I listened off and on to some conference stuff. Read a bit too. So Dusty Rusty announces 13 new temples. But I did not get a sense that the Church was growing especially in many of the areas that the new temples were announced. I did not hear mush about Church growth or even missionary work. I heard get back to Church!!

It could be me but I did not feel that this conference had anything to help long term committed members to cope with many of the issues they are stuggling with. Ex: The CES letter. The brthren must know that people are leaving the Church due to other things other than sin!!! Conference seemed to be a worship Dusty Rusty conference. If I was a none member watching there seemed to nothing I saw or heard that would prompt them to look into the Church. It sounded like a bible belt teachings about Christ. It felt distant and cold, at least the parts I listened too. As I watched the speakers they did not seem to have to their hearts and souls into what they were saying. I listened closely to testimonies that were born. They seemed to lack depth or conviction. Or content. The speakers with lesser status were more convincing but they seemed to be struggling to convince the top brethren "Listen to me, you need me!!!"

I had two TBM's tell me that with the announcements of the temples the Church is moving forward. And just how wonderful to belong to a Church that has a prophet that can lead us. The only talk I watched closely was Dusty Rusty and his closing remarks. Maybe its his age. Maybe its just him but he seemed cold and distance. Like he was hiding something. Several people indicated that he said earlier in the conference changes were coming to the temple stuff. Why can't he just be upfront if that is the case. What was Rusty hiding? Anyone else feel the same way?

And we've always been at war with Eastasia.

It is just that that are charging in the opposite direction

The church is growing exceedingly boring.

Paying tribute to Joseph Smith as next to Christ is making most people throw up in their mouths. The jig is up and people are waking up and going to Starbucks on Sunday.

Jeffery Holland was dripping with passion in his talk. He’s got his musket and it doesn’t matter what the opposition throws at him. He’s loyal to the end and will fight like Davey Crocket at the Alamo.

Conference has become a contest to see who can fill their allotted time without saying anything of substance.

I've always thought Rusty was cold and distant. He likes being boss. The one talk I remember he gave some years ago was about marriages outside the temple are fake. I was driving home from visiting my sister in Idaho and my newly minted TBM daughter wanted to listen to conference and then promptly fell asleep. I was kind enough to let her listen and I caught that talk.

I then wrote to my friend who SUPPORTED my gay/straight marriage and also told me God had given me this opportunity to save a soul and how would I feel if when I met my maker, he asked me why I turned my back on this opportunity. This was the evening I was trying to decide to marry the guy or not. Then to say that my relationship with my boyfriend isn't genuine, but my TM to my gay husband was?

The other speech I heard over these years since my daughter became TBM is mothers who know. She had it turned up loud and I was cleaning the house and I was saying under my breath, "I thought I knew." I avoid conference and she doesn't live here anymore. She can watch it with her husband!

I can't say that I think there has ever been anything special that came out of conference and I used to listen to every session.

Yes, just in dollars and not souls.

I tell myself every year that I'm not going to watch/listen to GC, but I do anyway just to see if there are any real juicy tidbits thrown out or if Rusty loses it and gives a crazy speech, but naturally, every year, it's the same rote boredom, with speakers who don't speak, they read carefully crafted versions of the same thing, over and over, ad nauseum, like they're all reading the same Ensign article out loud. I think the only thing I noticed different this time was 90% of the speakers got choked up, Eyring style, like they were all given the memo "Cry more"; they talk about joy and happiness in the church, but they don't seem to have much joy or happiness in delivering the talk, like they're a 10th grader who has to give a speech in their English class.

the Growth Brag is just that; growth doesn't imply or even suggest what the quality or benefits of their product is.