1. Soares

lead out in abandoning
the dignity of all
human dignity presupposes

deep compassion
darkened
limited
hardened
in the perilous days
leading up

into a plateau that forms
a system of waterfalls
we continue to flow       

2. Gong

love in many languages
intent, inflection, emotion
logical symbols
inter- and intra-
warmth and reverence
covenant belonging

at heart
each covenant whispers
our desire
fewer faults, greater peace
bridge ages

read stories and tuck me in
sometimes we need to know
atonement in the abstract

3. Renlund

excavate in the valley
just one more season
first steps leading down
gold everywhere

we too can be prone
if we incorrectly imagine
cast about our eyes
and begin to believe

cleansed by the power
a powerful virtuous cycle
enabling us to retain
a determination to live up

look no further.

Suggested Exercise and Discussion Questions

The above stanzas are erasure poems. They are composed using phrases extracted from General Conference addresses by the three most junior apostles: Ulisses Soares, Gerrit W. Gong, and Dale G. Renlund. These poems should be regarded as original work and not as synopses of the talks. Learn more about erasure poetry here.

As an exercise for contemplation, pick a conference address. Any conference address that grabs your attention. As you listen, jot down phrases that grab your ear. Avoid overthinking this part. Simply jot down phrases that stand out. Afterward, contemplate why these phrases grabbed your ear? Consider their sound and feeling, independent of the speaker’s intended context. Where do these phrases lead you? Deeper into the talk, or somewhere completely different?

I invite you to share your results here in the comments.