General Conference: Noticing the Little Things

With a little help from co-blogger Marc, I posted short notes on Conference sessions over at Times and Seasons. Listening closely and taking notes, there were a few little things that I noticed:

• President Eyring's broad smile at the beginning of his talks.
• President Uchtdorf's careful enunciation.
• Elder Oaks' use of the word "cohabitation," once a term used by federal authorities to describe and prosecute LDS plural marriages, now a term apparently redeployed to refer to unmarried couples of any gender mix having sexual relations.
• The "great plan of happiness" is now the preferred phrase to refer to what was once called the "plan of salvation."
• Elder Holland is now the offical Conference cleanup hitter. He doesn't just address a topic, he slams it.

Comments

[Clean Cut]

Slam dunk, indeed.

[J. Stapley]

The twilight zone, will be if we start referring to them as "cohabs."

[BHodges]

haha nice

[Sanford]

He slammed away alright, but how do you personally feel about his message and tone?

[Dave]

Sanford, thanks for the comment. I feel just fine about his message and tone. Don't forget, he was addressing General Conference, which is directed at members of the LDS Church. Many of these have been the target of messages launched by critics who present selected facts or sometimes selected fictions designed to create doubt and undermine the religious conviction and testimony of practicing Mormons. They often use questionable language and tactics. Some are simply dishonest.

Elder Holland was defending his flock and strengthening their conviction against those who attack or dismiss Mormonism based on half-baked criticisms. He was correct that theories explaining the Book of Mormon come and go. He was correct that Joseph and Hyrum turning to the Book of Mormon in their hour of need casts doubt on those theories that depict them as essentially fraudulent. I suspect some people are upset because he was making valid points. And note that his statement that the Book of Mormon might be an offense to some was not an invitation for Mormons to be offensive -- I believe it was a play on the Christian idea of "the scandal of the cross."

Keep in mind that in other forums where he addressed a wider audience Elder Holland went out of his way to invite members of the Church with less conviction or even substantial doubts to feel welcome and remain active. And people are entitled to their sincere doubts. I don't believe the recent Conference address signals a different attitude by Elder Holland than he projected earlier, just a talk directed to a different audience and therefore addressed to different needs.

I expect I'll do a post on Elder Holland's talk once the transcript is issued.

[Malcolm]

Pity however that the recent suffering of the poor members in the Philippines and Samoa never got a mention at conference. Many members have lost their lives and thousands their homes. meetinghouses have been destroyed and there is great suffering.If such tragedies had happened closer to home much would have been said. How easy it is to live in COMFORTABLE COMPLACENCY when all our basic needs are met. If this is truly a worldwide church then leaders must speak of those members in foreign lands who are suffering as if they were in the safe havens of Utah living in comfort.

[John Mansfield]

Regarding Pres. Uchtdorf's careful enunciation, it actually was noticeably less careful than usual. I wondered if he had spent the last month back in Germany. Maybe he is just more at ease at the podium now, or it could be age.

[Ian Cook]

Malcolm,

Fair point, they didn't say much about Samoa or the Philippines. I do believe however that there is much effort and money spent by the church in the area, certainly they weren't forgotten.

[Bryant]

Malcom, I heard reference to to both the Philippines and Samoa and the other "isles of the sea" in at least two prayers--which is where I would hope to hear of them at this hour.

[Tatiana]

I just read that we sent a planeload of supplies to Samoa, and another one is soon headed to the Philippines. LDS humanitarian aid is on top of things!