youth conference

Saturday I went to youth conference and it was wonderful. We spent the entire day on Temple Square. The church has 1 and 2 day youth conference events and we did a 1 day. They put everything together...food, speakers, activities...everything. It was so nice to not have to plan anything!

We met at the church at 6:45 am and we were off!

We were involved with about 4 other wards at various times of the day. Most the time it was just our ward though. We got to tour the Church History Center, we had TC Christensen speak to us. He has done several church movies including 17 Miracles and The Cokeville Miracle. He was excellent! He spoke mainly about the Cokeville Miracle and the interviews he did with the children. Most of them said relatives were there to protect them. They didn't know that at the time but after going through old family photos they figured it out. He said, "Who else would protect you like that? Family are the only people who would do that." How true it is! I am grateful to have grandparents on the other side who I know are watching over me and my family and protecting us from who knows what!

We also had some presentations from the sister missionaries. One of them was talking about The Living Christ. It was wonderful! Really, just wonderful! We also got to visit the Family Search Center and I just couldn't believe how much there is to do down there. Technology provides us with so many tools. Our youth just ate it up! I could have spent so much more time there! I didn't even get to play with all the fun apps they have!

We also had a cooking demonstration which was HILARIOUS! It actually may have been my favorite thing we did. The chef was awesome! He gave some great advice dating and courtship. He talked about how important it is to cook together and to have family dinner, which is something Daren and I talk about and definitely want for our family. He also told a story about a man on his mission that I believe he baptized. He went back to visit 5 years later and the man had not missed a single week of church in 5 years. He said, "We are Mormon and we go to church." This was after they had spent all day and all night traveling from the temple after being sealed. He told his family it was okay to sleep in and miss church. But he got about a few hours later and said NO...we go to church. It really hit me. Even that afternoon, during youth conference, I was thinking about how exhausted I was going to be when 9 am church came around and how I was probably going to sleep in. But I thought. No. "I am Mormon and I go to church." It was very powerful and I really appreciated!

We ended the day with a nice dinner and testimony meeting involving the other 4 wards. For the most part, it was a really nice evening. There is always one that has to detract from the spirit. Luckily, this one person wasn't from our ward. I will tell you though, I would have been absolutely mortified if they were! But I digress...

We ended the evening with a stop at Trader Joe's and McDonald's for diet cokes! Our bishop is a diet coke addict. Maybe that is why I like him so much...

We really have such fantastic youth in our ward. Both Daren and I feel so blessed to be able to teach them and help them grow. Although, I think they are helping me grow more than I am helping them! I am super grateful I was able to go and spend some more time with people from our ward. Every time I am able to be around these people I really do feel so uplifted. It's crazy to think we have only been this ward for a year and I we feel like these people are already family! We love it! We are so blessed!