Monday Morning Session - General Conference Review for Real Life

In this episode of Thinking Celestial, Dr. Kirk Burbidge leads a thoughtful review exploring the meaning and significance of solemn assemblies within Christianity and early Church history. Drawing on scripture, historical accounts, and prophetic patterns, he shares fresh discoveries and spiritual insights that help listeners see how solemn assemblies function as moments of covenant renewal, divine instruction, and communal consecration—inviting modern disciples to better understand their sacred purpose and enduring relevance today.
Review general conference here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2026/04?lang=eng
 
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Enroll in this institute class here:
https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/institute/15280/classes/1701261  
_______________
Thinking Celestial is a "Follow the Prophet" podcast series produced by the Taylorsville Institute of Religion faculty and students at the Salt Lake Community College Redwood campus.
These episodes are part of a class administered by the Taylorville Institute. If you'd like to enroll in the class and participate in future discussions and podcasts, register for the online institute today here: https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/institute/15280/classes/1701261  
We invite you to go to https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/ and register for any class.
The views, opinions, and doctrines shared in this podcast are not official doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Questions, thoughts, and suggestions for future episodes can be directed to TaylorsvilleInstitute@ChurchofJesusChrist.org  
If you liked our podcast, please share it on social media or with anyone you think might love it! 
 

In this episode of Thinking Celestial, Dr. Kirk Burbidge is joined by Alan Sackett and Blake Dalton as they reflect on impressions, themes, and personal takeaways from the April 2026 General Conference. Together they discuss how prophetic teachings invite greater discipleship, deeper trust in Christ, and more intentional daily living. The conversation is thoughtful, practical, and hopeful, offering listeners simple invitations to act on what they heard and felt during conference. Tune in for an uplifting recap and encouragement to keep moving forward with faith.
Review the original talk here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2026/04?lang=eng
Enjoyed our podcast? Help spread the word! Please share it on social media or pass it along to friends, family, or anyone who might find joy and inspiration in it. Your support makes all the difference!
_______________
Enroll in this institute class here:
https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/institute/15280/classes/1701261  
_______________
Thinking Celestial is a "Follow the Prophet" podcast series produced by the Taylorsville Institute of Religion faculty and students at the Salt Lake Community College Redwood campus.
These episodes are part of a class administered by the Taylorville Institute. If you'd like to enroll in the class and participate in future discussions and podcasts, register for the online institute today here: https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/institute/15280/classes/1701261  
We invite you to go to https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/ and register for any class.
The views, opinions, and doctrines shared in this podcast are not official doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Questions, thoughts, and suggestions for future episodes can be directed to TaylorsvilleInstitute@ChurchofJesusChrist.org  
If you liked our podcast, please share it on social media or with anyone you think might love it! 
 

In this episode of Thinking Celestial, Dr. Kirk Burbidge and SLCC Institute teacher Alan Sackett explore the February 22 BYU–Idaho devotional, “President Dallin H. Oaks and the Law of Witnesses,” shared by Elder Neil L. Andersen. They discuss how Elder Andersen intentionally shifted his message after the President Oaks fireside, tailoring it to a rising generation. The conversation highlights Elder Andersen’s effort to connect President Oaks’s teachings on law and evidence with everyday faith decisions facing young adults. Together, they reflect on how recognizing God’s established pattern of witnesses can strengthen testimony, anchor faith, and help disciples act with greater spiritual confidence.
Review the original talk here: https://www.byui.edu/speeches/devotionals/neil-l-andersen/president-dallin-h-oaks-and-the-law-of-witnesses-february-22-2026 
Enjoyed our podcast? Help spread the word! Please share it on social media or pass it along to friends, family, or anyone who might find joy and inspiration in it. Your support makes all the difference!
_______________
Enroll in this institute class here:
https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/institute/15280/classes/1701261  
_______________
Thinking Celestial is a "Follow the Prophet" podcast series produced by the Taylorsville Institute of Religion faculty and students at the Salt Lake Community College Redwood campus.
These episodes are part of a class administered by the Taylorville Institute. If you'd like to enroll in the class and participate in future discussions and podcasts, register for the online institute today here: https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/institute/15280/classes/1701261  
We invite you to go to https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/ and register for any class.
The views, opinions, and doctrines shared in this podcast are not official doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Questions, thoughts, and suggestions for future episodes can be directed to TaylorsvilleInstitute@ChurchofJesusChrist.org  
If you liked our podcast, please share it on social media or with anyone you think might love it! 
 

