General Conference Weekend-April 2025

After raising a big family, it's still kind of weird being empty nesters.  I often get a little disconcerted when it's too quiet in the house,  and I'm glad our neighbors have kids who play outside a lot, because somehow that happy noise makes me feel a little more at home. And I do have to admit that I really enjoy living close enough to our college kids to get to see them on a regular basis.   Emma and Adam often come up for Sunday dinner and, unlike with our older two kids, we actually get to meet a lot of their college friends.   

 Adam started hosting friends here for General Conference weekend back when he was a freshman at BYU and I'm really happy that he's picked it back up after his mission. It was a lot of  work getting beds ready and bathrooms scrubbed for the big crowd to stay the weekend, but it's so fun once they get here, that we don't mind the work a bit! 

Over the course of the weekend, we had about 15 people who came and went, but there was a core group of about 6 that stayed the whole time.  I wish I'd thought to take pictures of everyone before they left, but there are several people not pictured here. 

During October General Conference, we spent a lot of time in the kitchen getting ready for meals with the group.  We wanted to try to  avoid that this year, so I did most of the kitchen prep in days leading up to their arrival.  That meant making several loaves of banana bread, making a few pans of honey-lime enchiladas, baking lots of cookies, and doing some chopping for another meal.   Everything ended up coming together very smoothly and we liked simplifying the work we did while everyone was here.  The food all got eaten up or sent home with people! 

I actually pulled myself together this year and created and printed a bunch of  General Conference activity packets for this conference.  I brought them around to several neighbors, but had a few left for the college kiddos to use if they so chose. 

A few of them were into them and several people tried my super hard word search...

I was really happy when my niece, McKenzie, and her roommate came up for one of the sessions.  She just got her mission call to Gilbert, Arizona, and we were really happy to see her again! 

Glen and I watched upstairs, so the youngsters could have their space in the theater room downstairs.  We didn't take many pics down there, but here's a glimpse...  It's a big room that can seat a lot of people and you can kind of see the side table full of snacks in the second picture.  Next time I'll get better pics!

After the last session, a few of them hiked up to Horsetail Falls and came back a bit muddy and wet.  

It was a full weekend.  A full house.  Full hearts.  Full tummies.   Full spirits.     Can't wait for October!  
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Click here to see General Conferences of years' past.   

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General Conference of the Storm Troopers and Orcs

Ahhh, it's that time of year again.

 The first weekend of April and October each year,  church is canceled and we have the privilege of staying home and listening to modern day prophets and apostles testify of Christ and give us guidance for living in these days.  We call it General Conference and it is something that we look forward to all year long for the opportunity to step away from our busy Sunday responsibilities and spend the time together as a family to be fed spiritually for two days. 

 Despite the appearances in the picture above that my kids are attentively sitting and listening, it always proves to be a struggle to keep everyone engaged through the four two-hour-long sessions spread over Saturday and Sunday.  We are not a family that is used to sitting still for that long, so our efforts usually involve lots of food, spot quizzes, quiet toys, note taking in our General Conference journals, and a fair amount of nudging sleepy parents and teens. 

Yesterday Adam and Ellie decided to use the time to recreate a session of conference with Legos.  At first Adam was annoyed that he didn't have very many "normal looking" Lego people for his scene, but then he decided that Storm Troopers, Orcs, Legolas, and Gimli need General Conference every bit as much as we do.  

Here's Ellie's version with Gandalf, Luke Skywalker, a race car driver, a surfer, and some headless dude that clearly needs a gospel message as well.

Despite the grand efforts that it takes to keep everyone engaged though,   it is a lovely feeling to spend the time together and to be fed spiritually.  

And talks like the one in this link  or the  one embedded below....

 

are exactly what this tired old Orc needed right now...

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General Conference Activity Packet

Here is the General Conference Activity Packet as promised.   My friend Mirien just sent me the link of some awesome activities the church puts out as well.  Most of the resources I used  came directly from lds.org, but I have to brag a little about the Apostle Wheel.  My kids LOVE, LOVE using the Apostle Wheel during Conference to figure out who is speaking, but they did not have one with all the latest apostles, so I updated it myself.  My photoshopping isn't great, but I'm excited about it!

