2024 General Conference - Kindle Edition

 Every 6 months I take the words from general conference and paste it into a Google Doc and then put it on my kindle. I figured I'd share that format in case others are wanting to do the same - and save them a little bit of work :)

I do not have copyright for this and this is not an official Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints page. I am just hoping to help others study God's word.

Here are the files:

MOBI: MOBI download

EPUB: EPUB download

For access to the talks, visit https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2024/04?lang=eng

Javert and Bishop Bienvenu - A Contrast in Justice and Mercy

source: https://beyondthesestonewalls.com/blog/gordon-macrae/les-miserables-the-bishop-and-the-redemption-of-jean-valjean

I have seen the play Les Miserables a few times, and know the story fairly well, but was impressed recently with the difference between Bishop Bienvenu (who is perhaps my favorite character in any story) and Javert. 

The Bishop sees Valjean as a child of God and someone with value even when he is caught in the very act of stealing from him - and stealing from him right after the Bishop had shown him incredible kindness and mercy! And yet the Bishop still refused to see him as anything less than a child of God, with true intrinsic value and potential.

He had little but sacrificed much of what he had in order to help Valjean reach that potential - giving him his cherished silver candlesticks as well as all his other silver.

source: https://i.redd.it/ayrb6zjip6x11.png

Now, contrast his response to that of Javert. Even when Valjean had already transformed his life and was a successful mayor and business owner (instead of the dirty, poor, ex-convict who showed up on the Bishop's doorstep), Javert could not see him as better than a thief and criminal. 

He couldn’t understand that Valjean had changed. He wouldn’t “allow” him to change. 

He was given several more opportunities to see that Valjean really had changed, but wouldn’t accept it.

Even when Valjean mercifully spares his life, Javert can’t accept that he is more than a lowly criminal. He ends up taking his own life because he can’t stand living in a world where Valjean has actually changed.

Here are a few words from his final song
“Damned if I live in the debt of a thief”

..

“There is nothing in life that we share. It is either Valjean or Javert.”

In an earlier song, he says “once a thief, forever a thief!”

So, in summary, the Bishop values Valjean and sees him as having worth, even when he is in the act of stealing his silver.

Javert sees Valjean as worthless, even when he has just saved his life.

Who am I more like?

I think of this with my children.

Am I like Bishop Bienvenu?

Am I always looking for the good in them?

Praising the good?

“Giving a dog a good name”, to use Dale Carnegie’s phrase?

Helping them live up to their potential, and believing in them even when they don’t believe in themself?

Uplifting them?

Not judging them?

Or am I like Javert? 

Always accusing them?

Always looking for the bad?

Always judging and seeking to “catch” them or get them in trouble?

Refusing to give second chances?

Refusing to be merciful?

This phrase is interesting as well from that last song, “Javert’s suicide”. 

Valjean asks Javert to give him one hour to get Marius to a doctor as he is dying.

Javert responds, saying:

“The man of mercy comes again and talks of justice.”

That’s a really interesting phrase. Javert sees no value in mercy - he wants justice.

Bishop Bienvenu wanted mercy, perhaps at the cost of justice.

I think this explores a profound truth brought to light in the Book of Mormon - mercy and justice are often at odds and cannot always both be satisfied - that is, without our mediator, Jesus Christ, “standing betwixt” them and “satisfying the demands of justice” so that He may extend mercy to us. (Mosiah 15:9).

Let us choose mercy. Let us "judge not that we be not judged." Let us allow others to change - and, indeed, help them change and help them be more like our Savior Jesus Christ.

My Small Cup, Christ's Bitter Cup

Yesterday, I was given a new insight into the sacrifice of the Savior and the Atonement due to a trial that I am facing (that's so often the case, isn't it?)

Three days ago, I somehow came down with Strep Throat - not sure where I got it from, but boy has it been miserable! My tonsils are very swollen and just to swallow is agonizing! I had two sleepless nights because just having to swallow my own saliva production was keeping me in constant pain. 

