Conference in general...

My relationship with conference has changed over the years and has gone something like this:

• From doing it because my parents wanted me to. 

• To watching every minute on Sunday, but having it on and cleaning through or being distracted entirely through the Saturday session. (Newlyweds)

• To not getting much out of it except when I could finally read the Ensign articles a month later, and then I only read about half the talks.  (Baby and little kid years)

• To watching it with angst and agonizing if any one would say anything against LGBTQ  that would hurt my family.                                                  

      *        To finally approaching it in a more useful way than I ever have before. And, I think, bringing more Jesus into it for me.

I give myself Permission to question and to not need the answers right now.

I can disagree with what is said at conference and still be okay with God.

Yes, I said it. (audience gasps!!)

It is okay that the church leaders are human. It is okay that they sometimes get it wrong.  (History proves this)  It doesn't mean that everything in the church is wrong.

There is supposed to be a human element mixed into all of this.

Even if I disagree, instead of turning in my membership card and leaving, or getting all upset and stewing for weeks, I choose to breathe, pray and stay and be a part of the solution. I choose to seek God and receive personal revelation around the talk or topic. I choose to stay because I know the Book of Mormon is true scripture. 

Giving myself permission to disagree and still be okay with God, has only strengthened my relationship with God.

The more I accept my human-ness, the more easily I accept the human-ness of church leaders.

The main purpose of conference is meant to be to bring us closer to Christ.

You don’t have to watch conference and Jesus will love you.                                       

If we're trying to be like Jesus, are we willing to be more like him by loving ourselves the way he loves us? By giving each other the benefit of the doubt? By extending grace and charity to others and to ourselves? 

Life can be great with or without conference. If you choose conference for you, then decide to intentionally make it something useful for your human experience and progression.  

I look forward to conference.  I can’t wait! 

And that's what I call bringing more Jesus to conference.