It’s Conference time again and I’m looking forward to it. General Conference was held long before it was broadcast all over the world. The Book of Mormon tells us of one such conference in the book of Mosiah. King Benjamin wanted to address all his people. He called them all together at the temple. But the crowds were so big that they built a tower where he could stand and speak so that all could hear. But even that wasn’t enough, so he had people write down his words as he spoke and run it to those farther away so that they too could hear his words. I guess you could say it was the first Conference edition of the Ensign.
The prophet’s words back then were so important that King Benjamin went to all the trouble he did for the people to hear him. In our day and age, the Prophet’s words are no less important. With all the things happening today, we need to hear the word of the Lord more than ever. In conferences not too long passed we have heard the Brethren admonish us to get out of debt. This was long before our present economic conditions existed. These men are prophets, seers and revelators. They counsel us on how to prepare. And we have every opportunity to hear their words in far more comfortable surroundings than did Benjamin’s people. In some cases, the Saints can go to air conditioned or heated chapels and sit on soft seats (if you get there early enough). And those of us in Utah can even sit at home and watch from the comfort of our couches in our pajamas. Still others can log on to the Church website and watch there.
When King Benjamin’s people came to hear him speak, many had to journey from far away. They prepared for the journey and for the conference they were to hear. We should prepare as well and in doing so, I think we can have an even more meaningful experience. One of the things I do is to pray for all those who will speak a couple weeks ahead of time. I pray that they might be inspired to say the things the Lord would have them say and that we the listeners might have open hearts and ears to hear it. As you sit down to watch Conference, be sure your environment, be it a church pew, comfy sofa or in front of your computer, is free from distractions. Some like to have a notebook or a laptop or other digital device handy to take notes. I once heard a man say that he took note of how he was feeling and impressions he received rather than taking notes on what the speakers were saying. And pay attention to all the parts of conference, not just the talks. You never know when someone you know will be called as a General Authority. It’s happened to me twice. Once was while on my mission and it was my mission president who received the calling!
Get the whole family involved. When I was younger, my dad would ask each of us kids to pick a talk or two to report on in family home evening. We all wanted Pres. Monson because he told all those great stories. I even saw a General Conference Bingo game to help kids pay attention – i.e when a speaker says ‘temple,’ mark that square. Others make the whole weekend into a real event, a special affair by having a special meal between sessions, gathering all the male relatives to attend Priesthood Session, and going out for the obligatory ice cream afterward. I’ve heard of families who use conference weekend as a time to rotate the food in their 72 hour kits. And lastly, after conference is over, take the time to reflect on what you’ve heard and then apply it to your life.