Latter-day Saint Life

Countdown to Conference: Ignite your momentum by following President Nelson’s counsel

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In the most recent general conference, President Russell M. Nelson spoke about the importance of maintaining spiritual momentum. He said:

Momentum is a powerful concept. … I ask, what can ignite spiritual momentum? We have seen examples of both positive and negative momentum. We know followers of Jesus Christ who became converted and grew in their faith. But we also know of once-committed believers who fell away. Momentum can swing either way.”

Now, as the next general conference approaches, we might ask ourselves, “What direction has my momentum been taking me?” and “What have I done to ignite more spiritual momentum?”

If you feel you need a little boost, it’s not too late to work on increasing your spiritual momentum before President Nelson steps back up to the Conference Center pulpit on October 1.

Free Study Guide

Ignite your spiritual momentum for the next four weeks as you prepare for October general conference.

To help you and your family do just that, we’d like to offer our Countdown to Conference study guide for October 2022. This guide is based on President Nelson’s “five specific actions we can take to help us maintain positive spiritual momentum”:

  1. “Get on the covenant path and stay there” 
  2. “Discover the joy of daily repentance” 
  3. “Learn about God and how He works” 
  4. “Seek and expect miracles” 
  5. “End conflict in your personal life” 

Please join us over the next four weeks as we prepare for general conference in practical ways—doing one thing each day that is guided by President Nelson’s counsel. We hope it helps you build your spiritual momentum and prepares you to receive the insights you need.

Find links to the ideas in the guide below, and download a printable PDF of the schedule here. You can also find past LDS Living countdowns to conference here.

As President Nelson put it, “We have never needed positive spiritual momentum more than we do now, to counteract the speed with which evil and the darker signs of the times are intensifying. … Spiritual momentum can help us withstand the relentless, wicked attacks of the adversary and thwart his efforts to erode our personal spiritual foundation.”

► You may also like: Preorder your own copy of the General Conference Addresses Journal Edition with all the text of the October 2022 general conference messages in one spiral-bound paperback and extra-wide margins to record your personal impressions.

Weekly Countdown Schedule

DAILY THEMES

The suggested activities for each day of the week are based on President Nelson’s talk and his five suggestions for maintaining positive spiritual momentum:

Sunday: Spiritual momentum
Monday: Get on the covenant path and stay there
Tuesday: Discover the joy of daily repentance
Wednesday: Learn about God and how He works
Thursday: Seek and expect miracles
Friday: End conflict in your personal life

Week 1 (September 4–9)

Sunday: Consider beginning your countdown by studying President Nelson’s talk “The Power of Spiritual Momentum.” Think about why you desire to ignite your spiritual momentum for the next four weeks.

Monday: Read “The Covenant Path: The Way to Eternal Life,” by Elder Adeyinka A. Ojediran, from last general conference. Then determine what your next step on the covenant path will be, and write down one thing you will do to prepare to take that step.

Tuesday: Listen to the hymn “I Stand All Amazed,” and ponder how repentance has been “wonderful” in your life.

Wednesday: Watch the videos “The Nature of God” and “Earthly Father, Heavenly Father” on the Church’s website.

Thursday: Read the Topical Guide entry for “Hope.” Write down what you learn about how hope relates to seeking and expecting miracles.

Friday: Watch Sister Wendy Nelson’s 2021 Utah Valley University commencement address on contention.

Week 2 (September 11–16)

Sunday: In Elder Uchtdorf's April 2022 address “Our Heartfelt All, read the two sections titled “Lift: Like Flying an Airplane” and “Sacrifice and Consecration.” Think about how sacrifice and consecration can help you maintain spiritual momentum.

Monday: Spend some time exploring the Church’s temples website. Specifically, it might be helpful to review the different aspects of temple worship and what prophets have said about them. You might also consider how you can renew your commitment with God to keep your covenants.

Tuesday: Watch the video “Repentance: A Joyful Choice,” which shares a story told by Elder Dale G. Renlund about the joy he felt repenting as a young boy.

Wednesday: Much of what we know about the nature of God is thanks to Joseph Smith. Watch the video “Teachings of Joseph Smith: The Nature of God” and ponder what we understand about God’s nature because of the Prophet Joseph’s experiences.

Thursday: Read or watch Sister Susan Tanner’s talk “Expect, Recognize, Appreciate Miracles.” Write down one miracle you need right now.

Friday: Listen to the All In podcast episode with Melaney Tagg for a real-life example of one woman’s efforts to promote peace in her community.

Week 3 (September 18–23)

Sunday: Watch the Tabernacle Choir’s Spoken Word video about Inertia and Momentum on YouTube. Discuss what it teaches about the power of momentum.

Monday: Study the quotes on covenants found in the Eternal Marriage Student Manual and write down at least one thing you learn.

Tuesday: Read “The Divine Gift of Repentance” by Elder D. Todd Christofferson. Consider how you can apply each of his “five aspects of [the] fundamental gospel principle” of repentance.

Wednesday: Watch the video titled “What do we learn about the nature of God from the First Vision?” in which President Henry B. Eyring and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland discuss the nature of God.

Thursday: Read the Bible Dictionary definition of “Miracles.” Then listen to or sing the song “The Miracle” by Shawna Edwards.

Friday: Read a chapter from The Peacegiver by James Ferrell. If you don’t have the book, watch this TedTalk with the author.

Week 4 (September 25–30)

Sunday: Several BYU-Pathway Worldwide students shared their experiences with seeking to follow the prophet’s counsel about momentum. You can read their experiences on the BYU-Pathway blog. Consider how seeking to gain spiritual momentum over the last three weeks has blessed your life. You might want to write your feelings down.

Monday: Ponder how you can improve your temple experience—or how to help someone you love have a more positive temple experience—as you watch this Instagram Live interview with Melinda Wheelwright Brown. If you’d like to learn more, check out Melinda’s book Eve and Adam.

Tuesday: Read this excerpt from Elder Neil L. Andersen’s book The Divine Gift of Forgiveness.

Wednesday: Each day for the next week, write down how you have seen the hand of God in your life.

Thursday: Watch these two videos featuring families affected by the Cokeville bombing and the Sandy Hook shooting. Discuss with a loved one why sometimes miracles seem to save us in the way that we hope, while other times the miracle is different from what we expect.  

Friday: Read “The Canker of Contention by President Russell M. Nelson. Determine one person you would like to develop a better relationship with, and write down the first step you will take in reaching out.


General Conference Addresses, Journal Edition, October 2022

The General Conference Addresses Journal Edition has all the text of the October 2022 general conference addresses in one spiral-bound paperback. Extra-wide, lined margins give you space to record your impressions and to document the insights you receive. Create an enduring record to make the inspired teachings of general conference an ongoing part of your gospel learning.

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