Firm and Reverent Call to Action

(This post was written after the April 2019 General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  It holds true since our most recent conference in October as well.)

We just finished another great General Conference weekend for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  We were filled and filled some more with words of teaching, encouragement, love, warnings and direction.  I was like the little boy quoted by President Russell M. Nelson, "I need to feed my spirit."  And boy was I fed!

Usually after each conference I try to find the theme I saw running through the talks.  Oftentimes it comes pretty obvious for me.  This time it took a little more pondering and talking things out with others.  There was a directness in these talks more than I've felt in a long time.  We have heard much in the past years of God's love for all of His children, a much needed and critical message.  However, even in God's chastisements and warnings we can feel deeply of His love.  This is what I felt as I listened to the words of our church leaders this past weekend - - love through the direct counsel from the Lord.

The ultimate message (for me):  We must LEARN for ourselves of the TRUTHS of the gospel and be AGENTS who ACT in order to receive the intended blessings the Lord has in store for us. 

Conference truly was a firm and reverent call to action.

We were called to build up Zion in preparation for the Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

We were chastised in making our sacrament meetings greater spaces of worship and care.

There was a call to personal fortification in our testimonies as we strive to seek for the truth.

We were reminded of the need for greater teaching in our homes, inviting deeper doctrinal discussions based in scriptures and words of the prophets.

At least three times President Nelson's warning was given to us:  "We will not stand...without the Holy Ghost."

And in the Sunday morning session President Russell M. Nelson urged us to make the necessary covenants needed for exaltation with our families.

Yes.  God does love us. He is also pleading with us to stand strong in a world that is more quickly deteriorating.  In the leadership training notes we read that President Nelson warned our leaders, "If you folks are not being persecuted on a daily basis, you are not doing your job very well.  Fortify our people.  The adversary is an incorrigible insomniac.  He never sleeps."  Now, more than ever before, we are to heed the clarion call to be more careful, more reverent, more holy, and more committed to living the gospel principles.