Which general conference speakers do you look forward to most?

[LA Ute]

Let's face it, all of us, as we watch conference, kind of perk up when we hear certain people are about to speak. Over the years, for me some of those have been (in no particular order):

*Neal A. Maxwell (perhaps my favorite of all time, for personal reasons)
*Marion D. Hanks
*Chieko Okazaki
*Jeffrey R. Holland
*Gordon B. Hinckley
*Henry B. Eyring
*LeGrande Richards (you just never knew what you were going to get)
*Jacob de Jager (did I get his name right?)
*Joseph Wirthlin (this may surprise some, but if you listened and got past his delivery style, he had great messages)

I am not talking about comparing speaking styles, just listing the people who made me think, "Oh, good!" when I heard they were about to speak.

Who are yours in that category?

I'm actually in Salt Lake this time and have tickets to the priesthood session and the Sunday morning session. Should be fun.

[YOhio]

All Time: David B. Haight

This weekend: Holland, Eyring, Uchtdorf

[Levin]

All time: Elder Maxwell; his talks were all a variation of his theme about the scope of the universe, but I loved his creative use of speech.

Elder Wirthlin was my second favorite, and then my favorite after Elder Maxwell passed. I too loved his messages, and his delivery style was endearing.

This conference? Elder Uchtdorf, I suppose. It used to be Eyring and Holland, but I've cooled to them recently.

[Soccermom]

All time favorite: Neil A. Maxwell

Others I have looked forward to in the past:
Sherry Dew
Henry B. Eyring
Gordon B. Hinckley

This conference:
Elder Uchtdorf

[Pheidippides]

*Joseph Wirthlin (this may surprise some, but if you listened and got past his delivery style, he had great messages)

Listening to Elder Wirthlin was like listening to my grandpa. Soothing, welcome counsel. For all the world, we could have been just shooting the breeze while working outside doing something or other, when he'd impart a solid 20 minutes of wisdom in a kind and off-hand manner. I loved listening to him.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Let's face it, all of us, as we watch conference, kind of perk up when we hear certain people are about to speak. Over the years, for me some of those have been (in no particular order):

*Neal A. Maxwell (perhaps my favorite of all time, for personal reasons)
*Marion D. Hanks
*Chieko Okazaki
*Jeffrey R. Holland
*Gordon B. Hinckley
*Henry B. Eyring
*LeGrande Richards (you just never knew what you were going to get)
*Jacob de Jager (did I get his name right?)
*Joseph Wirthlin (this may surprise some, but if you listened and got past his delivery style, he had great messages)

I am not talking about comparing speaking styles, just listing the people who made me think, "Oh, good!" when I heard they were about to speak.

Who are yours in that category?

I'm actually in Salt Lake this time and have tickets to the priesthood session and the Sunday morning session. Should be fun.

Everyone is second to Julie Beck, but she doesn't get to speak each time. I use her talks to discipline my wife.

[beelzebabette]

Elder Wirthlin was also a favorite of mine. The ones I anticipate for this weekend are Holland & Uchtdorf. I also really look forward to the talks from the seventies. There are often some great gems there. Short and sweet, but great lessons.

I used to really like Eyring. Now I'm too distracted by guessing how long it'll be 'til his voice cracks or he cries.

[cowboy]

Elder Wirthlin was also a favorite of mine. The ones I anticipate for this weekend are Holland & Uchtdorf. I also really look forward to the talks from the seventies. There are often some great gems there. Short and sweet, but great lessons.

I used to really like Eyring. Now I'm too distracted by guessing how long it'll be 'til his voice cracks or he cries.

Holland and Scott. Elder Holland toured my mission, and I loved him then so it has just carried forward. Elder Scott's first talk as an apostle was responsible for me finally pulling my head out of my butt and straightening my act up - I can never thank him enough.

[TripletDaddy]

This is Neal A. Maxwell's world. We are all just living in it. If General Conference were an NBA game, Neal A. Maxwell is the guy that hits a 3, steals the inbound pass, then dunks it over the opposing team's center, doing a jersey pop afterwards as he runs back up the court to play lockdown defense. He is THAT good.

I also love:
Richard G. Scott (The Stare!)
Thomas S. Monson (I am a softie for the passive voice and his talks remind me of my youth in the Church)
Boyd K. Packer (I dig his "tell it like it is" style)


One speaking habit that I always find puzzling at Conference....when a speaker starts off by saying, "I am directing my talk today at X," with X being the Aaronic priesthood, single adults, etc.. While it serves as a nice announcement if you happen to be in that demographic, it tells me is that I can tune out for the next 10-15 minutes because most of this talk is going to be about being patient until you find your spouse, etc. It is a speaking habit that I have not seen much in any other setting...corporate, political, etc. You immediately alienate much of your audience.

[Donuthole]

Is it bad of me to say none? Does that mean i'm going to hell?

