I had this problem as a kid, and I still do have this problem today. General Conference is great but I've always noticed something that's made it hard to listen all the time. A bunch of old guys standing at a pulpit, speaking in very monotone voices without nothing to look at but their faces from different angles isn't exactly Hollywood cinematics. Let's face it, sometimes conference is boring. It's hard to stay awake at times and understand what the speakers are talking about. I missed most of April 2011 because I fell asleep for most of it. I know many others suffer with this same problem as well. However I found a story in a talk from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf that really put things into perspective for me about conference.
The story goes:
A fine member of the Church was talking with a neighbor who was not of our faith. When the topic of discussion turned to general conference, the neighbor asked, “You say you have prophets and apostles? And twice a year in a worldwide conference they reveal the word of God?”
“Absolutely,” the member replied with confidence.
The neighbor thought about that for a moment. He seemed genuinely interested and then asked, “What did they say in the last general conference?”
At this point the good member of the Church went from feeling excited about sharing the gospel to feeling embarrassed. Try as he might, he couldn’t think of the details of a single talk.
His friend found this troubling and said, “You mean to tell me that God speaks to man in our day and you can’t remember what He said?”
The brother felt humbled by this exchange. He vowed that he would do better to remember the words spoken by the Lord’s servants in general conference.
Here are 3 things that I learned that I'm going to try to help me stay awake and learn at this conference.
1. Take Notes - I know it doesn't sound fun but I've never done it before and I've heard a lot of people say it helps you stay focused and really allows you to grasp the message of what they are saying. Don't just write down what they said. You will get a copy in the Ensign a month from now. Instead write down what you feel. Write down any personal thoughts or spiritual promptings so that you can remember them later on. This will make the talks really personal and dear to you, I promise.
2. Take a Friend - If you are watching it at home via whatever means, invite someone, member or non-member, to come join you. Having someone there will really keep you awake and focused. You will be there to answer questions and you will have someone there to ask questions to. Also, it would be really embarrassing to fall asleep during conference if your friend is there.
3. Pray - Prayer always works. God cares about you, even the very simplest of things. God has helped me through personal trials that to others might seem small but meant a lot to me. Pray to first stay awake and then ask to have the Spirit to be receptive to the messages that will be presented. I promise you if you ask with sincere faith and real intent, God will make this conference one of the best you've ever experienced.
Remember the story President Uchtdorf told in his talk. People might ask you about what you learned in conference and what the Prophet has said. You want to be able to answer boldly and truthfully right? You want to give an answer with conviction, power, and excitement right? Then let's all make this conference the best one yet and we will all stay awake. I promise you that you will learn so much. You will learn things that will help you in your own unique life. You will feel so much better, you will be inspired. You won't ever regret what you experienced. I know this Church is true and that we do have a living prophet today, Thomas S. Monson.
