On the Fritz

 I mentioned to my Head Manager earlier today that I'd been wondering what we would have done if the power hadn't turned on before we closed for the night yesterday.

-Which again, luckily they got it fixed a couple of hours after the power went out. So there was no concerns there.

But like. It was a question in the back of my mind of what we'd do if we couldn't properly close down the tills and such for the night. Like would we have to do all the 'closing' stuff in the morning? Would we just pretend that the day of the power outage and the day after were the same day and just combine both of the totals together for one deposit? Would the computers reset things in such a way that we'd have no idea how much money belonged where? 

It was a ton of questions without a lot of answers.

After all, with power outages we usually only have to deal with a brief flicker period. Maybe half an hour at the most. It's rare to have longer outages. And like if they occur they occur well before we close.

So it wasn't really a concern for us, though it was a thought probably in the back of my Head Manager's mind what to do if that did become an issue.

...

...

...

I halfway wonder if I jinxed us by speaking my concerns outloud. 

Because tonight.

An hour and a half before we closed for the night.

The Group Work Chat lights up with a message from the Closing Manager.

"The Lights are Flickering and Registers are Down." 

Once again.

The city was experiencing a power outage.

But it was the weirdest power outage as this time it didn't send everything dark.

I mean, I wasn't there to see it in person. I was safe at home, far away from the chaos." 

But it was like....only half the power wasn't working? I don't know what that meant for traffic lights and such.

But like in the store a list of issues were:

Half the overhead lights were on. 
None of the Offices had lights. 
Some of the Fish Tank lights were flickering.
The second set of automatic doors kept opening and shutting even though no one was by them. 
1 Fridge out of 4 Fridge/Freezers in the same aisle wasn't working while the other 3 were working just fine.
Our printer wasn't working.
But the Computers were.
The charging station for our work phones wasn't working.
But the Ipads were charging just fine. 
The lights for the other animal enclosures were off. 
Registers were off. 

So like....half the store wasn't working properly.

I can only imagine what the customers were thinking at the time as we apparently had 10-15 people in the store at the time of the outage.

Which wasn't a lot thankfully. I can't imagine the crazy that would have occured if we'd been in the middle of a rush or something with a good 30-40 people in the store.

But it sounds like we ended up ushering the customers out, taking notes and numbers and holding their purchases off to the side for us to contact them tomorrow to come get (and probably give them a discount for the inconvience.) 

And I can only imagine how my manager and my closing people were feeling hanging out in a half working building for the remaining hour or so before we officially closed for the night. Hoping that the issue would be fixed before they had to leave.

-It wasn't. Not fully. 

But it basically brought my earlier questions up to the front.

How do we close the tills? How do we do the counting of the money?

Like. Good news is the computers were still working so we could count the money.

Badish news was that....it was a bit of a trial getting the tills out of the registers.

As they were completely off so we couldn't really use our regular manager keys and codes to shut it down and get the tills out.

No. Apparently. Somewhere. There's a Register Key. One that will manually open up the registers without having to input data into the computer to do so.

Only we couldn't find it. 

Honestly. I have no idea where it would be or when it would have vanished.

As to my knowledge....we haven't needed to ever use this 'register key' to close down a till. 

Admittedly I wasn't as aware of things in the beginning years here. So those managers at the time may have had to deal with late night power outages.

But nothing comes to mind in the last decade of a situation where we would have needed the key.

And the places we thought said key would be....it wasn't.

So like...my poor closing manager was probably wondering if they'd have to stay in the store until the power came fully back on or if we'd just have to leave the money in the registers for the night or what.

BUT.

I had the brilliant idea to have the closing manager call our Sister Store.

As they would more than likely have a Register Key that we could borrow to see if it would work for our registers or not.

Which they did have the key! Woot! So my Head Manager drove over to the sister store to grab it then came to our store to give it to the closing manager to test on the registers.

And it worked!!! 

Which was really lucky for us because I don't know what we would have done if we couldn't track down a key to get the registers open or if the power didn't turn on....because estimates for getting the power fixed went from midnight to 5am. So like...not a good sign. Though it does appeared to have been resolved now nearly 5 hours after it first went wonky.

*fingers crossed* That we don't have another power issue tomorrow.

Because like once isn't fun. Twice is annoying. Three times? It would be rather ridiculous. *shakes heads*

Here's hoping.

Until you next find these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Power Outage

 The power went out at work today.

Which is mostly notable because the power went out for like half the city due to an issue with the substation. So there was apparently chaos everywhere on the streets as drivers tried to figure out how to use the streetlights that weren't working.

Lucky me...I live nowhere near there and with it being my day off....I got to avoid all the chaos! HA!

At the same time.....I'm kinda miffed that I missed the chaos? Like of course the ONE day I have off is the day the power goes out at work.

And like. I think I just like the idea of having a bonding experience with my coworkers. The "Oh remember when the power went out and we had to do this for customers and did this while we waited for the power to come back on?" 

It was actually surprising to hear that we actually put up a sign to say we were closed due to the power outage. Though I think that was only because original estimates were that the power wouldn't get fixed until NINE PM at night. 

The power actually got turned back on a couple of hours after it went out. So at least it wasn't an all day outage. Just a couple of hours where my coworkers and managers spent doing some deeper cleaning tasks outside that we usually can't get done when the store is open. 

Though I was wondering what we'd end up doing if the power had stayed off all day.

