Digital Only: Young Adults
Notes, Doodles, Apps—Find New Ways to Take Notes This Conference
Sometimes it can be hard to remember everything that is taught during general conference, but these tips can help!
Growing up, I always had a hard time paying attention to general conference. It didn’t matter if I was watching it on the TV, listening to it on the radio, or even attending in person at the Conference Center.
And here I am, 10 years later, still struggling to pay attention to the first speaker in the first session.
We watch general conference to hear the words of Christ through His living prophet, apostles, and other called leaders (Doctrine and Covenants 1:38; 21:4–6). This allows us to receive promptings from the Spirit that can give us direction for our lives.
Luckily, there are some note-taking skills I’ve learned that help me focus on what the Spirit is telling me.
Find a Good Format for You
We all receive general conference messages differently. Some people will be watching it live on their phones, and others will be listening while they work. Here are a few different formats to choose from as you decide what works best for you:
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Notebooks: One of the most timeless resources we have. Notebooks are a great way to write down your thoughts and the quotes you like if you’re watching conference from home or at a church with other members. If you have to work during conference, you can also do this while listening to or reading general conference. If I have to work during conference and am still able to listen, I carry a notepad titled “Spiritual Impressions,” and whenever I hear something that stands out to me, I make sure to write it down. It doesn’t have to be long or detailed, but it’s a great way to remind myself to go back and study more later.
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Electronics: A popular method for taking notes. Some people love to use their tablets or phones to take notes; it’s already equipped with a note-taking app and basic functions like bullet points to make it easier. If you’re worried you’ll get distracted by notifications, you can just turn on airplane mode and focus on listening to impressions from the Spirit and taking notes throughout conference. You can also jot down some quick notes on your phone if you’re on the move.
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Social media: You read that right! Sometimes circumstances prevent us from watching general conference live. This has happened to me several times, and social media is a great way to find posts that highlight inspiring and important information from each talk. You can find real-time general conference quotes and save or bookmark them to share with others and study later.
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Digital apps: You might prefer to use an app that already has templates so all you have to do is fill it out. Or you might like using an app that helps you create picture quotes for your personal use. Another option is an app that comes with digital sticky notes and differing note-taking templates.
Give It Your Own Spin
The thought of taking notes might seem daunting. You might be afraid of getting distracted and not being consistent or simply not knowing exactly what to take note of. But there’s no one correct way to take notes! Here are a few examples you can use as inspiration:
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Doodle Notes: If you like illustrating, this one is for you! Instead of making a long list of bullet points, you can make little doodles on the topic the speaker focuses on and just write little captions to the side about the impressions you received from the Spirit and the actions you were inspired to take during his or her talk. This can be done either on paper or on a tablet.
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Bullet Journal: Bullet journaling utilizes lots of stickers, decorative tapes, and markers to keep track of notes! This is my personal favorite because I can make my own personal decorative pages dedicated to general conference. I can take notes, make my own word art of a quote, or insert photos that have religious significance.
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Mind Mapping: If you’re not a creative person but don’t like traditional notes, maybe a mind map is what you need. You start with a blank sheet of paper, and in the middle you write down the main idea (in big letters!). Then you draw little branches off of that and write down meaningful quotes you hear, ideas that come to you, or thoughts and feelings you have. Then you continue branching off of those. This can be done on paper or a tablet.
Show God You Want to Hear Him
Sometimes it’s hard to find motivation to take notes during conference. But consider this advice from Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:
“Embrace your sacred memories. Believe them. Write them down. Share them with your family. Trust that they come to you from your Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son. … I promise you that as you willingly acknowledge and carefully treasure the spiritually defining events in your life, more and more will come to you.”1
For much of my life I have suffered from depression and OCD, so feeling the Spirit was a rare occurrence for me. So in seminary, church, and general conference, when a certain phrase stood out or I had a constant thought or feeling to do something, I wrote it down. It wasn’t until years later when I reread these entries that I realized God was talking to me when I was having a difficult time hearing Him.
When we approach general conference ready to pay attention and learn from the Spirit, we are showing God we want to hear Him, and we will receive guidance and peace for ourselves.