This was a Conference I will never forget. I took my eleven year old cousin Lizzie to the Saturday morning session. I invited her a couple of weeks ago and I think we've both been looking forward to it. So we left early Saturday morning and we parked in Sandy and rode the Trax up to Salt Lake.
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| Liz was really excited to ride the train |
As we walked to the Conference Center, we encountered some people who were yelling out Anti-Mormon messages and wielding their derogatory signs. Liz had a really hard time understanding why they had to come to our temple and our General Conference and say these hurtful things to us, and while I also don't fully understand, we talked about how everyone is allowed to go out and state their opinions. The most relatable example I could think of was our missionaries; missionaries go around and spread the message that they believe in, sometimes in places where they are not wanted, just like the men yelling at us at Temple Square. I also explained to her, that they aren't really doing any harm, standing on the corner, preaching what they think is true, because we were about to have the opportunity to listen to our Prophet teach us what we know is right. Well, it was kind of an intense discussion, and I'm hoping I said the right thing to her.... I guess we'll see.
Anyway, we went to the Saturday morning session and it was so good. I loved the talk and the music, but I was slightly distracted thinking about President Monson's announcement about missionaries. After he announced those changes I literally started bawling hysterically, I think that I freaked Lizzie out, not to mention the old lady behind me who started rubbing my back and gave me a tissue.... slightly awkward. But it was very emotional for me. I know that everyone is talking about this right now, but I feel like this announcement, for me at least, was life-changing. I'm still not 100% sure what I am planning on doing with this information, but I know that this was an answer to my prayers.
Between sessions Lizzie and I went to City Creek to do some window-shopping (and some real shopping) and we were both a little dazzled by how large it is. I have nothing against malls or shopping or anything like that, but as I was walking through it, the words "great" and "spacious" and "building" kept running through my mind.... just saying.
After City Creek we walked through Temple Square and then we stopped and sang with the youth who line the sidewalk during Conference weekend.
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| Singing with the youth |
It was Lizzie's idea to stop, but I really loved it. It was one more experience to make the weekend unforgettable. We watched the afternoon session at my great-aunt (so Lizzie's great-great-aunt) Willie; she fed us, gave us gifts, and let me sleep (I was really tired, so don't judge too harshly).
Once Conference was over we headed over to the Trax station and got on the train to head home. Lizzie wasn't feeling great so she laid down across from me and I just sat there staring at the other passengers. There was this guy with long blonde hair and a cigarette tucked behind his ear, playing with his toddler, and I was watching them thinking about all the things I've learned about how troubled home situations produce troubled children. While kind of lost in thought about this, Lizzie sat up very suddenly and threw up on me.
So that happened.
It really wasn't that bad. I mean it was, but.... anyway. She was feeling better after that, and she had very successfully avoided getting any puke on herself. Meanwhile, it was running down my legs and pooling into my shoes.... that was graphic, but I feel better letting that out. While I was sitting there in Liz's puke, cigarette guy pulled out some baby wipes and handed them to me. Around me was a nice looking young woman, a man in a nice business suit, and two older ladies in their Sunday best. And out of all those people, the only one who helped or offered any words of sympathy was cigarette guy, who thirty seconds before I had been judging. While I did not enjoy being thrown-up on, I think that this lesson was a good one for me to learn.
So after the rest of the twenty minute ride, the Trax driver (conductor?) let me use the staff bathroom to clean up. Then we drove for another thirty minutes back to my house, got cleaned up, and drove Lizzie home.
It was a Conference weekend I will never forget.
