General Conference Talk

My favorite talk from Conference was Elder Neil L. Andersen's address in the Sunday Afternoon Session.  I liked this talk in particular because I felt that he was speaking to me and I enjoyed the stories that he told.  He used pathos very well in his talk by telling powerful stories and by making his talk personal and applicable for everyone.  He began by discussing an experience he had in the past.  In an interview, a reporter asked Elder Andersen, "How could someone not consider you Christian?"  He knew that this question was directed to the Church in general, however he framed the question personally and found himself wondering, "Does my life reflect the love and devotion i feel for the savior?"  He then discussed how after the second coming, the question should not be, "Do others consider me christian?" but instead, "What thinks Christ of me?"  While listening to this talk, I found myself asking "What thinks Christ of me?"  Throughout the majority of his talk, I personally applied his words and questions to my life.  He later went on to talk about being a disciple of Christ.  He stated, "Being a disciple in these days of destiny will be a badge of honor throughout the eternities." I really liked this statement.  I felt that it applied to me and that I could relate to it.  I know that it can be hard at times to be a disciple of Christ when the world is doing almost the opposite.  It is hard, but it is very important and rewarding.  The way Elder Andersen gave his talk allowed me to personally apply the messages he was giving.  Later in his talk, he shared two examples of discipleship in action.  The first was a story of Thomas S. Monson.  In summary, he gave a girl with bone cancer a blessing and in return, the girl gave him one of her balloons which said "you're the best."  Three years later, after recovering from her cancer, she sat in his President Monson's office.  Monson surprised her with the very same balloon she had given him and fourteen years after their first meeting, he performed her marriage in the temple.  This story was a great example of a way of showing love.  The second story took place in Haiti.  One day when one parent was at work and the other was at the church, a terrible earthquake occurred.  The two parents rushed home to check on their three children ages five, three, and one.  They found that their three story apartment had completely collapsed and the damage was so bad that there was no attempt at rescuing.  The father began to pray saying, "if there could just be one of my children alive...."  When walking around collapsed building, he heard an almost inaudible cry of a baby.  They dug into rubble and heard another sound of a child singing i am a child of god.  Long story short, after hours and hours of uncovering debris in the dark, all three children were removed from the wreckage alive.  Miracles come if we trust in the savior.  As we love, trust, believe in, and follow Christ we will feel his love and approval.  We are his disciples and friends.