Like with the threat of power coming back on any minute....how long would we have kept my coworkers there before calling it quits for the day? Like there's only so much you can do in a dark building and only so much you can do outside. 

And like how would we have officially closed down the store for the night if the power remained off? Like counting the tills and doing the deposits and the closing paperwork. How would that have all worked out?? I honestly don't know. And I hope to never find out.

But yah. Kinda sad to miss the excitement of being at work when the power wasn't working, but also very very glad that I could miss all the stress involved in dealing with the power outage as well because for management that has to be a total nightmare to get that all figured out and sorted. 

Until you next find these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

A Flake Again

 "I have good news and bad news," was how my first manager greeted me when I came into work today.

"Good news." They said. "Is that SoandSo can come in to work from 4-7pm!" 

Having just checked the schedule I could piece together the pieces pretty easily. And so I was like "Oh, does that mean the cashier from 2-7pm called out?" 

"Yep." 

Which honestly.

I wasn't very surprised, but I was kind of irritated. 

As this particular cashier has been....a Thorn in our sides pretty consistently since they were hired.

Mostly in the fact that a) They call out a lot. Like at least once a week call out." To the point where we're pretty sure they just are lying about why they're calling out. and b) When they do come into work....they don't work. Like they're not proactive in doing tasks. We constantly catch them on their phone. We constantly have to remind them to be saying and asking certain things to customers while at register.....it's a mess. Like when they're at work they're basically only doing the bare minimum and will only do the stuff we ask them to do...if there's a manager nearby to call them out on it. But like if there's no manager nearby they stop. *exhales* It's frustrating.

Like the kid is a friendly person. But they're a bad worker. And I just have to wonder why they're even still with us if they're constantly making up reasons to get out of work.

Like the kid literally calls out at least once a week. 

Which considering they've barely been with us like 6 months....is crazy. 

And like... some of the excuses could be believable. Like "My grandma passed away." Sure I can believe that. 
But the kid has used the excuse "I have kidney stones" a couple of times....yet is always fine the next day or the next shift....and I'm pretty sure if the kidney stones were soo bad that you couldn't come into work...you'd be taking the rest of the week off. So it's....a bit more skeptical....like it could be plausible...but at the same time....doesn't seem likely.

But the kid has also used the excuse of "I have a really bad sunburn, my arms and back hurt I can't come in." 

And then on the next shift we saw them at....there is no sign of red skin whatsoever. Kid doesn't even look like they went outside with how pale their skin was. 

So yah....we're all a bit skeptical of just how truthful all these call outs are. 

And again I worked with this cashier last night. Had literally had them say to me "See you tomorrow!" And yet ten hours later they're calling out for a kidney stone?? Not sure how quickly those onset...but it just seems fishy.

Especially when I noticed the trend with this particular cashier....that they seem to call out after receiving criticism at work.

As yesterday I had brought up to this cashier that they needed to be more proactive in signing up customers for our membership program as this cashier had the MOST transactions out of all the cashiers...and yet had the LOWEST sign up rate out of everyone. Like the next cashier had nearly a thousand LESS transactions but at least 6 times the sign up success. 

Like I'm barely on register and I have a higher percentage of success than this Cashier who's ONLY EVER on register for a good EIGHT HOURS a day. The fact that they only have a 3% success rate is....sad.

And like it feels like this is a trend.

Where if I say anything like "Hey, remember to greet customers." or "Remember, you can't be on your phone at register as that gives a bad impression to customers." or "Remember to ask people to donate."

It seems like the next shift they are suddenly unavailable to work.

*exhales*

And it's frustrating. Soooo frustrating.

As I'm not quite sure how to help this cashier out short of having to babysit them and watch them every single moment. 

Maybe next shift we work together I'll have to stick around and just...coach them. "Remember to try and sign up customers. Remember to greet customers as they walk in. Remember to offer them the chance to buy a toy to donate to kids."

Like I hate all the asking we have to do of customers too. But I hate having the DM on our back more. 

I don't know.

In any case. I wasn't too surprised to hear that the cashier had called out today. As again, they end up doing it at least once a week it feels like. And honestly it was nice to have capable cashiers at the register who would do what they needed to do and didn't need to be babysat.

But still. It's annoying to deal with a flakly coworker. 

Until you next find these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

A New Goal....Ish.

One of the thoughts I had while watching General Conference this past weekend is that I should probably get back into reading the scriptures. 

Like...it's been...well years since I've actually studied them. Read them. As I've been more focused on reading all the available conference talks on the app instead.

Like...it's been since before the pandemic that I actively read through the books. I think even before the Come Follow Me program started. Like I remember starting the Come Follow Me books that first year when we were supposed to read...the Book of Mormon I think? But it ended up falling by the wayside like a lot of things did during the pandemic. 

But it's been a thought for a bit....that maybe I should try and read the scriptures again. Do the whole highlighting and note taking and thought jotting thing.

Only like...the idea of opening the scriptures I already had at home was rather....unappealing. As I've already marked those up. And I really liked the idea of, well, a fresh start.

So I figured on Saturday between sessions I would drop by the Deseret Book and buy myself at least a new Book of Mormon to mark up and read since the regular book shouldn't cost that much there. 

However. Turns out that Deseret Book, at least the one I went too....had closed Saturday. For Conference. lol In retrospect...it made a lot of sense for the Church owned store to be closed during the Church's General Conference. 

Go figure.

In any case. Monday, after a bit of dithering/arguing with myself because I was TIRED after the little sleep I got from stressing too much Sunday night....I ventured over to nearby D.B. after work to try my luck again.

