How I Study General Conference

 

My conference editions of the Ensign used to get pretty worn. This summer I attended Education Week at BYU-Idaho and learned this trick  from an instructor.  Take the Ensign to a store like Office Max or Staples and have them do 2 things: 

1. Spiral bind it. 

2.  Have them put a clear plastic cover on the front and a black cover on the back. 

It's fairly cheep to do. Should be under five dollars.

 

Then I get to the meat of studying.  I pick topic's and assign them colors. This year was just 3.

-When any talk tells us to read our scriptures.  (last year it was ALL over the place)

-When any of the talks give advice about raising families or anything in the vein of families 

-Marking any questions the speakers ask US!

In conferences past I've had put to 5 topic's to focus on and it can be anything you want really, but I pick the themes that are repeated over and over again. 

 

I treat them as I do my scriptures, because they are just that!  I mark them up.  

I always write/bullet point the main points of the talk. 

The one below says this: 

 # Our own lives can be temple standard; no gritty walls or crooked/flawed windows. 

# Our "contractor" hold us to high standards.

# The Lord knows the level of our efforts and if we have done our personal best.

 

I write in the margin's, I circle words, and I even write my feelings sometimes.  

All of it just like I do with my scriptures. 

The picture does not show my completed study of this talk as it is now. Here is what I wrote up by

 Elder Cook's face: (pictured below)

*Moral issues addressed in families:

*Repentance only panacea 

*Unkindness 

*Sexual immorality

# Immersion in the scriptures

# Take any necessary action to feel the spirit.

I box whole paragraphs that I feel as super important. Along with the color makers I use a black marker.  This year it's a paper mate flair pen.  Find the ones that don't smear. I used colored permanent markers that also don't smear.  I haven't show it here, but I also will circle the footnote numbers that I particularly liked. The footnotes make is SO like the scriptures.  Being led by Jesus Christ through a prophet of God and his 12 apostles is wonderful.  We get to hear from them twice a year, 2 days strait each time. I always feel the spirit and know what I need to do to make my life better. The time is coming up soon! It's the first Saturday and Sunday of April.  Watch online if you want! 

The link above is to Elder Cook's talk Can Ye Feel So Now?  It's from a scripture right from 

The Book of Mormon:

• Alma 5:26  And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?
  

This sister makes graphic message from conference that can be printed like pictures.  Very cool!

But first she takes notes like this: http://fambee.org/blog/category/mormon/