Editor’s note: This post is part of a collaborative effort of Mormon bloggers who are reading and writing about General Conference talks. We call it the General Conference Odyssey. This article at Meridian Magazine explains more about the Odyssey, and includes some thoughts from those of us participating in this project.

One of the things I appreciate about being a part of this effort is to read the words of my fellow brothers and sisters. Their perspectives and experience enrich my experience engaging the words of the prophets. Of course, we don’t want our posts to replace the words of the prophets, but we hope perhaps this project will inspire you in some way, as it has us.

The other posts from this week’s reading, which focused on the Saturday Morning Session of the October 1971 General Conference, are at the bottom of the post.

As I read the talks for this week’s General Conference Odyssey, I couldn’t help but think of Elder M. Russell Ballard’s talks about The Old Ship Zion.

“Some of my family and others … have asked me this question: ‘What’s in the Old Ship Zion that we should hang on to?'” I reminded them of what President Brigham Young said: “We are on the old ship Zion. … [God] is at the helm and will stay there. … He dictates, guides and directs. If the people will have implicit confidence in their God, never forsake their covenants nor their God, He will guide us right.”2

I felt like the majority of the talks from this 1971 session also explored that question in a beautiful way. What is on the Old Ship Zion? Harold B. Lee, Marion G. Romney, and Theodore M. Burton each talked about the Church and its role in these latter days.

If I had more time this week, I’d flesh out more of the specifics of what they said. But today, I’m going to keep this short and sweet.

Elder Ballard’s latest talk was called, “God is at the Helm.” Since Elder Ballard was on my brain, Marion G. Romney’s words caught my attention:

“I bear witness that the fullness of the everlasting gospel is in the earth. The predicted light has broken forth. Many others of the predicted signs of Christ’s coming have been given. Others are now visible. The rest are imminent.

“I testify that God is not dead. He is at the helm. His power—his priesthood—is in the earth; his programs are on schedule; his ‘eternal purposes shall roll on, until all his promises shall be fulfilled'” (Morm. 8:22).

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Other posts in this week’s General Conference Odyssey:

The Word is Mightier than the Sword http://difficultrun.nathanielgivens.com/2016/02/02/the-word-is-mightier-than-the-sword/
Anatomy of Honesty http://www.jrganymede.com/2016/02/02/anatomy-of-honesty/
Love and Lies http://rainscamedown.blogspot.com/2016/02/love-and-lies.html
The Guiding Light https://symphonyofdissent.wordpress.com/2016/02/02/the-guiding-light/
Sincerity, Signs of the Times, and South America http://goodgazette.blogspot.com/2016/01/sincerity-signs-of-times-and-south.html
The Fullness of the Gospel for the Fullness of Life http://patheos.com/blogs/soulandcity/2016/02/the-fullness-of-the-gospel-for-the-fullness-of-life/
“God…is at the Helm” http://mormonwoman.org/2016/02/02/god-is-at-the-helm-ldsconf-odyssey/
Prophets Forewarn: Stand in Gospel Light http://www.ldswomenofgod.com/prophets-forewar…-in-gospel-light/