General Conference Weekend...

In the midst of the storm...there can be calm. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds a General Conference twice each year. This is usually the first weekend in April and the first weekend in October. With all the tumult of Covid-19, Claude and I were looking forward to this April's General Conference. The calm in the midst of the storm.

Thursday April 2, 2020
Our neighbor, Michele Ruth, created a Facebook page for Eagle Bend, the subdivision in which we live. So happy Michele did this. I was able to post on it that I was looking for elastic to make some more face masks. Another friend in Eagle Bend happened to have some elastic she was not planning to use. Thank you Char Williams for this generous donation. I set to work making more face masks.

Governor Andy Beshear notified us that all Kentucky Public Schools would be closed through May 1st. It seems it is not uncommon to lessen the number of cases and then to have later in the year a resurgence of the illness. Governor Beshear is doing what will be best to not have that happen or at least keep it as minimal as possible. Again, I really appreciate the work he and the people who are working with him are doing to keep us safe. It can make a world of difference in the number of cases and deaths from those cases if we will buckle down and follow directions. It is creating havoc with employment for so very many people. However, the only way to curtail this is to stay at home and limit contact with others. 

Friday, April 3, 2020
Started my day by packaging and mailing birthday gifts to Todd and Jake. Hopefully these will go more quickly than Nissa's in March which took almost two weeks to get to her. 

I posted this meme to invite others to watch General Conference.The Church prepares several different types of memes that we might use if we choose to post one. I picked this one because it truly seemed to fit what my non-member friends might be feeling. 

We received these two cute pictures of our Nelson (great grandmonster) from Aubrey (grandmonster). In the second one, Nelson is wearing Aubrey's boots. This is truly a right of passage for little ones. Nelson is named after my father.

This day I had an epiphany! Well, at least the light bulb finally came on. I have been stewing over the delivery of the personalized bunnies I ordered for the great grandmonsters. In my head I had Easter as being the first Sunday in April this year. Then I realized Easter is not until the 12th of April. The bunnies should all be to the kids by Tuesday. Whew! 

Received notice today that the City of Georgetown and Scott County governments are officially limiting the number of adults entering the stores (Walmart, etc.) to 1 per family. If they have to bring their child with them, that is okay. But no longer are couples or families to go in shopping together. This has been recommended for weeks. It would seem people have to have a rule to follow with a punishment affixed instead of recognizing good counsel and following that counsel. I haven't been in Walmart for a long time. We have, since first suggested, only had Claude go in shopping. I usually am with him as we take the opportunity when driving into Georgetown to make a treat bag for Papa that I can leave at the front desk by the entry door. Then I sit in the car while Claude does the shopping. 

This was the last day I sent pictures of the Mini's on previous spring breaks to the Marx family. I was looking at some of them and wanted to post this one. Everyone is so happy in it. We took Papa to Dairy Queen for ice cream. You have to love those smiles. It would be good to see Papa again. And the Mini's. 

Saturday, April 4, 2020
The first day of General Conference is Saturday. There will be three sessions held. We will view them on BYU-TV at Noon, 4pm and 8pm. In the morning we get everything ready to view. I found a crochet pattern for an afghan. I have 4 huge skeins yarn in two shades of a melon color I purchased on a really great sale. I have not crocheted in almost two years. I simply ruined my right hand and have not done any to save that hand. It felt like it was time to give crocheting a try again. So, I found a pattern and brought the yarn up to the living room so I could do a bit of crocheting. I also made a couple more masks before viewing time. Claude prepared food for lunch and prepped for dinner. We check our eMails and Facebook. I brought up an old spiral notebook on which to write quotes and my thoughts during the talks. We were ready.

First, Andie sent a coloring page for her father. Claude does enjoy coloring with the colored pencils and Andie thoughtfully sent him one she found.

Second, I found this very good meme about dealing with Covid-19.

And, I found this very clever meme using the classic American Gothic painting referencing quarantine practices. Some people are just very clever. 

Betty Dixon, a friend from our motorcycle days called and wanted me to make 12 masks. Her granddaughter, Courtney, who used to come to the motorcycle rallies with Betty and Curt when she was a tiny little one, works at Johns Hopkins in Maryland and really wanted masks. Betty knew I was making some and asked if I could make a dozen and mail them to Courtney. So, I will do that.

Now it was noon and time for General Conference to begin. Here are some quotes from the three Saturday sessions of General Conference that I liked.

