5 Tips to Study LDS General Conference Talks
The first time I remember really studying talks from General Conference was in High School. I remember studying one talk every Sunday evening. I loved that time I took to study conference!
Since then, I haven't always been great at studying conference, but the times I do study, I notice a significant impact in my day to day life. I can feel my testimony grow. It first starts with a testimony of living prophets, and grows into knowing my Heavenly Father loves me, is aware of me, and knows exactly what I need at this time. His prophets are here to guide us and help us to Hear His voice in our lives. I truly believe that!
So, here are my top 5 tips to studying General Conference talks.
1. Schedule a talk into your regular scripture study. Whether it be in the morning, evening, or in the car waiting for school pickup. Make a plan of which talks you want to study, and stick to it. I created a freebie down below to help you plan out your study. Or you can use the study page in your October 2020 Ponder Simply journal.
2. Start with a prayer. Before reading a talk, ask Heavenly Father for the spirit to be with you while you read. Bringing the spirit into your study will help you understand the things He needs you to know. It sounds simple, but it will transform your study.
3. Write down your impressions while reading. Writing down the things you feel, helps commit them deeper into your memory and can make the recall of those feelings come easier. These journals are designed specifically for this reason! There is plenty of space to write all the things that come to your mind so you can have it all in one place. If you don't have a Ponder Simply journal yet, a regular journal or notebook will work too!
4. Use the footnotes to further your study. Most talks have additional resources at the end that you can use to further your research. Use them to gain additional insight by navigating to relevant talks or books. Some footnotes cite scriptures or other talks, while others give more insight to a personal story that was shared. There is lots to learn from using the footnotes!
5. Ponder the things you read. Take a few minutes after each talk to ponder the message you read and jot down any last thoughts that come to you. Personal revelation comes in those quiet moments that we take to reflect on the things we feel. Heavenly Father will speak to you in those moments.
I hope you enjoy this study plan sheet! Use it to make your own plan of the talks you want to study and then you can go down your own list and study in whatever order you choose. It takes the hassle out of deciding what to study!
Get your free study plan printable here.
I hope these help! I know that our prophets are the mouthpiece here on earth for our Heavenly Father and that the messages they give during conference are inspired. I know that if we can open our hearts and study them, they can bring peace and understanding to our lives.
