Iaorana tatou pauroa,

We had a great, busy, and spiritual week this week with multizone conference, stake family week, a split, lessons, and general conference! General Conferences are my favorite weekends. It's like a second Christmas with the best gifts ever - the word of God straight from His Prophet and Apostles! But more on that later.

So Tuesday was multizone conference. I led a discussion on teaching clearly for understanding, and Soeur Ke- led a discussion about helping investigators overcome their preoccupations. There was also a helpful discussion about commitments, and I, as usual, concluded that I still need to be more bold! President Bize also shared the Church's Easter video #PRINCEdelaPAIX (www.mormon.org) and talked about peace and unity. The assistants to the President also talked about unity, and both of those messages reinforced my understanding that all tension or disunity results as a lack of understanding. As we learn more about, get to know, and try to understand other people, we will be more easily filled with love and can overcome hatred. That's why God loves us so perfectly - because he knows and understands us each perfectly. I can recall several occasions where I've been short on patience or frustrated with certain people or their actions, but then when I find out their side of the story- maybe they'd had a rough day, or were going through a certain trial, or were simply oblivious to my feelings - I realize that my patience was completely ungrounded, and it goes away, and we forgive, and we feel better and are filled with more love. "Learn principles of peace from the Prince of Peace." Our split with the sisters of Tuauru on Thursday was wonderful - Wednesday, we looked at our schedule for Thursday and realized that we had no lessons planned and weren't sure what else we should do. But throughout the day (Wednesday) we fixed lessons for almost every hour the next day, and then even when lessons cancelled we still had something to do. AND during that first lesson He- accepted a date for baptism! He's got a good testimony of the Book of Mormon and he loves Joseph Smith. Actually it was pretty funny - during the soirée cinema a week before, when we watched Meet the Mormons, one of his friends who has already taken the lessons told him that there was a Joseph Smith movie, and He- asked if we could watch that for the next soirée. We said we weren't sure when there would be another soirée but that perhaps we could watch it together during a lesson. So when we showed up for the lesson, before he even said hi, he just asked "Do you have the movie?" We didn't have a computer to watch it on, so we let him borrow the movie, and throughout the lesson he was anxious to finish the lesson so he could go watch it. So of course when we came back Thursday, naturally the first thing we asked was if he liked it, and he said "nah, it was too fast. The book is better." That works for me. Keep reading, my friend. But yeah, then we had a great lesson and engaged him to baptism and he said yes! Friday we had a great training in our district meeting about goals and plans, and it was based on math, which made me think of Mom ;) It went something like:

So xa+xb= x(a+b) for example 2x5+2x10= 2(5+10) 
Well: Goal + Plan + Action = Result. But what is the x? 
Jesus Christ (Goal+Plan+Action) = infinite results.

If we set goals that are in line with His will, if we plan as directed by His Spirit, and if we act relying and His power, we will have results with an infinite potential. "If Christ can multiply loaves and fishes, imagine what He could do with our lives." (This training was wonderfully supported by Elder Ballard's talk on Saturday about goals and planning)

Which brings me to GENERAL CONFERENCE!

What a wonderful weekend! We were able to go to our Ward Mission Leader's home, because they are so so nice and also speak fluent Englsih so they watch confrence in English (our chapel only does it in French). Plus they made pancakes. But more important than eating was feasting spiritually! Lots of talks stood out to me:

-Elder Holland - everyone has a place in the choir. Also reminded me of Mom ;) and also reminded me of the MTC - My dear Soeur Sa- had the courage to join the MTC choir with me even though she had never sung in a choir before. And she loved to sit by the Polynesians because they sang loud and always on pitch! Elder Holland explained that we should always stand as close to the Saviour as possible - "He always has perfect pitch." And that everyone is welcome in our choir! I also thought of the quote I shared a few weeks ago "The woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best."

-I noticed throughout all the sessions that the scripture "For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son" was repeated several times. If it's repeated, must mean it's really important! There were also many talks about the Holy Ghost, citing Doctrine and Covenants 130.

- So many other talks too but I don't have time for them all! Just one last one: Elder S. Mark Palmer talked about the need to teach with love, citing the story of the rich young ruler and the quote "Then Jesus, beholding him, loved him." True teaching always comes from love, not frustration, not fear as President Uchtdorf reminded us, but simply loving.

- And don't forget President Monson's invitation (reminder) to read the Book of Mormon EVERY DAY!

What did you learn this conference? I love you all so so much.

Soeur Ladd

[Editor's note: You can find all of the talks from General Conference HERE]