Memory Monday - Conference High!

I love watching General Conference. I love the music, I love the speakers, I love seeing the Temple, I love seeing the beautiful temple grounds and the people, I just love conference. This year we listened to conference via the internet. So I had to use my imagination to see everything.

I don't think I really had an appreciation for conference and the buffet of spiritual enlightenment that it had to offer until I was a missionary. That was the first time I actually had to go somewhere to watch conference. Before that, living in Utah, I could turn on the TV or the radio and there it was. I didn't have to dress up to go to the church to watch it. This is sad, but true, the first time I ever watched all sessions (not counting the priesthood session) of conference was as a missionary. It was a totally new experience.

I remember being moved to tears my first general conference away from home. It came on and they showed the Salt Lake Temple and the surrounding temple grounds. That was my home. My old bishop was singing in the Tabernacle choir at the time, so it was neat to look for him and see him. It made it seem like home wasn't quite so far away.

Growing up in Utah had its advantages to be sure. I was able to sing at the Tabernacle during conference twice.

Once was in April 1994. We sang at the Saturday morning session. It was a regional relief society choir and my mom and my sister sang too. It was such an awesome experience to be in the Tabernacle singing. Not only that, but we got a little behind the scenes look at what went on during conference. It was so neat to be so close to a prophet of God as well as the many other men and women whom I have come to admire so much.

The next time I sang I was living in Tooele, Utah and the choir was from the Tooele area.

Some of the sisters from my ward that I sang with. I was much skinnier then.

We sang at the 1999 Relief Society Meeting. This was the meeting in which they introduced the Relief Society Declaration. Sherry Dew was still in the Relief Society presidency and I just remember thinking what an incredible lady she was, and tall too. I am grateful for these experiences that I had to be a part of conference.

This year I was just glad to be able to listen and hopefully learn from the messages shared. As always it was great to hear from our prophet. I love President Hinckley. He is such an amazing man. My favorite talk, or at least the one that stands out the most to me, was the one given by Elder Holland in the Saturday morning session. There were so many great talks, I can hardly wait until the conference issue of the Ensign comes out next month.