It’s evening. It’s the Priesthood session. We’re kicking back and relaxing a bit, so feel free to provide your own thoughts on the talks as they come over the satellite. We’ll update as we have energy…
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Saturday Evening General Conference: The Connor Macleod Memorial Priesthood Session
October 1, 2011 by
By Common Consent, a Mormon Blog 
Present.
Has anybody found a secret stream like the one found in April? (http://stream.lds.org/phenglish is what it used to be)
Elder Holland up first, should be awesome.
Uh, oh. Candor…
Elder Holland? Perfect.
Talking about Satan’s tactics. This will be good.
JRH on the devil.
Interesting : Satan reviles any truth at all.
Makes me think of the Screwtape Letters.
Very forceful and passionate call for missionary service.
Holland is the man!
More proof that basketball is ordained of god.
link doesnt work… read what you have to say to my husband
Central to the Creator’s plan of happiness for His children.
Whereas carpeted cultural halls are evidence that the Adversary is oh so real.
Drawing from my mission memories, senior couples’ biggest job was spoiling the young elders and sisters. As a result, I’ve been pretty well conditioned to love senior couples.
Carpeted cultural halls are justification for arson.
Ha . . . doodie.
Know what I hear when they say, “I want to talk to the Aaronic priesthood?” I hear, ” Take a quick nap, Brett.”
this guy has pitch perfect general conference intonation
“The young women will become even better because of you.”
That’s just right on the line of turning me off to this talk altogether.
He sounds like a cross between Garrison Keillor and the Music And The Spoken Word dude.
King Follett reference.
‘young women will adore the young men if they’re righteous.’ I’m tempted to say sex sells, but that’s probably what satan wants me to say
Brett–my 16 year old son was quick to pick up on being adored by the YW.
Preach My Gospel: What makes a successful missionary?
I fear that subsidized senior housing will lead to a class of free-loading “mission queens” who refuse to ever stop serving. It will create a self-perpetuating “mission state” for the elderly of the church.
@Geoffsn I had a college roommate say he would probably leave the church if it werent for the girls
FTW, Casey.
When I hear that God knows where every missionary should serve, I think of my wife’s call to provo after being at byu for years. She asked her bishop to check with slc to see if it was a mistake. Then she got a new call.
Elder Waddell is wearing the same tie as is shown in his profilemhere:
http://lds.org/church/leader/w-christopher-waddell?lang=eng
@Geoffsn. There was a guy from scottsdale az who got a call to Tempe az. After pointing out where he was from, he got a new call to south Carolina
Did he really say anything about carpeted cultural halls? (I really wish I could eavesdrop on priesthood sessions, instead of waiting until it has been put up on lds.org. – not that it’s a long wait. Last time, it was up in less than 24 hours.)
“your mission will become sacred ground to you” -and that is why an unassuming suburb called Irmo known for something called the Okra Strut (it’s an agricultural festival, not a dance) holds a special little place in my heart.
Implying that god custom tailors each missionary’s experience undervalues the supernal fact that LIFE is perfectly tailored to test each of us — no fine tuning needed.
(hah my comment came seconds after another South Carolina reference. SCCM FTW).
No, he just used a basketball metaphor. It was Joe and I who pointed out that since basketball is obviously a part of the divine plan, carpeted gyms are clearly the work of him who bound joseph’s tongue in the grove.
Perhaps like dinosaur bones, the fake first mission calls are to test our faith. ;)
Nice salmon colored tie Pres. Uchtdorf has on.
I shall call the conductor Slow C man. Weird.
Now the real instruction and tongue-lashings begin.
LOVE THIS TALK! Pres. Uchtdorf ftw
That conductor was enjoying controlling the pace of the last line of the stand up hymn. A little too much, IMO.
Lolz.
The town got flooded? That’s a dam shame.
@35 Brad – Thanks.
You guys are really making me want to watch this!
Uchtdorf telling it like it is. Shame the author of that Harpers cover article couldn’t be here for a thorough trouncing.
purpose of quorums and rs is to alleviate suffering and poverty
I am feeling this talk. President Uchtdorf is such a great speaker. I’m ready to go to work.
I think that what Pres Uchtdorf is saying is that church wide, fast offerings are down, and areas must fInd ways to be self sufficient.
@ sills grok. This talk does not contradict the Harpers article
Javier Misiego was a student of mine at BYU. He’s now a TV News Reporter in Albuquerque. Loved the shoutout!
It definitely contradicts it.
@Romney … I disagree.
@ brad. Have you read it
feeling the spirit so strong on this talk I almost shouted out. How awesome is this: ‘Caring for poor is central to our doctrine and the church’
First use of the word “qualify” for E. Eyring.
Oh, yes. I’ve read it. Have you read the devastating critique Russell posted of it here a few days ago? This kind of rhetoric and principled rationalization of the welfare program strongly contradicts the harpers piece, regardless of how one happens to feel about management of the economy or social welfare.
Just because we give to the poor doesn’t mean we aren’t trying to be rich
Can we get a link to the harpers piece??