Click here for my ready-to-print FHE lessons (with more every Monday).  Have a wonderful Conference weekend!

PS  For optimal printing performance, it is best to make a free account with Scribd.com and download the PDF file before printing.  

General Conference Activity Book

Conference SATurday

  A little glimpse at our  Saturday: 

• Spencer took the SAT test (for the first time)!    He said he felt okay about how it went.  The ACT is coming in a few weeks!

• Cami ran in a x-country meet. It was a hard, hilly course and Cami came home disappointed in her performance.

• Our dog got into the trash and ate a bunch of melted rocky road ice cream.  Since chocolate is highly poisonous to dogs, we called the vet who reassured us that the amount of chocolate in the ice cream would make it unlikely for him to react.  So far he is fine. 

• We played at a fun park while we waited for Spencer to finish the SAT. 

•  Ellie went to a birthday party.

• Cami went over to a friend's to do her hair for homecoming. 

• And we stayed home to watch General Conference on the internet (since our tv is still broken)! 

The kids are always a bit restless trying to sit still for so long, but we bribe them with candy....

General Conference is a twice yearly opportunity for us to hear the leaders of our church inspire us and give us guidance for these days and times.    Ellie was very excited about it. 

We used our new General Conference journals.

We were more than a little rocked by the big announcement they made today that they were lowering the required age for young men and women to serve missions....

...which means that Spence could be going in less than a year.

A fact which makes me happy and sad at the same time. 

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Zion, Conference, Nerds, and Gala...Oh My!

It's a long story about how we ended up with a Saint George Outpost (a small townhome we're renting in SG while keeping our homebase in Alpine), but, for now, Glen is commuting down there every week and I am trying to figure out as much time with him as I can.     It's not ideal, but selling a house we just bought 2ish years ago isn't totally ideal either, so this is what we feel like is the right option for now.   Perhaps I'll go into more detail about it another time, but this post is for another purpose, so stay tuned! 

We spent our General Conference weekend (a twice yearly conference of our church where we watch messages broadcast at home, rather than at a church building) at the Outpost.   Here's a little recap of our weekend....

  We started the weekend (on Friday) with a trek to Zion National Park.  Glen had never been before and my last journey there was in 2015, so we were excited to be able to experience it together.  We didn't win the lottery for getting a permit to hike Angel's Landing, so we did two shorter hikes instead.  First we did the Canyon Overlook Trail, then Kayenta to the Emerald Pools.  Both were lovely! 

 

 Then on Saturday, we settled in at the Outpost to watch General Conference streamed from Glen's phone onto the television Glen never uses.  We opted not to get internet at the Outpost to save money, so it was just a matter of getting the right cords from Target to stream from his phone.  I imagine that the television will get used a bit more (especially for BYU sporting events) now that we've got cords! 

  It was weird watching Conference without having a houseful of people.   I wasn't really feeling baking a whole batch of cinnamon rolls or doughnuts with just the two of us.  If we'd been at home, I probably would have stopped by a gluten free bakery, but we couldn't find one in SG...

so  we had Nerds Clusters instead.    I'm not usually much of a candy eater, but I have been mildly obsessed with them since discovering them in Thailand.  I can easily eat a whole bag myself, so I was glad to have at least Glen to share them with.  

 On Saturday evening, we went to the Doctors' Volunteer Clinic Gala, representing Glen's workplace.   It was another big reason why we decided to stay in Saint George for the weekend.   It turned out to be a big giant money grab, but it was for a good cause, so it was fun to be there (especially since it was his work that did all the donating).  We did discover that we are pretty terrible at photo booth pics...

Sunday was World Postcard Day (betcha didn't know that was a thing!) and I celebrated between and after sessions by sending around 30 postcards--mostly to people I know and love and a few to some people in a postcard exchange I am a part of.  

All in all, it was a great weekend and I loved the extra time with Glen at the Outpost and being uplifted by the talks.  (I especially love this one, this one,  this one, and this one).   

Have an amazing week! 

