"This is the Church of the Happy Ending"

We were very blessed to have Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles come and speak to us at our Stake Conference this weekend. I got to hear from him not once, but twice. We had an adult session on Saturday night which was AMAZING followed by stake conference the next day. My lucky husband also got to attend the Priesthood Leadership session which according to Cody, topped them all. It was a very intimate setting and Elder Holland had on a microphone and was walking up and down the aisles, patting the men on the shoulders and just in the middle of all of it. I have to admit I was a little jealous I couldn't go.

Both of his talks I listened to were so spiritually uplifting and I took notes, but not as many as I wish I could have. I really just want a recording of it, because it was all so wonderful. These of some of my notes and what I can remember. It's too wonderful not to share with you!

The first thing he said to us was "Thank you for being who your are and every good thing that you do."
He put his scriptures aside and just spoke from the heart.

He told us to be assured that we are not being singled out for a bad day because with God it all equals out. "This is the Church of the Happy Ending".  He told us to "buck up and square your shoulders." God is using these experiences to prove that we are stronger than we think we are. "We have the DNA of divinity."

A few things to remember when bad days come are: 

#1 "Try to remember that God really, really, really loves broken things. Things that you wish hadn't been broken." (marriages, families, economy)

3 Nephi 9:18-21 : I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings. And ye shall offer for sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him I will baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost...

#2 Just Endure. "When these days (the bad ones) come, when these nights come endure and save yourself for the days of happiness ahead.


What you must NOT do:
-Say that God must not love you
-Say I guess the church isn't true

You can't jump out of the boat in the middle of the storm, you must stay in and hold on. He then referred to Matthew 8:23-27 and spoke of how Jesus calmed the sea

He was also very funny and said that in the Garden of Eden all we did was "backstroke the lagoon, ride zebras and pick raspberries" so it was important for the fall to happen so that we could experience life.

And a few things from Sunday (I hardly had any notes due to my very active 3 year old, but I managed to write these down.)

#1 "You cannot argue with the evidence" Spiritual, physical, private and public
#2 "In this church you get a lot more than you counted on"
#3 The church is never going away "It will never stop"

"The Priesthood is the ultimate mark of the church"

I know this does not do his talks justice in any way shape or form, but I wanted to remember and share this with you. I'm sad that he won't be back. It was so nice to have such a strong spirit and such a confirmation that the church is true.