I took on a similar endeavor a few years ago, listening to conference during my commute. Instead of starting in 1971 I started with the current session of conference and worked my way back (taking a few breaks for new sessions of conference). I'm now in April 1974 and think this has been a rewarding experience. The style of most talks has changed over the years, with the exception being purely doctrinal talks or those based largely on scriptures (President Hunter is a good example).
Another thing I've enjoyed is hearing an apostle be "resurrected" when they give their last talk before passing away. President Monson is the only surviving apostle from 1974 so I've heard many apostles 'speaking from the dust'.
One last observation, President Hinkley always gives amazing talks, even as a junior member of the 12. He was such a unique talent and had an incredible vision of the church.
Richard MonkJanuary 14, 2016
I have done this.
During the year 2013, I read all of the conference talks that were then available. I read one session per day from January through mid-October and two sessions per day from then through December. As a "fast and furious" read through this enabled me to observe interesting patterns in topics covered and subjects of concern to the general authorities.
Beginning with January 2015, I began another read-through. This time I am reading one conference per week (minus the women's sessions). For most of the conferences this means one session on weekdays, but for the early conferences, I also read a session or two on weekends. This schedule isn't quite as demanding as the other. I will complete this read through this fall, reading the final session of the April 2016 session on September 30, 2016, the night before the October conference begins.
Reading the conferences has been a great blessing in my life. I have always loved conference and this activity has only strengthened this appreciation. My testimony has grown appreciably and the gratitude I feel for living prophets is boundless.
Richard MonkJanuary 13, 2016
I have done this. I read all of the conference talks from 1971 through 2013 during 2013 at the rate of one session per day January through September and two sessions per day October through December. Reading them very quickly allowed me to see patterns in subject material and delivery that would have been obscured otherwise.
Beginning at the first of 2015, I am now doing this read-through again, this time at the rate of one complete conference per week. For most conferences, this translates to one session per weekday (allowing me to read scriptures more on weekends). For the early conferences that had more than five sessions, I read sessions on weekends also as needed to stay on schedule.
At the rate I am going, I will complete the last session of the April 2016 conference on Friday, September 30, 2016, the night before the October 2016 conference begins.
I have loved reading the conference talks. It is truly a blessing to read the words of the prophets and re-learn the lessons they taught us. My testimony has been greatly strengthened.
hollandparkJanuary 11, 2016
Wow. I loved this.
Elder Bednar will be pleased when he finds out how you are using your blogs to share goodness. I loved the comments of the bloggers in this piece.
Uplifting and Edifying were the words I though of.
Thank you.
I went to the index link-
It will take nearly as long to read all the blog posts about this adventure --as it will to do all the Conference talks in these next 14 years. :)
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Mike UlrichJanuary 17, 2016
I took on a similar endeavor a few years ago, listening to conference during my commute. Instead of starting in 1971 I started with the current session of conference and worked my way back (taking a few breaks for new sessions of conference). I'm now in April 1974 and think this has been a rewarding experience. The style of most talks has changed over the years, with the exception being purely doctrinal talks or those based largely on scriptures (President Hunter is a good example). Another thing I've enjoyed is hearing an apostle be "resurrected" when they give their last talk before passing away. President Monson is the only surviving apostle from 1974 so I've heard many apostles 'speaking from the dust'. One last observation, President Hinkley always gives amazing talks, even as a junior member of the 12. He was such a unique talent and had an incredible vision of the church.
Richard MonkJanuary 14, 2016
I have done this. During the year 2013, I read all of the conference talks that were then available. I read one session per day from January through mid-October and two sessions per day from then through December. As a "fast and furious" read through this enabled me to observe interesting patterns in topics covered and subjects of concern to the general authorities. Beginning with January 2015, I began another read-through. This time I am reading one conference per week (minus the women's sessions). For most of the conferences this means one session on weekdays, but for the early conferences, I also read a session or two on weekends. This schedule isn't quite as demanding as the other. I will complete this read through this fall, reading the final session of the April 2016 session on September 30, 2016, the night before the October conference begins. Reading the conferences has been a great blessing in my life. I have always loved conference and this activity has only strengthened this appreciation. My testimony has grown appreciably and the gratitude I feel for living prophets is boundless.
Richard MonkJanuary 13, 2016
I have done this. I read all of the conference talks from 1971 through 2013 during 2013 at the rate of one session per day January through September and two sessions per day October through December. Reading them very quickly allowed me to see patterns in subject material and delivery that would have been obscured otherwise. Beginning at the first of 2015, I am now doing this read-through again, this time at the rate of one complete conference per week. For most conferences, this translates to one session per weekday (allowing me to read scriptures more on weekends). For the early conferences that had more than five sessions, I read sessions on weekends also as needed to stay on schedule. At the rate I am going, I will complete the last session of the April 2016 conference on Friday, September 30, 2016, the night before the October 2016 conference begins. I have loved reading the conference talks. It is truly a blessing to read the words of the prophets and re-learn the lessons they taught us. My testimony has been greatly strengthened.
hollandparkJanuary 11, 2016
Wow. I loved this. Elder Bednar will be pleased when he finds out how you are using your blogs to share goodness. I loved the comments of the bloggers in this piece. Uplifting and Edifying were the words I though of. Thank you. I went to the index link- It will take nearly as long to read all the blog posts about this adventure --as it will to do all the Conference talks in these next 14 years. :)
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