STAKE CONFERENCE - March 14-15, 2015

This week was a choice spiritual experience for the San Rafael Stake. Beginning on Thursday evening with the Chapel Session at the Oakland Temple, continuing on through the Priesthood Leadership Session on Saturday afternoon, the Saturday Evening Adult Session and culminating in our Sunday General Session.  We were honored to have Elder Richard K. Hansen of the Seventy presiding over our Saturday and Sunday sessions and bringing with him the special Spirit that our Priesthood leaders possess.  We were richly rewarded by talks given by many members of the stake on topics ranging from the value of counsel learned in councils within the church and our own homes, the tools we have to implement use of the counsel we receive, how to listen to each other to create order and establish a Christ-centered home. 

We were treated to heartfelt testimony of the divinity of our Savior, the singular importance of receiving our Temple ordinances and admonished to continue our Temple attendance in order to provide service to our ancestors and those who have gone before without the opportunity of hearing the gospel message. We learned from members who have come back into activity about the process of reactivation, the worries and fears they have when they are first making the attempt to regain and build their testimony and face other members. We also learned how we, as active members, should act, what we need to say and in what way we need to welcome those who may be taking this sometimes difficult step. And again, how to assist our brothers and sisters to build their testimonies, keep the commandments and take the necessary steps to become worthy of a temple recommend so that they can partake of the blessings our Heavenly Father has waiting for them in the temple ordinances.

One sweet brother from the Spanish Branch was brave enough to give his first talk (in English!) from the pulpit on his personal experience in coming back into activity. Telling how much he appreciated the help and encouragement of his leaders and fellow members as they gently guided him on his pathway back. Expressing his gratitude that repentance and forgiveness are a part of the gospel and how he felt the love and peace of the Savior in his heart and in his life. He expressed that "the reasons for inactivity do not matter; the reasons for coming back are the ones that matter."

Other talks covered the topics of rescuing our brothers and sisters who are less active or who feel they are lost. We were asked to consider, 'What are you willing to do? What do you desire to do? to help inactive members know we really care about them and want to help them find their way back.

President and Sister Alba met with us for the last time at Stake Conference as their mission concludes in June and they will be returning home. They each expressed gratitude for their mission, for the opportunity to work with so many fine young missionaries and with the ward and stake members.  President Alba stressed that the greatest counsel we can have every day is that of communicating with our Heavenly Father, in prayer, throughout the day to seek guidance in all we do and then listen to the inspiration we receive. They have done a great work and will be sorely missed.

President Cameron Dennis advised that the words spoken in Stake Conference should be words that guide our actions and guide all that we do.  He expressed particular thanks for the superb guidance our young men and young women receive daily from their Seminary teacher, Steve Wasden. His advice to all was to learn from the scriptures, have daily conversations with Heavenly Father, seek His guidance, learn of Him and do our best to be like Him.

Elder Hansen on Saturday night expressed that we had been greatly blessed in the talks given. He read a section of the First Presidency letter sent out to all Ward and Stake leaders concerning the topics to be covered in our spring conferences:  "How individuals and families and the work of salvation are strengthened by the Ward Council". This helped us to see and understand the direction the various talks would take.

He helped us to understand that a 'council' is a group of people who meet to discuss certain matters of importance. 'Counsel' is the act of participating in a council and, used as a noun, is a clear and obvious statement of fact gleaned from taking into consideration the opinion/perspective of each person on the 'council'. He told us that when the Council of the Twelve meet each week with the First Presidency, no action is taken until every one is of the same accord on each item.

Elder Hansen also addressed the Infinite Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ and how the Atonement, predicated on our repentance and faithfulness allows us to accept the gift he offers of Eternal Life.

An important aspect of taking the Sacrament each week is that it is the only ordinance we receive that is, every time, for ourselves. Other ordinances are received personally only once and thereafter are performed in service to those gone on before.  We were admonished to 'Remember the worth of souls is great", that each of us needs to become converted to the gospel, have a righteous desire to share and be a witness of Christ at all times and in all places.

The Sunday session was a continuation of these themes. President Gibson spoke about how a specific standard of quality had to be established to enable us to finish the projects we begin with a certain level of accomplishment. He then demonstrated how grout in the tiling process is the levening agent that makes up for small shortcomings and allows the finished product to be esthetically pleasing even though it may not be exactly 'perfect'. To apply this analogy to our lives, he read the scripture in Moroni 7 about Charity, substituting the word "grout" for "charity" to make a specific point based on his previous story.  It was indeed helpful to have such a practical example placed before us for consideration.

Sister Luetta Terribilini spoke on Spiritual Growth and how we must cling to the gospel principles to see us through the various experiences we fact in this life.  How we will all have certain milestones appear in our lives where we will be faced with choices and how we should keep our covenants, treasure the ordinances and remember to keep our promises.  We need to choose and commit to follow the Savior.  The Atonement becomes effective in our lives when we keep our covenants. The covenant of the Sacrament reminds us that if we will always remember the Savior, we will always have his Spirit to be with us. She read a portion of Elder Robert D. Hales' talk from October 2002 on Baptism that urges us to understand the covenants we make and listen to the Holy Ghost for guidance.

President and Sister Noll of the Oakland Temple Presidency spoke to us about the temple, how important the ordinances are for both the living and the dead. That Heavenly Father rewards us with tender mercies when we keep the commandments, that when we make and honor our covenants we benefit both spiritually and temporally. Family history is a very important aspect of the gospel and we can never foretell the great blessings that will come to us as we do temple work for our ancestors.

President Kurtz spoke about three Cs. Commitment to the Gospel, Conversion to the Gospel and Compassion for one another.

He encouraged us to proceed as a great long-distance runner explained when asked how he completes such immense distances, "put one foot in front of the other". In other words, learn of the gospel line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. We cannot learn it all in one fell swoop.

Attend church, pray and counsel with Heavenly Father, attend Sacrament meeting, and read the scriptures regularly were mentioned as foundation steps to committing our hearts to the gospel.

To be converted, we need to constantly observe simple repeated actions.  He pointed out, as Elder Nelson once said, that we will be judged, not on our appearance or our popularity, or our wealth, but on the attributes of Love, Charity, Virtue and Service that we have developed.

In developing Compassion, he offered three steps:  Teach, Serve, Heal.  The Savior was always teaching, no matter where he was or with whom he was speaking. The question, "Why help?" was answered with "Because no one else did".  The Savior did what no other could do and he taught others by doing.

The smallest of gestures can be an act of compassion. If we are unable to physically 'do' something, we can offer a prayer of healing for the lost and stricken. We can always invite others to come and be with us to learn of the love of Christ.

Elder Hansen again spoke to us and used our modern day example of the Hubble telescope and its ability to offer glimpses of multiple, massive galaxies far beyond our own.  He read from the book of Moses when Heavenly Father spoke about the "worlds without numbers have I created."  We are children of this God of creation. His words have special meaning for us because he knows who we are and what is best for us. If we will but listen, he will guide us safely home. He has given us the ability to choose our course and it is up to us to choose well.  Elder Hansen again stressed the importance of making and keeping sacred covenants tied to the ordinances we participate in at the temple. He explained that an ordinance is the outward manifestation of a covenant already made.  We must remain faithful to the covenants into which we have entered. Nothing matters more. Nothing is more important.

Never take covenants lightly.
Be faithful to the end.

Your spiritually fed bloggess,

Karen