Good news. They were open lol.

And I found the little blue book Book of Mormon that I'd been thinking of Saturday easily enough.

And I was RIGHT! They weren't expensive. Only like $4ish which is amazing for a book! lol. 

However, I also noticed that there were other styles of the scriptures available, so for funsies I decided to take a closer look at those to see what was up.

And I discovered something amazing. Something that's probably been around for a good long while, but since I haven't actively searched for new scriptures in like....a decade....I would have remained well unaware of.

They had JOURNAL versions of the scriptures!!!

Which they're just the scriptures. Your good old Old Testament and New Testament and Book of Mormon and Pearl of Great Price and Doctrine and Covenants. 

BUT.

The margins were like two to three times as wide along the sides. Giving you much more room to write down your thoughts on the sides of the scriptures. 

ITS AMAZING.

Like my handwriting isn't the greatest. But it's even harder to read when I'm trying to smush a ton of words in a itty bitty space. So to have MORE space to write in?! Genius!!!

Lol I ended up buying all 4 books (OT, NT, BoM, PoGP/D&C) then and there -after more dithering on what colors I wanted the covers to be lol.

But yah! Went from wanting to buy a simple blue cover book of mormon to like getting an entire new set to write in!!

I'm so excited!

But I'm also in a bit of a dilemma as to where to start as I don't want to overwhelm myself first thing.

And like in the Come Follow Me....we're apparently studying the Old Testament this year. But since I have not been following that at all during the pandemic....

I'm not sure if I should just jump into the end of Isasiah where the Come Follow Me indicates we're studying this week, or if I should just start at the beginning of the Old Testament, or since the new year is literally only like...3 months away maybe I should start on the New Testament and get a head start on that. Or maybe I should just stick with the original plan to read the Book of Mormon and do that instead. Or since I am trying to get to church more often....maybe I should just jump into the middle of Isaiah and start there instead.....

So yah. I haven't decided what to do yet now that I have the books with me. But I'll figure it out soon enough.....as soon as I also decide what type of pen/marking tools to use lol. 

Until you next find these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Failed Check In

 It was supposed to be a typical Sunday night.

Like it was slightly atypical in that I would need to go to bed far earlier than normal because I had a 5 am shift today, so if I wanted to be more awake and functional I would need to be in bed by 10ish to get at least 6ish hours of sleep. -Not that that always works, but I do try to not deprive myself of sleep when I have the 5 am shifts. 

I was still a good couple hours away from this self imposed bedtime when I got a call from my sister.

Which in itself was rather unusual as she doesn't usually call me. But when she does it's usually due to needing an opinion on something or to vent or to like help her work through problems.

Last night it was more of the "calm me down" sort of phone call as my sister was, well, panicking. 

Because her husband is currently out on a camping trip with some other family.....and he failed to check in at his normal time.

Which normal time was 'around dark.'

And my sister had talked to him earlier in the day around 3:30 but hadn't heard from him since.

And the stalking app (as my family as the app to check everyone's phone locations) showed that he hadn't moved from his current spot since 4pm. 

Which okay.

Not unusual for that to happen especially if you leave your phone somewhere. And like, the area the phone was shown at had an e-bike shop and a river-rafting place. And the river rafting place --when I checked their website had "overnight trips" so like....maybe he'd just taken a river rafting trip and hadn't made it back to the starting point yet.

But my sister said that he usually checks in before he goes out of cell range to let her know he wouldn't have service. 

Yet at the same time...he's known to get 'caught up in the moment' and forget to tell plans and such.

But like overall while it was concerning that he wasn't responding to texts or calls nor could she reach the other people in his gtroup....more than likely they just weren't near the phones and were perfectly fine.

I did manage to calm her down enough that my sister was okay with hanging up with the plan to give it until the morning for him to check in again. 

-As usually he checks in at least twice in the evening....but he missed both checks last night.

But like...overall I didn't really get the sense that anything was wrong. Like it was worrisome for sure, but not too concerning....

Until I ended up doing some research in the area he was staying at and saw that there was a flash flood warning for the area.

And like around the same time I was discovering this, my roomie came home from her own trip to the south of us stating that she got caught in a major rainstorm and even encountered fingernail sized hail to the point where she had to take shelter at a gas station because a) the rain was heavy enough she couldn't see the road and b) the hail was heavy enough she was worried about damaging her car.

Which concerning.

But like my roomie came from the west side of the south side of the state, while my brother-in-law was on the east side of the south side of the state. 

So maybe it wasn't a correlation....but at the same time....his area had shown that there was a flash flood warning in effect until 5pm.

And as it neared 10pm my internet search pulled up the fact that the city near where my brother-in-law was....had flooded. I found videos online showing floods in the street...the video of this flooding being posted around 5 hours earlier...which would be around 5pm...which would be an hour after my brother-in-law's last check in with the app.

So like. It was worrisome. Because it seemed to indicate that he may have been caught up in the flooding somehow. Like if he was on the river, or out on a bike, or even hiking....he may have needed to take shelter to wait out the storm and for the flooding to die down. 

Which I did not tell my sister of any of this. Because I knew that the knowledge that the area her husband 'vanished' in was experiencing flooding would NOT help her stress levels at all.

Especially since she was quite concerned back in August when we took a sibling trip over to Zions to hike the narrows...about flash flooding as we were in the midst of monsoon season where there were evening rainstorms every single night. Luckily the area didn't experience flash floods until like 2 days after we'd come back home. So were lucky in that regards.

