Last night I took my daughter to choir practice. It was the first rehearsal and she was so excited. She loves music and trying new things, and we jumped at the chance to have her participate with an established group led by an accomplished director. Because it was the first rehearsal, he took a few minutes to share his goals with the kids, and then again later, in a short meeting with the parents. Something he said stuck with me,
“Our hope is to have them feel the Spirit while they’re here singing. To recognize it. To fill their cup so they can make it to the Sabbath so they can be filled again. Our long term goal is to get them so used to feeling the Spirit that they know when it’s not there. That they’ll know a way (to sing) to bring it quickly, and that they’ll call on it as needed and live a life that allows Him to be there.”
Music is powerful, and I know I look forward to the words that are sung just as much as the words that are spoken during General Conference. It seems like just yesterday I was anxiously waiting at the mailbox for last Conference’s issue to show up so I could study the lessons taught there. So it’s hard for me to believe that almost 6 months have passed and it’s time to start preparing for another General Conference. It’s a great time to start thinking about what you want to learn, or are seeking guidance on.
What questions do you have?
What answers are you looking for?
Are we doing the things we need to so the Spirit can speak to us?
Just like my daughter and her weekly choir practice, are we consistently doing things to fill our cup between conferences? Are we practicing for our concert each week, or in our case, preparing for the upcoming Conference, so we’re ready to receive the revelation that God is going to give us?
I know I’ll be pulling out the paperclips and we’ll be talking about General Conference this weekend as a family. (I’ve found that starting early helps me be mindful of the General Women’s Meeting too- there is so much good and instruction that we can gain from that meeting as well.)