General conference

I am excited for this weekend! I am looking forward to a spiritual feast at our General Conference.

 

 

 

Everyone is invited to come and join in the worldwide conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day saints. Yes, I belong to the LDS church or the Mormon Church as it is sometimes called. Twice a year, in April and October we have a General conference where many of the 10 million  members of my church gather together from around the world. It is a wonderful experience. It is a time of renewal and hope. It is not only for those of our own religion; we invite everyone, everywhere, to come and learn of Jesus Christ. There are four general sessions available on the Television, radio, and the internet. For more information and to view online check out the the Latter day saints main web page

Sessions begin Saturday, April 5 2014  Two different sessions are available they are shown live at  10am Mountain standard time (12 noon Eastern) and at 2 pm (4 pm Eastern)  with an additional session just for the men at 6 pm (8 pm Eastern)

Sunday sessions are available live, at 10 am Mountain (12 noon Eastern), and again at 2 pm (4 pm Eastern) 

There is also the traditional Sunday morning broadcast of Music and the spoken word with the Mormon tabernacle choir. It is the longest continual running radio program in the world. It has been broadcasting since 1929.

This program is at 9:30 Mountain time (11:30 Eastern) every Sunday morning.


I look forward to this great gathering of people all over the world hearing, and learning the words of the Lord. I will have lots to write about in the weeks following conference.

Thoughts on discipleship

I am a disciple of Christ, although I did not live on the earth at the same time that he did, I can walk in his ways.


What is a disciple?  What does being a disciple mean for me? Why choose this path? What do I hope to gain from this experience?

                                                                ... Bannister - Edward Mitchell Bannister Woman Walking down Path Painting

First we have to define discipleship. As taken from Dictionary.com

di·ci·ple /dɪˈsaɪpəl/ Show Spelled [dih-sahy-puhl]  

noun

1. Religion .

a. one of the 12 personal followers of Christ.

b. one of the 70 followers sent forth by Christ. Luke 10:1.

c. any other professed follower of Christ in His lifetime.

2. any follower of Christ.

3. ( initial capital letter ) a member of the Disciples of Christ.

4. a person who is a pupil or an adherent of the doctrines of another; follower: a disciple of Freud. 

verb (used with object), dis·ci·pled, dis·ci·pling.

5. Archaic. to convert into a disciple.

6. Obsolete . to teach; train.

 

 

 

 

A Christian disciple is a lifelong learner, or student studying in the ways of Christ; choosing to walk a path that leads to eternal life with him.

 

Being a disciple means that I choose a different life than that which is popular in society. It means that I choose the better way, even when that way seems a bit hard and goes against popular belief. It means that I make choices that others may not understand. Being a disciple means that I follow that piece of my heart that belongs to Jesus Christ; for he has given me the breath of life.

Why choose this path? Why choose to shy away from popular culture? Why choose that which would seem to be restrictive? I choose this because I see the hope that it gives to those who have and are walking the path. I choose this because it gives me a bright hope for the future. This is the only path gets me to where I ultimately want to be which is; eternal life in the kingdom of God.

 

Being a disciple of Christ gives me a real purpose. It gives me direction. It gives me what I need to have real success. It gives me hope when I feel hopeless. It gives me true comfort and peace. I truly can feel the peace that only he can give. As he says in the scriptures: John 14:27 King James Version (KJV)

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.


This passage of scripture speaks to my inner heart. I have felt that peace that only he can give. I choose to live my life in a manner that allows me to feel these feelings often. I choose to feel it now as well as in the eternities. It is my desire. I am not afraid to speak of Christ, I have a desire to share with people my discipleship, and to help them in their own quest for discipleship. I am a learner, I am a student of the Master teacher the one who gives me life; Jesus Christ.
 
I am a God in training.  I will become as he is. This path is not always easy and I will struggle to understand some of the obstacles in my way. I will get tired and feel defeated at times. It is part of the training, pushing me to be more than I ever imagined. I will be his servant, and student.  I will watch and learn. I will help and serve while here upon earth. I look forward to the day when I meet him face to face and he shall say  "well done, thou good and faithful servant"