Twice a year we are blessed to hear directly from our prophet and apostles during General Conference. These weekends are sacred opportunities to receive counsel and instruction directly from the Lord's chosen servants. As members of the Church, we sustain these men as prophets, seers, and revelators called by God to guide us in these latter days. Their messages contain truths and insights we need in order to successfully navigate the unique challenges and blessings of our time.
Over the years, I have spent time carefully studying General Conference talks and developing specific techniques that have helped me discover profound truths hidden within these inspired messages. There are layers upon layers of guidance contained in each talk just waiting to be uncovered through diligent and intentional study.
I have learned that we cannot expect to grasp the depths of conference talks simply by listening to them once. It requires consistency, focus, and a desire to understand the doctrines and principles being taught by our leaders. When we devote time to repetitiously studying their words, asking questions, and seeking to apply truths learned, we invite greater light and knowledge into our lives.
In this blog post, I will share my 6-step process for discovering hidden gems within General Conference talks through intentional study and seeking personal revelation. My hope is that by outlining the specific techniques I have found most helpful, you will feel inspired in your own study habits and be strengthened in your personal gospel learning. As we consistently feast upon the words of Christ, our testimonies flourish and we receive the personalized direction we need to navigate life's challenges.
The Tools I Use for Marking Talks
Before diving into my process, I want to share the tools I like to have on hand when studying conference talks. I prefer using the printed Liahona magazine, as I enjoy the formatting and supplementary photos they include. I also spiral bind my May and November issues together to create my own set of “scriptures” for the year’s talks. However, there are multiple formats for the General Conference talks. Including:
- The General Conference Journal Editions – Sold by Seagull Book
- General Conference Wide-Margin Compilation – Free Digital Download from The GoodNewsBrand
In addition to the Liahona, here are some of my go-to supplies:
- Zebra .5mm Mechanical pencil or the Pilot .38mm G2 pen for taking notes
- Staedtler colored pens or Crayola Colored Pencils for underlining and highlighting key points
- 1828 Webster's Dictionary for looking up word definitions
I’m not artistic, so I focus on using words and colors in my study process. But if you enjoy imagery, find creative ways to incorporate visuals into your conference study! The goal is to make the experience meaningful for you.
Touch the Talk Everyday
One of the most important parts of my study process is consistently immersing myself in the talk daily. I developed a mantra that has become key in my General Conference study: “Touch the talk everyday.”
What does it mean to touch the talk? Here are some examples:
- Listening to the audio recording
- Watching the video of the talk
- Reading through the printed words
- Marking up passages that stand out
Basically, I try to interact with the talk in some way every single day in order to familiarize myself with the content. The more repetition, the better. Sometimes I only touch it once, but ideally I aim to touch the talk at least twice a day.
For instance, I may start my morning by reading through the written talk and underlining a few parts that resonate with me. Then later that evening, while making dinner, I’ll pull up the video and watch the talk again, noticing the speaker’s emphasis and emotion.
Immersing yourself in the message daily takes commitment, but it definitely pays off! The talks begin to sink deep into your heart and mind. You ponder the teachings during your regular activities. New insights and applications come to your awareness at the most unexpected times.
Make a goal to touch the talk in some way every single day. The more you can study it repetitiously, from beginning to end, the more gems you’ll uncover.
The First Touch: Reacquaint Yourself
Once I know which talk I’ll be studying for the week, the first step is simply to reacquaint myself with the message. I listen to or read through the talk without marking anything up. My goal here is to remember the overall feeling and impressions I had when first hearing the talk. Let those initial thoughts and spiritual promptings come back to you.
The Second Touch: Underline Meaningful Parts
Next, I read the talk again, this time underlining anything that stands out to me or brings me joy. I use a regular pen for this initial underlining. The point here isn’t to identify specific doctrines or invitations yet. I’m simply making note of words, phrases, or stories that resonate with me.
This touch helps me become even more familiar with the talk’s contents. I’m preparing my mind and heart to now dig deeper.
