General Conference Predictions

[TripletDaddy]

That may be an unreasonable standard to apply for a believer. How much 'new' data do you EVER hear anywhere from any source (including your own scripture study) with respect to religion? I think it is more than simply hearing something 'new.' I think many people are looking for the message that touches their life for whatever reason. Almost every session it seems there are one or two talks that everyone thinks are very good and then most people also have one or two others, or portions of one or two others, that spoke to them. Few, if any of these talks ever have new data.

That said, for Saturday's sessions, I prefer to watch later or read later.

Well, I did say I was speaking for myself, not for everyone else.

I also find certain approaches to scripture study to be boring. Sitting down and just reading the scriptures is terribly boring to me. Augmenting it with other sources spices it up.

When I was in school, I felt like I was always learning new information, even if it were not applicable to much outside of an academic setting. As such, I felt engaged and intellectually stimulated. Part of me feels a bit of intellectual atrophy on Sundays and it is a direct result of the repetition. It is often discouraging realizing that i have another 40 years of weekly tedium hearing the same stuff over and over. Again, that is just me. If you haven't noticed yet, I tend to have a short attention span so I'm coming from a different angle than you or others.

I agree that talks can touch the individual or resonate on an emotional level despite little or no new information. However, that approach doesn't resonate much with me personally. I enjoy those talks but am not especially drawn to them. I dont enjoy sitting through 10 hours of talks to hear 5 or 6 interesting anecdotes that I can read on my own later and in about half the time.

I wasn't trying to place a universal standard on everyone, though. I was only trying to speak for myself. As with UtahDan, I'm not hating. For those that get excited and love Conference, more power to you all. This weekend will probably be really fun for you.

[Moliere]

I think it is more that they are not interested in sitting for 5 two hour sessions. I am very interested to know what they have to say, but not so interested in camping in front of my TV for a large chunk of the daylight hours on the weekend.

This is why I listen but don't pay attention. I pick up certain talks that I really want to read and the others I'll likely not read/hear again until the sacrament meeting where the speaker is assigned one of them.

[Green Monstah]

If you haven't noticed yet, I tend to have a short attention span so I'm coming from a different angle than you or others.

OOC, how do you adapt your attention span to your profession? Doesn't it take quite a long attention span to be a tax attorney (at least, at the beginning, doesn't it?)?

[snowcat]

I just started a 3,000 piece puzzle. It's good timing because then I can have conference playing in the background while I do some mindless, but enjoyable, activity.

I am going to try this.

[TripletDaddy]

OOC, how do you adapt your attention span to your profession? Doesn't it take quite a long attention span to be a tax attorney (at least, at the beginning, doesn't it?)?

When I first started working, I was motivated in part by fear....fear of failure, fear of not getting raises, fear of not having enough billibles, Fear of student loan debt, etc. That keeps a newly married young professional focused and on task. Also, I was doing interesting stuff, so I wasn't bored. Interesting projects, interesting clients, interesting travel. I have been lucky in that sense, I guess. Currently, i am doing some really fun stuff that i really enjoy. If you havent noticed, it affords me free time when i need it. That being said, im in a different ohase of my career than when i started out 12 or so years ago. There are always boring days at work, even to this day. But I am no longer motivated by fear. So I just go home early now and enjoy my evening. It suits me.

[snowcat]

I enjoy conference weekend. My wife has a tradition of "conference crepes" for Sunday morning. We have ice cream Sundays after Priesthood session. I either get to be inspired, recharged or catch a little nap depending on the speaker.

I used to enjoy listening to conference on the radio while taking a drive in the mountains to look at the fall colors but that only works if the kids are the right age.

All in all, a very pleasant weekend.

[Pheidippides]

Like Smokey, I am actually a little surprised at the tone in this thread. Is this just a religious case of "all politics is local" and the heirarchy of the church is simply to distant to have any impact on our daily lives, or do members honestly not care what the brethern have to say?

Both.

Edit: The only time I ever get interested in conference is when something like the BKP talk from a couple of times ago happens. And then I get mad. And mad is not good. So I don't listen. I'm going to be getting the highlights for the next six months in some shape or form.

I always go to priesthood session though. And I like it when DFU speaks because his approach seems to be similar to mine.

Otherwise, I'm not going to hear anything I haven't heard before. And if that does happen, I have about a billion ways to catch up.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Along with my coveted position as Ward Archives Chairman (aka the Master of 1982-1990 editions of The Friend, aka The Master of the Lingering Merrymiss Guide, aka Keeper of the 1982 VHS Tape of Cipher in the Snow, aka the Chalk and Eraser Gatekeeper, aka The Ward Librarian) I get to look at old editions of the Ensign.

One of the 1999 conference issues was lol. Funny, besides the still shots of the GAs who gave talks and the centerfold with all of the GAs pictures there was probably one picture of a white person -- every single other picture was of minority members. It was even more prevalent than the conference editions now. The church photographers must have had some incredible telephoto lenses.

[Sullyute]

Honest question back at you...of the 10 hours of sessions this weekend, how many total minutes of NEW information do you anticipate? New meaning you didn't know it before you hear it this weekend? My personal guess is that the ratio is extremely low, perhaps even less than 10 minutes of new info out of 10 hours of slow talking. That might shed some light as to why some find it to be a bullet to the brain. There are probably other reasons, also.

That may be an unreasonable standard to apply for a believer. How much 'new' data do you EVER hear anywhere from any source (including your own scripture study) with respect to religion? I think it is more than simply hearing something 'new.' I think many people are looking for the message that touches their life for whatever reason. Almost every session it seems there are one or two talks that everyone thinks are very good and then most people also have one or two others, or portions of one or two others, that spoke to them. Few, if any of these talks ever have new data.

