General Conference at Temple Square

Now that Tyler is 8 we wanted to take all our kids to General Conference on temple square. They were so excited to go!

We loved walking around temple square. We had tickets to go to the Saturday morning session of conference. My parents needed to meet up with their Bishop to get another ticket to get in to conference. We made the mistake of waiting for them even though they were late. We headed to the conference center to quickly get in line to go in for conference. As bad luck would have it I picked the wrong line. Our line and another line were feeding in to the same door so it moved SUPER slow. They closed the doors before we could even get in saying the building was full but people who had others inside saving seats could get in. What we should have done was gone in and left mom and dad to wait for their ticket and they could have come in and sat in seats we saved for them. When we were told we couldn't get in my kids are burst out crying!!! I felt awful. The couple behind us felt so bad for our kids. They thought it was sweet that they wanted to go so badly. We decided to hurry to the tabernacle to watch conference there. The couple who was behind us in line for the conference center happened to be in front of us in the line at the tabernacle. They told us to go in front of them to make sure we could get in. How sweet and loving is that. Gratefully we all got in as well as the people who switched spots as us. We were able to watch conference in the historic tabernacle and witness the solemn assembly of our new prophet Russel M. Nelson. So that was a pretty neat experience as well even though we weren't in the same conference center as him. 

Dad and Jaime were able to go to the priesthood session. I was grateful for that as well. 

While Dad and Jaime were at the priesthood session the kids colored Easter eggs at our rental house. Generally we do a lot more for Easter but with it falling on Conference weekend and us being at conference, conference kind of took more precedence and the kids didn't mind at all. Sunday morning they woke up and saw what they received for Easter and then got ready for conference. And you know why they dressed up in their church clothes again?! Because they wanted to attend conference in the conference center so badly that they chose to go wait in line on temple square to see if we could get in on stand by. What amazing testimonies my kids have that I didn't even realize! Why else would they want to go wait in a line with no guarantee they'd get in?

So Sunday morning we watched the morning session at the house, dressed in church clothes. Before the session ended we loaded up in the car and listened to conference on our way to temple square. Jaime and Dad dropped us off just outside the gates of temple square near the tabernacle where we'd have to stand in line for stand by tickets. Then they went to park the van and walked back to where we were standing in line. 

We got a good spot in line and felt pretty good about our chances to get in to conference. We were able to hear the end of the morning session while waiting in line. 

We were so blessed to have such a warm spring morning! We waited in line, eating easter candy while the boys played on their DS laying in the grass. It was a good sight to see. Everyone was happy and feeling good and no complaints. Generally I don't let the kids play video games on Sunday but expecting them to stand in line for over an hour with nothing to do would have been pushing it. 

Our temple view standing next to the tabernacle. We were able to get in to the tabernacle where they have us wait in a couple pews as they hand us our standby conference tickets. Then they take us to the conference center...

And in we go! We are all smiles as we walked in. I wanted to experience this with my children so much that it felt amazing to be there with them.

The were so excited we got in. 

Our church leaders and Prophet

It wouldn't have been the same without Mom and Dad there. 

After conference we were able to walk out on the top floors of the conference center and look around.  They were starting to close up and telling everyone it was time to leave as we were still looking at things inside. We wanted to show the kids the hall of all the prophets. One gentlemen was so kind to quickly take us through and then escorted us out a door so we could still walk around outside. 

The last time I took a picture of my kids in front of this waterfall at the conference center Tyler was sitting in a stroller. The next time we are here one or both of my boys will be priesthood holders. 

My kids have some awesome grandparents and great relationships with them. 

Lindsey soaks everything in. She knows she felt the Holy Spirit there. She said she didn't want conference to end. I've never seen anyone so young love conference so much. She truly is a special girl who I know our Heavenly Father needed her to come at this time in this hard time of the worldly problems. She has such an amazing confidence and testimony. She has such a desire to learn about church history and hear our modern and past prophets words. 

She has quite the bond with her grandparents as well. 

My kids are pretty spoiled by their grandparents. 

What a great day. If we were able to get in to the conference center yesterday the kids wouldn't have been able to experience conference in the history tabernacle AND the conference center in the same weekend. I'm so grateful they had the desire to wait in a line Saturday (just to be turned away) and then wait even longer in a line on Easter Sunday, I'm grateful for the beautiful weather we were blessed with for standing out in, I'm grateful my children were able to feel the spirit while in conference on both days, I'm grateful we were able to see and hear President Nelson and other church leaders, I'm grateful we could experience this together as a family and with my parents. This was a very heart filling day for me.