General Women's Meeting/General Conference Preparation/Health Update

Hello, all! Just wanted to post today and let all of you know that the transcripts of the talks from the General Women's Meeting (all of which I absolutely loved) are available online now. I post the address below for all who are interested:

Talk Transcripts: General Women's Meeting


It should be noted that my predictions for the General Women's Meeting bombed big-time. As some of you may recall, since we heard from the presidents of each of the female auxiliary organizations (Primary, Young Women, and Relief Society) and from President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, I predicted that for the September 2014 Women's Conference, we would hear from each first counselor in the female auxiliary organizations (Jean A. Stevens, Carol F. McConkie, and Carole M. Stephens) and from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency. We did hear from Sister Stevens and President Uchtdorf, but the other two speakers were Linda K. Burton, Relief Society General President, and Neill F. Marriott, Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency. Since I was only 50% accurate with the Women's Conference Predictions this go-round,  it's going to be extremely difficult to predict who will speak in subsequent Women's Conferences. I will always have the First Presidency member right, I'm sure, but the others will be so unpredictable. Oh, well. That should make it all the more interesting, right?

One of the interesting things that struck me about this meeting is that President Uchtdorf said of it: "I am honored to have this opportunity to be with you as we open another general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the coming week the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles will meet with all the General Authorities and general auxiliary leaders, and the remaining sessions of our worldwide general conference will follow on the coming Saturday and Sunday." This is the first time that I'm aware of that anyone has referred to a meeting outside of the traditional five sessions of general conference as being part of general conference. So it'll be interesting to me to see if they refer to the Saturday Morning Session as "the second general session of the 184th Semiannual General Conference." As a matter of fact, that is an interesting point of discussion that is under debate on Wikipedia currently. I have been trying to convince my fellow editors that the General Women's Meeting is part of general conference. More people are convinced on that point now in light of President Uchtdorf's statement, but some still are stubbornly contending that it would take an official statement during the traditional general conference weekend for the Women's Meeting to be considered a session of general conference. I'm like...um, hello? Isn't President Uchtdorf's statement official enough? After all, he is one of the Church's three "presiding high priests" whose words are considered "scripture, the word of the Lord, the will of the Lord, the mind of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation." So it is a tricky issue. We'll have to see what, if anything, is said about it during the traditional general conference weekend.

In the meantime, I am preparing for General Conference a little differently this year. I usually try and read all the conference talks from the previous conference in the week before general conference weekend. But this year I figured, since I have auditory recall and buy each set of General Conference DVDs when it becomes available, I would rewatch the sessions. I watched the Saturday Morning and Afternoon Sessions on Sunday evening. I didn't get a chance to watch any conference on Monday. But on Tuesday night, I watched the Priesthood and Sunday Morning Sessions. I will try to get the Sunday Afternoon and General Women's Meeting (for both April and October) rewatched before General Conference starts on Saturday Morning. An ambitious project, to be sure, but I have felt an added measure of the spirit of the Lord as I have enjoyed these sessions and sermons and songs anew.

In the meantime, I have not yet been able to acquire my prescription for the new medication. I have been attempting to get hold of my neurologist's assistant with no luck, until this afternoon. He told me he would be seeing my doctor tomorrow to get some issues with her computer resolved and that he would ask her the questions I had asked him about the new medication and get the prescription for the new medication and get it sent to me ASAP. Amy and I have both been severely under the weather lately, so we have just been laying low and doing what absolutely has to be done. My headaches have been been worse lately, so I called my neurosurgeon's nurse's number in the hopes of being able to meet with her soon about whether my shunt needs to be adjusted or possibly (gulp with fear!) replaced. She wasn't available, and I had to leave a message for the lady who was filling in for her. So I don't know when or if we will get these issues resolved. But we forge ahead in faith knowing that the Lord is in control and that His hand is over all things.

I missed my appointment with Irwin today because of how I was feeling, and because of a schedule conflict, he won't be able to meet with me next week, which is just as well, because I see my neurologist that day in Salt Lake, which would have meant we would have gone down to Provo at 1, been there for a little less than an hour, then would have had to make our way to Salt Lake. It's much better this way. I have plenty of jobs to apply for before I see him again. And I will be swallowing my fear and buckling down and going to the Deseret Industries once I apply for all the jobs Irwin has sent me. Hopefully by Monday next week. We'll have to see. It all depends on how I'm feeling and what I'm able to accomplish between now and then.

Sometimes, I can't help being discouraged about our situation when I look around and it seems like no one else has it quite as hard as we do. But then I remember the reality that everyone is dealing with something and that each of us is tailor-made to the loads we are called upon to bear. I also draw strength from the knowledge that "God is faithful: who will not suffer you to be [tested] above that [which] ye are able to bear, but will, with the [trial] also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." I also take comfort in knowing that my situation will never reach the magnitude or intensity of the Savior's suffering, which He willing did not only for my sins, but for my trials and sorrows as well. I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have that suffering endures for but a "small moment" and that after it all, joy "cometh in the morning." As Joseph B. Wirthlin put it, "No matter how dark our Fridays, Sunday will come." It is my hope and prayer that our Sunday comes soon, but it is my fervent testimony that even if it doesn't come in this life, whatever we have to endure will be infinitely worth it when we look into the Savior's eyes and (hopefully) hear Him say: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful in a few things. I will make thee a ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. That each of us may merit this salutation from the Savior, I humbly pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.