My October 2008 LDS General Conference Top 10 List

When I was a kid, and even when I was in college, I thought LDS General Conference was sort of boring. Not anymore. There are so many interesting and scary things going on in the world now, that maybe that's why I'm so much more piqued by what LDS Church leaders have to say about them all.

Here are the top ten tidbits that I took away from October 2008 LDS General Conference.

President Monson - Be good citizens and neighbors and reach out to those of other faiths. So often we feel so pressed upon to be good missionaries that we don't take the time to appreciate the religious diversity that is around us, let alone the great people behind that diversity. A world with only Mormons would, I think, be kind of boring.

President Uchtdorf - Whether moving a grand piano from the chapel to the cultural hall, or serving in some other capacity, "Lift where you stand". Some people want to lead, while some people want to hide, whereas we should all be content to serve where we are called. I have a calling that I give about 75% of my effort to. I guess that makes me somewhat of a hider, because my excuse is often that I am too busy with the other things that I think are more important.

President Eyring - Skillful peacemakers search for anything on which opposing parties agree. I once served on a city council, and my overarching goal was to set an example of decorum. I have not been so successful in other areas of life, but in the council chambers I am happy to say that overall decorum improved markedly during my 5 1/2 years of service. As a blogger, I (usually) try to point out constructively and kindly how I might disagree with someone's point of view. I'm glad in some instances, however, that I have reviewed what I typed before I clicked the submit button!!

Elder Ballard - Our challenges are not any more severe than those of the early saints--they are just different. We're not required to walk across the continent for the church, but rather just across the street to share the gospel message with our neighbors. I'm getting better at "walking across the street". I find that if I imagine and pray about ways of introducing gospel topics to friends and acquaintences that those opportunities come along much more often.

Elder Hales - We should answer contention with kindness. We should communicate using such means as letters to newspaper editors and blog comments to correct errors of fact, but we should always be cordial. We should speak out to help others understand the truth, but never to score points or to defend our egos.

Elder Scott - Husbands should show respect to their wives by taking charge of Family Home Evening and other activities. We should pay them more compliments. Bishops should show more respect for the insights of women on the ward council. Priesthood leaders should respect women's opinions and perspectives as much as their husbands'. Men's condescending actions toward women, including sometimes husbands toward wives, are similar to their actions toward people of other races and cultures. They are sometimes well meaning, but they are not perceived that way. In any circumstance we should try to perceive how we would feel if we were talking like that to ourselves. If a woman is as capable as a man of doing a job, she should be paid as much as the man would be paid.

President Monson - Told the story of the father who cancelled an emergency business appointment because 'the circus keeps coming back, but childhood doesn't. Also said that the fingerprints on those things around the home that you have just cleaned will disappear all too soon, so cherish them while they're there. My wife and I, as part of being debt-free (knock on wood!!) have discovered that we have more means to make memories with our children. Our youngest will turn 9 in a couple of weeks, and we're starting to wonder how so much of it has already passed us by.

Elder Cook - With the current economic crisis, there is great concern throughout the world. There will in the future be more lean years as well as plentiful years, but if we're prepared in either event, everything will be alright for us. Along these lines, President Monson encouraged us to be self-sufficient so that we can come to the aid of those over whom we have responsibility when they are in economic hard times. Considering the current economic situation, my wife and I talked yesterday that we are so glad that we avoided the temptation to buy a bigger home, because had we done so, we would have become so preoccupied with our own situation that we would have been much less able to help and serve others.

President Packer - During July 24th, 1849 celebration, the Saints in the Salt Lake Valley celebrated their patriotism to the United States despite the fact that Congress had not come to their assistance when they were losing $2 million in property and had otherwise been been persecuted for their faith. It occurred to me like it hadn't before that in some small way we can relate to blacks, women, and other minority populations who have not always been included in the group of "all men [who] are created equal", yet we understand the genius of America's founding documents and continue to use our liberties to strive for freedom and justice for all.

Bishop McMullin - Told the story of Chinese official who visited LDS Welfare Square and was so impressed with the integrity of the Church that he paid his fast offering in a "red pocket" envelope. He said "If the world loved like this, it would be a much better place." Government diplomacy may or may not be the best solution to any adversarial situation, but it has worked very well for the Church over the years. In a plethora of circumstances, including President Monson's story of how the example of Julius Fuseg of Poland caused Polish leaders to welcome the LDS Church into that country with open arms.

Which principles and anecdotes were your favorites?

This article was published in similar form on My Two Mormon Cents.