General Conference

Alright all

Living in Utah has been such a blessing thus far! I love the mountains and my SCHOOL and living on my own and many more things. I am so blessed. And although I can't stand how crowded places are around here on Saturday nights (i.e. Costco because no one shops on Sundays) I love a lot about little ol' Provo. One blessing of living in Utah is that if you have an amazing friend who can score you tickets to the Sunday morning session of General Conference, you can see the Prophet and like a gazillion GA's in person and hear them preach the words of God!!! OMGOSH!

Ok so my best friend McKay calls me about a week before conference and says "RIK! I have 2 more tickets to the Sun morn sesh of GC!!! Do you and Natalie want to come??"

me "what?... what??? WHAT ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!??!?!?!?! OBVI!!!!!"

and that was that. I had an amazing time!! and LOVED hearing the General Authorities speak :) Let me share some of my favorite thoughts and a few pictures :)

Ok I'm going over my notes and there is TOO MUCH TO SHARE!!! for now anyway :) so I'm going to make you a deal!!! I'm going to stick with some of my favorite things President Monson said in the Sunday Morning session and you are going to go to lds.org and listen to all the other talks for all the other sessions k? I totes promise you won't regret it!!

President Thomas S. Monson- When he made himself the adviser of the Tabernacle Choir "I'm very proud of my choir!" and then he giggled :) haha how great must they have felt in that moment?! Seesh the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is so amazing. I'm so grateful that I got to hear them sing in person!!! and watch them rehearse! And watch them all weekend online. If you're not a member, and you have no interest in hearing LDS prophets speak about our church, but you wanna hear some good music, listen to the LDS General Conference sessions and listen to the Motab sings. I'm sorry but you won't be able to listen to it without feeling the Spirit. But do it anyway :)

Another thing Monson said that I loved was, "Beautiful music touches me that way." I love hearing people talk about the way music makes them feel. Music is so powerful. People who know me well know that I'm interested in music therapy. I am a firm believer in the fact that music can heal. So hearing Pres. Monson say that made me smile :) smile big :D

He also spoke about gratitude. I heard this theme a lot this weekend! BE GRATEFUL!! It's a divine principle :) Be grateful for everything! For your life, for your opportunities, for your family, for living 20 mins away from your brother and sister-in-law, for food in your fridge and your first pint of Ben and Jerry's in over a month, for the scriptures, for Joseph Smith, for a comfy bed, for a beautiful family who loves you, for roommates who are super different but bring out the best in each other, for showers that drain, for professors, for high school teachers who have changed you as a person, for the lessons your parents have taught you, for trials, for friends, for your talents and for your flaws, for your ability to overcome opposition, for your health, for your Father in Heaven and His son's atoning sacrifice. Be grateful. Have an attitude of gratitude and thank the Lord for everything (yes that means praying a lot! it's great, i promise!!)

Lastly, I'm going to combine 2 things. The first being a quote that makes me think of Bob Marley. I love me some bob! (That is, minus the drugs and shadiness and plus the priesthood!!) Bob has a song that says, "You just can't live in that negative way... make way for the positive day." Well said Bob :) ONE LOVE! Now, as much as I love those words, nothing is better than the words from the mouth of a prophet of God. Pres. Monson said, "REFUSE to remain in the realm of negative thought." ---chills. Pres. Mons is the bomb. Can we be honest? Here's my take. Heavenly Father loves us. Lucifer, does not. He wants us to be miserable like he is. He is really good at making us feel like squat because when we are down, we don't want to be grateful, or spiritual, or helpful. We cannot be our best selves when we are constantly thinking negative thoughts. SO STICK IT TO THE MAN! REFUSE to be negative! I don't know about you, but I do not want to give Satan that satisfaction! So I'm sorry mr. man-down-south, but if it makes you happy to see me sad, THEN CONSIDER ME A BURNING BALL OF HAPPINESS! :D:D:D:D

Ok I lied, I'm not combining the last two. Here is the last one :) are you ready? big stuff coming up.
and he said,

"Love overpowers jealousy."

Testify.
L-O-V-E
O-V-E-R-P-O-W-E-R-S
J-E-A-L-O-U-S-Y-.
I don't know how else to break it down. It just does! take that to heart! <3 (omgosh i made a heart!) and yes the "period" is important enough to receive its own hyphen! Love overpowers jealousy! PERIOD! Let that one touch you :)

OK! Picture time!!!

So this is j the MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR practicing before the Sunday afternoon sesh of GC. TOO SICK!

Temple Square after conference :) So picturesque!

From behind- no back of a building should be that beautiful..
except for maybs the House of the Lord :)

I had to get one of Angel Moroni in there obvi! Tell me that's not beautiful :)
Next time I go, I am taking pictures from the front! WOO!

J lovin' being Spiritually fed :)