Was that the third or fourth reference to 1 Tim 4 today? Seems it’s getting a lot of play.
The harpers piece isn’t arguing that mormons like money or try to get rich.
@ Joe it has a pay wall.
@ brad ever notice that pyramid schemes are popular in Utah
Third repeat. Last years YM/YW theme.
Of course, but mormon economic ambition and materialism are not the arguments of the piece. They’re things the piece takes for granted, but the argument is much deeper and much more convoluted than that.
telling young couples to have kids regardless of economic detriment and quoting that the Lord’s way to provide for the saints is that the poor are exalted in that the rich are made low hardly seems to be the church insinuating that rich=righteous. While the members may often believe in a prosperity gospel, you can’t easily claim it’s because of our doctrine.
Hey, @Joe. Here’s a link to Fox’s rebuttal. A link to the article is within.
https://bycommonconsent.com/2011/09/27/getting-everything-wrong-even-what-he-gets-right/
Joe, read this:
https://bycommonconsent.com/2011/09/27/getting-everything-wrong-even-what-he-gets-right/
Jinx. You owe me a dr. pepper.
@Brad … jinx!
Gotcha again.
Mm … Dr Pepper.
Physician of my joy.
Whoops! Nodded off for a few minutes. Which is too bad, because I love Eyring.
Nothing like waking up because everyone’s laughing.
Also, a quick follow-up–my friend who was in the conference center this morning confirmed that President Monson didn’t arrive until two minutes before his talk.
Keep the comments about the speakers coming!
just to get back to the talks, pres. Eyring talked about training and tutoring others
2 Dr. Peppers? Stop while you can Silus!
Pres. Monson quotes NYT
Pres. Monson sounds like he may have had emergency dental work this morning
Pres. Monson: stand, even in the minority, for religion and for morals
Private Chu, the Buddhist, decided not to make a fuss and to just go with the Mormons.
For a moment there, while quoting Benson, Monson sounded like Benson.
“if any you have stumbled … I want you to know: there is a way back. There is a way back!”
wow, I need to update my last blog post. Pres. Packer says that we’ll see great-grandkids before the 2nd coming. Now Pres. Monson quoted Pres. Benson’s ‘marked generation’ statement.
Sounds more like sentimentality than actually standing for truth IMHO
http://vimeo.com/6852729
Busted- my deacon and left early, and my wife asked who spoke. He goes “Heber J. Grant”!
Something odd in Pres. Monson’s speech tonight. Slightly slurred, or the dentures were slipping – hard to say. It was a little disconcerting. He was very animated, though, as he always is. I had heard the story of being on the bus before.
What I took away from Uchdorf’s welfare talk: Don’t ask SLC for money, especially if you live outside the United States. Learn to take care of yourselves and those around you based on where you live.
What I took away from Holland’s missionary talk: Parents and A.Priesthood–we’re managing your expectations for when your son doesn’t get to go on a mission because he has [porn/sex issues], so please don’t be angry with us. Have the talk with him so you are both not let down and upset with leadership. Seniors, get off you butts and serve, we’re paying for your freaking housing now! Grandkids are no excuse, and neither are the playoffs!
Interesting since my PB says the second coming will happen in my lifetime and I will be alive and well and greet Christ with my kids.
Also – my friend has always gone with her husband to the priesthood session.
Uchtdorf’s talks was the hardest one to sit through. It was like a roller coaster. He kept getting me excited by quoting Law of Consecration scriptures and telling us to care for the poor in the Lord’s way. But each time he dashed my hopes by telling us that the Welfare Prgram is the Lord’s way of caring for the poor. Law of Consecration scriptures don’t promote the welfare program. The Welfare Program is found nowehere in the scriptures.
Also I found it a bit hippocritical that we are admonished to care for the poor while it’s ok for the Church to spend $6 billion on City Creek. But I dunno, maybe since we’re supposed to use our own fund and abilitie sto care for the poor rather than ask the Church, then the Church has nothing better to do with the money.
Sara,
Lots of patriarchal blessing from the 19th century said that too. Alas they all died.
@ zo-ma-rah:
Do you think we should put all of our money in an account and then left church leaders divvy it up?
Here’s a direct quote from the Harper’s article:
“The church has its own welfare system, which distributes its own line of food and consumer products under the proprietary Deseret brand.”
@zo-ma-rah: The number I have heard — and used — repeatedly is $1.65B. It’s not tithing money. It’s a business investment. There are a number of outside investors, as well, but it’s unclear ( as Church finances always are ) whether those investors are inside or outside the $1.65.
The sense I’ve taken from my contacts, though, is that the project was under budget.
Again — it’s unclear.
No matter the cost, it’s a for-profit venture that the Church’s for-profit arm(s) have undertaken to ensure that the Church’s global campus is surrounded by a vibrant and relevant neighborhood.
Silus
for profit ventures for a for profit church? Real NT ethics stuff there. Sounds more like a corporation which I guess is what some have claimed it is.
True, not tithing money, but it could have come from the interest earned on tithing money – or from income earned on businesses that were entered into from the interest on tithing money years ago. Don’t know.