This weekend I’ve been absorbed watching the Mormon semiannual general conference. It’s hard not to gush about how wonderful general conference is. We get to listen to living prophets, apostles, and church leaders offer guidance and direction and love. Also (in many parts of the world), it’s a rare opportunity to watch church at home in our jammies.
Staying in line with this month’s topic of girl power: Lately I’ve wrestled with questions about the role of gender both in the administration of the church and in God’s eternal plan for His children. (In the words of Neylan McBaine: I’m not saying it is wrong, I’m saying it is hard.)
A theme I felt was woven throughout this conference was affirmation and reassurance that this church is led by a loving God and His humble servants, and that our spiritual questions require spiritual answers, which we will receive line upon line. One quote that stuck out was from Elder Neil L. Anderson:
“We do not discard what we know to be true be of something we do not yet understand.”
I don’t mean to imply that one tidy quote answered all my questions. It didn’t. But it reflects the experience I had throughout this conference: reminders of what I already know, lessons on what I didn’t know, and renewed hope that I will someday understand what I don’t know. Every piece of it was manna to my soul.
Elder Anderson spoke directly to me. I’ve been wrestling with this stuff for years. (Also, very interested to know what you thought of Neylan McBaine’s book.)
Have you read it? I’d love to know your thoughts too. I plan to cover it in a future blog post. 🙂
Finishing it up this week. I flew through the first 3/4 and then had to abruptly pause because my life got crazy. Lots and lots of thoughts, obviously.