Friday Q & A — Conference & Easter prep.

(picture from mormon.org)


When I got this question it made me think a little more in depth about what we really do in our family to prepare.  I mean, we always make our “conference cinnamon rolls” {recipe HERE}, and I print out “Conference Bingo” from the internet (except when we are in China and don’t have great internet or the right ingredients…that was a weird one last October since we were fifteen hours ahead too…).  I hang up pictures of the prophet and Dave and I talk about how excited we are to hear from our leaders.  One year we set up a tent in our family room and watched conference from there so we could be like the people when King Benjamin spoke in what I imagine was a sort of “General Conference” in the scriptures.  


But that question in my email box made me ponder a little more about what we do spiritually to prepare.


I was talking to my sister (Saren) on the phone the other day and through our mini discussion I realized probably the very best thing I to to prepare my kids for conference is the most simple thing I mentioned above: we talk about it in anticipation and show our kids how excited we are.  


I know that may seem too simplistic.  Like we should be doing something more, and of course there always IS more.  But I don’t think you can underestimate the power of and example.  


It’s interesting because it made me think about my anticipation of my sisters and mom coming to visit recently.  Each day I’d tell my kids how excited I was that they were coming.  We got the house all cleaned out and ready.  We talked about the schedule.  My excitement passed so easily to my children.  I mean, that’s sure easy as can be because my sisters and mom aren’t to hard to get excited about, but still I thought about my attitude.  Had I acted like it was a chore to prepare for their arrival I doubt my kids wouldn’t have been as over-the-moon for the visit.  They would have been all resentful that I made them do so many chores and they would have rolled their eyes at our schedule planning.  But their eyes shone bright as the sun when they got to hug those aunts and grandma close because they had helped to prepare so joyfully.


I think it’s the same with conference or any important thing on the horizon.  Our preparation rubs off on these kids of ours, whether it is eager and beautiful or whether it is pure drudgery.  


So, we have been preparing with great anticipation for next weekend through simply talking about how wonderful it will be to hear so many great messages together.


We are all especially excited this time around since we are going to Utah to be at the Conference Center for one of the sessions. 

Hooray!


(It’s always been our plan to take our kids to conference when they turn twelve.  And here we are with max on the brink of turning 18 and every single six months we think it through and can’t make it happen so this year, despite some planning complications, we are making it happen.)

As far as preparing spiritually myself (and I’m hoping to get my teenagers on board this week), I have been listening to the last conference talks on my phone (through the “Mormon Chanel” app.).  I have loved being so inspired by those talks back in October. You can find them HERE.


Conference happens to be on Easter weekend this year (it just happens that way some years).  So we’ve been putting in a little extra preparation preparing for “Holy Week” starting Monday.  As usual I have pulled out my yellow papers and taped them up ready to go for the week.  We will be studying what happened each day of the Holy Week.  Here’s an old picture of Claire pleased as punch about learning about the last week of Christ’s life: