Stake Conference with Elder Oaks

Sunday was a special stake conference for us. Elder Dallin H. Oaks came to address us. We got there over an hour early and were seated in the overflow. Before the conference started, Elder Oaks went around shaking everyone's hands. Lucky for us, we were the last row of people he got to before he made his way back to the stand. He is so much friendlier and nicer looking in person than on the screen! To me, watching him in General Conference, he looks so stern and sounds so authoritative and intimidating. But he was so cheerful and jovial in person. I'm glad I got to see that side of him.

He started the conference ten minutes early; "Hinckley Standard Time," he called it. When he spoke, he said that for stake conferences, he does not prepare talks but listens for promptings while the other speakers talk, particularly the stake president. He talked to us about paying tithing, being a single member in the Church (he was single for two years after his first wife died, and his second wife was single until he married her in her fifties), and how the plan of salvation is one of equal opportunity, not equality, in relation to the different roles men and women play (see my Mormon Light blog).

It was a very spiritually informative and uplifting conference. The only downside was keeping Caden entertained in our laps for 3 hours. First hour before conference was fine, of course. The last 2, Justin and I took turns taking him out into the hall (not to play). And I came prepared, too!