"Enjoy The Journey!"

When I was a kid, one of my favorite times was "General Conference Time". I loved it because my parents always seemed to make it a special time where they usually invited one of our special friends to watch with us and then to have a special dinner afterwards.


I was thinking that I should try to have a tradition with my kids to help them get into "the spirit" of conference. I wanted them to grow up, like I did, always looking forward to conference weekend. I was trying to figure out what I should do, when Lani and I were reading her new "Friend Magazine" and we came across a story about a family preparing for General Conference who found this scripture:

"And they pitched their tents round about the temple, every man having his tent with the door thereof towards the temple, that thereby they might remain in their tents and hear the words which King Benjamin should speak unto them." Mosiah 2:6

The family in the story decided to pitch a tent in their living room to listen to conference like the people in the time of King Benjamin did. I decided that this would be our new family tradition! I was going to try to build one out of blankets until I realized that Lani and Kiara had a perfect one that would be easier to keep up. I reminded my girls of the scripture in Mosiah and I made a sign that read "Our Conference Reverence Tent" and told my girls that for today, this tent was going to be just for watching and listening to the prophets that were going to speak to us-not to play in. We had breakfast in it, had coloring books and a notebook for Lani to take notes on the meeting. Kiara and Lani could see conference whether they were sitting, or lying down. They had blankets and pillows and they loved it! I was amazed at how reverent they were!

Conference was so wonderful and the talks always give me a renewed conviction to follow the Savior more diligently. I hope I can keep up this tradition for my children to help them to look forward to hearing the prophet's voice as I did while growing up. In a way I think this is what President Monson meant when he said, "Enjoy the Journey". We really had a great day and I think this tradition will last for a long time.