Coming Up On Conference

With General Conference coming up in only a few days, I was just reviewing some of my notes from last October (something I should do more often). A couple things stood out to me that I feel would be easy to start doing:

1. Read Joseph Smith History often (Neil L. Anderson)
2. Watch less TV. Read more books (Tad R. Callister)
3. Ask, "Will this make me a better person?" (Quintin L. Cook)
4. Set goals to be good, not applauded by the world (Dieter F. Uchtdorf)

The overarching theme I pulled from these notes and from my institute of religion class today is this: We need to focus on the use of our own agency and not be overly concerned with how others use theirs or how they view us. If we make sure our lives are in order then we can be sure that God's blessings will flow and we can stop worrying about making every little thing work out perfectly.

Alma says it best in Alma 41:14, "Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren, deal justly, judge righteously, and to good continually; and if ye do all these things than . . . shall ye have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again . . . ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.

In the following verse he continues, "For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again..."