A Future with Hope

General Conference 2008 began last night with a great worship service. The music reflected the variety of our traditions and really added a lot to the worship experience. Mark Miller is simply great leading the music. Bishop Huie's sermon was very good, basically about strong hope versus wimpy hope. And we shared communion. At points the worship was very moving emotionally.

Then we had a business session to organize the conference and adopt the governing rules of GC. That took some time. I closed my eyes as I sat in my chair, so tired, but then was jolted alert when I heard my daughter Kelsey's voice over the speaker system. She was at the mike to raise a question about the rules and make a correction. That's my girl - no hesitation to get up in front of everyone and speak up. Don't know why I every worry about either of them.

Then we had a presentation for sensitivity training. I don't know why since we had just as a body agreed to use expressions like "did not pass" or "was not approved" instead of the word "defeated" when a motion failed. Why? Because "defeated" has too much of a sense of military conquest associated with it. We are more sensitive than a Gillette super shaver.

Anyway, the real work had gotten underway today, with the Bishop's address, followed by the Young People's address, and so forth. The wheels are rolling and I just pray we don't let them come off! Keep us in prayers.