Stake Conference

We had Stake Conference this past weekend and although I wasn't able to go to the Sunday Session (because I was sick)I was able to go to Stake Temple Day on Thursday and then to the Adult Session on Saturday. It was truly an inspiring week!

On Stake Temple Day I was able to go to the Temple and do Baptisms with my Family and the Stake. It was a sweet experience! After Baptisms we were able to have a dinner in the cafeteria with our stake. In order to get to the cafeteria we had to walk through part of the Temple that I had never been to before. I was amazed, and my excitement grew even more for the chance when I will be able to go through the temple. After the dinner we all met in a chapel for a devotional from our Stake Presidency and the Temple President. It was an amazing sight to see our stake all gathered within the walls of the temple, we almost filled the whole chapel. The spirit was very strong there and I remember thinking as I sat there in the Temple, "If someone was able to just get a taste of the spirit that is within these sacred walls, they would do almost anything to get there. I have a strong testimony of the temple and last week even strengthened it even more. Elder Christoferson said in a leadership training meeting a couple weeks ago that when you enter the Temple, you leave all your cares and troubles at the door, but when you come back out of the Temple they are still there. But when you leave you have a knew eternal perspective of things, to where some of your big problems may seem smaller and some of your small problems may seem more important.

Before the Adult session I had the great opportunity to sing a duet with my cousin Austin in a Stake training leadership meeting. We sang a special Musical number called, "His Hands" by Kenneth Cope. I was a bit nervous to sing it, but it turned out to be a great experience. I love singing this song because it helps us contemplate on the savior and his hands and all of the great and wonderful acts of service that he did with his hands. Then towards the end it talks of his hands pleading and bleeding in the garden and then carrying the beam on which they would be nailed to in his final act of service while in mortality. The whole message of the song is to make our hands like His. To help, to strengthen, to Serve those around us.

The Adult session was very uplifting. We were able to hear from a wife and husband who are actually in our ward and to hear about their conversion story as they decided to return to the church. They are now a wonderful strength to the ward. They were sealed in the temple last September and then they had their first baby shortly after.
The next speaker was in our ward as well and she had a son die and recently her daughter has been fighting cancer. She talked about trials. It was very humbling to see this sister talk of her trials and how nothing would be worse than to turn yourself from the Lord. She said, she could lose all of her family through death, but if her family was turning away from the lord, the latter would be the hardest trial.
We then heard from a member of our Stake Presidency, President Lawrence. He talked about looking up. He told a story of when his son asked him why we have pointed steeples on our churches. Pre. Lawrence just told him that it was to help us look up. He has thought of that since and the profoundness of what he said. We need to always be looking up to our heavenly Father in praises of gratitude and for help on our mortal journey.
Another member of the Stake Presidency member spoke next (my uncle President Rick Phelps) he spoke about the process of being born again. We all need to go through that process of changing ourselves by changing our hearts. It was a wonderful talk. I love listening to my uncle speak, he has a lot of knowledge of the scriptures and of the principles of the gospel.
The last one to speak was our beloved Stake President (President Callings) it was really good. He talked about praying for opportunities to serve others. He talked of the power that prayer has in providing us with opportunities to be instruments in the Lords hands. Then he talked about his family and how important families are. I thought it was really good. I recently met with the stake president for an interview for my mission. He is a truly remarkable man. I was taught and uplifted in that interview.

Sorry, for rambling on about my weekend. But it was a really good one! I am so grateful to be apart of the Lords church here upon the earth. I know that it is true, for I have felt the power of the spirit confirming that truthfulness. I know that it is when we actively attend our church meetings and enter those meetings with a attitude of learning that we can truly be strengthened in our testimonies. Christ is real, he lives, he is active in our lives, and most importantly he atoned for us so that we can overcome our imperfections and follow in His footsteps. I am grateful for him and for all that he has done for me. I hope that I will be a more profitable servant as I continue through my life. It is my prayer and my hope.