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An Inspiring Weekend

Yvette Zobel
Yvette Zobel

April 23, 2013

Yvette Zobel

Yvette Zobel

Affirmation Board Member Yvette Zobel Gives a Synopsis of April 5 and 6 Events in Salt Lake City

by Yvette Zobel
April 2013

Friday included a full agenda of meetings with the Affirmation Board and team members–many of who flew many miles to get to Salt Lake City. Professional, intelligent, and gifted are just three adjectives that describe the individuals who are vested in making the world a better place for LDS LGBT individuals. I am lucky and honored to associate with these people.

Many ideas were discussed and organized into the action. Among them was the Affirmation Conference, which will take place in September at the University of Utah Guesthouse. My calendar is definitely marked as it is guaranteed to be amazing!

The Affirmation team had taken in advance the Strength Finder Assessment, and sharing the results was an enjoyable and insightful activity. This assessment showed each individual’s five greatest strengths and how to incorporate them in real time. It was fascinating to see who shared the same strengths and which strengths showed up the most in the group. I know we have a lot of “learners” in our midst!

The highlight of the day was definitely our LGBT/SSA Social, with 220 guests, held at the beautiful Hilton Hotel. It was an amazing program– I could feel the energy emanating from the room long before it began. It just felt “right.” Greg Prince eloquently delivered fascinating material from the life of David O MacKay, revealing an interesting dichotomy. His topic, “Homosexuality: What Would David O. McKay Do?” Read Greg Prince’s book to learn more about David O. McKay.

Michael McClean sang from his heart of hearts at the time when his mother was on her death bed. We found out later that his mother had passed away while Michael was performing songs dedicated to her. Other songs told a story of his love for his gay son and for all LGBT individuals who have struggled.

I believe many lives were touched by the beautiful validating atmosphere that night. Thank you Michael McClean and Greg Prince for adding joy and enlightenment to our lives! And thank you Tom Christofferson for making it possible to have such an evening.

Saturday

Fourteen board and team members attended the morning session of LDS General Conference. We made for one long row of unique conference goers. It was wonderful to be there together experiencing the beautiful music and affirming one another through both the harmonious and sometimes discordant vibes experienced. Great experience!

The lunch with North Star was yummy, and even though they were at the opposite end of the table, I could see relationships being developed between NorthStar and Affirmation individuals.

As the weekend concluded, I felt similar to the aftermath of a Thanksgiving celebration: being filled to the brim, having a grateful heart, and relishing the memories and experiences of a wonderful time with good people.

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