October 2023 General Conference Preview

Last updated on October 30th, 2023 at 03:12 pm

General Conference Applied

S2 E0 – Wednesday, October 4, 2023 | October 2023 General Conference Preview

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Introduction

As promised in General Conference Applied season 1 episode 10, this is a short episode to share my initial thoughts from the October 2023 General Conference.

Leading up to the Conference, I shared a few stories on Instagram and Facebook. These stories have now been saved as an Instagram Story Highlight (‘GC Prep’) on my Instagram account. One of the stories I saved was a 1975 quote from Spencer W. Kimball. Here is that quote:

“We hope that the leaders and the members of the Church who have attended and listened to the conference have been inspired and uplifted. We hope you have made copious notes of the thoughts that have come to your mind as the Brethren have addressed you. Many suggestions have been given that will help you as leaders in the perfection of your work. Many helpful thoughts have been given for the perfection of our own lives, and that, of course, is the basic reason for our coming.

“While sitting here, I have made up my mind that when I go home from this conference this night there are many, many areas in my life that I can perfect. I have made a mental list of them, and I expect to go to work as soon as we get through with conference.”

President Spencer W. Kimball, October 1975 General Conference, “Spoken from Their Hearts”

In past episodes of General Conference Applied, I have spoken about what a member of my Stake Presidency has called “off-topic inspiration.” That is, when listening to a lesson or sermon, oftentimes the inspiration that comes to you has nothing to do with what the teacher or speaker is actually saying. In the past, I took that to mean that I shouldn’t take any notes unless it was off-topic inspiration. After all, the speaker’s actual words would be available on the Church’s website within a reasonable period of time. However, this time, I took President Kimball’s phrase “copious notes” to heart. Additionally, since I had promised General Conference Applied listeners a preview episode 3 days after the conclusion of the Conference, prior to the texts of each of the talks being available on the Church’s website, I knew that it would be important to take copious notes. Little did I know that the more notes I took, the more off-topic inspiration I received. (*As a side note, I just check the Church’s website, and the October 2023 General Conference addresses are now available!)

At the conclusion of the Conference, I had a friend text me and share a takeaway from something they had watched in-between Conference sessions. Here is what they said:

“Between sessions, I was watching a show called Artful. Artist Brian Kershisnik said, ‘People have an idea in mind of what inspiration looks like, and that is not necessarily true. I think it’s much more common, and we’re much more likely to mistake it for just our thoughts or our thinking. Inspiration, I believe, even revelation, involves a lot more work and not just sitting there getting data.’ He then said he heard someone say, ‘It is hard for God to steer a parked car.’ He then continued and said, ‘Many of us sit and wait for inspiration, and that’s not how it comes. If I sit and stare at a white canvas waiting for a good idea, it’s not gonna happen.’

“I think this is how revelation works most of the time as well. Similar to the parked car quote above, if I’m not moving spiritually upward, it is much less likely I will recognize the Spirit’s promptings. The more I’m in the temple, studying the scriptures, listening to good music, etc., the more I am able to recognize and receive revelation.”

This was such a good insight from my friend – it was too good not to share.

Preview

So, what can you expect in Season 2 of General Conference Applied?

• Similar to Season 1, we will start with President Russell M. Nelson‘s talk (that episode will be released on Sunday, October 8, 2023), and then we will move through the First Presidency and then the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in order of seniority.
• Once we are through those 14 talks (i.e., President Nelson only gave one talk this Conference, and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland did not speak for the second consecutive Conference), the episodes will focus on the three talks given by sisters (Sister Amy A. Wright, Sister Tamara W. Runia, and President Emily Belle Freeman). The talks delivered by each of these three sisters were fantastic.
• Then, for the remaining 9 weeks until the April 2024 General Conference, we will focus on the talks delivered by other Church leaders. I anticipate three of those talks being Elder Carlos A. Godoy‘s, Brother Jan E. Newman‘s, and Bishop W. Christopher Waddell‘s addresses. I will then embark on the difficult task of selecting 6 talks from the 12 talks that remain (or perhaps even attempt to release two episodes each week for those last 6 weeks to get through all of the talks).

