General Conference Preparation Ideas

So I am giving a lesson tomorrow in Relief Society about the importance of listening to the living prophets (especially), and have been doing some research on ideas people have to prepare for General Conference. I thought I would share some of my favorite ideas that I've heard:

• General Conference Book Club. A Talk is posted each week from the most recent LDS Conference and you are invited to re-read it and comment on it if you'd like (www.diapersanddivinity.com).
• Do a service project during conference like making leper bandages, baby blankets, hygiene kits.
• Use it as the time to go through Food storage/ Emergency kits to replace old items, rotate winter items for summer ones, replace batteries in smoke detectors etc.
• Prepare games for kids. If you go to www.lds.org, there are activities and computer games for kids. At  www.sugardoodle.net you can find ones for all ages from nursery to youth.
• Learn about the Apostles prior to Conference: "Something we do every year is get to know the first presidency and 12 apostles. For several weeks before General Conference we review each man and learn something about him. This year I wanted to make it a little more interactive so out of the 5 we talked about that night we would do something that one of them liked to do. So the first week we made banana bread together... because Pres. Eyring likes to bake with his family. The next week we watercolored because Elder Scott likes to paint. And this week we went outside to play football since Elders Holland and Cook played (and Elder Bednar met his wife playing flag football). I think it made it a little more memorable for my boys. I am going to be posting this idea on my blog soon and I'll try to word it more clearly!"
• Have another family or some friends over for Pot luck in between sessions or after a session. We do this most years and it's always such great experience.
• DVR/TIVO Conference so you can use for FHE's during next 6 months.
• Another suggestion I read: "We do 'conference candy' I put out a candy dish and each session my husband and I pick a word and when you hear the word you can help yourself to a piece of candy (got the idea a few years ago in the Ensign and it works GREAT!!")
• I heard of a really neat tradition someone had. In their family they talk about King Benjamin's address and how everyone came and put up their tents up and listened to his message. Then the parents set up a tent in front of the TV with a mattress inside it and they have fun yummy treats and listened listen carefully to conference.
• Make a list of specific questions or issues you're working on and would like help with.
• Fast about a specific topic before Conference
• Pray, to feel the Spirit, about one or all of the things on your list, for the speakers
• Learn about the General Authorities' lives, families, etc.
• Have a Family Home Evening about General Conference (how to act during, what happens, who speaks, etc.)
• Read your Patriarchal Blessing if you have it
• Get plenty of sleep the night before
• Do all your cleaning and chores before Conference if you can
• Plan to discuss the talks after you watch Conference. This helps you pay attention because you know you'll have to have something interesting to say about it later.
• Plan to listen for which talk to focus on for your Visiting/Home Teaching lesson
• Plan and shop for meals the day before. Have a Conference food tradition.
• Find your journal or whatever you take notes in. Find a pen, too.

For FOOD IDEAS click HERE.

For more General Conference Preparation ideas, check out this awesome blog, here.

What are some things that you or your family to do prepare for it?