With that, Sunday approached. I debated if we should take the Sacrament, as I did not want to pass any germs to my family. We decided to do so, and I sanitized my hands and wore a mask during the ordinance. 

I usually look forward to the Sacrament, but I was dreading that piece of bread (I chose the smallest piece) and cup of water because of the pain I felt when swallowing.

I thought of the Savior, and this account from Matthew 26:36-39:

"Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples...My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."

It suddenly felt very appropriate that this small cup that I was to drink - representing the bitter cup that the Savior drank for me - was to be excruciating to me. I grimaced as I swallowed it because of the pain I felt, and yet that pain was nothing - NOTHING - compared to the pain and sorrow and anguish and grief inherent in the Savior's Bitter Cup.

It seemed fitting that this cup - which represents not cool, refreshing water but the blood of the Savior - should be bitter to me instead of refreshing.

If for nothing else, I am grateful for this illness because of what it has allowed God to teach me about His Son, and the Atonement, and the Sacrament.

And I am grateful - so grateful - to my Savior Jesus Christ for partaking of His Bitter Cup, when it was infinitely more painful than what I took, and full to the brim instead of a mere sip.

How I love Him!

In Jesus' name, Amen.

(Adam Abrams, Gethsemane, © 2008 Adam Abrams.)

Not a Cinderella Atonement

"Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

"And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."

(Matthew 26:38-39).

The moment depicted in these verses is - to me-  the most tender, the most sacred, the most sublime moment in all of human history.

Jesus Christ - the Son of God, the Only Begotten of the Father, the Great Jehovah - descended below all things and took upon Himself the overwhelming load of our sins and pains and woes (Mosiah 3:7-9; Alma 7:11-13).

His humility in washing the feet of His Apostles when He was the King of Kings pales in comparison to His descending from His Throne above to suffer and die for one and all.

Much has been written and will be written about our Savior and His atoning sacrifice. I wish to focus on only one crucial point.

It is infinite.

It does not wear off. It is not limited. It is not, as my title suggests, a magical spell that breaks when the clock strikes midnight.

We will not be waltzing around in heaven only to suddenly realize that we have been transformed back into our rags of mortality, the stains from former sins seeping through the facade of our regal attire.

When we fully repent, the atonement of Jesus Christ fully cleanses us from our sins.

When asked about our former self, we can say as did Shakspeare's character Duke Senior, “Twas I; but ’tis not I:"

I love these stirring words from a favorite author, C.S. Lewis (you really should read the whole quote):

"That is why He warned people to ‘count the cost’ before becoming Christians. ‘Make no mistake,’ He says, ‘if you let me, I will make you perfect. The moment you put yourself in My hands, that is what you are in for. Nothing less, or other, than that. You have free will, and if you choose, you can push Me away. But if you do not push Me away, understand that I am going to see this job through. Whatever suffering it may cost you in your earthly life, whatever inconceivable purification it may cost you after death, whatever it costs Me, I will never rest, nor let you rest, until you are literally perfect— until my Father can say without reservation that He is well pleased with you, as He said He was well pleased with me. This I can do and will do. But I will not do anything less.’"

I love the phrase "infinite atonement", especially when broken down into smaller parts.

In-finite.

In negates finite. 

Not finite.

Finite meaning having limits.

This is without limits or bounds.

At-one-ment.

To take two estranged or different things and make them one.

"That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us... I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one"

John 17:21, 23

There is no limit to the Savior's ability to make us one with the Father.

The only limit is our agency. 

Will we choose Him?

Or, as He stirringly asked His Apostles, "Will ye also go away?" (John 6:68).

 

Thoughts on Good Friday

This Good Friday I am perhaps more aware of than others in the past. I have, of course, always recognized and celebrated Easter. But with President Russel M Nelson's invitation to participate in a Worldwide Fast this Good Friday, it has caused me to stop and think more about it.

