TOFW 2012 - Part III

Oh, such wonderful speakers! I learned/remembered so much!! I say remembered because most of us know what they are teaching us....we just need to be reminded sometimes!!

Theme this year is "Seek the Good"

Some of my favorite lines/thoughts/quotes:

Dean Hughes (love his books about World War II):

In speaking about "What is Zion? Does it Still exist? What does it look like?"

"Being Unified, does it mean we all have to think a like?" "If we all think a like, no one has to think at all".
"We change the world when we think the best of someone instead of judging".
"We are so eager to have that we forget Zion is about bringing us all up together".
"We need to be more careful with words"

Heidi Swinton (biographer of Pres. Monson's book):

Sis. Swinton asked Pres. Monson "how did you picked me to write this book?" "After all", she said, "I'm not in your inner circle!" Pres. Monson replied "there are 14 million in my inner circle"
Her talk about seeking good was about "Seek ye this Jesus of whom the Prophets and Apostles have Spoken"

What does it mean to seek Jesus, and find him often, and especially when we need him.

Great stories about Pres. Monson's life, but also really special ones with her family and Pres. Monson about adoption, infertility, and faith! And that sometimes when we are seeking this Jesus we have to look far and wide!!

The Friday Night Musical guest was Dallyn Vail Bayles - a professional actor/singer -

As a person who loves Broadway Musicals and because I love a person who really can sing, this was really a treat!! Many of the songs that he sang were from Broadway shows that he has performed on the staged.....and some were personal from the struggles he and his family have had in life.

One song in particular really hit me this night - the lyrics went

"You know better than I
you know the way
I've let go the need to know why
for you know better than I"

Another one that I loved was "Not Too Far From Here" That talks about all the ways that people are down on their luck, or suffering "Not too Far From Here" The Chorus is

"And I may not know their name, but I'm praying just the same that you'll use me, Lord, to wipe away a tear 'cause some body's crying not too far from here"

Beautiful evening!!

Eating dinner at the Cheesecake Factory before Friday nights events.





They were so slow about getting us our food, that we had to leave before we could order dessert!! Can I tell you we were highly disappointed. But Saturday after the conference end we stopped back by for dessert -- oh, how I love Cheesecake!!