But the fact that brother-in-law was once again in a flood zone where I now knew active flooding was happening....

It was stressful.

I know to try not to let others stress get to me. But like. This is family and I have to admit I was worried for him.

Not that I could do much from here and it's not like anything was 'actually' wrong. For all we knew his phone had died and he just hadn't been able to charge it yet.

Still. The worry kept me up for a couple hours longer than I'd planned to be up because like....what if something had gone wrong? What if something had happened to him?

Like if my sister finally found herself a widow, what would happen to her and her family then? Would she have to get a job? Who would help with the kids? Where would she live? Would she have to move elsewhere?

But also I was trying to think of contingency plans. Like, okay what if he doesn't check in in the morning. How early could I leave work to go drive down south and try and track him down myself? Would I take my car? Did I trust my car to take me? Would I take my sister? Would she call the police and wait for their report before trying to do anything? Who would watch the kids? Who would drive down with me? Could my family come and help? Could her in-laws also come down to search? 

Like. So many thoughts whirling in my head as I desperately tried to relax enough to fall asleep because I still had to be at work at 5 am and I at this point I was only going to be getting like 4 hours of sleep before I had to get up. 

So yah. Really stressful. Constantly checking the stalking app to see his location hasn't updated is not good to the mental health for sure.

And I tried to put it from my mind this morning as well.

Because like...after praying and such....I got the feeling that "all was fine. He's okay." and it's easy to keep that optimism....until I would check the stalking app and see the location still unchanged. *exhales* So I'd have to go through the process of calming myself down again and reremember that I felt like things would be okay. That he was okay. So I shouldn't be stressing further.

Which like....I was going to text my sister a little after 8am to see if she'd heard from him yet.

But then thought that maybe that would still be too early. So I'd do it around 9 after the store opened.

I was still debating about being the one to reach out first though....because like if she wasn't freaking out then I didn't want to freak her out by bringing it up to her again....but I also wanted to know if she'd heard from him yet as I wasn't certain she'd reach out to let me know or not as communication isn't always the strong point with my family....though usually in more 'emergency' situtations it is. So I hoped that she'd let me know if there was any changes and such.

In any case. I ended up getting busy at work and it was nearly 10 am before I had a chance to check my phone again to see that my sister had texted.

"He's Alive!!"

Which *slumps in relief* YAY!!!!! And a check of the stalking app confirmed that his phone had finally updated his location. So double YAY!!

Turns out that they'd gone hiking up a canyon....that ended up not having cell service....and then "there was a flood."

So basically he and his companions ended up finding a dry place to camp and waited out the storm overnight before heading back into cell service in the morning to make contact.

To say my sister was relieved is an understatement for sure.

Until you next find these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

192nd SemiAnnual General Conference -Sunday Highlights

 Sunday Morning

Jeffrey R. Holland

• We are not a generalized Christianity. We are a restored church. THE restored Church.
• The Lives of our People must be the Symbol of our Faith.
• To follow Christ, one must sometimes carry a burden, yours or someone else, and go where trials are inevitable. 
• You can't follow Christ only in those matters in which you agree. No. Follow Him Everywhere. 
• There is a cost to discipleship. 
• How much is an offering really worth to you to give to Christ if it cost you nothing? 

J. Anette Dennis

• Your behavior is sometimes due to your pain and hurt, not due to your lack of desire or love. 
• If we fully understood the circumstances of others, we would act with compassion to help instead of adding further to their burdens through shallow judgements. 
• If we act to help one another then we can lift each other's burdens from both sides.
• Nothing you do makes much of a difference if you do not have charity.
• We are commanded to love others. Not to judge them. 
• We all have hidden sorrows. Let's not place more burden upon others by assuming that they are fine. 
• When we empathize with others it can help them feel that they are not alone in their struggles. 
• There is such power in Unity. We need to walk arm in arm with each other. 
• If friends and family step away from the Church, Continue to LOVE them. Do not criticize their choices when we don't fully understand why they chose to leave just like they may not understand why you choose to stay.

Gerrit W. Gong

• Happy and Forever are not the imaginary stuff of fairy tales. True enduring happiness is possible in Christ. 
• In the midst of happiness, love, and joy, you'll also have sadness, pain, and trials. Relationships and life are nuanced like that. 
• Christ can heal families even when they've experienced intergenerational conflict.
• He gives us peace in our past and hope for our future.
• Get up and go back to the Temple. 
• The temple is a place of healing.
• It makes all the difference to know who your family is.
• A bent branch does not mean a bad tree. How we come into this world is less important than who we are when we leave it. 
• We cannot knowingly sin on Saturday and expect automatic forgiveness and partaking of the sacrament on Sunday.
• Sometimes our willingness to forgive someone else can enable them and us that we can repent and we can be forgiven. 
• We can know when to hold on and when to let go through Christ. 
• We can surrender our pride, hurts, and sins, to God and he will help us become more whole as we trust him to make our relationships whole. 
• Focus less on ourselves. Judge less. Forgive more. 
• Happy and Forever does not mean that EVERY relationship will be Happy and Forever. 

