Why I’m so grateful someone pushed through awkwardness to serve

I was a 29-year-old United States Air Force fighter pilot, hanging from a parachute, slowly descending into hostile territory. I looked below my dangling legs as I watched my doomed F-4 Phantom shudder, shake, and cartwheel its fiery way to the ground. Missing its tail section and a large part of the left wing, it was now totally engulfed in flames. It was hard to imagine I had been sitting in the cockpit, at the very center of the fireball, a few seconds before. Finally, I saw it hit the ground with a huge concussion that I could see but not hear. The fire and smoke reached into the sky several thousand feet. I thought for a few seconds how unlikely it was for a small-town Texas boy to be involved in such a monumental problem as this was turning into.

Growing up, I was never what you would call petite. I was usually taller than everyone, including the boys, and my early puberty helped to fill me out during the “awkward years.”

When the weather starts turning chilly, nothing makes a home feel warmer and cozier than a slow cooker meal. Take a break from the busy holiday season and enjoy the simplicity and deliciousness of slow cooker meals fromDinner Made Easy with Six Sisters’ Stuff: Time-Saving Recipes for Busy Moms.

It’s unlikely that anyone in the Church (except for the apostles) anticipated that Neal A. Maxwell would be called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles when he was. As far as most people knew, there wasn’t a vacancy to be filled. Generally, a new apostle is called when an apostle dies. However, in 1981, the health of all three members of the First Presidency was declining. After many vibrant years of service together, they were slowing down. President Spencer W. Kimball, in recovery from surgery, felt “a restless urge to breathe needed vitality into the First Presidency”. President Kimball called Elder Gordon B. Hinckley to be a fourth member of the Presidency on July 15th. This left a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve.

With so many Church leaders who have a wonderful sense of humor all their own, there are always many funny or light-hearted moments shared each general conference. Here are some of the most hilarious that are guaranteed to give you a laugh, brighten your day, and deepen your love for God's chosen apostles.

Conference Talk:

"I soon learned that this was only the beginning of my conversion story, that true faith comes by choosing the right in every moment," Mo Crockett writes in an article featured on lds.org.

People planning to attend the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will notice some changes designed to improve security and enhance the patron experience at the Conference Center.

I love how this wonderful Church leader took a potentially embarrassing moment and transformed it into a way to teach others.