I wonder how Christ feels about it being called "Good" Friday. It was certainly not a "good" day for Him in the traditional sense. It started with a sleepless night during which He suffered in Gethsemane for the sins and pains of all mankind, followed by a betrayal of one closest to Him. Then followed a series of illegal and unethical "trials", a charge as a blasphemer which - in His case only - was inaccurate as He truly is the Son of God.
He was spit on, He was mocked, He was blindfolded and struck and asked to prophesy who had hit Him.
The whole time, Christ had the power - at any moment - to end this ridicule and injustice. He had the power, as He reminded Peter, to ask the Father and have "more than twelve legions of angels" to come to His aid and protection (Matthew 26:53). 
It was not a "good" day in the sense we think of when we ask our kids after they come home from school, "did you have a good day?"
But it was a very good day in the sense of the evil overcome, the sacrifice made that would save the world from darkness and sin and death.

Here are a few brief thoughts as I read the scriptures detailing the events of the Thursday night and Friday of Holy Week.

First, Barabbas. I owe this insight to Camille Fronk Olson, a beloved religion professor of mine. Barabbas means "son of the father". He was a seditionist and murderer, we are told. The punishment for this crime was most likely to be the exact punishment that Christ received - public crucifixion. As Pilate asks if the Jews would have him release Jesus Christ - the true "Son of the Father" - to them, they instead ask for Barabbas to be released. 
And so Barabbas - the man guilty of sin and "worthy" of crucifixion - goes free. And Christ - the man who is wholly innocent and devoid of sin - goes on to scourging and crucifixion.
He took the place of Barabbas.
We are Barabbas.
He takes the punishment for our sins - our sentence of crucifixion - and puts it upon Himself, so that we can go free.
So that we can truly become sons and daughters of the Father.
So that we can live with Him again.

Second, in John's account of the confrontation in the Garden, the guards approach and Christ asks, "whom seek ye?"
"Jesus of Nazareth", they say.
"I am He," Christ responds.
Or, more properly written, "I Am He"
The guards fall back. 
(John 18:5-8)
I love this account of the betrayal. I have often assumed they fell back in fear because of the majesty, the fearlessness, and the absolute power and goodness they perceived in Jesus in that moment.
And I think that has something to do with it for sure.
But as I read it this morning, I perceived more.
The Egyptians worshipped many gods, and so Moses asked God, if the children of Israel ask what is the name of the God who sent me, what should I tell them? (I'm paraphrasing).
"I AM that I AM" was the answer. "Thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, "I AM hath sent me unto you."
(Exodus 3:13-14).
I believe that the reason the guards fell back was not only because of Christ's majesty and power, but because of His declaration that He was - and is - the Jehovah of the Old Testament, the God who freed the Children of Israel from Egypt - the very liberation that was being celebrated during that Passover season. 

He is our God, and we are His people - or we can be, if we choose to follow and serve Him.
I testify of His divinity. I glory in His life and His infinite sacrifice. I love and worship Him.

1/64th Foote

There are a lot of things I enjoy about being a Foote. I love my family and I'm proud when someone asks "are you related to so-and-so", and it ends up being my uncle or cousin or Grandpa.
With four older siblings that happened all through high School with teachers knowing my older siblings.
Again, I felt proud.





I lived in El Salvador for two years, where people have not one last name, but two.
The first last name is the father's family name and the second last name is the mother's family name, or mother's maiden name.
I have often wondered with a sort of sadness how many people might know my family on my mother's side but never asked because they only hear the last name Foote.



