This morning before the Saturday morning General Conference, I was one of the first to arrive at the Conference Center. I had a chance to reflect on many things. Sitting in the choir loft looking out at the vast empty seats is not only a privilege, but an honor. Conference time is one of my most favorite times as being a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I think I will never take for granted the blessings of singing in this wonderful organization, and able to have a great seat where I can observe the interactions of the Apostles, Seventies and General Auxilliaries of the Church.

This morning as I stared out at the vast empty seats, I thought of those who would be filling those 21,000 seats. I pondered their reasons why they attend General Conference and what they might get out of it. And then, I turned the question back to me. Why do I attend General Conference and what do I expect to get out of it? This revelation was enlightening and humbling to me. My eyes once again turned to the empty seats, which were now being slowly filled by those coming in. As they filled the seats, there was less and less red-maroon (the colors of the seats) and more with the colors that the congreation was wearing. Slowly, but surely an interesting thing occured - the colors turned into a human tapestry. When I viewed the congregation as a whole, a beautiful tapestry emerged in my view. I could see colors ranging from whites, reds, greys, and blacks if I concentrated on viewing each smaller group, but when I just looked at the congregation as a whole, the human tapestry came forth.



As I reflected on what I observed, I thought of our Heavenly Father and all of us, His children. We are all a beautiful spiritual tapestry in the eyes of Him. The colors that He might perceive are our shortcomings; from the white, which might stand for purity and cleanliness to the crimson reds, which might stand for a person with so much trials and many shortcomings in their life. And we, through our mortal eyes may just appear to each other to be a neutral color, those vivid tapestry colors are evident in our Heavenly Father's eyes. 

Even though, our Father sees all these colors, I believe that He looks at the overall tapestry of the human race. He sees the colors, but He also sees those colors change . The crimson reds, gradually turn into soft pinks and gradually turn into a spotless white. As we submit our lives to His will and are repenting of our shotcomings, those colors change.

I am grateful for a loving  and patient Father in Heaven who loves us all unconditionally, and He  appoints prophets, apostles and other leaders to help us change our personal tapestries. I am grateful that I can recognize the colors in my own tapestry and more importantly,  through  repentance -- be able to slowly turn those vivid colors, or shortcomings in my own life to soft pastels and eventually spotless white.

All arrayed in spotless white,
we will dwell 'mid truth and light.
We will sing the songs of praise;
We will shout in joyous lays.

"Come Ye Children of the Lord", LDS hymn 58
Photos - my own.

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