Due to space and time, the entire Saturday evening session is combined in one post.

I don’t watch the Saturday evening of conference because after 4 hours from the morning and afternoon, my focus is shot (I’m not sure what I’ll do in October when I should watch that evening session) but I do read every talk in the Ensign.  But this session I didn’t need to watch it per se because I heard all about it.  At least, the changes announced during it.

It’s funny, my sister shared a story after conference a counselor in her ward’s Relief Society presidency shared.  The presidency member said her husband was worried about how to combine such a wide age group and keep everyone interested and engaged in the discussion.  She told my sister that this was funny since this is exactly what the Relief Society sisters have always done.

The two big keywords from this were UNITY and MINISTERING.  Since conference we are working on learning exactly what these words mean and how to apply them in our lives.  Our stake even had a special stake conference a few weeks after our regularly scheduled stake conference just so that we could be instructed on this by a member of the Quorum of the Seventy.  This is serious business and it is being emphasized just like the push to renew our efforts to keep the Sabbath day holy.

My takeaway?  The emphasis on what the Priesthood actually is (how many time do we need to be instructed to refer to men not as ‘the Priesthood’ but as ‘Priesthood holders’?).  I also thought the counsel that no one ‘advances in the Priesthood’ was interesting.  There is no hierarchy.

But what I really noted was how long these changes have been in the works.  From reading the Saturday evening talks it made it clear this decision was not made in January when President Nelson was sustained as prophet and president of the church.  These are not Russell M. Nelson changes being made.  These changes follow the pattern and procedure of any change in the church.  Inspiration, discussion, and revelation.

What Every Aaronic Priesthood Holder Needs to Understand by Douglas D. Holmes

Introductory Remarks by  President Russell M. Nelson

The Elders Quorum by Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Behold! A Royal Army by Elder Ronald A. Rasband

Inspired Ministering by President Henry B. Eyring

The Powers of the Priesthood by President Dallin H. Oaks

Ministering with the Power and Authority of God by President Russell M. Nelson