179th Annual General Conference

We were able to score tickets for the Saturday afternoon session of General Conference this year. We have never attended before, so it was really exciting. We took my little brother, Quinn, who is preparing to go on his mission.

It was very surreal to feel how the spirit grew stronger and stronger as the apostles took thier seats. And, when the prophet and his counselors entered the room there was an explosion of love for these men that poured out from my own heart. I have so much love and appreciation for all they do and for the great service they give to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

All of the talks were so wonderful this Conference but I would like to record some highlights from a Sunday morning talk given by President Monson entitled "What Have I Done for Someone Today?"http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-1117-27,00.html

“When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.”

I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish—and in effect save their lives.

How many times has your heart been touched as you have witnessed the need of another? How often have you intended to be the one to help? And yet how often has day-to-day living interfered and you’ve left it for others to help, feeling that “oh, surely someone will take care of that need.”

we may find that we have immersed ourselves in the “thick of thin things.” In other words, too often we spend most of our time taking care of the things which do not really matter much at all in the grand scheme of things, neglecting those more important causes.

I have wept in the night

For the shortness of sight

That to somebody’s need made me blind;

But I never have yet

Felt a tinge of regret

For being a little too kind.

We are the Lord’s hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us.

The words from the 25th chapter of Matthew come to mind:

“Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
“Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
“Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
“When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
“Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me

Have I done any good in the world today?

Have I helped anyone in need?

Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?

If not, I have failed indeed.

Has anyone’s burden been lighter today

Because I was willing to share?

Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?

When they needed my help was I there?

This talk inspired me most for this time in my

life. This is just parts and pieces of this talk but there was much more said that touched me deeply. Like the story he told about his birthday gifts...The service projects that people did for President Monson for his birthday were so sweet. And I realized that I do not have to wait for some extravagant service to be done, that service comes in all shapes and sizes. It might seem small to me but it might have meant the world for someone else.

There are many times that I have taken care of my needs before even thinking about the needs of others. It is important to be aware of the needs of others and to ask myself each day "Have I done any good in the world today?"