Last updated on April 24th, 2024 at 11:21 pm
General Conference Applied
S3 E0 – Sunday, April 14, 2024 | General Conference Applied Season 3 Preview and April 2024 General Conference Recap
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Podcast Episode Outline
General Conference Applied Season 3 Preview
Schedule
- The schedule is set through Sunday, August 18th.
Format
- A bit less structured, still dedicated to extreme preparation, but more relying on the Spirit.
April 2024 General Conference Recap
Notable Releases
- General Authority Seventies who spoke last conference and this conference
- Sunday School General Presidency
Notable Sustainings
- Presidency of the Seventy
- Releases: Elder Paul V. Johnson (emeritus – new Sunday School General President, August 1st); Elder Brent H. Nielson (emeritus, August 1st); Elder Carlos A. Godoy (August 1st, still a Seventy); Elder Patrick Kearon (newest Apostle)
- Sustainings: Elder Marcus B. Nash (effective immediately), Elder Michael T. Ringwood (August 1st), Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela (August 1st), and Elder Edward Dube (August 1st)
- General Authority Seventies
- 11 new leaders from 8 different countries
- Sunday School General Presidency
- Paul V. Johnson (President) – currently serving in the Presidency of the Seventy
- Chad H. Webb (First Counselor) – currently employed as an administrator of Seminaries and Institutes of Religion
- Gabriel W. Reid (Second Counselor) – currently serving as President of the Australia Sydney Mission (former BYU and NFL football player)
Themes
32 Addresses, 73 Tags, here are the top 6 (two were tied for fifth)
- #5 – Plan of Salvation
- “All Things for Our Good“, Elder Gerrit W. Gong, April 2024 General Conference: “A Chinese story begins as a man’s son finds a beautiful horse.
“‘How fortunate,’ the neighbors say.
“‘We’ll see,’ says the man.
“Then the son falls off the horse and is permanently injured.
“‘How unfortunate,’ the neighbors say.
“‘We’ll see,’ says the man.
“A conscripting army comes but doesn’t take the injured son.
“‘How fortunate,’ the neighbors say.
“‘We’ll see,’ says the man.
“This fickle world often feels tempest tossed, uncertain, sometimes fortunate, and—too often—unfortunate. Yet, in this world of tribulation, ‘we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.’ Indeed, as we walk uprightly and remember our covenants, ‘all things shall work together for your good.'”
- “All Things for Our Good“, Elder Gerrit W. Gong, April 2024 General Conference: “A Chinese story begins as a man’s son finds a beautiful horse.
- #5 – Discipleship
- “The Powerful, Virtuous Cycle of the Doctrine of Christ“, Elder Dale G. Renlund, April 2024 General Conference: “Years ago, my wife, Ruth; our daughter, Ashley; and I joined other tourists on a kayaking excursion in the state of Hawaii in the United States. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the rower sits facing forward and uses a double-bladed paddle to pull front to back on one side and then on the other. The plan was to row to two small islands off the coast of Oahu and back again. I was confident because, as a young man, I had paddled kayaks across mountain lakes. Hubris [‘excessive pride or self-confidence’] never bodes well, does it?
“Our guide gave us instructions and showed us the ocean kayaks we would use. They differed from the ones I had previously paddled. I was supposed to sit on top of the kayak, instead of down inside it. When I got onto the kayak, my center of gravity was higher than I was accustomed to, and I was less stable in the water.
“As we started out, I rowed faster than Ruth and Ashley. After a while, I was far ahead of them. Though proud of my heroic pace, I stopped paddling and waited for them to catch up. A large wave—about 13 centimeters—hit the side of my kayak and flipped me over into the water. By the time I had turned the kayak upright and struggled to get back on top, Ruth and Ashley had passed me by, but I was too winded to resume paddling. Before I could catch my breath, another wave, this one truly enormous—at least 20 centimeters—hit my kayak and flipped me over again. By the time I managed to right the kayak, I was so out of breath I feared I would not be able to climb on top.