The Third Touch: Color-Code using My 6 Focus Areas
Here’s where I begin analyzing the talk more intentionally. I go through and color-code using my personal color system:
- Orange: Doctrines and principles
- Green: Invitations to act
- Blue: Promised blessings
- Red: Key quotes and concepts
- Yellow: References to deity
- Purple: Warnings
As I mark with these colors, I’m looking specifically for these six types of content within the talk. This helps me slow down and ponder the speaker’s purpose and priorities. You don't have to use this exact color system. If you have a better system, feel free to use it. My goal is to not convert you to my exact study system, but rather to inspire you to create your own.
Sometimes I further mark structure and pose questions in pink. But starting with these six coding focus points helps me grasp the doctrines and invitations most relevant for my life.
The Fourth and Fifth Touches: Focus on the Structure of the Talk
Something I’ve learned is that the more I study, the more I discover structural patterns used by the speaker. Repeated words, phrases, or content formats become apparent when you listen harder.
For example, in President Nelson’s recent talk Think Celestial, I realized that each time he said the phrase “as you think celestial,” it was followed by a promised blessing. This structural pattern emphasized key principles he wanted us to learn.
By repeatedly studying talks, you pick up on things you miss at first. You understand the speaker’s methodology in conveying doctrines, invitations, and promises.
Another thing I like to do is look up word definitions using a dictionary. When a certain word stands out to me, taking time to understand its meaning brings a new perspective.
For example, I looked up “bear” while studying Elder Stevenson’s talk Bearing Your Testimony. Some definitions made me think about bearing my testimony everywhere I go, wearing it as a badge of discipleship, and carrying it as a sacred trust from God. Looking into word meanings brings talks to a whole new level!
Seek to Understand the Desired Results
My final step is asking myself, “What is the desired result of this talk?” In preparing conference messages, what changes do these leaders hope we’ll make? What actions do they want us to take as a result of their counsel?
Our leaders' talks always have a purpose. Prayerfully studying to understand those desired results better allows God to reveal the personal applications He wants you to make.
Through this process, I’ve realized just how much treasured guidance we receive in General Conference that we simply don’t catch the first time around. But by creating a study plan and immersing yourself in the talks through purposeful repetition, amazing insights will come.
Implementing Your Own General Conference Study Routine
I hope the suggestions in this post give you fresh ideas for enhancing your study of General Conference talks. While the specific techniques I use work well for me, I encourage you to experiment and find a process that is meaningful for your individual needs and learning style.
The key principles are consistency, intentionality, and seeking revelation through spiritual habits like prayer and pondering. As we show God we are willing to put in regular, focused effort, He will open our minds to receive personalized revelation and direction.
When we devote time to feast upon the words of Christ in General Conference messages, our testimonies will grow exponentially. Gospel truths sink deep into our souls, and we gain fresh perspective on how to apply timeless principles in our current circumstances. We find solutions to challenges that have previously seemed insurmountable. We receive comfort, hope, and strength to press forward along the covenant path.
I invite you to prayerfully evaluate your current General Conference study habits. Do you dedicate time to intentionally studying these talks using focused methods? Or do you mainly listen passively to them once or twice when they are given?
Improving our ability to glean revelation from General Conference requires effort on our part. God eagerly desires to communicate personalized messages and blessings to each of us through these talks. But we must seek diligently in order to discover the treasures contained within them.
Over time, as you act in faith, your capacity to receive revelation and direction from General Conference will increase as you devote consistent time and energy. Before you know it, you may find yourself eagerly anticipating each upcoming conference, knowing you will hear truths that provide exactly the inspiration and guidance you need.
The key is to start somewhere and build gradually. Rely on the Savior to support and strengthen your efforts. As you consistently feast upon the words of His servants, your testimony will flourish. You will discover precious gems of knowledge to guide you on your covenant path.
Most importantly, rely on the Savior to support and strengthen you. He promises that if we come unto Him, He will give us rest and nourishment. As we feast upon His words, we become more like Him. We gain power to let His grace and mercy lift and refine us. We are blessed to enjoy the constant companionship of His Spirit.
For continued ideas on improving your ability to receive personal revelation, I invite you to download my free Personal Revelation Guide at ProsperStronger.com. Let’s continue to prayerfully study God’s word and prosper stronger together! With consistent effort and reliance on the Savior, we can receive the revelation meant just for us.
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