Dreams and Unity, Unity and Dreams

Had an odd dream the other night. Started out with me owning one of those ridiculous two-passenger electric cars people drive around in France, the ones that feel like they’re a car shell built around a golf cart. I drove it into a rather muddy place, as Pooh might put it, and it got stuck. I got out, pushed it like a shopping cart, and voila, it was unstuck. Then I proceeded to load the trailer it was hauling with an enormous stockpile of firewood, mostly junk taken from around a housing development, where building scraps and tree stumps abounded, and then from behind a dais where George W. Bush was busily explaining his economic policy and the reasons behind the nearly trillion-dollar bailout passed last week. A few of his advisers (and I appeared to be one of the minor ones, else why would I be there, behind the dais) tried to get me to stop the scrounging, as having someone picking through debris behind the president while he was trying to reassure millions might not look good on television. Not as bad as wasting a couple of news guys, but close.

Conference, as usual, was uplifting. I was particularly struck by Elder Uchtdorf’s talk at the priesthood session Saturday night, in how he applied the story of a group of men trying to move a grand piano to unity in moving the gospel – or any worthwhile endeavor, to that matter – forward with unity. Each person has to lift where he or she stands, and things will work out for the best. There was a lot about unity at this conference, which I found strengthening. I imagine some of it is coming due to differences in opinion over the gay marriage initiative in California, with some members questioning why the church is getting involved in the situation. I, too, had my questions, but over the past few months, through study and prayer, those questions have been answered, and I’m ready now to support the church’s position on the matter. I also found it interesting the President Monson is asking us to answer attacks on our faith with peace. Too often, we see attack answered for attack, and that does nothing to invite the spirit or to solve any difficulties.

The audible audience gasps at the announcement of a temple for Rome, Italy, were also entertaining.

In regards to the other matter: It has ended, and not in the way I had hoped. In the way I had expected, yes, but not in the way I had hoped. My only hope here is that a business relationship, not a friendship, has ended.