• Women wear many hats but is impossible and unnecessary to wear them all at once. The Spirit helps us determine which work to focus on today. ~~ Joy D. Jones
• Embrace your sacred memories. Believe them. Write them down. Share them with your family. Trust that they come to you from your Heavenly Father and His Beloved son. Let them bring patience to your doubts and understanding to you difficulties. ~~ Neal L. Andersen
• The world’s greatest champion of women and womanhood is Jesus Christ. ~~ James E. Talmage
• Seeing others as God does is a gift. I invite all of us to see for this gift. ~~ Douglas D. Holmes
• The glorious promise of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice is that, as far as our mistakes as parents are concerned, He holds our children blameless and promises healing for them. ~~ James R. Rasband
• Our ultimate quests in life is to prepare to meet our maker. We do this by striving daily to become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ. And we do that as we repent daily and receive His cleansing, healing and strengthening power. ~~ Russell M. Nelson
• Consider what offering you will present to the Lord in righteousness in the coming days. Be courageous. ~~ M. Russell Ballard
• Restoring what you cannot restore, healing the wound you cannot heal, fixing that which you broke and cannot fix, is the very purpose of the Atonement of Christ. ~~ Boyd K. Packer
• Hosanna is our plea for God to save us. Hallelujah expresses our praise to the Lord for the hope of salvation and exaltation. ~~ Gerrit W. Gong
• The Lord’s Atonement can make whole not only what was, but what can be. ~~ Gerrit W. Gong
• The atoning blood of the Lamb of God gives our Good Shepherd power to gather His people in all places and circumstances into the safety of His fold on both sides of the veil. ~~ Gerrit W. Gong
• Christ paid a debt that He didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay. ~~ Gerrit W. Gong
• The Lord loves effort because effort brings rewards that can't come without it. ~~ Joy D. Jones
• Sometimes we feel like these are 1000 watt examples but I am a 20 watt bulb. ~~ Bonnie H. Cordon

A few items of interest are: There are 16,565,036 members in the Church now. These make up are in 3,437 stakes with 30,940 wards and branches making up those stakes. There are 67,021 full-time missionaries and 31,333 Church service missionaries serving at this time.

Saturday evening a new symbol to be used by the Church was introduced.

President Russell M. Nelson introduced this symbol and explained its meaning.

President Nelson said this new symbol is a continuation of the effort he felt inspired to initiate in August 2018 to focus on the Church’s divinely revealed name. Since that time, he said, the Church’s leaders, departments, related entities, main website, members and many others now use the correct name of the Church.

“We have gone to these extraordinary efforts because when we remove the Lord’s name from the name of His Church, we inadvertently remove Him as the central focus of our worship and our lives,” said President Nelson, who has given strong emphasis to the correct name of the Church in his ministry since at least 1990. “When we take the Savior’s name upon us at baptism, we commit to witness, by our words, thoughts, and actions, that Jesus is the Christ.”
                       
This new emblem emphasizes the name of Jesus Christ and His central role in all the Church does. The name of the Church is contained within a rectangular shape that represents a cornerstone. This idea has biblical roots. The Apostle Paul, employing a construction metaphor in a letter to the first century Saints in Ephesus, wrote that the Church is built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets—Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. The center of the symbol is a representation of Thorvaldsen’s marble statue, the Christus. Jesus stands under an arch as a reminder of His emergence from the tomb three days after His death.

“[The symbol] portrays the resurrected, living Lord reaching out to embrace all who will come unto Him,” President Nelson said. “This symbol should feel familiar to many, as we have long identified the restored gospel with the living, resurrected Christ.”

This new symbol will be used on Church materials as directed by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 

“The symbol will now be used as a visual identifier for official literature, news, and events of the Church,” the prophet continued. “It will remind all that this is the Savior’s Church and that all we do, as members of His Church, centers on Jesus Christ and His gospel.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a global family of more than 16 million members worldwide. This new symbol is being created in 110 languages—a complex process that will take several months to complete. As the First Presidency urged in 2019 as the Church made adjustments to better reflect correct use of the faith’s full name, members of the Church worldwide should be patient and courteous as these symbol adjustments are made in their language. 

Is it any wonder with this amazing council that we look forward to General Conference. Due to Covid-19, people from all over the world that would have come to attend were asked to stay home. The conference was broadcast from a smaller room and only the first presidency and the speaker were at the front of the room with their chairs very far apart. No one was in the audience. There was a minimal camera crew and help for broadcasting. No one shook hands. General Conference is usually viewed on the BYU-TV channel, via streaming on devices or on the Church's website. It is held in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City and there are thousands in that center. Not this time. The music was previous recordings at previous General Conferences of the Tabernacle Choice with conductors and organists from a span of years. The cute note for this conference was seeing the women's dresses in different colors for each song done by the choir. 

For lunch Claude baked rolls and made tuna fish salad. Between sessions Claude took a nap and I went to my sewing room to work on making and cutting out more masks. For dinner Claude made a Peas and Strawberry Salad with Pizza. I was so full after eating that I sent a text to our Mini's stating I was needing to use the principle they taught me that when one's tummy is full of their nutritional food for dinner they then use their second stomach that has room for dessert. Bailey simply stated, "Yes, Ma!"

