30 by 30, #6: Read and study all of the conference talks from October 2010.

In case you aren't familiar with the 30 by 30 Project, here is the original post, with the big fat list.

I love General Conference. I love hearing the words of counsel and testimony from the general authorities. It gives me peace and strength. But since having kids, General Conference is kind of a lost experience. I don't think I could even sit and pay attention to one 2 hour chunk of time, let alone four. There are too many busy little hands getting into mischief, or asking for my help, or just generally causing a raucous.

And you know what? That's ok. This was confirmed to me during the Relief Society General Broadcast last September. I was hoping that Ella would sleep through the meeting and I'd get to sit and enjoy the speakers, but alas, she did not cooperate. Instead of sitting in the quiet, dark chapel with everyone else, partaking of the sacred experience, I was pacing the halls, bouncing the baby, hoping she'd fall asleep, slipping into the mother's room to feed her, bouncing some more, trying my hardest to listen, but not really succeeding. And I thought to myself, "This is so unfair! I just want to listen! This is important!" And then the thought came to me: What you are doing is more important. There will be other Relief Society meetings. You can read the talks in the Ensign. But there is only one Ella, and she will only be a baby for so long, and right now she needs you.

And so I quit my belly-aching and rocked my baby with pleasure.

And I also made a goal to actually read all the conference talks in the Ensign, instead of just saying I will and forgetting all about it. When 30 by 30 came together, I thought it was the perfect chance to make the goal and be accountable for it.

I finished a couple of weeks ago. Oh, it has been a wonderful experience! I've been reading about 1 talk a day, usually over breakfast. I would read through it, and then read through it again and underline things that stuck out to me. I'm so grateful for the men and women who put those talks together, they have strengthened my testimony and left me with an added measure of the Spirit. It has been a great way to start the day. I haven't read a talk for a while now, and I think I'm going to have to go back and read them over again, because I miss them too much! April can't come fast enough.