“Seeing my situation, the guide rowed over and steadied my kayak, making it easier for me to climb on top. When he saw that I was still too breathless to row on my own, he hitched a towrope to my kayak and began paddling, pulling me along with him. Soon I caught my breath and began paddling adequately on my own. He let go of the rope, and I reached the first island without further assistance. Upon arrival, I flopped down on the sand, exhausted.
“After the group had rested, the guide quietly said to me, ‘Mr. Renlund, if you just keep paddling, maintaining your momentum, I think you’re going to be fine.’ I followed his advice as we paddled to the second island and then back to our starting point. Twice the guide rowed by and told me I was doing great. Even larger waves hit my kayak from the side, but I was not flipped over. …
“Momentum involves both speed and direction. If I had paddled the kayak vigorously in the wrong direction, I could have created significant momentum, but I would not have reached the intended destination. Similarly, in life, we need to ‘row’ toward the Savior to come unto Him.”
- “The Powerful, Virtuous Cycle of the Doctrine of Christ“, Elder Dale G. Renlund, April 2024 General Conference: “Years ago, my wife, Ruth; our daughter, Ashley; and I joined other tourists on a kayaking excursion in the state of Hawaii in the United States. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the rower sits facing forward and uses a double-bladed paddle to pull front to back on one side and then on the other. The plan was to row to two small islands off the coast of Oahu and back again. I was confident because, as a young man, I had paddled kayaks across mountain lakes. Hubris [‘excessive pride or self-confidence’] never bodes well, does it?
- #4 – Temples
- “Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys“, President Russell M. Nelson, April 2024 General Conference: “We are instructed that all who worship in the temple will have the power of God and angels having ‘charge over them.’ How much does it increase your confidence to know that, as an endowed woman or man armed with the power of God, you do not have to face life alone? What courage does it give you to know that angels really will help you?
“Understanding the spiritual privileges made possible in the temple is vital to each of us today.
“My dear brothers and sisters, here is my promise. Nothing will help you more to hold fast to the iron rod than worshipping in the temple as regularly as your circumstances permit. Nothing will protect you more as you encounter the world’s mists of darkness. Nothing will bolster your testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement or help you understand God’s magnificent plan more. Nothing will soothe your spirit more during times of pain. Nothing will open the heavens more. Nothing!”
- “Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys“, President Russell M. Nelson, April 2024 General Conference: “We are instructed that all who worship in the temple will have the power of God and angels having ‘charge over them.’ How much does it increase your confidence to know that, as an endowed woman or man armed with the power of God, you do not have to face life alone? What courage does it give you to know that angels really will help you?
- #3 – Covenants
- “All Will Be Well Because of Temple Covenants“, President Henry B. Eyring, April 2024 General Conference: “Our only option was to stay the night in a local motel in Idaho Falls. Kathy and I knelt together in our motel room and humbly pleaded with Heavenly Father for the safety of our dear children and the thousands of others affected by the tragic event. I recall Kathy pacing the floors into the early hours of the morning with worry about her children. Despite my own concerns, I was able to put my mind at ease and fall asleep.
“It wasn’t long thereafter that my sweet eternal companion woke me and said, ‘Hal, how can you sleep at a time like this?’
“These words then came clearly to my heart and mind. I said to my wife: ‘Kathy, whatever the outcome, all will be well because of the temple. We have made covenants with God and have been sealed as an eternal family.’
“At that moment, it was as if the Spirit of the Lord confirmed in our hearts and minds what we both already knew to be true: the sealing ordinances, found only in the house of the Lord and administered by proper priesthood authority, had bound us together as husband and wife, and our children had been sealed to us. There truly was no need to fear, and we were grateful later to learn that our boys were safe.
