As I sit down to write this message, I have just finished watching the last of the April 2023 sessions of General Conference with my family. There were many wonderful messages shared, but two themes stood out to me:
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1. I need to be more diligent to do my part to eliminate the spirit of contention.
2. I need to spend more time making the Easter season a holy time and just as much a sacred holiday and season as Christmas.

The church's children and youth program is built on a scripture in Luke that describes Christ's childhood. "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man"  (Luke 2:52). This scripture highlights 4 growth areas that Christ developed in his childhood: intellectual, physical, spiritual, and social.  Similarly, our children and youth are encouraged to set at least 8 goals each year, 2 goals in each of these areas.

​This time of year, we celebrate with our youth as they graduate from high school and college and make significant transitions to new phases of life.  I’ve never heard a commencement address where the speaker says “you now know everything you need to succeed” or “it is now time we leave the learning behind and move on with our lives”.  Rather, speakers generally focus on the learning skills that have been acquired over the years and encourage their listeners to use those skills to keep learning after graduation and throughout life.

During the most recent General Conference, Elder Rasband shared "The Things of [His] Soul." He related that youth often ask what he believes and why he believes it. One young woman asked him, "What are the most important things I should know?"
Elder Rasband shared his list of seven things of his soul:

1. ​Love God the Father and Jesus Christ, our Savior.
2. Love thy neighbor.
3. Love yourself.
4. Keep the commandments.
5. Always be worthy to attend the temple.
6. Be joyful and cheerful.
7. Follow God's living prophet.

In September, my wife and I took our 20th anniversary trip (delayed by a year because of Covid) to upstate New York, where we were able to tour many church history sites.​  It was interesting and fun to see where a lot of the things we have been studying this year took place.  We toured the Sacred Grove, the Hill Cumorah, the Grandin Building where the Book of Mormon was first published, the Whitmer Farm, and the priesthood restoration site in Pennsylvania.