General Conference - Sorry It's Over but So Glad it Happened

THIS is how feasting on the Words of Christ should feel! When General Conference is over, I feel full, knowing I have a lot to digest, yet at the same time I'm still hungry for more because it tasted so good. I really was sad as the last session came to a close; I could have listened for several more hours. There is nothing more inspiring, comforting, motivating, reassuring, instructive, buoying, and peaceful than Conference Weekend.

I am so glad that years ago I decided to establish some traditions around General Conference. I wanted my children to look forward to it and relish it as much as I do, and they do. Over the years there have been some little adjustments as we have moved states and as technology has made it more accessible, but we treat it like the very special occasion it is.

For one thing, I want it to be a feast, both spiritually and physically. I have come to realize and appreciate that food plays a huge part in traditions and memories and in bringing and binding people together. It is a form of nurturing and the sensations involved in delicious feasting contribute to our sense of well being; we remember it long after it is over.  That said, I don't want to be stuck in the kitchen on the Sabbath, nor spending listening time doing too much cooking.

For this reason, I usually make Morning Buns, aka cinnamon and orange rolls. I can knock that out on Saturday and bake them fresh Sunday morning as we settle in for the feast. Then I lay out a simple but tasty nacho bar for the afternoon session.

My kids' other favorite tradition is to print off Conference Squares and try to get a blackout while listening. I have tried other activity/listening packs in the past, but my children weren't interested. Conference Squares is what they love. Even now, as they are older, they still have a blast getting a Bingo and listening carefully to make sure they don't miss a square. It's TRADITION!

Now that Conference is over, it's time to re-listen, read, and study the talks. I can't wait to get started! Already the internet is being filled with Conference quotes. It's interesting to see which phrases in each talk stood out to other people; sometimes I was hit with the same sentence, sometimes not, and there are other nuggets that meant more to me personally. Here are a couple of them.

There is one for every talk over at Chocolate on My Cranium and LDS Smile if you're looking for easy quotes for your fridge or mirror to begin pondering.

So, it's six more months until I get to enjoy another such blessed weekend of listening live to prophets and apostles, but I get six months to re-taste and digest this weekend's delicious feast.