“Perhaps this statement from President Thomas S. Monson best illustrates what Kathy and I felt on that unforgettable night. ‘As we attend the temple, there can come to us a dimension of spirituality and a feeling of peace. … We will grasp the true meaning of the words of the Savior when He said: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. … Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid [John 14:27].””
- “All Will Be Well Because of Temple Covenants“, President Henry B. Eyring, April 2024 General Conference: “Our only option was to stay the night in a local motel in Idaho Falls. Kathy and I knelt together in our motel room and humbly pleaded with Heavenly Father for the safety of our dear children and the thousands of others affected by the tragic event. I recall Kathy pacing the floors into the early hours of the morning with worry about her children. Despite my own concerns, I was able to put my mind at ease and fall asleep.
- #2 – Adversity
- “The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance” by Josh Waitzkin: “In my experience, successful people shoot for the stars, put their hears on the line in every battle, and ultimately discover that the lessons learned from the pursuit of excellence mean much more than the immediate trophies and glory. In the long run, painful losses may prove much more valuable than wins — those who are armed with a healthy attitude and are able to draw wisdom from every experience, ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ are the ones who make it down the road. They are also the ones who are happier along the way. Of course the real challenge is to stay in range of this long-term perspective when you are under fire and hurting in the middle of the war. This, maybe our biggest hurdle, is at the core of the art of learning.”
- “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives“, President Russell M. Nelson, April 2018 General Conference: “Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of His mightiest works between now and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”
- “Motions of a Hidden Fire“, President Jeffrey R. Holland, April 2024 General Conference: “Another experience began 48 hours after my wife’s burial. At that time, I was rushed to the hospital in an acute medical crisis. I then spent the first four weeks of a six-week stay in and out of intensive care and in and out of consciousness.
“Virtually all my experience in the hospital during that first period is lost to my memory. What is not lost is my memory of a journey outside the hospital, out to what seemed the edge of eternity. I cannot speak fully of that experience here, but I can say that part of what I received was an admonition to return to my ministry with more urgency, more consecration, more focus on the Savior, more faith in His word.
“I couldn’t help but feel I was receiving my own personal version of a revelation given to the Twelve nearly 200 years ago:
“‘Thou shalt bear record of my name … [and] send forth my word unto the ends of the earth. …
“‘… Morning by morning; and day after day let thy warning voice go forth; and when the night cometh let not the inhabitants of the earth slumber, because of thy speech. …
“‘Arise[,] … take up your cross, [and] follow me.’
“My beloved sisters and brothers, since that experience, I have tried to take up my cross more earnestly, with more resolve to find where I can raise an apostolic voice of both warmth and warning in the morning, during the day, and into the night.”
- #1 – Jesus Christ
- “Put Ye On the Lord Jesus Christ“, Sister J. Anette Dennis, April 2024 General Conference: “As my two youngest children were growing, I discovered books that were entertaining and engaging but also used symbolism in their stories. As we read together in the evenings, I loved helping my children understand the symbolism the author was using to teach deeper principles, even gospel principles.
“I knew this was sinking in one day when my younger son was in his early teens. He had started a new book and just wanted to enjoy the story, but his mind kept trying to find the deeper meaning in everything he was reading. He was frustrated, but I was smiling inside.
“Jesus taught through stories and symbols—a mustard seed to teach the power of faith, a lost sheep to teach the worth of souls, a prodigal son to teach the character of God. His parables were symbols through which He could teach deeper lessons to those who had ‘ears to hear.’ But those not seeking the deeper meaning would not understand, just as many who read those same books I read to my children never knew there were deeper meanings and so much more to get out of those stories.”
- “Put Ye On the Lord Jesus Christ“, Sister J. Anette Dennis, April 2024 General Conference: “As my two youngest children were growing, I discovered books that were entertaining and engaging but also used symbolism in their stories. As we read together in the evenings, I loved helping my children understand the symbolism the author was using to teach deeper principles, even gospel principles.
Additional Content
Next Podcast Episode (“Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys” by President Russell M. Nelson)