Elder Russell M. Nelson

We had Stake Conference today and Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presided over it. It was so nice to be able to have an apostle come for our stake conference! Apparently the stake that we're in, the Albuquerque East New Mexico Stake, has not had an apostle visit since 1980! Everyone was very happy to be able to listen to what he had to say.

When he stood up and started to speak, I just felt the spirit so strongly and my heart felt so happy! The other speakers (who included the stake president (President Kerns), the temple matron and president (President Wattups married me and Ison), and Elder Web of the Seventy) mostly spoke about the importance of going to the temple and the blessings that we would recieve from going. Elder Nelson spoke about many things, more or less what parents should be remembering to teach to their children.

Here are some of the main points:

• teach on the importance of prophets
• teach the restoration of the priesthood
• parents, help your children love you (he specificly said not to spank or publicly punich your children)
• teach your young men of the sacred responsibility of serving a mission
• priorities are first and formost on being worthy to meet the Lord, even during the hard times today

Obviously I took notes...it helps me to get so much more out of talks, otherwise I would not be able to focus as well. There are also doodles that I did...some are related to what people talked about, but others were just doodles I was thinking about. Becaouse I was able to take notes, I wrote down a few quotes from Elder Nelson to the T. Here is one of them everyone enjoyed regarding how he has been able to know many prophets:

"I've operated on some of them. I know them inside and out." :)

I am so greatful for having prophets and apostles here on the earth today to lead and guide us, especially during this day when so many things seem to be going wrong. I know that Elder Nelson is an apostle called of God and that what he says is truth.