Best of April 2008

Overall not as hard to select this time around. October 2007 was more impactful for me - probably more a comment on me than the talks. Here's my top five to remember, in descending order (last being the top talk I want to remember):

A Matter of a Few Degrees - Uchtdorf

The Lord requires not only outward acts but also your inner thoughts and feelings to be close to the spirit of the law. God “require[s] the heart and a willing mind.”

Daughters of God - Ballard

There is no role in life more essential and more eternal than that of motherhood.

Concern for the One - Wirthlin

The Lord did not people the earth with a vibrant orchestra of personalities only to value the piccolos of the world. Every instrument is precious and adds to the complex beauty of the symphony. All of Heavenly Father’s children are different in some degree, yet each has his own beautiful sound that adds depth and richness to the whole.

My Words...Never Cease - Holland

In a sense Joseph Smith and his prophetic successors in this Church answer the challenge Ralph Waldo Emerson put to the students of the Harvard Divinity School 170 years ago this coming summer. To that group of the Protestant best and brightest, the great sage of Concord pled that they teach “that God is, not was; that He speaketh, not spake.”

Ask in Faith

We can move beyond routine and “checklist” prayers and engage in meaningful prayer as we appropriately ask in faith and act, as we patiently persevere through the trial of our faith, and as we humbly acknowledge and accept “not my will, but Thine, be done.”

Editorial Notes:
1) Is it not striking how frequently Joseph Wirthlin makes this list despite being the speaker most likely to cause me to wake up in a pool of drool? He and Neal Maxwell are the LDS versions of straight-to-DVD, but for different reasons.
2) One of the first lists ever not to contain Henry B. Eyring. Maybe I should reread.
3) I think like a good stable Utah ward, David Bednar can probably stake his claim on a pew near the front and keep it for the next generation. He and the Hollands will likely be sharing Cheerios. Makes it tough for the rest of the group when these two and Henry Eyring are so good and boxing out.
4) Am I going to a warm place when I die because the prophet is frequently omitted from these? Am I in trouble for making this seem like a competition? (By the way, it's not, it's a way for me to remember)
5) Really, reread Bednar's discourse on prayer and try it for a week. If you're not satisfied, I'll refund the price plus shipping.