General Conference -- a retreat from the things of the world for a couple of days.

This weekend we had a new experience as we received Conference over the Internet and watched it on Gerhard's computer. What a blessing to sit in our comfortable little living room in Mérida, Mexico and hear the Tabernacle Choir, hear the news of new temples to be built and hear counsel from the prophet and apostles almost as more than 20,000 church members are hearing them in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, 2000 miles away. Members all over the world were also listening and watching to the conference just as we were.

President Monson announced a temple to be built in Rome, and said the church also plans to build temples in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Cordoba, Argentina; the greater Kansas City area; and in Philadelphia. That makes 145 temples announced, in progress of construction, or operating throughout the world.

Saturday morning talks were an interesting blend of the practical and the spiritual. President Monson used Thoreau's list of things that people need: food, clothing, shelter -- but he changed fuel to spiritual fuel. Elder Neil L. Anderson chose the typical Mormon emphasis on home storage to encourage the spiritual home storage of faith.

We noted that the themes of many of the speakers would bring comfort and guidance to people of all faiths and in all nations. If we were to practice hope, humility, kindness, peacemaking, meaningful prayer, virtue, building a good marriage, charity and patriotism we would be able to find joy in our journey through life and the world would be a better place.

For all of us, and especially for those whose lives are in turmoil right now, reminders were given that Jesus has promised that angels will bear us up in our trials, that the Holy Ghost will give us saving knowledge, and that God's purposes will be fulfilled. We need to carry on and live a disciples' life, as Elder Ballard counseled. As especial witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ, each of the apostles bore testimony of the reality of the living Christ..

We are grateful for this uplifting weekend and look forward (as expressed in the opening prayer of the conference) to learning to "do the things we were told by the power of the Spirit" during the coming weeks and months until the next General Conference.