I find it edifying to listen to the apostles at every General Conference. There are many current events happening around the world: global tension, wars and rumors of wars, economic collapse, loss of freedoms, loss of employment, financial crisis, natural disasters, et cetera. This is not happening on a local level; this is world wide! For the most part, the prophets did not speak on preparation, or preparing for calamities, or preparing for economic collapse. They did not speak on getting your emergency preparedness kits together, nor did they speak about having a garden, nor did they speak about getting your food storage together. Has the time of calamities passed, or do they feel that it is too late to prepare?
However, Elder Boyd K Packer did speak at the priesthood session and did speak a few words of warning:
“We live in uncertain times…the life of fun and games and expensive toys is coming to an abrupt end…We move from a generation of ease and entertainment to a generation of work and responsibility.
This coincides with my thoughts of hearing him speak some months earlier. Just days before the presidential election in 2008, Boyd K. Packer spoke at the Arizona Regional Conference:
Elder Packer left a warning for members of the Church here: “Learn how to receive revelation.” He also said that “troubled times are ahead” and “things are going to change, and change drastically.” He did not go into much detail, but counseled us to pray, as our prayers will be different and less selfish.
I once heard that a great way to prepare for General Conference is to prayerfully put together a list of your concerns, struggles, worries, and questions and write them down. As you watch conference, each one of your questions will be answered.
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In response to what the prophet words. I was uplifted by everything the prophet has to say and it was exactly what I needed to hear. We have been counseled for decades to be prepared. We shouldn’t need to hear it again. We should already be prepared. I believe he spoke to those who have diligently been listening to the prophets and obediently prepared and followed their counsel. Faith is the next step after doing all you can and have been asked to do. That is where we should be. We should already be prepared physically. Now we should continue to prepare spiritually as president Monson counseled
The reason the prophets and apostles did not speak of getting prepared is because it has been spoken of for years, even decades. There isn’t much you can do to get prepared after a calamity hits. The apostles have been telling us repeatedly to “get out of debt.” Now that the financial crisis has hit, it is no longer necessary to give that warning.
Just like your post of having Boyd K. Packer speak at your regional conference, I find it interesting that many members are being warned in smaller congregations (stakes, wards, areas) rather than collectively through general conference. Perhaps to lessen the blow of a full and immediate warning to everyone.
I think it is safe to say that the apostles speak on what they are inspired and directed to by the Lord. It is impossible for them to touch on absolutely every subject at every General Conference. There have been times when I was hoping to hear about a specific concern and did not. Although it can be a disappointment, I find that answers have come to me in other ways and I still have gotten immense comfort and understanding out of the talks that were given.
General Conference tends to be much more watered down than when an apostle or general authority speaks to a stake. There are some things the entire world is not ready to know about, and perhaps may not even apply to their situation or location. This is a world-wide church and General Conference is a way for them to speak to the world. Saints have different needs and different warnings based on locale.
I find it interesting that the central theme for this conference has been centered around the temple: temple attendance, temple covenants, blessings from the temple, and personal improvement to prepare for or maintain temple worthiness.
Perhaps, the next great calamities may be within the Church itself, thus sifting of the wheat from the tares. The only strength we will have to prepare for it is through personal revelation and blessings of diligent temple attendance. As Elder Bednar stated:
I think the time for preparation for the future is over. We are at the point we were to prepare for. The talks that Pres. Monson gave dealt with having faith not fear through extremely trying situations.
I think Pres. Monson’s talks were excellent examples of teaching through parables. The general population will look at them as sad stories. Those with an ear to hear will take them as prophetic prophesy of the sad events that will shortly come to pass:
1. Egg salad sandwich story – Use the priesthood to heal the sick. There will be times when we cannot depend on modern medicine to heal the sick. Those times are coming.
2. His ancestor’s loss of their son – There will be times when sickness will come and those we love cannot be saved, keep the faith. We are eternal families.
3. The Blind Polynesian given a blessing – As we give priesthood blessing, remember it is up to the Lord and his time to fulfill those blessings.
4. The Prussian women loosing all her kids – This woman kept the faith through this extreme hardship. When these things come upon us, we too can keep the faith and not fear.
I’m afraid to say it, but I feel that Pres. Monson and many of the apostles told us exactly how things are going to get in the not so far future and it is going to be situations that would cause us to fear. If he would have come right out and said it, could you imagine the front page news stories and the LDS panic?