In this episode of Thinking Celestial, Dr. Kirk Burbidge and Copper Hills High Seminary teacher Brother Kolby Hales revisit the conference classic “Love and Law” by then Elder Dallin H. Oaks. Together they explore why God’s love is both perfect and constant, while His blessings are often connected to laws He invites us to live. The discussion highlights how understanding this divine balance deepens discipleship, corrects common misunderstandings about grace, and helps us follow Christ with both faith and faithful obedience.
Review the original talk here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2009/10/love-and-law?lang=eng 
Enjoyed our podcast? Help spread the word! Please share it on social media or pass it along to friends, family, or anyone who might find joy and inspiration in it. Your support makes all the difference!
_______________
Enroll in this institute class here:
https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/institute/15280/classes/1701261  
_______________
Thinking Celestial is a "Follow the Prophet" podcast series produced by the Taylorsville Institute of Religion faculty and students at the Salt Lake Community College Redwood campus.
These episodes are part of a class administered by the Taylorville Institute. If you'd like to enroll in the class and participate in future discussions and podcasts, register for the online institute today here: https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/institute/15280/classes/1701261  
We invite you to go to https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/ and register for any class.
The views, opinions, and doctrines shared in this podcast are not official doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Questions, thoughts, and suggestions for future episodes can be directed to TaylorsvilleInstitute@ChurchofJesusChrist.org  
If you liked our podcast, please share it on social media or with anyone you think might love it! 
 

In this episode of Thinking Celestial, Dr. Kirk Burbidge is joined by SLCC students Breanna Simms and Britton Groebs as they revisit Elder Ulisses Soares’s talk “Adorned with the Virtue of Temperance.” Their conversation explores how temperance is more than restraint; it is a Christ-centered discipline that fuels steady self-improvement, emotional maturity, and spiritual confidence. They reflect on how learning to govern desires, habits, and priorities now lays a foundation for healthier relationships and stronger future families, ultimately helping disciples of Jesus Christ live with greater purpose, balance, and hope.
Review the original talk here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2025/10/43soares?lang=eng 
Enjoyed our podcast? Help spread the word! Please share it on social media or pass it along to friends, family, or anyone who might find joy and inspiration in it. Your support makes all the difference!
_______________
Enroll in this institute class here:
https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/institute/15280/classes/1701261  
_______________
Thinking Celestial is a "Follow the Prophet" podcast series produced by the Taylorsville Institute of Religion faculty and students at the Salt Lake Community College Redwood campus.
These episodes are part of a class administered by the Taylorville Institute. If you'd like to enroll in the class and participate in future discussions and podcasts, register for the online institute today here: https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/institute/15280/classes/1701261  
We invite you to go to https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/ and register for any class.
The views, opinions, and doctrines shared in this podcast are not official doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Questions, thoughts, and suggestions for future episodes can be directed to TaylorsvilleInstitute@ChurchofJesusChrist.org  
If you liked our podcast, please share it on social media or with anyone you think might love it! 
 

