Getting Answers

Before General Conference I made a list of questions I wanted answered. I remember close to 10 years ago when an Institute teacher taught me to do this and promised we'd receive the answers we were looking for.

This year my list was a little longer and a little more specific. Some things have been bothering me lately and I wanted to know what I needed to be doing to overcome that. The first talk on Saturday morning I loved. The talk that followed addressed one of the things on my list and I was excited to receive more answers. However, my energy slowed as talk after talk came and I felt like it wasn't what I was looking for. It wasn't until Elder Hales' talk in the Sunday morning session I felt like I got another answer.

He said, "We may not know when or how the Lord's answers will be given, but in His time and His way, I testify, His answers will come." As I was thinking about me not receiving my answers, that stuck out to me and I realized that I didn't have to get all the questions listed on my paper answered right now. None of my questions were really about enduring trials, which I feel a lot of his talk focused on, but it was still what I needed to hear, in my circumstance.

A couple of my favorites from his talk-

"What, then, does it mean to wait upon the Lord? In the scriptures, the word wait means to hope, to anticipate, and to trust. To hope and trust in the Lord requires faith, patience, humility, meekness, long-suffering, keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end."

"Waiting upon the Lord means pondering in our hearts and 'receiv[ing] the Holy Ghost' so that we can know 'all things what [we] should do."

I just loved this, because even though I've had my recent learning experience of having patience through trials and trusting in God, I need to use those same tools to get personal answers. And with the companionship of the Holy Ghost, I can know all things what I should do.

So this talk brought me a lot of relief. While watching Conference I felt this pressure that I needed to get everything on my list answered or else I must not have listened closely enough. But during Elder Hales talk I felt like I got my answer to everything, even though they weren't direct answers. Keep living righteously. Be patient. Look and listen for answers.

I was at church the next Sunday when I received a Relief Society flier and I got really excited! It was soliciting for a meeting that Tuesday where the whole theme fit one of the things on my list. I felt, "Perfect!" This is where I am going to get my answers.

During the meeting Tuesday I listened for the spirit to nudge me on what I needed to do. And I am happy to report in one of the workshops I felt inspired to do two things and received a handout I'd still like to read through and see if there is anything else I need to hear.

So basically, I am grateful for General Conference twice a year where I feel a little more pressured to evaluate my life and see if there are any questions I'd like answered. To listen to a living prophet and apostles speak inspired words. And to be worthy to have the Holy Ghost to teach me and give me all the answers I need.