I agee with Creek, how often do we actually hear "new" doctrine or principles in general conference, stake conference or any normal sunday? What makes something new for me is being able to hear a different perspective or experience from my own by another person on a old topic.

If new information is what interests us, then what makes regular sundays less boring or intolerable? I assume it is because hearing the feelings, opinions, testimonies, and trials of our neighbors, who we know and interact personally, strengthens our trust, empathy, and community. While hearing the same stories, opinions, and testimonies from "strangers" just doesn't create the same meta-physical benefits.

[DU Ute]

Along with my coveted position as Ward Archives Chairman (aka the Master of 1982-1990 editions of The Friend, aka The Master of the Lingering Merrymiss Guide, aka Keeper of the 1982 VHS Tape of Cipher in the Snow, aka the Chalk and Eraser Gatekeeper, aka The Ward Librarian) I get to look at old editions of the Ensign.

One of the 1999 conference issues was lol. Funny, besides the still shots of the GAs who gave talks and the centerfold with all of the GAs pictures there was probably one picture of a white person -- every single other picture was of minority members. It was even more prevalent than the conference editions now. The church photographers must have had some incredible telephoto lenses.

One of my good friends when I was little was AA and his mom sung with the MoTab. I remember thinking she must have been one of the best singers in the choir because the cameras were always focusing in on her. It's crazy now to think that it was only 5 years or so after the priesthood ban was lifted, I didn't even think about those things back then.

I also appreciate any fan of Cipher in the Snow. When I was a YM we made a parody video staring one of the YM in the Quorum with a similar last name called Sipherd in the Snow. It had Sipherd getting off a bus and collapsing in the street only to be repeatedly run over by an SUV filled with YM. It was comedy gold.

[TripletDaddy]

I agee with Creek, how often do we actually hear "new" doctrine or principles in general conference, stake conference or any normal sunday? What makes something new for me is being able to hear a different perspective or experience from my own by another person on a old topic.

If new information is what interests us, then what makes regular sundays less boring or intolerable? I assume it is because hearing the feelings, opinions, testimonies, and trials of our neighbors, who we know and interact personally, strengthens our trust, empathy, and community. While hearing the same stories, opinions, and testimonies from "strangers" just doesn't create the same meta-physical benefits.

perhaps you are trying to be clever, I cant tell, but I find Sundays very boring, as well. sorry.

actually, check that. I am not sorry. no reason to be sorry. But I am frustrated. You are advocating an approach to learning that just doesn't resonate with everyone week in and week out. It doesn't appeal to me to listen to your stories and your problems. Or at least what you perceive to be problems. I also try not to go to Church and tell others my stories and problems. And hearing the same lesson points or talking points over and over bores me.

This sounds overly harsh. Not my intent. But just trying to shed some light on why some folks might not like conference or meetings. Some, not all.

[Sullyute]

perhaps you are trying to be clever, I cant tell, but I find Sundays very boring, as well. sorry.

actually, check that. I am not sorry. no reason to be sorry. But I am frustrated. You are advocating an approach to learning that just doesn't resonate with everyone week in and week out. It doesn't appeal to me to listen to your stories and your problems. Or at least what you perceive to be problems. I also try not to go to Church and tell others my stories and problems. And hearing the same lesson points or talking points over and over bores me.

This sounds overly harsh. Not my intent. But just trying to shed some light on why some folks might not like conference or meetings. Some, not all.

Definitly no reason to be sorry, worship as you may. I wasn't advocating any particular approach to learning, I was just stating how I find something new on a topic that I have heard multiple times. I don't think that your comments were harsh per se, and for many people they are very accurate, they just caught me off guard for some reason.

[Portland Ute]

That may be an unreasonable standard to apply for a believer. How much 'new' data do you EVER hear anywhere from any source (including your own scripture study) with respect to religion? I think it is more than simply hearing something 'new.' I think many people are looking for the message that touches their life for whatever reason. Almost every session it seems there are one or two talks that everyone thinks are very good and then most people also have one or two others, or portions of one or two others, that spoke to them. Few, if any of these talks ever have new data.

That said, for Saturday's sessions, I prefer to watch later or read later.

Is it wrong that I kind of think of the Saturday sessions (except Priesthood...which I will miss to attend the Utah game) as the J.V. game? Seems like this is where the young G.A.s get to practice speaking in conference.

[Solon]

Definitly no reason to be sorry, worship as you may. I wasn't advocating any particular approach to learning, I was just stating how I find something new on a topic that I have heard multiple times. I don't think that your comments were harsh per se, and for many people they are very accurate, they just caught me off guard for some reason.

I sense great hunger for "something new" among active LDS, perhaps not necessarily for new "data" or "facts," but for spiritual clarity, specific prophecy and counsel, informed exegesis of doctrines both official and unofficial.

I don't find it unreasonable (esp. in this, the information age) to expect/hope for something more than generalized platitudes from men who claim to be, and who are sustained as Prophets, Seers, Revelators. Especially since correlation has repeatedly emphasized that these men are the only ones authorized to provide such things to the world at large.

This is a world stage. The entire membership of the LDS church is watching/listening (except for DDD and a few other elect souls). It's not a platform to be lightly dismissed with sanitized and sterilized remarks. It's a platform for leadership, vision, prophecy, guidance, chastisement, and a boatload of other stuff. It's a chance for these Prophets to speak to the world as God would speak to the world.

But hey, if people are getting out of General Conference what they need, I'm the last one to cast aspersions. Great for them.

I prefer to seek my inspiration elsewhere, though.

[SCcoug]

Anyone know the history behind having 5 sessions? Why five? Why two hours each?