Latter-day Saint Life

7 Ways to Get the Most Out of Conference When You Have to Work

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General conference is a time to become spiritually renewed and receive inspiration and guidance from a living prophet and the general authorities of the Church. So when you look at your work schedule and find out you have a shift that covers one, two, or even all sessions of general conference, it can be a little disappointing.

I've experienced that feeling a few times. Like many members, there have been general conference sessions where I was scheduled to work. But while I found this a little inconvenient at times, I still found ways to be just as spiritually fed as if I hadn't been working during general conference. Here are some ways I've found help me stay spiritually in tune and keep up to speed with general conference sessions, even when I have to work.

1. Read a few general conference talks from the last session

This is a great thing to do regardless if you have one or more shifts during general conference, but I've found it really helps me focus spiritually when I have to work that weekend. You can find past general conference talks on apps and websites like the Gospel Library app, lds.org, and YouTube. The Facebook page 30 Days of Conference even has a schedule for members to read through the past talks from the October 2016 general conference in case you want to read more than a few talks and keep track of the ones you have read so far. 

► You'll also like: Church Makes 4 Major Changes to Gospel Library App

2. Listen to uplifting music before work

While you are getting ready or while you are driving to work, put on uplifting, spiritual music on your phone or radio. If you're feeling especially in the conference mood, you can go to mormontabernaclechoir.org and listen to music they performed at past general conferences in their Sacred Music Library section. 

3. If you can, listen to conference talks while on breaks

Bring a set of headphones with you to work or find a quiet spot and catch up on a talk or two while on your breaks. If you have wifi, there are a ton of places to find general conference sessions like lds.orgMormon Channel, YouTube, byutv.org, and more. If you can't watch a live session, lds.org has the audio and video files on its website within 24 hours of the conclusion of a general conference session you can download onto a mobile device. And if you want to listen to general conference on the radio, check out www.bonneville.info to see if there are any radio broadcasts of general conference in your state and what station they are on if you do.

4. Catch spiritual tidbits from conference on social media

One of the great things about logging onto on your social media accounts on a conference weekend is almost all LDS accounts have little gems from general conference to fill you in on what generally happened. I've found this is really helpful for getting great quotes or little details from a conference session I missed and tends to tie me over until I can catch up on the session. You can follow LDS Living on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram or a variety of other LDS publications to see general conference quotes on your social media feeds.

5. Listen to general conference talks on your way home

If you have wifi for your smartphone or you can catch a session on your car radio, listen to general conference talks on your way home from work. This a great way to catch up on general conference sessions a little at a time so you don't feel overwhelmed and help you not miss out on any new announcements. 

6. Have family members take notes for you

This is especially helpful if your commute takes you out of wifi range, you don't have a smartphone, or you're not quite lucky enough to catch a session on your radio on the way home from work. It doesn't have to be word-for-word notes, just ask a family member to write down two or three key points from each talk so you can skim over their notes when you get home and know what to expect when you have a moment to read or listen to that session of general conference. If you keep your family member's notes and like to take notes of your own during general conference, this can also be helpful for studying the talks throughout the year or a good way to supplement your own notes.

7. Catch up at your own pace

When you get home, you can definitely spend time catching up, but don't push it. The times I've tried to rush through the talks I've felt like I've missed something. I prefer to listen at a slower pace so that I feel like I get the spirit of the message, even if it means it takes me an extra day or two to listen to all the talks. But a slower pace doesn't work for everyone and that's okay. Find the pace you prefer so that you can enjoy the talks and gain as much from them as you can. 

If you miss one or more general conference sessions because of work, it doesn't mean you can't be just as spiritually fed as if you didn't. Luckily, with all the technology we have today, catching up on one or more sessions is easier than it ever has been.  

Lead image from Getty Images

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