General Conference Summary: Sunday Sessions

  I'm one of those people who doesn't sit still often, so when I do I tend to fall asleep pretty quickly.  It's quite a problem actually, especially when I'm driving more than about 20 minutes or trying to accomplish something from a sitting position, which is why I often answer emails and blog while standing.  General Conference is  extra challenging for me, because we sit cozied up in comfortable chairs for the 8 hours.   It's just so easy to snooze and I try to convince myself that it's just as good to read the talks  that I missed in the Conference Ensign later.

This year I wanted a challenge--I wanted to create a "headline" for each talk and write up a little summary.    In order to do that though, I needed to stay awake, alert, and take good enough notes during all eight hours of general conference that I could actually have enough information from each talk to create these summaries for the blog.

I used different colored gel pens (which I love, by the way) for taking the notes--a different color for every talk.  Somehow the challenge  proved to be a very motivating (and even exciting) thing for me to do.   It shouldn't be such a big deal for a 42-year-old to stay awake and alert for 2-days, but for me it was an accomplishment and I am proud that I actually did it.

  I doubt these will mean as much to anyone else as they do to me, but  you can find Saturday's summary here, and below you will find my Sunday summary!    You can read or watch entire talks here if there's one that you want to read more about. 

Sunday Morning:  

Thomas S. Monson (a living prophet on the earth today)

BE AN EXAMPLE OF THE BELIEVERS

Watch the words we use and extend charity to others.

Exercise our faith by reading and pondering the scriptures. 

Gratitude, forgiveness, and goodwill will help our lights to shine. 

Ronald A. Rasband

I STAND ALL AMAZED

God's love is real and is for all of us--no matter where you are in your life.  

Reach out in love to others.  

Gary Stevenson

ANCHOR IN CHRIST

Anchor our faith in Jesus Christ. 

Focus on what you CAN do, rather than what you can't do.  

Dale G. Renlund

LOOK AT OTHERS THROUGH HEAVEN'S EYES

 You are called not for what you've done, but for what the Lord needs you to accomplish. 

Remember that everyone is a beloved son or daughter of Jesus Christ. 

Russell M. Nelson

GREAT IS THE STRENGTH OF COVENANT KEEPING WOMEN

The virtue, light, love, character, faith, and virtue of righteous women of today are a fulfillment of prophecy and making a huge difference in the world.  

Women are full partners with men in families, communities, and in church councils.  

Gregory A. Schwitzer

DON'T BE AFRAID TO TESTIFY OF CHRIST

True disciples represent the Lord even when it is not convenient. 

Have courage and be bold when testifying of truth. 

Voices try to drown out the simple message of the Gospel that God loves us.

Claudio R.M. Costa

TEACH OUR CHILDREN OF CHRIST

Tell the stories of Christ's life to our children.   

"I have no greater joy to hear that my children walk in truth."

Teach them the truth.   

Henry B. Eyring

THE HOLY GHOST TESTIFIES OF TRUTH:  

WE SHOULD SEEK ITS CONSTANT COMPANIONSHIP

The more we obey the spirit, the more impressions we will receive, and the more we will be blessed. 

Through the Holy Ghost we can see people as Heavenly Father sees them. 

Truths are verified by the Holy Ghost. 

Sunday Afternoon:   

D. Todd Christofferson

THE CHURCH IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF CHRIST'S WORK ON EARTH

The church is a necessary part of Christ's work on earth, and without it great things could not be accomplished.  

More important than knowing doctrine is learning how to apply it.   

Devin Durrant

"PONDERIZE" THE SCRIPTURES

Ponderize = 80% pondering + 20% memorizing

Like saving a little money each week for a rainy day, ponderizing the scriptures weekly helps us to elevate our thoughts and bring us closer to Christ. 

Discipline yourself, exercise your faith, and do it! 

Von G. Keetch

SEEK TO DO GOD'S WILL

Like a barrier in the bay to protect surfers from sharks, the commandments are safety and protection to us from spiritual dangers.   

God wants us to have joy, peace, success, and safety, which is why we have commandments.  

Carole M. Stephens

IF YOU LOVE ME, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS

Commandments = Love

We show love by keeping commandments. 