Sunday, April 5, 2020
The Sunday morning session of General Conference was amazing. First, I will share some quotes from the meeting.

• The Lord’s invitation to let our light so shine is not just about randomly waving a beam of light and making the world generally brighter. It is about focusing our light so others may see the way to Christ. ~~ Bonnie H. Cordon
• We do not come to the temple to hide from or escape the evils of the world rather, we come to the temple to conquer the world of evil. ~~ David A. Bednar
• The essence of the Lord’s work is changing, turning and purifying hearts through gospel covenants and priesthood ordinances. ~~ David A. Bednar
• Regardless of how we look or dress, we are one people with a Father in heaven. ~~ Ronald A. Rasband
• Our hearts—the sum total of our desires, affections, intentions, motives, and attitudes—define who we are and determine what we will become. ~~ David A. Bednar
• We did not come this far only to come this far. ~~ Jeffrey R. Holland
• Today, we rejoice in the fruits of the Restoration, one of the most surpassing being the power once again to bind on earth and in heaven. ~~ D. Todd Christofferson
• It is God’s power, not man’s that accomplishes His work on the earth. ~~ Dieter F. Uchtdorf
• Personal revelation is available to all those who humbly seek guidance from the Lord. It is as important as prophetic revelation. ~~ Quentin L. Cook
• There is no threshold of perfection you must attain in order to qualify for God’s grace. ~~ Dieter F. Uchtdorf
• As we become more like [the Lord], we will feel at home in His house, and we will feel at home in ours. ~~ L. Whitney Clayton
• The Lord is pleased with every effort we make, no matter the outcome. ~~ D. Todd Christofferson

In the Sunday morning session, Pres. Russell M. Nelson presented a proclamation in honor of the 200th anniversary of Joseph Smith’s First Vision. Titled “The Restoration of the Fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World”, this document outlines core Latter-day Saint beliefs. 

At the conclusion of the Sunday morning session, we participated in a Solemn Assembly. The thought that this was being done with all the members throughout the world was such a tremendous feeling. We were instructed and then invited to participate in the Hosanna Shout followed by the Tabernacle Choir singing the Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning. We sang with them. Claude and I stood together in our living room (with all those members around the world in their homes) as this beautiful hymn was sung. We were unable to sing as the tears flowed from our eyes and we held to each other. The peace the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings is real. The testimony of the truthfulness of this Gospel gives me purpose and strength to choose to live my life as I believe the Lord wants us to live our lives. Am I perfect? No. But I can, because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, repent when I sin and be strengthened by the enabling power of that Atonement to be and do more than I ever could left to my own strength. This was a most humbling and tender meeting.

Between the sessions, we drove to Georgetown for me to take a bag of treats to be given to Papa. There was no one in the lobby. I went and knocked on the door to the residents hallway and, fortunately, a CNA was there and she pushed the door ajar a bit. I explained what I wanted to leave and she went to get the nurse. The nurse took my little bag and assured me it would get to Papa. This was the most disquieting drop off for Papa I have had. Masks were on each person and clearly they were very busy on the other side of that door. Ugh. I know Papa is in good hands. But my heart does ache that I cannot see him and hug him and reassure him that all will be okay. I had a dream the other night that Claude and I took my parents to what appeared to be a stake conference. My mother and father were together walking hand-in-hand. As we left the building, I lost them in the crowd. We all searched for them but I could not find them. I awoke without finding them and really wanted to go back and finish that dream so that they were back and I could see them again. I didn't get back to sleep easily and never had a better ending to the dream. But I felt great comfort in them being together, hand-in-hand again. Anyway, I left the lobby of the nursing home and filled the bird feeder. I can at least do that much so Papa has birds to entertain him. Claude and I had lunch from Taco Bell and then went to our pathway for a little walk before returning home. 

During the Sunday afternoon session eight new temples to be constructed were announced. The two most notable were in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) and Shanghai (Peoples Republic of China). These were earth shattering announcements. Pres. Nelson said that we were invited to build a temple in Dubai. He also explained that the temple in China would follow our current agreement with China for no proselyting. The Shanghai temple will be a 'by appointment only' use temple.

Pres. Nelson spoke about fasting. Then he invited the members and their friends to join in another day of fasting on Friday, April 10th. I posted this on Facebook to invite others to join us in this special fast. It really harks back to the New Testament where the Savior tells his apostles "This kind goeth not out but by fasting and prayer." We really need to pray and fast for relief from this Covid-19 pandemic.

Katelyn sent this picture of our little Emelia chillin' on a Sunday afternoon. Any port in the storm...right?

My sweet friend Laura let's me know when there is a beautiful moon to view. I shared this picture of our sunset on Sunday evening with her.

Which brings us today. Monday, April 6, 2020. My plan today is to get the laundry going and then finish off whatever fabric and elastic or ties and I can in making masks for my family and for medical personnel. It is a little thing but it might be helpful.