Joseph W. Sitati

• Whenever we care to notice, we see that Heavenly Father has given us witnesses of truth to govern our lives so he will know him and we will have blessings of peace and joy.
• God lives. And he manifests Himself to us all the time, in multiple ways. 
• To acknowledge, believe and hope in God our hearts must be open to the Spirit of Truth. 
• Humility inclines the heart to seek repentance and obedience. 
• When we focus our best efforts on doing good to others, we are enabled to discover our own true divine worth. 
• What we do at home is the crucible of enduring and joyful discipleship. 

Steven J. Lund

• I just want to feel the spirit in my life. I just want to live like this. 
• We live in a spiritual corosive environment where if we aren't careful, can etch and erode our spiritual happiness, conviction, and devotion. 
• Come together. Engage together. Sing together. Praise together. Find peace in Christ.
• It's one thing to hear Him in the peace and quiet of our homes, and quite another to keep our discipleship out in public where everyone can see and hear. 
• The stalwart youth of zion are voyaging through troublesome times. Finding joy in the world without being part of said world is their particular charge. 
• You don't have to wear the badge to bear His name. 
• Come as you are. Shine bright in the darkness. Be a light unto others. 
• Your discipleship shouldn't just be a slogan on a T-Shirt. It should be a part of your life.

David A. Bednar

• An individual must exercise agency, and actively ask, seek, and knock, in order to discover the truths embedded in a parable. 
• For many are called, but few are chosen.
• To be or become chosen, is not an exclusive status confirred upon us. You and I ultimately can choose to be chosen through our agency.  
• God does not have a list of favorites. He does not limit the chosen to a restricted few. Instead our hearts and our desires, our obedience to commandments, and the Savior's grace and mercy, determine whether we are chosen. 
• Our short term preoccupation with the things of the world may lead us to forfeit our spiritual birthright.
• Consider. Your. Ways. 
• Zion must rise and put on her beautiful garments. 

Russell M. Nelson

• Spring into action whenever you see others in need.
• Experiencing the Lord's love is vital as we are accosted daily with an onslaught of sobering news.
• So many wonderful things are ahead. In the coming days we'll see the greatest manifestations of God's power that the world has ever seen. 
• Making and keeping covenants actually makes life easier because they have increased access to the power of Christ.
• Because Christ overcame the world, and because he Atoned for each of us, You Too can overcome this sin saturated, self centered, and exhausting world. 
• The Savior has redeemed us from weaknesses and sin. 
• You can overcome the spiritual and emotional plagues of the world.
• You can find true rest, even amid your most vexing problems. 
• Are you willing to give away your favorite sins?
• Overcoming the world doesn't mean becoming perfect in your life. 
• Overcoming the world means your resistance to sin will increase. 
• Overcoming the world is not an event that happens over a day or two. It happens over a lifetime as we repeatedly embrace the doctrine of Christ. 
• Cultivate your Faith. 
• The Savior lifts us beyond the pull of this fallen world by blessing us with charity, humility, generosity, kindness, self discipline, peace, and rest. 
• While the world insists that power, possessions, popuplarity, and pleasures of the flesh bring happiness. They do not. They can not. They produce nothing but a hollow substitute to those who keep the commandments of God. 
• It is much more exhausting to seek happiness where you can never find it. 
• Take charge of your own testimony. Work for it. Nurture it so it will grow. Feed it truth. Don't pollute it with false philosophies of men and women. 
• Your highest priority. Watch for Miracles to Happen in your Life.
• Find rest from the intensity, uncertainty, and anguish of this world, by overcoming the world through your covenants with God. 
• Let God prevail in your life. You will feel greater peace and confidence in your life and find rest. 
• Because Christ overcame this world. You. Can. Too.

Sunday Afternoon

Henry B. Eyring

• Wherever you are on the covenant path, you'll find trials, but don't allow it to stop your progress.
• Of course it's hard. It's supposed to be. Life is a test. 
• Regardless of the Struggle, what would matter most would be to arrive at Home with Heavenly Father. You can do this through Faith in the Savior. 
• Keep your eyes on the prize you want. 
• Meekness is evidence of the strength of your faith. 
• You cannot have faith and hope save you be meek and lowly of heart.
• Cleave unto Charity for all things must fail but Charity is the pure love of Christ and it endures for forever.  
• Ordinary human beings can take all the wonderful ideals in their lives and use it to rise above the storms in our lives. 

Ryan K. Olsen

• Don't worry.  You belong. 
• The answer to the simplest questions and the most complex problems is always the same. The answer is always Jesus Christ. Every solution is found in him.
• The Savior will help us not only when we're serving but Always, if we let him.
• If it applies to your friends, it can also apply to you.
• If we feel like the solution is too complex just remember that the Savior is the master of simplicity. 
• Christ teaches with such stunning plainness that we cannot misunderstand him.
• The answer is simple. It is always Jesus.

Jonathan S. Schmitt

• A person's name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in their own language. 
• Jesus knows each of us by name. He doesn't mix us up. 
• 5 Names and Titles that apply to us. 1. The Good Shepherd 2. High Priest of Good Things to Come 3. He Is the Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever 4. The Holy One of Israel 5. He is Faithful and True
• Christ wants us to be good shepherds. Particularly in our families. 
• There is a great need for us to practice positivity, optimism, and hope. 
• Consistency is a Christlike attribute.
• Make Time for the Lord. Great spiritual strength comes from small and simple things. 
• Time in the Temple will increase holiness in our lives.
• Don't Ever give up on Jesus. He will Never give up on you.

