With only days before April 2013 General Conference begins, I decided to gather some of the Best LDS  resources to help Mormons prepare to get the most out of the conference experience; in whatever way that might look for a number of different circumstances. For some, that could mean a very personal and private endeavor. It might mean it's just you and the 'cable guy'. Well, not exactly. But for a few, who perhaps can't be with friends or family, but are able to watch online, or on tv, it might work to apply the idea for taking personal notes, or preparing yourself privately to receive answers to specific questions.
On the other hand, you might be a parent whose children range anywhere from very young, all the way up into late teens -- needing suggestions on how to best engage them in positive ways, where they are best prepared to feel the Spirit, and perhaps... have that prayed for 'aha' moment! And as every caring parent knows, it requires incremental, meaningful experiences of learning how to understand the workings of the Spirit, which can then be built upon to slowly help our children learn to walk by faith. But preparation is much of the work in helping our children to have those personal moments -- for themselves.

 Whatever your needs might be, in getting ready to watch General Conference, I hope these resources will in someway be of benefit to you, your family and friends, and that you will also share them with others.

 Information: How to Watch April 2013 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

 tDMg
Kathryn Skaggs

 A word of wisdom: Don't let some of these innocent links fool you. Behind many of them are, for the willing seeker, a treasure trove of resources!

 Tomorrow's post: I'll be talking all about how you can share General Conference with your friends and family using Social Media! (or maybe later this evening)

 Share: If you have a General Conference resource you'd like to share, post the link in the comment section and tell us a little bit about it!

Official LDS General Conference Resources:

 Why Conference Matter?  Watch this video produced by the Church, where President Monson and members of the LDS Church explain the importance of General Conference.

Preparing Our Children for General Conference  
My 10 grandchildren
"Parents can do much to enhance their children’s experience with the doctrine and principles taught at general conference. Several members share how they have helped their children prepare for, participate in, and learn from general conference."
Conference Participation Brings Blessings, First Presidency Says
"Why is it important to participate in general conference? The First Presidency, sustained as prophets and apostles, have repeatedly given reasons why it is important to attend, listen to, or watch the broadcasts of all general conference sessions and then, following conference, to review the messages during the ensuing months and live according to the inspiration received."

General Conference Activities for Children
Fun activities from the Friend and other LDS resources. 

LDS General Conference has something for you
"Everyone has something to gain from general conference, according to Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He says that with the companionship of the Holy Ghost, each individual participating in the conference is entitled to personal revelation."

Behind the Scenes of General Conference
"An extraordinary amount of work requiring the coordination of many Church departments and hundreds of people around the world goes into preparing for general conference. The five sessions of conference draw a total of about 100,000 people to the Conference Center every six months and are broadcast to millions more around the world."


LDS Newsroom Blog: About General Conference

 Mormon Channel: Stories from General Conference
General Conference Stories

"Stories from General Conference features some of the best anecdotes shared during various General Conference addresses over the past several years, each tied to a specific topic or theme."



Excellent LDS General Conference Resources -- from a variety of creative blogs and websites:


Nathan, who made these worksheet had this to say about them: "I made this worksheet with my nieces and nephews in mind. I was trying to think of ways to help a teen or youngster get into general conference. What would help them learn to start listening to the talks and even taking notes? I decided it might help to add a bit of trivia, just to pique their interest. The worksheet is full of features that might help someone learn little facts about how general conference is run."

 We Talk of Christ We Rejoice in Christ: General Conference Question Wall
Conference Question Wall
Jocelyn shares..  "We write down the questions that we have before General Conference and post our questions on the wall next to the television. As we listen to conference we jot down the answers as we hear them in the various talks. It's instant application of their counsel to our real lives and a witness that the Lord does speak to us through his prophets." 

 (This is an adaptation to a concept that she has been using for a while now. I love it!)

First LIKE Fantasy General Conference Facebook Page and then
Fantasy General Conference - download page


Fantasy General Conference
Of course a Seminary teacher would be behind this game! "Answer the questions & make your predictions before General Conference starts Saturday morning.Questions vary from guessing what state might announce a new temple, or which Apostles will speak in the Priesthood Session of General Conference. How about the intermediate stretch hymn, or what colors the women of the Mormon Tabernacle choir will wear? How well do you think you can predict some events that happen during General Conference? Game on!"



Diapers and Divinity: 

 Preparing Your Children for General Conference
To anyone whose ever visited Stephanie's blog, it doesn't take long to realize that she loves this time of year. In this post, she shares some of her favorite ideas for how to help you prepare children to appreciate and look forward to General  Conference.

 How to Prepare Yourself for General Conference
Prepare Yourself
We continue with another very important post from Stephanie -- as she is one wise mama: here she shares her wisdom by helping us prepare ourselves to receive what is most needful, on a very personal level -- lest we lose ourselves in the busy preparations of taking care of everyone else...






33 General Conference Activities For Children
As I said, Stephanie loves General Conference and this year she has compiled 33 activities specifically for children. Nice.

LDS Living: General Conference Resource List
Great resources on LDS Living tagged: General Conference

 SugarDoodle.net: April 2013 General Conference Helps
Please Note:"This is a first for me and my site. I normally put together conference packets each year, but I have never offered them in other languages. With the generosity of several people, I am able to offer this file to you in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian."  Be sure to scroll all the way down the page for other age appropriate resource packets and activity links.

My Soul Delighteth: Conference 101–note taking and conference
Becca shares the secret to taking meaningful notes you'll actually use: "During conference, rather than try to write down what the speaker is saying I try to focus on what the Spirit is teaching me by what they are saying." Which happens to be my favorite way to take notes, too.

The Christensen Family: General Conference Treat Jars!
General Conference Treat Jars
Anyone who really knows me, will know that this goes against everything I've ever said about "treat-training" kids -- and adults. However, this has got to be one of the simplest and most creative ways I've ever seen to engage very small children in watching General Conference, in a fun way. Simply place keywords on jars of candy and have children listen carefully to speakers to hear for word to be spoken. When a keyword is spoken, they may reverently take a "treat" from corresponding "treat jar"! 

 (Although I would save this activity for the final, or only, session you plan to have them watch.)
Deseret News: General Conference Recipe Collection
"As the family gathers for general conference, it's a time to be prepared to be spiritually filled. But there still are three meals that a family expects to be fed. From breakfast to desserts, here are a few recipes from LDS cookbooks that can help."


Deseret News: General conference through the years is different but the same
LDS Church
Joseph Walker gives us a short history lesson about LDS General Conference: "Although the 183rd Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will look and feel decidedly different than the church's first conference back in 1830, the spirit and objectives of LDS conference remain the same."


The Redheaded Hostess: General Conference Resource Collection
Shannon is a pro at putting together General Conference resources, so this year I decided to search her blog and gather her content in one place -- and, here you go. You're welcome!

About.com: General Conference Activities and Games
"Are you worried about keeping your children attentive during General Conference? Here are a bunch of activities and games to keep them busy. Some of the games include: Apostle flash cards, bingo, conference reports, word searches and more!"

 Somewhat Simple: General Conference Activities for Children
Printable activities geared for younger children.

Deseret Book: Free General Conference Packet Printable

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