My Weekly General Conference…..Week 8

For those of you who don’t know, my church holds a world wide conference twice a year that is broadcast live.  During 4 sessions over 2 days we get to hear from our Prophet, Apostles, and other church leaders.  I’ve decided to study one talk each week until the next one roles around. I’m posting it on here to make sure I do it!

This week’s talk is from the Sunday Afternoon session.

This Talk is Phenomenal!!  I highly recommend watching the video.

Safety for the Soul by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Click here for TEXT and here for Video.

  

  Quote:

“God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into the nest.“

 

 

Facts:

• Born 1940 St. George, Utah
• Baptized as a child; Aaronic Priesthood as a youth; Melchizedek Priesthood as a young man
• Mission to England, 1960-1962
• Married Patricia Terry 1963, St. George Utah Temple; three children
• Bishop, Regional Representative
• First Quorum of Seventy 1989-1994
• Ordained Apostle and sustained to Twelve 1994-present

1.  He was an obedient boy, Alice Holland says. Once when he was a youth, she let him go to a party with the understanding that he would be home by ten o'clock. When he looked at the clock later and realized that he had only fifteen minutes to make it home, he ran from one end of St. George to the other. “He never gave me any trouble,” Alice says. “He was always at church, and he always took care of his priesthood duties.”

2. 

   Throughout those years, the Holland children felt their father was available whenever they needed him. Mary Alice (now Mrs. Lee McCann and the mother of the Hollands’ two grandchildren), felt free to call him at any time if she had a problem or a need. When one of his children had a play, recital, or other important activity, he would make the effort to be there.

    He’s the type of father, Mary says, who carefully planned daddy-daughter activities he knew she would enjoy, even though they might not be his preference. And he strengthened her immensely while she was growing up by helping her understand what an honor it is to be a woman and what a privilege it would be to be a mother.

    David recalls his father’s willingness to sacrifice for his children. Once, when the rest of the family was away, Jeffrey Holland took several days out of his BYU schedule for a one-on-one trip to southern Utah with his younger son. Later, when the family prepared to move after Elder Holland was called as a General Authority, he drove an hour or more out of his way each day for nearly two months to take David to football practices at his new high school.

    Matt says his “fondest memories from childhood are at the dinner table. Every night was a kind of family home evening filled with laughter, compliments, encouragement, interesting conversation, testimony, teaching, and expressions of love. You always knew Dad was happiest when he was at home with his family.”

3.  He says that serving in the office to which he has been ordained will be for him, as it has been for others who have accepted the same call, a lifelong refining process. He begins it with this resolve: “I pledge everything I have and everything I know how to give to witnessing and reaffirming the divinity of the Savior’s life and the restoration of his gospel. My greatest joy and my solemn obligation is to testify of Jesus Christ wherever I may go and with whomever I may be for as long as I shall live.”