To conclude, here are a few ideas that stood out to me as I watched the October 2023 General Conference:

• “Think Celestial!” – this is such a powerful idea shared by President Nelson (and I’m grateful he was able to record his message, despite the pain he is experiencing in his back!), and it reminded me of what we discussed in season 1 episode 1 of General Conference Applied about the idea of an implementation intention, which is a “pre-planned response to a specific obstacle.”
• Along those same lines, both President Russell M. Nelson and President Dallin H. Oaks touched on the topics of Kingdoms of Glory in their October 2023 General Conference addresses. President Oaks had also addressed this topic in his April 2022 General Conference address, which was entitled “Divine Love in the Father’s Plan.” And President Nelson had addressed this topic in his May 2022 Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults entitled “Choices for Eternity.” In “Think Celestial!”, President Nelson stated:
  • “Mortality is a master class in learning to choose the things of greatest eternal import. Far too many people live as though this life is all there is. However, your choices today will determine three things: where you will live throughout all eternity, the kind of body with which you will be resurrected, and those with whom you will live forever. So think celestial.”
• Relationships. In her talk “Walking in Covenant Relationship with Christ“, President Emily Belle Freeman stated:
  • “When I returned home from Israel, I listened more closely to the conversations around me regarding covenants. I noticed people asking, Why should I walk a covenant path? Do I need to enter a house for making covenants? Why do I wear the holy garment? Should I invest in a covenant relationship with the Lord? The answer to these good and important questions is simple: it depends on what degree of relationship you want to experience with Jesus Christ. Each of us will have to discover our own response to those deeply personal questions.”
  • Others spoke about relationships – with God and with our neighbor – as well. I can see this being a common theme in the podcast this season.
• Our true identity. In “Choices for Eternity,” President Nelson stated:
  • “If I were to rank in order of importance the designations that could be applied to me, I would say: First, I am a child of God—a son of God—then a son of the covenant, then a disciple of Jesus Christ and a devoted member of His restored Church.”
  • In his October 2023 General Conference address entitled “Brothers and Sisters in Christ,” Elder Ulisses Soares stated: “I also feel genuine sorrow in my heart for those whose minds remain darkened, whose vision is limited, and whose hearts remain hardened by the belief in the inferiority of those who are different from them. Their limited view of others actually obstructs their ability to see who they are as children of God.”
  • In his October 2023 General Conference address entitled “God Knows and Loves You,” Elder Alan T. Phillips stated: “Life is challenging. Many people feel overwhelmed, alone, isolated, or exhausted. When things are difficult, we may feel that we have wandered or fallen behind. Knowing that we are all children of God and members of His eternal family will restore a sense of belonging and purpose.”

Conclusion

That’s just a taste of what you can expect in season 2 of General Conference Applied. Please continue to expect a new episode each Sunday. Also, thank you to those who have subscribed to the podcast! If General Conference Applied is of benefit to you, would you consider rating and reviewing the podcast on whichever platform you listen, and also consider sharing the podcast with friends, family members, neighbors, and ward members?

Finally, my wife, Morgan, shared an LDS Living article with me this week entitled “Follow Elder Bednar’s pattern for studying general conference.” In this article, the author shares what Elder David A. Bednar had shared in episode 24 of the Church News Podcast:

• “The pattern is (1) identifying the doctrine or principle being taught, (2) finding the invitations to act related to the doctrine or principle, and (3) recognizing the promised blessings that will come as one acts in accordance with the invitation.”

I’ll admit, I was not aware of Elder Bednar’s study pattern. But it made me feel good, and that I was on the right track. Those of you who have listened to General Conference Applied season 1 know that we discuss the speaker’s invitations and how to take action on those invitations. And we have also talked about the speaker’s promised blessings a fair amount as well. In a couple of the season 1 episodes, I had mentioned Elder Bednar’s focus on doctrines and principles that he shared in his book “Increase in Learning: Spiritual Patterns for Obtaining Your Own Answers.” However, after learning about Elder Bednar’s study pattern for General Conference talks, please expect additional insights in each episode focused on the gospel doctrines and principles that the speaker shared in their message.