Mark D. Eddy

• Does your soul ache for illumination? Please try the virtue of the Word of God. 
• In all our efforts, let us remember, to try the virtue of the Word of God which is in us. 
• Are you seeking to cut through all the cunning, snares, and wiles of the devil present in the world today? Please try the virtue of the Word of God.
• There is virtue in the words of ancient and modern prophets because their words are the Lord's words. Accepting this truth is critical to your survival in the Latter-Days. 
• We must drink deeply and often directly from the Source. 

Gary E. Stevenson

• Defining moments of life come unexpectedly and even when you're still young.
• Don't be embarrassed. Be proud of your religion. 
• 1. God is your Heavenly Father. You are his Child. 2. Christ Lives. 3. Jospeh Smith is a Prophet of God 4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Sants is God's restored church on the earth. 5. The restored church of Christ is led by a living prophet today.
• Your testimony in Christ isn't just what you say but who you are.
• When you use Social Media, use it to show how the Gospel of Jesus Christ shapes your life. 
• Sometimes testimonies are better gained on the feet bearing them rather than the knees praying for them. 
• To retain our testimony we need to partake of the sacrament each week.
• Feed your Testimony Truth. 

Isaac K. Morrison

• In the middle of life's challenges there can be the golden opportunity to grow.
• 1. Listen to and Heed the promptings of your Spouse. 2. If you are not sure, for any reason, refer to rule number 1. 
• Our bitterness serves its purpose as we exercise faith in the Lord. 
• We can feel joy regardless of what is or is not happening in our lives. Joy comes from and because of Him.
• Some of our best lessons are learned during the hardest times in our lives. Times that took us out of our comfort zone. 
• The Lord always compensates for our righteous desires. 

Quentin L. Cook

• To meet the difficulties that are coming, you will need to have a knowledge of the truth of this work for yourselves.
• You can't endure on borrowed light. You must be guided by your own personal light. 
• Are you valiant in your testimony of Christ?
• Those who put their trust in God, shall be supported in their trials, troubles, and afflictions and shall be lifted up in the last day. 
• When spirit speaks to spirit the imprint on the soul is more difficult to erase. 
• Please make up your mind, regardless of what your parents did or did not do to you, that you will never emotionally, physically, or mentally abuse your spouse or children. 
• Daily repentance is integral to our lives. Repentance is not an event, it's a process.
• Healing is available to all because of the Savior's Atonement.

Russell M. Nelson

• Our Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ stand ready to help you. Seek their help.
• Let us never lose sight of what the Lord is doing for us now. 
• Increased time in the temple can bless your lives. 

To read/watch/listen to these talks in their entiritey please visit: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/10?lang=eng

Until you next find these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

192nd SemiAnnual General Conference -Saturday Highlights

 Saturday Morning 

Dallin H. Oaks

• Giving to those in need is a principle in all Abrahamic religions and other religions as well. 
• Men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will. 
• When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the fellow service of your God. 
• God is using more than one people for the accomplishment of his great and marvelous work. 
• We need to be more aware and more appreciative of the service of others. 
• Everything that is good and entices to do good is inspired of God. 
• We believe all are one. We are children of one God. We are here to serve all humanity.
• You don't need to wait for others to organize or direct you in order to find ways to help those in need around you. 
• We should be doing more to recognize and support the good done by others. 

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

• Let not your heart be troubled.
• Christ won't make excuses for your mistakes. He wouldn't minimize them. He would ask you to repent. To change. To let him forgive you.
• With Christ's help there are no limits to what you can accomplish.
• You are here to learn, to grow, to progress, to learn of everything your Father in Heaven has created for you. 
• At the heart of God's plan, for your happiness, is your power to choose. 
• Sometimes, here on Earth, it seems more complicated than it should be because we don't always see things as clearly as we'd like to. 
• When you earnestly seek the truth, your choices become much clearer. You will still have temptations and trials. Bad things will still happen. But you can manage when you know who you are, why you are here, and when you trust in God.
• They who wait upon the Lord will be renewed with His strength. 
• The best Guide you can have for making choices is Jesus Christ.
• Would long lists of what you should and should do/see/say/watch really help you in the long run? No. 
• Teach them correct principles and they will govern themselves.
• Watch yourselves, your thoughts, your words, and deeds. 
• Is it wrong to have rules? Of course not. We need them. Is it wrong to focus only on rules instead of focusing on the Savior? You need to know the whys and the hows before you consider the consequences of your choices. Put your Trust in Christ and his ability to lead you the right way.
• The Lord is not saying "Do whatever you want." He's saying "Let God prevail." "Come follow me." "Keep my commandments." 
• If the Savior among us, today, he would express his endless love and confidence in you. He would tell you "You can do this!"

Tracy Y. Browning

• As we seek for blessings and knowledge in our lives we'll be able to see things as they're meant to be. 
• Our focus must be on the Savior and his Gospel. We must strive to look unto Him in every thought. 
• Fix your focus on Christ. He will lead and guide you if you will make time for him in your life each and every day.
• Where we look for Christ we will Find Him. Each and Every Day.