He gives us commandments, because he loves us. 

Allen Haynie

THROUGH CHRIST WE CAN BE CLEAN

Through Christ we can be forgiven of our sins and be made clean again.  

Savior's atonement leaves no traces or tracks...it just heals.  

God will never reject us.  

Kim B. Clark

SEEK FOR EYES TO SEE AND EARS TO HEAR THE WILL OF THE LORD

Stand for truth with courage and seek for eyes to see and ears to hear the will of the Lord. 

Strive to live plain and simple truths of the gospel.   

We still live in a time of miracles.  

Koichi Aoyagi

KEEP FAITH IN ADVERSITY

Purpose of life is not to merely to overcome trials, but to learn to rely on the Lord and to increase your faith.  

All things are for your experience and good.  

David Bednar

OLD MEN ROCK!

There is great wisdom in having older, experienced men lead the church of God. 

Their physical limitations are actually an asset to them, in that it helps them to focus their efforts on what is most important.   

They are not spared affliction, but are blessed and strengthened (and increase in understanding) as they face the afflictions with faith.  

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The missionaries joined us for the Sunday morning session.   It was great to have them.  We love their spirit and  the extra good motivation not to snooze!  

Ellie loves missionaries and was especially excited that they had brought pictures to add to her missionary art binder.   

And second session looked like this (but not me!), so having them here really was a good motivator for us.

It turned out to be one of the most meaningful general conferences I'd ever experienced and I think I've learned some good tips for next time.     1.  Have guests over   2.  Have snacks to munch on  3.  Give myself a challenge.

I am grateful to live in a day and time when we are blessed to have a living prophet on the earth.   It's a comfort to know that in these perilous days that God has not left us without His guidance and revelation!

The Conference Weekend and Easter Stretch

 Anyone who knows me in person or has been following along here on the blog for very long, knows that I'm a bit disorganized and pretty much the opposite of fancy.   I host a lot these days (between book group and YSA events), but I am definitely not someone who can host something and make it look put-together and effortless.  People come to our house and get a sense that it was a stretch for me to make it happen!   This Conference / Easter weekend was a case in point, with the struggle made  a bit worse than usual because Glen was in Denver visiting his parents all weekend long.  

On Saturday, Adam invited up a bunch of friends to watch Conference in our theater room and to eat all 3 meals at our home.  I had it all planned in advance and thought I was good to go, but somehow struggled even getting breakfast on the table.    I served cheddar cheese pancakes with fruit syrup, bacon (most of which I burned to an absolute char), scrambled eggs, and some fruit.   Besides the bacon, it actually turned out pretty well, but I ended not serving it until 10ish minutes before the first session began, so it felt rushed.  Conference was awesome (of course), and the other meals came together okay (croissant sandwiches for lunch and taco salad for dinner), with only minor omissions and mess-ups.   Most of the day we had about a dozen people there, with some trading places that happened along the way.   

On Conference Sunday, I very spontaneously opened up our theater room to our YSA ward for watching conference.   Over the course of the day we generally had 4-6 visitors there (not including Adam and Tia).  I fed lunch (croissant sandwiches again) to about 10-12 people.      

After all that came the hard part--trying to cook Easter dinner  by myself.  Normally Glen, Heather, and my Mom would make part of the meal as well, but, as previously mentioned, Glen was gone, Heather is still completely non-weightbearing on her broken ankle, and my Mom is struggling with stuff, so it was me.  Adam and Tia helped with some of it, but I was making things that other people normally make (like the potatoes, ham, and meat), so it was all only okay.   My Mom did set the table beautifully, which made me smile.  Neither Heather nor Spence felt up for joining us for dinner, so it just ended up being me, Adam, Tia, Mom, and my nephew, Andrew, so it felt very small.  

Here's a closer look at  what we ate:   Ham, roasted beef, glazed brussels sprouts, roasted potatoes, and Brazi bites.   I had also made some carrot cake (not shown) and a purchased Oreo ice cream cake was served for Andrew's birthday (which was also on Easter Sunday).  

