I See… The Top Eleven General Conference Spiritual Sound Bites

The Mormon Third Eye proudly introduces a new, exciting biannual feature-  The MTE Top Eleven General  Conference Spiritual Sound Bites!  Why “Top Eleven?”  Because that is how the Mormon Third Eye rolls- thinking out of the box, but still inside the closet where it is stored (The claim that it was too difficult to select only ten is a just a nasty, groundless rumor). 

In a follow-up to last week’s post that defined the existence of spiritual sound bites, an exclusive, secret panel of MTE judges, using a highly complex set of content analytics, as well as earnest study and prayer, selected the eleven most powerful passages presented in October 2013 General Conference. Here they are, in ascending order:

11:

“Paul and others warned about the trials of our time and the days yet to come. But peace can be settled in the heart of each who turns to the scriptures and unlocks the promises of protection and redemption that are taught therein. “(Packer)

10:

“Hope is never lost. If those miracles do not come soon or fully or seemingly at all, remember the Savior’s own anguished example: if the bitter cup does not pass, drink it and be strong, trusting in happier days ahead. “(Holland)

9:

“While we are to emulate our Savior’s kindness and compassion, while we are to value the rights and feelings of all of God’s children, we cannot change His doctrine. It is not ours to change. His doctrine is ours to study, understand, and uphold.” (Nelson)

8:

“A man may open the drapes so the warm sunlight comes into the room, but the man does not own the sun or the light or the warmth it brings. The blessings of the priesthood are infinitely greater than the one who is asked to administer the gift.”(Anderson)

7:

“The most universal subjugation in our day, as it has been throughout history, is ideology or political beliefs that are inconsistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Substituting the philosophies of men for gospel truth can lead us away from the simplicity of the Savior’s message. “(Cook)

6:

“The Lord instructs His servants to be humble because the process of being made whole spiritually begins with a broken heart. Think of the good that comes from broken things: Soil is broken to plant wheat. Wheat is broken to make bread. Bread is broken to become the emblems of the sacrament. When one who is repentant partakes of the sacrament with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, he or she becomes whole.” (Funk)

5:

“Sometimes we may ask God for success, and He gives us physical and mental stamina. We might plead for prosperity, and we receive enlarged perspective and increased patience, or we petition for growth and are blessed with the gift of grace. He may bestow upon us conviction and confidence as we strive to achieve worthy goals. And when we plead for relief from physical, mental, and spiritual difficulties, He may increase our resolve and resilience.” (Bednar)

4:

“But man’s laws cannot make moral what God has declared immoral. Commitment to our highest priority—to love and serve God—requires that we look to His law for our standard of behavior.”(Oaks)

3:

“Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.” (Uchtdorf)

2:

“In the sight of the Lord, it is not so much what we have done or where we have been but much more where we are willing to go.” (Dube)

And, the number one spiritual sound bite of October 2013 General Conference is…

“This should be our purpose—to persevere and endure, yes, but also to become more spiritually refined as we make our way through sunshine and sorrow. Were it not for challenges to overcome and problems to solve, we would remain much as we are, with little or no progress toward our goal of eternal life.” (Monson)