Dale G. Renlund

• Pilots operate within a framework. No matter how brilliant or talented they are, the pilots can only safely unleash their potential within a framework to ensure everyone makes it through the flight safe. 
• With the help of the Holy Ghost we can transform our divine nature into our eternal destiny.
• We need to understand the framework within which the Holy Ghosts functions in order to have Him provide Personal Revelation.
• Do not be deceived. Do not allow yourself to crash and burn. 
• Doctrine, Commandments, and Revelations for the Church come through the Prophet. That is his Runway. 
• Personal Revelation belongs to individuals. You can personally receive revelation for your own life. But that doesn't mean you can receive revelations for others or guide their lives. Personal Revelation is for you and your life. 
• When we ask for Revelation for something God has already given clear revelation for we open ourselves up for misunderstandings in trying to hear what we want to hear instead of what God has already said. 
• Do not let yourself be under the influence of a False Spirit.
• Exceptions do not negate the Rules. Personal Revelation will be in harmony with God's commandments. 
• If God has answered a question and the circumstances haven't changed...why would we expect the answers to be different if we ask again? 
• You know how God feels about this if you've asked him for revelation and received it. But you also have your agency to listen and follow what is revealed or to go your own way. 
• Few of life's destinations are reached in a single nonstop flight. Personal Revelation can shift as the journey continues. 
• Have the confidence to claim personal revelation for yourself. 

Rafael E. Pino

• We all have customs and traditions that are personal and come with the community in which we love and we hope to keep those that align with the principles of the Gospel.
• What is normal for us may be abnormal for others because our customs and traditions are not all the same.
• Let the normal things in our lives be those that let us keep the covenant paths.
• Be steadfast and immovable. Always abounding in Good Works.
• The things that become normal in our lives are the things that we repeat again and again and again.

Hugo Montoya

• We are willing to help each other because we love each other. Our needs become their needs and their needs become our needs. 
• We love each other because we are children of the same Father in Heaven.
• Let us take advantage of every opportunity to help our neighbor even if we only see them once in our lifetime. 
• Happiness does not depend on the circumstances but our attitude towards those circumstances.
• Bless your children whether they are five or fifty years old. Be there for them.
• We are eternal beings living temporary experiences.

Ronald A. Rasband

• We need to renew our commitment to the Book of Mormon.
• With each reading of the Book of Mormon you can be filled with a love for the Lord and his Teachings. 
• The Truths of the Book of Mormon have the power to heal, comfort, restore, and enlighten our hearts and souls.
• You do not need to carry printed copies of the Book of Mormon with you. You can always share it via the Gospel Library App on your Phone.
• We need to act now. 

Russell M. Nelson

• No matter what happens in your life, your greatest strength comes from the Lord.
• With the dedication of each new temple, more Godly power is welcomed to the Earth.
• Any kind of abuse to anyone is an abomination to the Lord. He grieves whenever anyone is harmed. He mourns for each person who has fallen to abuse of any kind. 
• Be alert to anyone who might be in danger of being abused and act promptly to protect them. The Savior will not tolerate Abuse and as his Disciples neither can we. 
• God is the source of ALL truth. 

Saturday Afternoon

M. Russell Ballard

• As we follow Christ, with footsteps of faith, there's hope. 
• There is hope and peace in Christ. He can carry us today through difficult times. He did it for our ancestors, and He'll do it now for each one of us.
• Your footsteps of faith today will bless your posterity in the future.
• Take charge of your testimony. Work for it. Own it. Care for it. Nurture it. So it will grow. Then watch for Miracles to happen in your life.
• Christ will come to us in our trials. He will not leave us comfortless. 
• We have trails to walk. Mountains and hills to climb. Though the challenges today are different from those in the past, they're no less challenging for us. 
• Keep your feet firmly planted on the covenant path of faithfulness.
• Do not allow Satan to dull our commitment and our love for God and Christ.

Kristin M. Yee

• Forgiving can be one of the more difficult things we ever do but one of the most divine things we ever experience. 
• We're not left to deal with the consequences of others actions on our own. Christ is there to help us.
• The Lord requires us to forgive for our Own Good, but does not ask us to do it without his help, his love, his understanding.
• Forgiving someone doesn't mean you put yourself in a position where you continue to be hurt. 
• You cannot erase what has been done, but you can forgive. 
• Christ can heal the sinner and those who have been sinned against. 
• We can offer Kindness for Cruelty, Love for Hate. 
• To give what you have been denied is a divine quality to have in your life. 
• God can make good come not only from our successes but also from our failures and our pain. 

Paul V. Johnson

• We cannot save ourselves, no matter how capable, educated, brilliant, or strong we are, we cannot cleanse ourselves from our sins, change our bodies from our mortal state, or exalt ourselves. It is only possible through our Savior and His Atonement. 
• Humble yourself. Put your Trust in God. He can then Change your Heart for the Better. 
• We have the ability to choose who we follow. When we follow Satan, We give Him power. When We follow God, He gives Us power. 
• We should not assume that we should do what only the Savior can do when it comes to our progress towards perfection. 

Ulisses Soares

• Marriage should be a partnership. 
• Our spouse should walk shoulder to shoulder with us in full partnership. 
• We are all considered equal before God. Man or Woman it does not matter. All are equal. 
• There's no superiority or inferiority in a marriage partnership. 
• Love is not a possession but a participation in an equal partnership of marriage. 
• We should strive for a United Marriage. 
• Nuturing and Presiding are interrelated and overlapping responsibilities and wife and husband should share the responsibilities between them equally. 
• One person may have a responsibility for something, but may not be the only person doing it. 

James W. McConkie III

• If you Love the Lord....Spend time with Him.
• The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a Gospel of Transformation. It takes us as Men and Women of Earth and transforms us to be Men and Women of the Eternities. 
• Do we see the unexpected events in our lives as an interruption or as a teaching moment? 
• In order to bring others to Christ we must all carry our corner of the burden placed on each of us. 
• We each have a role to play in the Kingdom of God. 

