This General Conference...

Why am I so excited about General Conference this spring?

I have laughed at myself for about two weeks now, in realization that I was looking forward to General Conference more than I had looked forward to San Francisco. I am more excited for General Conference than I am for the end of the semester and the summer that will follow. You name it: my 21st birthday, Christmas, flowers, hiking, friends coming home from missions... I am more excited for General Conference than I am just about anything else, and refuse to miss it. Why?


Dang, just take a look at last October's conference highlights and tell me you aren't excited...

I look forward to General Conference every time, of course, but this time is particularly significant. This will probably not occur again in my lifetime.

Saturday is April 3rd, 2010. It is a Jewish holiday, the Passover, during which those of the Jewish faith come together in a symbolic memory of the final Plague of Egypt and in anticipation of the return of Elijah, who will herald the coming of a Messiah.

Saturday, April 3rd, is also an anniversary. In 1836, the Kirtland temple had finally been completed. It was on the day of the Passover when Elijah, along with Moses and others, finally came. On that day the Melchezedek Priesthood was restored to the earth.

Another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said:

“Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors."

(D&C 110: 13-16)

This incredible power gave men the authority to bind things in earth and in heaven. This is the power for which our temples (130 operating, 8 under construction, and 14 announced) are built. This is the power that allows our families to be together forever. On Saturday, it is the 174th anniversary of this event.

And finally, Sunday, April 4th... is Easter. Of course. It is a day when we celebrate Spring (in spite of the snow), we celebrate new life, and we celebrate the Resurrection of the Savior. We celebrate the victory over death itself.

We live in a tumultuous world right now, in everything from natural disasters to political disembowelment. We live in a world of confusion and pain. We live in a world of both advancement and decay. On Easter,we are supposed to remember a higher power, something to rise us above that. Easter, a day when we recognize that we can overpower the evils of the world - a day when we look towards our Savior as the only one who knows our every pain and weakness. He who has suffered them for us so that we would not have to if we would but come to him...

This Easter Sunday, we will be hearing the words of our Savior directly to us from his servants. His modern words, direct towards us in these last days - the days when we are to come out victorious. These are His instructions, His comforts, His guidance and direction for us in whatever trial we face now, in the past, or in the future.

Why on earth wouldn't I be excited?

I promise you that no matter what difficulty you are facing; if you go into this weekend with a heartfelt question, open to that which you would receive, you will get your answer. As surely as I breathe.

I know that this weekend has every potential of changing my life. I know that I will be a better person this time next week because of it. There is nothing more important to me right now, and I am literally giddy waiting for it...