We also got to talk to our missionary on Easter and on Monday!   She's finally doing a bit better after struggling with an increase in seizures over the last couple weeks.  It's been a rough couple weeks for our sweet girl and she still isn't 100%, but we are happy that there is some improvement at least!  I am getting so excited for her to come home in June!  

Also on Easter Monday, I got to go to Ashton Gardens for a YSA stake FHE night.  The weather was lovely that day and it was delightful to spend the evening with ward and stake members enjoying the beautiful flowers and amazing sculptures of Christ.  

I'll be honest...I was a bit exhausted after it was all over, but taking into account that I fed about 30 people five separate full meals (though never that many people all at once), I think I did okay.  It's fun living somewhere that we can host that many people and close enough that people actually come, even if it is a stretch for me!  

And I'll end with a quote from General Conference from Elder Bednar that really stuck with me: 

Enduring to the end is linked inextricably to the spiritual gift of charity. Enduring to the end is not merely a relentless determination to grit our teeth, hold on to the limits of our physical strength and mental capacity, and push through the challenges and adversities of mortal life; it is so much more than that.

Enduring to the end is the joyous quest of a lifetime—a pressing forward with faith in Jesus Christ in a gradual process of trusting in and receiving help from our Savior to become more like Him. As our love for Him grows ever stronger and deeper, we can be blessed to receive spiritual perspective, the Lord’s empowering grace, and exceedingly great and indescribable joy.


Life has felt a little heavy and hard lately and I needed this reminder about what enduring to the end is really all about.  I may not be crossing as many things off my own to-do list right now, but He's helping me to focus on what's most important.   💓

Super Hard Quiz

Long-time readers of this blog know that I love making random quizzes about our life and promising prizes of gazillions of dollars for those who answer it correctly.  Too bad for you I don't have gazillions of dollars to offer, so instead I'm offering something much awesomer that money.  Anyone who answers this quiz correctly will earn the privilege of choosing the subject for my next blogpost.   Any subject.   This is your chance!   Include your topic of choice along with your guess in the comments below.      

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Over the course of the last three days....

a) I found a drowned mouse in a jug of water in our garage

b)  I finished reading my book for book group

c) the power went out for 10+ hours

d) I recorded an embarrassingly obnoxious video of myself 

e) we started renovating the kids' room

f) the missionaries watched conference  and played games with us 

g) I had over 100 text notifications on my cell phone at once 

h) Ellie made homemade pop tarts for a general conference snack

i) I published a super short general conference summary on my blog

j) all of the above

k) none of the above 

l) all but one of the above

m) three of the above

April 1:

April 2:  

April 3:   

General Conference Weekend with the College Kids!

One of my favorite parts about living in Utah is that we are close to our college kids, which not only means seeing them far more often than if we lived across the country still, but also that we get to meet their friends!    It's been a while since we'd hosted anyone other than family and I was excited when Adam asked if he and some friends could come chill here for General Conference weekend (October 5-6).   

I weirdly didn't actually take a lot of photos while they were here, but here was the planning note Adam sent me to help me with logistics: 

 

 

And here is the menu I came up with...

 

 We tried to keep the menu pretty simple using mixes and store bought when possible, but I'll be honest, Glen and I spent most of the weekend watching/listening to Conference while working in the kitchen.  This was a glimpse of our Sunday morning breakfast...the only food photo I took the whole weekend.    Emma showed up Sunday morning and was the one who made the cinnamon rolls. 

Speaking of photos, this one with terrible lighting was literally the only picture I took of Adam's friends while they were here and it did not even include everyone.   The boys are Adam's roommates (minus the one who had left and plus the honorary roomie that actually attends BYU-Idaho, but comes to visit regularly).  The girls are in an apartment in their ward.  Emma was also there, but didn't join the picture. 

(from left to right:  Conner J, Adam, Zach C, Garet C, Garrett L., Ty L., Marcy, Savannah, and Renee)

 

 

All in all, it was a great weekend with lots of good food, great company, and being inspired  by the words of modern-day prophets!  

PS.  One random cool thing: One of the speakers in GC,  Karl Hirst,  was actually Glen's mission companion in the England London South Mission back in the day (approximately 32 years ago)!  You can read his talk here!