In this episode of Thinking Celestial, Dr. Kirk Burbidge is joined by Institute student Lily Brammer to revisit President Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s General Conference classic, “Things That Matter Most” (October 2010). Together they reflect on the spiritual cost of busyness and the invitation to slow down, simplify, and refocus on what the Lord values most. Their discussion emphasizes learning to listen for God’s voice in quiet, unhurried moments, where faith is strengthened and perspective is restored. This conversation encourages listeners to step back from the noise of life and create space to hear the Lord more clearly.
Review the original talk here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2010/10/of-things-that-matter-most?lang=eng 
Enjoyed our podcast? Help spread the word! Please share it on social media or pass it along to friends, family, or anyone who might find joy and inspiration in it. Your support makes all the difference!
_______________
Enroll in this institute class here:
https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/institute/15280/classes/1701261  
_______________
Thinking Celestial is a "Follow the Prophet" podcast series produced by the Taylorsville Institute of Religion faculty and students at the Salt Lake Community College Redwood campus.
These episodes are part of a class administered by the Taylorville Institute. If you'd like to enroll in the class and participate in future discussions and podcasts, register for the online institute today here: https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/institute/15280/classes/1701261  
We invite you to go to https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/ and register for any class.
The views, opinions, and doctrines shared in this podcast are not official doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Questions, thoughts, and suggestions for future episodes can be directed to TaylorsvilleInstitute@ChurchofJesusChrist.org  
If you liked our podcast, please share it on social media or with anyone you think might love it! 
 

In this episode of Thinking Celestial, Dr. Kirk Burbidge and his wife, Shauni Burbidge, reflect on the meaning of Easter through the lens of prophetic counsel from Elder Gerrit W. Gong, President Russell M. Nelson, and other modern prophets and apostles. Together, they explore how Easter is more than a seasonal tradition, it is a sacred invitation to place Jesus Christ firmly at the center of our worship, our homes, and our discipleship. Drawing on prophetic messages of hope, healing, and covenant renewal, Kirk and Shauni testify that Easter points us to the living Christ, whose Resurrection gives purpose to our suffering, power to our repentance, and joy to our faith.
 
Review the messages discussed in this podcast here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/topics/easter?lang=eng 
 
Enjoyed our podcast? Help spread the word! Please share it on social media or pass it along to friends, family, or anyone who might find joy and inspiration in it. Your support makes all the difference!
_______________
Enroll in this institute class here:
https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/institute/15280/classes/1701261  
_______________
Thinking Celestial is a "Follow the Prophet" podcast series produced by the Taylorsville Institute of Religion faculty and students at the Salt Lake Community College Redwood campus.
These episodes are part of a class administered by the Taylorville Institute. If you'd like to enroll in the class and participate in future discussions and podcasts, register for the online institute today here: https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/institute/15280/classes/1701261  
We invite you to go to https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/ and register for any class.
The views, opinions, and doctrines shared in this podcast are not official doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Questions, thoughts, and suggestions for future episodes can be directed to TaylorsvilleInstitute@ChurchofJesusChrist.org  
If you liked our podcast, please share it on social media or with anyone you think might love it! 
 

In this episode of Thinking Celestial, Dr. Kirk Burbidge and Dr. Matt Merrill dive into Elder Ozani Farias’s talk “The Book of Mormon — An Immeasurable Treasure on Our Journey.” Together they explore how the Book of Mormon anchors us to Christ, offering clarity, hope, and direction as we navigate life’s challenges. Their discussion highlights the pattern Elder Farias teaches, seeking truth, receiving spiritual strength, and allowing the doctrines of Christ to transform our daily walk, and a remind listeners that this sacred record is more than a book, it’s a divine companion for the covenant path.
 
Review the original talk here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2025/10/57farias?lang=eng
 
Enjoyed our podcast? Help spread the word! Please share it on social media or pass it along to friends, family, or anyone who might find joy and inspiration in it. Your support makes all the difference!
_______________
Enroll in this institute class here:
https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/institute/15280/classes/1701261  
_______________
Thinking Celestial is a "Follow the Prophet" podcast series produced by the Taylorsville Institute of Religion faculty and students at the Salt Lake Community College Redwood campus.
These episodes are part of a class administered by the Taylorville Institute. If you'd like to enroll in the class and participate in future discussions and podcasts, register for the online institute today here: https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/institute/15280/classes/1701261  
We invite you to go to https://myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org/ and register for any class.
The views, opinions, and doctrines shared in this podcast are not official doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Questions, thoughts, and suggestions for future episodes can be directed to TaylorsvilleInstitute@ChurchofJesusChrist.org  
If you liked our podcast, please share it on social media or with anyone you think might love it!