if he will ever accept the invitation, but he knows now that I am not just willing to talk to him about it, but anxious (in a good way) for him to know more.

During a lot of General Conferences, we all get excited about the announcement of new temples to be built. Well, my most exciting moment of Conference was when the name "Larry EchoHawk" was put before the membership for a sustaining vote to make him a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. I love "Professor" EchoHawk. I have known about him since my undergraduate years at BYU, and I have personally known him since my law school days. I have maintained a cordial relationship with him through the years and was very proud of him when he took the office as the Director of the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs).

Elder EchoHawk is only the second Native American to be in one of these worldwide leadership positions. The left the church. Elder EchoHawk has, as far as I am aware, has led and will continue to lead a virtuous life. One friend said it this way, "Big loss for the BIA... Huge gain for the church. Such a good man!!!"

I am so grateful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know that I have a Living Savior. I know that I can live with my family again. I know that Heavenly Father loves me.