There's a story of a jeweler who had a precious pearl that he wanted to sell. In order to place this pearl in the proper setting, he conceived the idea of building a special box of the finest woods to contain the pearl. He sought special wood, had them brought to him, and they were polished to a high brilliance. He then reinforced the corners of this box with elegant brass hinges and added a blue velvet interior. As a final step, he scented that blue velvet with perfume, then placed in that setting this precious pearl.
The pearl was then placed in the store window of the jeweler, and after a short period of time, a rich man came by. He was attracted by what he saw and sat down with the jeweler to negotiate a purchase. The jeweler soon realized that the man was negotiating for the box rather than the precious pearl. You see, the man was so overcome by the beauty of the exterior that he failed to see the pearl of great price.
How many of us get caught up on the outward, the box so to speak and not the pearls of great price?
The pearl itself is a beautiful, single entity, formed through suffering in the heart of the oyster. Unlike precious stones which must be cut and polished to reveal their clarity and beauty, the pearl is perfect..
To me General Conference always causes me to refocus on the beauty of the pearl and not center so much on the box...the messages, counsel, instructions and music shared, is a reminder of really is of value in this life, what is really important and what really brings peace and happiness.
General Conference is held every April and October at the LDS Conference Center in Utah, but is considered an international event for the entire church. It is broadcast worldwide in many languages. Whether we watch it on TV, on the internet or attending it live, it always inspires and motivates!(although an incredible experience if able to actually attend in the Conference Center)
When we aren't able to watch it together as a family, separated by miles, its always a fun time to compare what we are eating as we watch and enjoy... it was hard to compete with Alex who has discovered grilling and great cooking!
My sister Michelle, was able to visit and watch Conference with us again- we love having her visit. This is one of her postings from her facebook......
Some of our traditions are.....Conference Crepes
Meatball subs....
Girls night out (while the guys attend Saturday evening session)
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| Complete with pedicures and shopping |
But more than anything, I love the way Conference brings us together through sacrifice, commitment and love.
