Authors Jacob Hess and Carrie Skarda suggest we think of general conference as a special extended retreat. In The Practice of Stillness, they write:
“Much like every community has special holidays, Latter-day Saints look forward to general conference weekend. With a little more advance thought, this can become a weekend retreat different from any other. Rather than viewing these days as simply more meetings, the experience of conferencing can be a rich practice in itself—setting aside space and time to gather in a consecrated state of mind and heart.”
Jacob shared with LDS Living his top four ways to turn general conference into a rejuvenating retreat.
1. Explore the Practice of Retreating
“The act of actually stopping and getting away is something we need to relearn,” Jacob says. He points out that while the word “retreat” means to step away, it can be difficult for many of us to fully turn off distractions from our digitally immersive world.
For him, conference feels most like a retreat when he sets boundaries around technology, like waiting until after a session is over to check the news or sports game scores. He explains, “It’s a good practice to say, ‘OK, can I lay this aside? … What adjustments can I make that would allow this to be more of a genuine, authentic, replenishing retreat?’”
And remember that not every retreat is meant to be passive, like a spa retreat or vacation getaway. “There’s another kind of retreat that ancient cultures and eastern cultures [practice],” Jacob explains. “And that is a retreat that helps us grow and heal and learn.”
To practice really retreating, try experimenting with these ideas:
- Turn off your phone or put it on “do not disturb” mode during each conference session. You could even have a “phone basket” and invite your family members to establish a device-free zone during the sessions.
- Let co-workers or friends know you will be less available to respond to messages during conference weekend. This could be a great opportunity to share your testimony of prophets and apostles and explain why you’re approaching conference like a retreat.
- Journal about the following questions:
- How can our family prepare to set aside distractions during conference weekend for spiritual growth, healing, and learning?
- How can we make conference a weekend unlike any other?
2. Hold a Conference Pep Rally
On an evening before conference weekend arrives, Jacob’s family likes to hold a “general conference pep rally” to get everyone excited about the sessions ahead. One fun tradition they enjoy is playing the Chicago Bulls theme music as a “pump up” song that night and then watching clips of prophets sharing their testimonies over the years.
“Make [this] night before conference kind of a fun, special kickoff pep rally thing—like you would do before homecoming weekend,” Jacob recommends.
You might also prepare together by journaling or discussing spiritual questions that you’d like to ponder or receive revelation about throughout the weekend. Referencing the small plates of Nephi, Jacob and his wife give their kids special journals to use for recording spiritual impressions.
Design a conference pep rally for your family based on the ideas below:
- Listen to special music or watch conference clips together.
- Talk about what you’re looking forward to and what you learned from previous general conference weekends.
- Prepare journals, coloring pages, conference bingo pages, or treats to help make the upcoming sessions feel special and focused, especially for kids.
3. Set the Stage
To have a retreat-like weekend, intentionally help your family understand the true purpose behind conference.
“[Set] the stage for why this is different than just anything else or why … the words of the prophets are so precious,” Jacob says. “The morning of conference, you can set the stage with how you wake up, what you do and don’t do, and how you explain it.”
President Russell M. Nelson has encouraged us to “diligently work to remodel [our homes] into [centers] of gospel learning,” and Jacob believes that we can similarly reshape our conference-watching spaces to promote spiritual nourishment.
“When you go on a healing retreat, … they’ve planned things to help you heal,” he explains. “They’ve created things in the atmosphere, in the music, in the food, in the schedule, that are nourishing to your heart and to your relationships. And you can do the same at home.”
For Jacob’s family, this means having nutritious snacks on hand, watching the sessions in a clean area, and planning time outside during or in between sessions.
“There’s a flow to it,” he says. “In between sessions, it’s nice to plan something to do together. And we try to be intentional about talking about, ‘What came up for you? What did you notice? What did you feel?’”
Set the stage for your family’s conference retreat with these tips:
- Wake up early before the Saturday morning session of conference to enjoy a nutritious meal together and talk about the purpose of conference.
- Prepare a conference-watching space that’s clean and comfortable and set out nourishing food.
- Plan fun family activities to look forward to in between sessions (especially things that include movement or time outside).
4. Monotask
Jacob recommends being as present as possible during conference rather than trying to do housework or yardwork at the same time.
“Our focus is limited,” he explains. “We’re not infinite beings, and so if we’re trying to do a bunch of stuff and multitask, then there’s only a portion of what’s being said that will get in. … I would encourage people to experiment with what it feels like to be in a session where you’re not multitasking … and just to be fully present with a session or with a talk.”
Another practice that helps Jacob focus is to write down notes about what he’s feeling, noticing, or experiencing—not only what the speaker is saying.
Help your family stay focused on the conference sessions and speakers with the suggestions below:
- Set a goal to be 100% present for at least one talk, song, or session.
- Write notes about your thoughts, feelings, and impressions rather than summaries of what’s being taught.
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▶ Former atheist’s painting of his daughter with Christ is a must-see
▶ Watch how the stage for general conference is built
▶ Conference with kids doesn’t need to be perfect. 3 reminders to unleash more joy this weekend
