General Conference

This past thursday Bishop Clements in his infinite wisdom told me to take notes on conference and that we would discuss them. Well I misunderstood and thought he wanted me to give a presentation. So Friday night I made my new journal and went to the stake center saturday until 3:45 and then went to work. I got up and watched the rest of general conference saturday session and then went to the stake center for sunday session. I learned several amazing things.
1. The Holy Ghost comes to you in your preparation sometimes more strongly than in the message itself. Preparing the journal Friday night I had many of my questions answered.
2. If you go in with questions, he can answer them in your preparation and converence. And even further confirm the answers you get time and time again. Questions...Ask and you shall receive, but you have to ask.
3. The Holy Ghost talks to us in many different ways. It doesn't have to be a blinding light or physical feeling of peace. He can talk through others and either just coincidences that are tender mercies. And that is ok. As your faith grows, if you look back, You will see Christ everywhere! And the fact that it is not a blinding light does not mean you are unworthy.
4. Rome was given back to me. When I left the catholic faith, i had a great love for Rome, as my holy city, and I felt as if it was not my home anymore. But with the temple coming to Rome I feel as if I can go there and look at history of my ancestors and the history that made me who I am...But still have a home for who I have become.
5. We need to help the poor! By helping people with their temporal needs we are being Christ's hands. And they will often help us more than we help them.
6. Women are the heart of the Church. You could see it in their faces and hear it in their voice. The love that they, the general authorities, have for us, radiated from pore. I could feel how much they love and respect us. I've never felt so honored and so respected as by the general authorities. It was inspiring.
7. I learned of the joy that comes with marriage and a family and I desire that joy.
8. And my testimony of President Monson, as the prophet of the church, was strengthened greatly! He is a prophet, I felt as if he saw and spoke just to me. It was the same presence, love, and intuition with the other general authorities. I felt as if they saw into my soul. Each one was better than the next!
9. 272,000 people apporoximately were new converts in the year 2010. I am one of those! I am so lucky and so grateful.

Conference was amazing! The preparation created in me an attitude of humility. I felt the presence of the spirit so strongly. I am so grateful for Thomas S. Monson. I wanted to reach through and hug him. I am so grateful for a bishop who cares for me so much. I'm grateful for the peace the spirit brings when you don't think you can have peace. I am grateful for promptings from the spirit because his path for me is better than anything I could plan. I am so happy and thankful for my testimony and for this wonderful church. I am grateful that I was being prepared my whole life, that my testimony was not a shock. That I was able to join. That my family supported me. There is so much to be grateful for in this, the year in which I made the best decision i've ever made.

On top of this being such an amazing conference because of the preparation I did, the Peace, comfort and spirit I felt, and The amazing family of 8 that I got to sit with, it was also one year ago, April 3, 2010, that I consented to be baptized three weeks from that day. I was baptized on April 24, 2010...My year mark is Easter Sunday this year! April 3, 2011, was also the one year anniversary of my grandmother's death. The picture was taken just before her funeral last year in front of the house my dad grew up in. Its my cousins, sister, and me.

Her remembrance Card says:

God hath not promised skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through.
God hath not promised sun without rain,
joy without sorrow, peace without pain.
But God hath promised strength for the day,
rest for the labor, light for the way.
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

She is proud of me. I know that. And how fitting is this prayer. She understood the law of opposites before I did. Her death helped solidify my testimony of the church. She was sick, but her death was quicker than expected. All that was thrown at me, the further I fell, the more I looked forward to the day when the sun would shine more blindingly than ever before. I was plunged into darkness but I have seen that sun many times over...and she...she is in a place flooded with light. Thankyou Grandma.