General Conference is coming up in 7 days! It will be held October 1-2, and will have morning and afternoon sessions on Saturday and Sunday, along with an evening session for everyone on Saturday. More information is available here.
In preparation, we are doing a daily countdown with posts from different people explaining how they feel about General Conference, how they prepare, tips for getting the most out of it, how to deal with associated social media posts, etc.
How I prepare for General Conference
by Lynn Wilson
General Conference is one of my favorite weekends of the year. Often my enjoyment of is directly related to my preparation. When I take the time to reread or relisten to previous conference talks, prepare questions I need help with, and prepare my life to take time off for a full-two-day-religious-holiday, I am more apt to feel empowered by the messages. Perhaps the most important preparation is praying for a meek or teachable heart and the Spirit’s witness that the words are inspired from God
During Conference, I often take notes to help me focus while listening, This way I can also record spiritual promptings. To help me focus I try to find a core message and give each talk a “title” (my titles are rarely correct, but it’s still helpful). When I am in-tune with the Spirit I feel that I am learning not just from our General Authorities, but directly from our Lord. I try to listen with both the micro and macro view. On a micro level I listen for answers to my questions. On a macro view I listen trying to put myself in the river of God’s revelation.
To solidify my resolve after General Conference, I talk with friends and family about it. I reread my notes, and impressions. I often see things I forgot. I always appreciate the chance to slowly go over the written record when they become available.
Lynne Hilton Wilson earned her Ph.D. in Theology and American Religious History from Marquette University. Her doctoral dissertation compared Joseph Smith’s understanding of the Spirit with his contemporaries. Her master’s degree focused on New Testament studies. She attended BYU as an undergraduate and studied nursing and music. She returned to BYU has as an adjunct professor of Religion, and to teach at Education Week. She is presents regularly at the Mormon History Association, Society of Biblical Literature, and the like. She has served in the Church Education System for the past 35 years. Currently she teaches Institute. Previous Publications include: Christ’s Emancipation of New Testament Women, Nativity Narratives, Learning the Language of the Lord: A Guidebook to Personal Revelation, To Witness Easter, and articles in BYU Studies, the Interpreter, Religious Educator, and the BYU Religious Studies Center. She is co-founder of BookofMormonCentral.org. She and her husband, Elder Dow R. Wilson live in Palo Alto, California. They have seven children (all with red hair), and eight grandchildren (blond, ginger, and brown).
Ammon Holyoak is serving as a full-time missionary in the Mesa Arizona Mission, currently assigned to proselyte in American Sign Language. He is from Cedar Hills, Utah.
Jennifer Roach earned a Master of Divinity from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, and a Master of Counseling from Argosy University. Before her conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints she was an ordained minister in the Anglican church. Her own experience of sexual abuse from a pastor during her teen years led her to care deeply about issues of abuse in faith communities.