October General Conference 2023

Saturday afternoon. Themes: the gathering of Israel; “You cannot get through the coming days without the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

“Where is Jasper?” Home run talk, plus a tie in to our General Conference Postview. https://www.jrganymede.com/2023/09/29/general-conference-postview/

Saturday evening. Don’t blink!

Sad to say, I fell asleep and only caught the tail end of the talk about Jasper. Good thing we have almost-instant replay!
During Elder Rasband’s talk, Mom and I kept exchanging glances. She and Dad are serving a mission at a nearby campground; Dad was up there welding parts on a bulldozer that broke while cutting in a new trail.
The reason I napped through half of the afternoon session? I’ve been working my own jobs, caring for our orchard/garden/chickens, and staying up late preserving the harvest. Now that they’re home from camp – mostly – I hope to catch up on sleep a little.

Interesting that several of the Saturday evening talks were about building unity despite differences, and that one lady’s talk about making a space where people feel loved was great. I also loved President Oaks’s talk about the Plan of Salvation.

So many references to President Nelson’s previous talks, you’d think they’re trying to tell us something! All the talks have been great; choirs wonderful, and prayers profound. I got teary several times as my questions were answered and impressions validated. When Elder Bednar was announced as the first speaker I thought, Oh, bringing out the big guns first! I always love his talks. I’m sure the sessions today (Sunday) will be just as great.

Sunday morning. No theme for me. I did notice the 4th mention of “NGMI w/o the Holy Ghost”

Twenty more temples! And yet, not one in Iowa yet. There are temples all around the state but not one in it. I got rather teary watching all the apostles greet each other after the Sunday afternoon session, such a righteous brotherhood.
Really good talks today! I took a few notes to remind me of what they were about, but I sure look forward to studying them in depth in the coming weeks and months.

Sunday afternoon. Brother Esplin’s talk which was almost entirely a story was very effective I thought. Elder Gong returned to what has become a custom for him of dotting his talk with lots of little examples from all over the world.

I noticed that there were multiple talks that referenced the ‘eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die’ mindset, and rejected it thoroughly. I also noticed several talks with stories and admonitions to use the correct name of the church. Also, this may not be true, but it seems to me that in the last five years there have been at least three talks that involved skunks in some way. That last not a spiritual thing, just funny.

My oldest brother is a punk. He took one look at Brother Giraud-Carrier this afternoon and grinned. “Inconceivable!” he exclaimed, and proceeded to quote Vizzini every time the camera angle shifted. Another brother texted the same at the very moment, which encouraged him. The man does have an unfortunate resemblance. I’m going to have to go back to his talk; I was having a hard time focusing what with the movie quotes and ping pong balls flying (my niece and younger brother were making sure we were all awake, I guess). At least they settled down for President Nelson’s talk!

Two different speakers mentioned singing in the ward choir, which I believe is a first for a general conference. As a ward choir director this pleases me beyond words.

I’ve been seeing a temple in Mongolia on people’s prediction lists ever since President Nelson started announcing so many temples; I’m glad to see it finally announced. When I received my endowment in the temple before my mission (late 1997) there was another young man there for the same purpose, who had been called to a mission in Mongolia. This has been a long time coming.

If you go to the General Conference report for October 1953, you will find in the first morning session a report on changes in church officers, stake, ward and branch organizations since April 1953. Nine appointments of new mission presidents were read, and one new temple president. For example, Claudious Bowman appointed president of the Mexican Mission to succeed Lucian M. Mecham. Two new stakes had been organized: Butte and North Pocatello, and six new stake presidents were named, such as Irvin Burrell Romney, president of Juarez Stake to succeed Claudious Bowman. Twenty-six new wards were each named, such as Anaconda, Bozeman, Butte, Dillon and Helena Wards, Butte Stake. Five newly organized independent branches were named such as Hamula Branch, Oahu Stake, and five discontinued wards and branches were also named.

Recently, the church stopped naming all the area seventies called or released, and we are directed to announcements on the church web site if we want to know the names of those being sustained. I suppose at some point we will be able to assume that if a city has a stake, there must also be a temple or two somewhere near at hand, and announcements in General Conference of new temples will discontinue.