General Conference Gem

Many of us can admit it is sometimes difficult to focus in for two straight hours --- in the comfort of your family room, draped in cozy clothes and blankets, fireplace on, all cuddled up --- on General Conference talks from familiar voices that tend to {unintentionally} lull you to a state of deep relaxation (aka sleep).  No matter how hard you try, there just will be at least one talk you doze off on...  And that is why I absolutely LOVE when the General Conference Ensign comes out!  It is my opportunity to go back through the talks and really study them without constant heavy eyelids.

This time around, I have been drawn several times to the talk by M. Russel Ballard, "Be Anxiously Engaged."  Something about the title seems to catch my attention everytime I scan the talks.  I have read it now at least twice and also watched it again on the LDS website.  It is so worth it!  The entire talk is just chalk-full of little gems, but I especially love that he specifically answers the question,

"How can we become completely converted to the Gospel of Christ?" 

His answer is this:

"How do we make this change? ... There is one simple daily practice that can make a difference for every member of the Church, including you boys and girls, you young men and you young women, you single adults, and you fathers and mothers ... That simple practice is: In your morning prayer each new day, ask Heavenly Father to guide you to recognize an opportunity to serve one of His precious children. Then go throughout the day with your heart full of faith and love, looking for someone to help. Stay focused, just like the honeybees focus on the flowers from which to gather nectar and pollen. If you do this, your spiritual sensitivities will be enlarged and you will discover opportunities to serve that you never before realized were possible." (emphasis added)

Do you not just love that?!

His whole talk uses the metaphor of honeybees who work so diligently, even though each of their individual contributions to the honeypot is only a mere one-twelfth of a teaspoon in their entire lifetime.  But no matter how small the contribution, it is still a "part of the whole" and each honeybee is important and necessary, just like we are as God's children.  After reading this talk, I think honeybees are just so cute & busy!  (Even though I will definitely still run from them.)

SIDE NOTE:  Did anyone else know before Elder Ballard's talk that the podium in the Conference Center is made from the wood of a walnut tree grown in President Hinckley's backyard?! 

AMAZING. 

(And not to mention, there are multiple beehives carved into it... Coincidence?  I think not.)