I am fascinated by family history and genealogy. I suppose it's in my blood. For generations my family on both sides have been very interested in learning about their ancestors. I believe a large part of that is because my ancestors for several generations on both sides have been members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have been taught and understood the importance of learning about our ancestors and helping them.
The Book of Malachi in the Old Testament talks about Elijah coming to turn the hearts of the children to the fathers and the fathers to the children. I believe that Elijah has come, and that this "Spirit of Elijah" - this interest in learning about our ancestors - is growing, not only within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but in people of all faiths and belief systems throughout the world.
As I look back on these ancestors, I have a striking thought. It was this thought that made me decide to write this blog entry.

source:https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/printing-fan-chart/

As I shared in my anecdote at the beginning, I'm very proud to be a Foote, and have always identified with that name.
But I am just as much a - should I tell you my mother's maiden name? I don't want you answering security questions for my bank! Anyway, I have just as much of my mother's DNA as my father's DNA. Exactly as much!
In fact, I have just as much of each of my four grandparents' DNA, and each of my eight great-grandparents' DNA, and so on.
I have 64 great-great-great-great grandparents. Only one of them is a Foote.
While I sadly don't know as much about them or relate as much to them, I am just as much a Dial and a Heaton and a Beckstrand and a Hatton as I am a Foote.

I'm really only 1/64th Foote - less if you go back past the 6th generation!




This thought has made me want to learn more about and identify myself more with all of my ancestors, and not just those wonderful Foote ancestors who share my last name.


If you haven't yet caught the spirit of Elijah, you're missing out! Come help put together the Wikipedia of family trees and find your place in it by creating a free account at www.familysearch.org
There are millions (billions?) of records you can search for free. It is the most fascinating, challenging puzzle you'll ever work on.





Thanks for reading. Please share any thoughts or questions below.

Saved From What?

We live in a world that is quite accommodating when it comes to making mistakes. By and large, that is a good thing. We ought to forgive one another and have second chances. But I have realized that a world with such leniency has altered my perception of God's eternal laws of justice and mercy.

For example, I remember the first time I overdrafted my checking account. I was a teenager and had simply forgotten to check how much was in my account before making a purchase. A $35 overdraft fee was charged to my account (that even seems like a lot today, but it was monumental to a 17 year old). I felt horrible for letting my negligence lead to such a financial loss. I discussed it with my mom, who suggested I call the bank. She felt confident that, because this was my first offense and it was truly an accident, they would be willing to waive the fee.
I was skeptical. After all, this was my fault, and the fee was something I had agreed to in the contract I signed.
But I made the call, trying to sound confident because my mom was sure it would work. And I was shocked as the bank employee quickly removed the fee.

This line of thinking - I realized - was carrying over into my thoughts of spiritual justice and mercy. My experience with the bank decreased my fear of future overdrafts. I felt that their punishment was really just an empty threat.

I have found myself propagating this notion in my own children when I say things like, "if you get in your car seat right now, you can have a popsicle at home," but I give them a popsicle whether or not they comply with their part of the bargain.

If we are not careful, it is easy to believe that things would have worked out whether or not Christ had come. We may be deceived into thinking that His punishment for sin is just an "empty threat," or, as one Book of Mormon writer said, "eat, drink and be merry... and God will beat us with a few stripes.." (2 Nephi 28:8) I had a Seminary teacher who referred to this as being whipped with wet noodles.

Such a thought process may lead us to think that repentance is not truly important, and to under appreciate what Jesus Christ's life and mission truly accomplished.

So what did Christ really save us from?

"Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer." (1 Nephi 10:6)

.........................

"And thus we see that all mankind were fallen, and they were in the grasp of ... the justice of God, which consigned them forever to be cut off from his presence... therefore, God himself atoneth for the sins of the world..." (Alma 42:14-15)

.........................

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)

.........................

"O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to ... the devil, to rise no more. And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies..." (2 Nephi 9:8-9)

.........................

The consequences are real. That last verse sends shivers down my spine. These inspired verses together - and so many others - give me a true understanding of what Christ has saved me from, and all that He will save me from if I will repent and come unto Him.

He is real. He is my Savior, and He is yours. He redeemed us at the highest possible price - His own blood. I am eternally grateful to Him.