Stake Conference-Elder Holland

Elder Holland came to our Stake Conference in August. We were all pretty ecstatic. He is Sterling's *favorite* (not that we have favorites of course...I just would say Elder Eyring, although, we don't have them, right?!?!) haahaa and I think it's safe to say Elder Holland is just so loved by everyone.

We felt very lucky that Sterling took his test that Wednesday so that over the conference weekend he did not have to study and he could make it to all of the meetings. He also got to help usher and so on Saturday evening he saved me a spot smack dab in the middle of the seventh row from the front. We were THAT close to the apostle! Lucky too, since the next day we were over an hour early and got the very back of the gym (although, this is a small chapel, so it's not like the huge gym that we are used to in Utah) and most people had to sit in other rooms in the church building.

The spirit when he walked in on Saturday night was incredible. I was crying. Just because he walked into the room. A kid from our ward that just got home from our mission spoke that night and told this hilarious story of how he was biking and saw this couple moving some heavy boxes so he braked to go help them, and his companion behind him didn't feel the call to serve quite as quickly and ran straight into his bike--and the elderly couple ended up helping them. Haha.

I always think of Elder Holland as being so loving and compassionate--with conviction. But man, it took me a few minutes to get over the shock of listening to him. While always compassionate, this was definitely a call to wake up and get to work! No dilly-dallying accepted.

One of the most beautiful things he talked about was broken things. He said that God adores broken things. He must, because he made all these men on earth. But everything He makes is broken. The clouds break to allow for rain. The ground breaks, to plant a seed. The grain breaks to make bread. And people break. (Oh gosh, I'm crying all over again. Guys this was such an incredible meeting.) This is what I wrote "Breaking and growing. Breaking and growing. We believe we will be like God. In this gospel it's line upon line-you become a God by practicing to become one. One of the things they do is stay in it for the long haul! The process of divinity is not easy. Trust-faith-the first principle of the gospel--they are for the long haul. ESPECIALLY in a difficult time. Faith isn't faith if you have anything else to hold onto. People say 'I'll do long suffering, but I don't want it to be long and I don't want it to be suffering.' We have to put our money where our mouth is! It matters when a child is suffering, or death comes, or disease comes. We break. And God loves broken things. These things break us over and over and over again. Not just once. Not just one sickness. Not just one trial. Over and over and over again. We grow.'

Then he talked about 3 Ne where God loves a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Our heart HAS to break for God. The children of Israel have always been required to sacrifice. The symbol of the lamb is their equivalent of a broken heart. The Savior asked that we do away with the symbol of the lamb and offer instead the broken heart.

Then he got almost angry--he literally seemed anguish at the state of the people and how much he just wanted us to get it---'Don't say the gospel isn't true because of a bad day! He died for all of it!' Then Elder Holland listed pretty much every trial imaginable--I think he really wanted people to know that the Savior understand every single one. 'He knows what its like when it seems to go well for your neighbors, but not for you. Sacrifice is ALWAYS going to be an element of getting closer to Christ. It is the ONLY WAY to gain eternal life. We have to know sorrow and sin to be grateful for the redemption of that. The sun does come up!' Again, he was getting super emotional and forceful "When people say 'No one has it harder than I do' , well, that is just embarassing! And definitely not true. STAY IN THE BOAT! Peace will come. Robert Frost-The only way out is through. Resurrection fixes all the broken things.

Then he talked very personally about the Savior. He talked about how tired he must have been. That he was constantly doing for others and they rarely thought about him in return. He was constantly giving. He talked about how he had a pillow on the boat when they crossed--and how it must have been a mother that thought to give him a pillow to sleep that night. And he was ready to sleep and take a break for himself. And then the winds and the waves came. Elder Holland talked about the apostles and how they were very able-bodied seamen and so the storm must have been intense. But if you look closely at the scriptures it says that Jesus said "We will go over to the other side." and so the apostles should have known that they would make it. But instead, they woke Jesus and said "Carest thou not that we perish?" and the Lord, who must have been so tired, said "Peace, be still." He knows EVERYTHING we might experience. He said when they boarded the boat, we are poassing over to the other side, He knew. Come bad days, tough times, we will pass over. No need to get nervous and think you will drown-because we will go over to the other side and finish this work. Not in an instant-we have to believe that there is REAL SIGNIFICANCE in trials. This is a long process and the first step is always faith. Stay in the boat-be believing. Keep the Savior in your life.


I love all of this. I just love it. Elder Holland's closeness to the Savior was so palpable I felt like he really knew Him like we know our best friends. Like he understood so much of the Savior's love and just was in agony trying to convince us of the same.

On Sunday he was a little less forceful and pulpit-banging haha. I didn't take notes because we had all four kids with us and I spent half the time nursing the baby to keep him happy. But it was also amazing. He talked a lot about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. He said that we should know those things. That we should have strong testimonies of them. That if we thought something was wrong with them, read it. That the Book of Mormon is from God and if we don't believe that, if we find something more believable--then tell him! Elder Holland said he would gladly look to more truth, but at this time, this was the most truth we could find on the earth--and people who go looking for it elsewhere are wasting time that could be spent searching the truths that we have. Basically he said the reason we have so many people lost right now is because of that basic testimony and that we must turn to our scriptures always and over and over again and we will be so blessed. Man, I remember telling my mom so much more over the phone. If I remember more I'll have to come back and edit this post.

It was so wonderful. We have now been challenged by our stake to read the Book of Mormon by December 29th. I am already five chapters behind--but I'm going to do it!