On a semi-related note, my wife is leaving town on Saturday, and I am planning on listening to the Sunday sessions while painting the upstairs loft, guest bathroom, and guest bedroom. Does the working on the Sabbath compeltely offset the blessings from listening to GC? That is about the only way I can get myself to listen to conference, as I usually fall asleep if I try to watch it on the couch.

[TripletDaddy]

Is it bad of me to say none? Does that mean i'm going to hell?

On a semi-related note, my wife is leaving town on Saturday, and I am planning on listening to the Sunday sessions while painting the upstairs loft, guest bathroom, and guest bedroom. Does the working on the Sabbath compeltely offset the blessings from listening to GC? That is about the only way I can get myself to listen to conference, as I usually fall asleep if I try to watch it on the couch.

I think it depends. According to Tex, you shouldn't even fast forward through the hymns during General Conference. I guess General Conference hymns have extra saving grace built into them and therefore should not be skipped.

I am in your boat. I am doing other stuff while conference is on. And my viewership on Saturday morning is largely dependent on whether it is sunny outside. Since it is supposed to be decent tomorrow, I may have to think of conference as we are paddling out at San O.

I do enjoy going to Priesthood Session, though, so looking forward to that.

[LA Ute]

This is Neal A. Maxwell's world. We are all just living in it. If General Conference were an NBA game, Neal A. Maxwell is the guy that hits a 3, steals the inbound pass, then dunks it over the opposing team's center, doing a jersey pop afterwards as he runs back up the court to play lockdown defense. He is THAT good.

I also love:
Richard G. Scott (The Stare!)
Thomas S. Monson (I am a softie for the passive voice and his talks remind me of my youth in the Church)
Boyd K. Packer (I dig his "tell it like it is" style)


One speaking habit that I always find puzzling at Conference....when a speaker starts off by saying, "I am directing my talk today at X," with X being the Aaronic priesthood, single adults, etc.. While it serves as a nice announcement if you happen to be in that demographic, it tells me is that I can tune out for the next 10-15 minutes because most of this talk is going to be about being patient until you find your spouse, etc. It is a speaking habit that I have not seen much in any other setting...corporate, political, etc. You immediately alienate much of your audience.

Yeah, NAM was something special. By happenstance, when I was in college I worked with him on something and he (being who he is) took an interest in me. Through a series of events (unrelated to my holding any church calling or any personal attribute of mine) I was able to stay in touch with him and even visit with him in his office from time to time, once during a personal crisis. He was the real deal, someone who was simply wonderful to be around - not only an intellectual giant but the kindest, warmest man I have ever known. You walked away from a few minutes with him wanting to be like him and generally wanting to be a better person.

I also think Elder Packer is a terrific teacher. I find myself using his talks a lot to teach principles that are part of lessons I am teaching. (I'm still using a talk he gave in 1974 to teach about sacrifice.) Regardless of how one feels about his style, he is a superb teacher.

[TripletDaddy]

Yeah, NAM was something special. By happenstance, when I was in college I worked with him on something and he (being who he is) took an interest in me. Through a series of events (unrelated to my holding any church calling or any personal attribute of mine) I was able to stay in touch with him and even visit with him in his office from time to time, once during a personal crisis. He was the real deal, someone who was simply wonderful to be around - not only an intellectual giant but the kindest, warmest man I have ever known. You walked away from a few minutes with him wanting to be like him and generally wanting to be a better person.

I also think Elder Packer is a terrific teacher. I find myself using his talks a lot to teach principles that are part of lessons I am teaching. (I'm still using a talk he gave in 1974 to teach about sacrifice.) Regardless of how one feels about his style, he is a superb teacher.

LAUte, why the disrespect? "NAM?"

I suppose you think it is appropriate to abbreviate the names of Apostles and Prophets simply to save yourself a few keystrokes.

[YOhio]

Elder Neal A. Maxwell laid down a great GC smackdown. Telling the SU's of the world to find a bowling alley.

Church members will live in this wheat-and-tares situation until the Millennium. Some real tares even masquerade as wheat, including the few eager individuals who lecture the rest of us about Church doctrines in which they no longer believe. They criticize the use of Church resources to which they no longer contribute. They condescendingly seek to counsel the Brethren whom they no longer sustain. Confrontive, except of themselves, of course, they leave the Church, but they cannot leave the Church alone. Like the throng on the ramparts of the “great and spacious building,” they are intensely and busily preoccupied, pointing fingers of scorn at the steadfast iron-rodders (1 Ne. 8:26–28, 33). Considering their ceaseless preoccupation, one wonders, Is there no diversionary activity available to them, especially in such a large building—like a bowling alley? Perhaps in their mockings and beneath the stir are repressed doubts of their doubts. In any case, given the perils of popularity, Brigham Young advised that this “people must be kept where the finger of scorn can be pointed at them” .

[UtahDan]

I am actually looking forward very much to a particular speaker on Saturday. Michael Neider is me and Drum's uncle. We are really rooting for him.

http://www.lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,6285-1,00.html