Jorge F. Zeballos 

• Earthquakes will occur in our lives no matter what we do. But we can design 'structures' in our lives that can resist the effects of said Earthquakes with minimal or no damage. 
• We can construct lives that are resistant to temptation. Resistant to Sin. That allow us to find eternal happiness. 
• Fasting can bring us spiritual strength and increase our resistance to the trials in our life. 
• The Lord will never tempt us beyond what we can resist. 
• The Lord always provides us with an escape when we face adversity. 

D. Todd Christofferson 

• The gospel net gathers from every nation and every people. Zion is being established simultaneously on every continent and every neighborhood. 
• We cannot premit racism or other divisions to exist in the Church of Jesus Christ.
• Be One. If you're Not One. You're Not Mine. 
• We need one another. 
• A sense of belonging is important to our spiritual, mental, and emotional well-being. 
• The Lord looks on the Heart. He cares about our desires and what we want. 
• None of us wants to experience the feeling of isolation. 
• Let us leave judgement in the Lord's hands and be content to treat and love each other the best we can. 
• Much of our belonging comes from our service. The sacrifices we make for others and for the Lord. 
• Belonging comes not as we Wait for It but as we Reach Out to Help one another. 
• Sometimes we must abandon the comfortable and begin again in order to progress. 
• We don't join the church for fellowship alone, we join it for redemption through Christ.
• The Church is the custodian for the covenants and expectations of exaltation. 
• Each one of us can affirm that Christ died for me, he thought me worthy of his blood, he loves me and makes all the difference in my life. 

Saturday Evening

Gerald Causse

• 1. The Entire Earth and everything on it belongs to God. 2. As Stewards of God's creations we have a duty to honor and care for them. 3. We are invited to Participate in the work of Creation.
• Every man is accountable as a steward of his earthly blessings. 
• We should care for the earth and preserve it for future generations. 
• The greatest gift of love we can give to our fellow man is to share with them the Joy of the Gospel.
• Life is sacred.
• Great spiritual blessings are promised to those who love and care for the Earth and their fellow man. 

Michelle D. Craig

• Stand fast and find peace. 
• 3 Ways to Grow: 1. We can keep our covenants even when it's not easy. 2. We can act in faith. 3. We can be whole hearted and joyful in our devotion.
• Expect troubles. Troubles are part of the plan. They do not mean you've been abandoned. They mean you are His for He is a man of Sorrows.
• Heavenly Father is more interested in our Growth than our Comfort. 
• Living in Convenience does not bring Power. 
• What would have happened had you just opened the door. Would you realize you aren't alone. That you are really loved.
• What you see isn't always a reflection of the way things are.
• Sometimes you just need to Do something. To Act in Faith. 
• If the thought of taking action in the midst of pain seems impossible, please, let your action being reaching out to someone for help. So they can become your hope.
• Trials do not mean that The Plan is failing. 

Kevin W. Pearson

• Is our own spiritual foundation built solidly on Jesus Christ? 
• The principle of willingness won't trend the same way with social media trends. 
• The church is a gathering place for imperfect individuals who love God and are willing to follow His Teachings. 
• Our willingness is directly proportionate to how much time we spend with God and his Church. 
• Are we willing to put forth more than a superficial effort in Christ, His Church, and His Work?
• Faith in Christ is a Choice.
• Willingness is the Catalyst to Faith.
• The covenant path is not a simple checklist. It is a commitment to a lifestyle and a choice to hold onto it. 
• Our determination to center our lives on Christ should be consistent. Not conditional or situational. 
• The companionship of the Holy Ghost is Priceless.
• The most powerful spiritual influence for a child is their parents and grandparents. 
• What changes in your personal life would help you have the influence of the Holy Ghost in your life more consistently? 

Denelson Silva

• A simple act can have profound significance to another's life. 
• We must not only defend the truth but also proclaim it. 
• Doubt our doubts before we doubt our faith. 
• There are so many people you can meet so many experiences you can experience if you get out of the house instead of staying home. 
• We always defend the truth when we proclaim it. Defending the truth should never be done in an aggressive manner. 
• The knowledge of the truth does not make us better than other people but teaches us what we must do to return to God's side. 
• By living the Truth you will find comfort and peace.
• The challenges of life can knock us down, but when we exercise our faith in Christ he can help us stand up and stand steadfast. 

Neil L. Andersen

• As Evil increases in the world, our spiritual survival and the survival of those we love, we must take action to nurture our Roots in Christ. We must be rooted, grounded, in the love of our Savior in our determination to follow him. 
• Having Faith in Christ and being a True Disciple is more than a one time decision or a one time event. It is a sacred and ongoing process as we learn and grow through the seasons of our lives. 
• 1. Immerse ourselves more completely into Christ's life. 2. We desire to promise the Savior our allegiance and Trust. 3. We treasure, protect, defend, and safeguard the gift of the Holy Ghost.
• With every righteous movement to Him we see Him more clearly. 
• God will not abandon his relationship with those who have forged a bond with him. 
• We are a light to the world and when necessary we willingly choose to be different from others. 
• Do you Dare to be Different?
• You are living in the world, but you have different stands than the world, to help you avoid the stain of the world. 
• You can stand strong in your faith without having to isolate yourself from those who believe differently. 

To watch/read/listen to these sessions in their entiritey please visit: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/10?lang=eng

Until you next find these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi