Conference Prep: Did you think to pray?

Pres. Eyring said, "The first, the middle and the last thing to do is pray." 

As you look for answers to questions you've been pondering, pray to hear the answers. General conference is a great time to get those answers.

Pray to feel the spirit. Pray to be in tune. 

And remember, it never hurts to give a prayer of thanks!
 

Conference Prep: Come with questions

"The quality of the answers you receive," said a wise man, "is dependent on the quality of the questions."

When our kids were little, we asked questions about who spoke or which songs the choir sang. As they grew up, we asked about the messages or stories from the talks. The questions got more sophisticated as they got older.

As we approach general conference, think of gospel questions you might have. What's on your mind? What have you been struggling with? What does Heavenly Father want me to do? And be sure to listen for answers!
 

Conference Prep: Come, listen

Sometimes I think we get a little complacent — we forget that we have a prophet giving us direction. A prophet just like they had in ancient times.

How intently would you listen if it were Moses, Elijah or Abraham? 

Be sure to tune in to general conference!
 

Sketchbook: Getting ready again

It seems like there's a lot of emphasis on preparing for this session of General Conference. While we may not need to travel to Salt Lake any more, there are many things we can do to prepare ourselves and our families to listen to the messages that are prepared, and to #HearHim.

We'll be talking about some of those preparation ideas this week. Stay tuned!
 

Set on a hill

I think more often it's that the people want the missionaries to be invisible.

 

The music of the spoken word

I can't decide if this is about promoting doctrinally questionable teachings or inadvertently using the wrong verb. 

Forward thinking

When my dad was in the military he said that every morning he would pre-pray for whatever food he would eat that day — 'cause he often had no idea of when or where he might eat. This is kind of along those same lines, right?

 

Right up the middle

I could see Goliath positioned at power forward, kind of like Karl Malone.

That's probably why some stakes require a bishop's endorsement before someone can join the ward team!
 

Sunbeam challenge

As I was finishing up the artwork for this cartoon, I realized that either one of them could be saying this and it would still make sense!

Hey — if you have a Primary class, or Sunday school class, Mutual or seminary class, or if you have a family, or if you're alone, or whatever your circumstance you'll probably enjoy the Ward Cartoonist's General Conference Activity Pack (now available in four languages)! Check it out!
 

Sketchbook: What gets you motivated?

I have a similar reaction to beets, but not in a good way.
 

What if? Saturday night's all right

Remember all those folks from the teaching pool on Monday? Well, they're ready to be baptized!
 

What if? She packed my bags last night

If missionaries were in charge, not only would there be lots of leftovers to take home — they would be delicious leftovers!

 

What if? Taking Tiwi to town

Tiwi is the car monitoring system missionaries use to make sure they drive safely and stay within the law. Missionaries who have had the privilege of using Tiwi...despise it!* It's kind of like having your mom watch you drive and provide commentary — when she's cranky. 

I think they'd much rather have a system that tells them the fastest and most fun way to get to where they're going instead.

*Most missionaries would prefer binge watching The Safety Zone to using Tiwi if that gives you a sense of scale.

 

What if? Guiding the way

I could have used one of those as a missionary. Heck, I could use one now!
 

What if? Quotable quotes

I've heard a lot of missionaries give a lot of spiritual, inspirational talks. Why not kick it up a level or two?

On the other hand, this seems like it would be a great prank to play on a missionary if you could get the right people involved. Hmm. Maybe you should forget I said that!
 

Not the sketchbook: What if?

During an idle moment in ward council, I had the thought: What would it be like if the missionaries were in charge? How would things be different?

This particular gag stemmed from my first thought: Their teaching pool would be a lot bigger!
 

Where were you 20 years ago?

Over the last few days, people in our office have been reflecting on our 9/11 experiences twenty years ago. Some were living in New York, some were journalists trying to find the right words for a day that left us speechless. Our roles and our experiences were different, but we were all united. 

Let us all take an opportunity to look out for each other — to treat each other as brothers and sisters, and as children of God.
 

Saturday is a special day

I could use one of those coupons!
 

The seasons are a-changing

Once the pumpkin spice rolls out, can Christmas be far behind?
 

From an unknown number

I would guess that Laman and Lemuel would be on the Liahona's Do Not Call list.
 

Doing us the good we need

Just remember: they'd probably be worse for us if we didn't pray!
 

Sketchbook: Not the sounds of silence

This is inspired by one of my companions who had, shall we say, a unique talent. Bless his heart.
 

Sounds in the night

It's not so much the bugs in the kitchen as the noises you hear in the walls.
 

What's in your drawer?

I had some nonmember friends in Utah County who had a drawer just like this — filled with copies of the Book of Mormon that their friends had given them over the years!
 

Short customer survey

Or maybe they could just count the likes.
 

Unto us. Like.

The more I look at this, the more I wonder if the second line should have been, "Kind of the opposite of high school!"