Every April and October, we have the privilege of hearing messages of inspiration and guidance at general conference. It is intended to be a revelatory experience as we learn from living prophets and apostles through the influence of the Holy Ghost. If you prepare, you will get more out of your conference experience. Here are four ideas:

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

Before general conference, prepare your spirit through simple things like scripture study and sincere prayer. You could even do a social media fast or make a special trip to the temple.

Have a Question in Mind

Think about questions that are weighing on your mind. Ask questions through prayer and reflect on them while you listen to general conference.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf reminds us, “As you prepare for general conference, I invite you to ponder questions you need to have answered. … There are messages in each general conference given as a gift and a blessing from heaven specifically for our personal life situations.”

Tip: The Gospel Library has a placeholder for the upcoming general conference. Pick a session and record any questions you have prior to the session. Then during conference, you can digitally record and save the answers you receive as you follow along throughout the meetings.

Record Impressions and Act

Listen for a teaching or principle that stands out to you. You can also listen carefully for direct invitations from Prophets and Apostles. Write your thoughts and feelings and make a goal to act on them. If you feel comfortable, share insights with your friends or family.

The page Ideas to Prepare for General Conference at ChurchofJesusChrist.org provides more suggestions.

Watch the video Learning from General Conference:

Watch the video Find Answers to Your Questions:

Here are four preparation ideas:

• Get ready the day before. Pray to have an open heart and to receive answers to questions you have. Figure out how you will watch or listen to conference so you don’t have to scramble the next day. Doing a few simple things like this will help you be in the right frame of mind for inspiration to flow.
• Explore new ways of taking notes. Some people write down quotes and phrases, while others draw pictures based on what inspires them. Whatever you do, make sure to record what the Spirit tells your heart and mind—not just what the speakers say.
• Share thoughts with others. Talking and teaching about what you learn is one of the best ways to make it stick. Plus, it might be just what someone else needs to hear!
• Read or listen to the talks again. Think of the conference messages as a guide for the next six months of life. You can rewatch talks online or read them in the November Church magazines. And don’t be afraid to mark them up—some people underline different topics in different colors to help them notice patterns, and some like to write thoughts and ideas in the margins.

Additional ideas to prepare for general conference:

• Read “Why Do We Need Prophets?“
• Read Elder Uchtdorf’s three basic steps of preparation.
• Read “Find your answers at general conference.”
• Read how to prepare your children.
• Review the blessings of general conference.
• Learn how general conference addresses individual circumstances.
• Learn more about each member of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. These may be helpful for children and youth to become more familiar with these great leaders of the Church.

Related articles:

• Invite Your Friends to Watch General Conference
• 8 Ways to Access General Conference
• Direct URLs to Access General Conference

 

The post How to Prepare for General Conference Coming Next Weekend first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.
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