Comments on: Sunday Morning Conference

By: nasamomdele

nasamomdele — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:58:41 +0000

Maybe not. It seems her maiden name is Williams.

He did audiovisual work on “The Testaments” movie. Just one more confirmation that Church leadership is imperfect.

By: nasamomdele

nasamomdele — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:56:06 +0000

I think Anderson admitted in his talk that he was married to Elder Packer’s daughter.

Don’t know about bloodlines.

By: DKL

DKL — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:40:49 +0000

Left Field: 'Cause nothing says nepotism like picking another apostle from among the 100,000 people related within ten degrees of consanguinity. ROTFLMAO

By: Antonio Parr

Antonio Parr — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:31:43 +0000

(Darn sloppy editing, and not noticing the stray comments at the end of a post . . . ) Here it is, as intended:

Too often, I am like the character Aylmer in the Nathaniel Hawthorne short story “The Birthmark”. Aylmer is married to the perfect Georgiana – perfect, that is, but for one small birthmark on her cheek. Instead of focusing on his wife’s beauty, Aylmer becomes obsessed with her one “imperfection”, and strives to concoct a potion that rids his wife of her birthmark. He succeeds, only to find that with the fading of his wife’s birthmark, her life fades from her, as well. “At all the seasons which should
have been their happiest, he invariably and without intending it…reverted to this one disastrous
topic…it [the mark] became the central point of all…a symbol of imperfection.”

General Conference, with all of its wisdom and faith and beauty and spirit, reminds me that the Church is so much more than its birthmarks. The Church and its leaders — from Joseph Smith through Thomas S. Monson — all come to the table with real imperfections. Similarly, our collective history is not seamless, and there are more than a few events that rightfully trouble the sincere investigator. But when one is willing to accept the inevitability of human error, and look past those errors, one finds a beauty to and in the Church which offers such great happiness and peace and joy. One also finds opportunity for service that wind through Christ’s path, his via dolorosa.

We are blessed, indeed, to be a part of it all.

By: Antonio Parr

Antonio Parr — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:29:04 +0000

We are blessed, indeed, to be a part of it all.

“At all the seasons which should
have been their happiest, he invariably and without intending it…reverted to this one disastrous
topic…it [the mark] became the central point of all…a symbol of imperfection.”

and behold the beauty that we have been given by way of the Churchwhen the spiritually hungry come looking for nourishment, the Church offers light and truth that, if embraced, will provide comfort, joy and inspiration, and a path of service that leads to the Savior’s via delorosa.

By: Antonio Parr

Antonio Parr — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:12:51 +0000

216 – re: Christ’s statement to Peter that he would deny Jesus 3 times — I read it like you, a sad prophecy that was about to be fulfilled, as opposed to a strategy to ensure continuity of leadership/authority. One should note that (a) Elder Holland spoke of this interpretation speculatively, i.e., did not affirmatively state this this was the Church’s official interpretation of Peter’s denial; and (b) at least one other authority (I think it was President Hinckley) referred in a General Conference address to Peter’s denial in the more traditional sense, i.e., as a moment of a weakness in the otherwise remarkable life of Simon Peter.

Either way, this does not in any way detract from Elder Holland’s masterful talk, which is as moving an account of the sacrifice of Jesus as I have ever heard.

By: Antonio Parr

Antonio Parr — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:07:32 +0000

137 – re: Elder Holland’s talk:

Amen and amen. If I get to live to be 120, I will never, ever forget this talk. And I intend to share it with my many non-LDS friends who question our perception of and devotion to Christ.

So deeply profound and worshipful . . .

By: Left Field

Left Field — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:43:02 +0000

I assume DKL is asking if Andersen is related to all the other apostles. A fifth half-cousin twice removed through L. Tom Perry’s great-great-great grandfather’s seventh wife, or perhaps Sister Andersen’s dentist’s home teacher is a second cousin once removed of Sister Monson. That sort of thing. ‘Cause nothing says nepotism like picking another apostle from among the 100,000 people related within ten degrees of consanguinity.

By: MarkinPNW

MarkinPNW — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 10:49:39 +0000

Also, I wonder if President Benson’s experience with personally meeting that sister, and hearing and seeing firsthand the results of her forced march at the hands of the Soviet and Polish communists, had something to do with Pres. Benson’s strident and vocal anti-communisim in the 60′s and 70′s.

By: MarkinPNW

MarkinPNW — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 10:45:12 +0000

#208 – Chris H;

When I read your comment (about 15 hours or so after Pres. Monson’s talk) I totally lost it, the poignancy of that sister’s experience and what. Pres. Monson was conveying finally hit me in the gut! and in the Heart! as well.