General Priesthood Session
The Price of Priesthood Power
President Russell M. Nelson
President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
I urgently plead with each one of us to live up to our privileges as bearers of the priesthood. In a coming day, only those men who have taken their priesthood seriously, by diligently seeking to be taught by the Lord Himself, will be able to bless, guide, protect, strengthen, and heal others. Only a man who has paid the price for priesthood power will be able to bring miracles to those he loves and keep his marriage and family safe, now and throughout eternity.
What is the price to develop such priesthood power? …
… Faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity, and diligence. And don’t forget humility! …
… We need to pray from our hearts. … Are you willing to pray to know how to pray for more power? The Lord will teach you.
Are you willing to search the scriptures and feast on the words of Christ—to study earnestly in order to have more power? …
Are you willing to worship in the temple regularly? The Lord loves to do His own teaching in His holy house. Imagine how pleased He would be if you asked Him to teach you about priesthood keys, authority, and power as you experience the ordinances of the Melchizedek Priesthood in the holy temple. …
Are you willing to follow President Monson’s example of serving others? …
… If we will humbly present ourselves before the Lord and ask Him to teach us, He will show us how to increase our access to His power.
The Greatest Leaders Are the Greatest Followers
Stephen W. Owen
Young Men General President
If I were to ask you, “Who is the greatest leader who ever lived?”—what would you say? The answer, of course, is Jesus Christ. He sets the perfect example of every imaginable leadership quality.
But what if I were to ask you, “Who is the greatest follower who ever lived?”—wouldn’t the answer again be Jesus Christ? He is the greatest leader because He is the greatest follower—He follows His Father perfectly, in all things.
The world teaches that leaders must be mighty; the Lord teaches that they must be meek. Worldly leaders gain power and influence through their talent, skill, and wealth. Christlike leaders gain power and influence “by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned” [D&C 121:41].
In God’s eyes, the greatest leaders have always been the greatest followers. …
… There will be times in your life when you are called upon to lead. At other times, you will be expected to follow. But my message to you today is that regardless of your calling, you are always a leader, and you are always a follower. … If you are striving to be a follower of Christ, then you can help others follow Him and you can be a leader.
In Praise of Those Who Save
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Second Counselor in the First Presidency
Families are not just meant to make things run more smoothly here on earth and to be cast off when we get to heaven. Rather, they are the order of heaven. …
But strong marriage and family relationships do not happen just because we are members of the Church. They require constant, intentional work. …
… Great marriages are built brick by brick, day after day, over a lifetime. …
… I also wish to speak in praise of those who save their relationships with their families. Every family needs saving. …
Whatever problems your family is facing, whatever you must do to solve them, the beginning and the end of the solution is charity, the pure love of Christ. Without this love, even seemingly perfect families struggle. With it, even families with great challenges succeed. …
Pride may be a common human failing. But it is not part of our spiritual heritage. …
Even when you are not at fault—perhaps especially when you are not at fault—let love conquer pride.
If you do this, whatever adversity you are facing will pass, and because of the love of God in your hearts, contention will fade. These principles of saving relationships apply to all of us, regardless of whether we are married, divorced, widowed, or single. We all can be saviors of strong families.
Eternal Families
President Henry B. Eyring
First Counselor in the First Presidency
Every priesthood effort and every priesthood ordinance is intended to help Heavenly Father’s children be changed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ to become members of perfected family units. …
Since that is true, everything we do should have celestial marriage as its focus and purpose. That means we must strive to be sealed to an eternal companion in the temple of God. We must also encourage others to make and keep the covenants that bind a husband and wife together, with their family, in this life and in the world to come.
Why should this matter so much to each of us … ? It is because our priesthood obligation is to put our families and the families of those around us at the center of our concern. Every major decision should be based on the effect it will have on a family to qualify for life with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. …
He asks us to strive to perfect the lives of each member of the family, to strengthen the weak, reclaim the straying loved one, and rejoice in their renewed spiritual strength. …
In your home, and in your priesthood service, the greatest value will be in the small acts that help us and those we love work toward eternal life. Those acts may seem small in this life, but they will bring everlasting blessings in eternity.
A Sacred Trust
A common thread binds us together. We have been entrusted to bear the priesthood of God and to act in His name. We are the recipients of a sacred trust. Much is expected of us.
… What a wonderful gift we have been given. Ours is the responsibility to guard and protect that priesthood and to be worthy of all the glorious blessings our Father in Heaven has in store for us—and for others through us.
Wherever you go, your priesthood goes with you. Are you standing in holy places? Before you put yourself and your priesthood in jeopardy by venturing into places or participating in activities which are not worthy of you or of that priesthood, pause to consider the consequences. Remember who you are and what God expects you to become. You are a child of promise. You are a man of might. You are a son of God.
This precious gift of priesthood power brings with it not only solemn responsibilities but also special blessings for ourselves and for others. May we, in whatever place we may find ourselves, always be worthy to call upon its power, for we never know when our need and our opportunity to do so may come. …
May we determine, here and now, ever to be prepared for our time of need, our time of service, our time of blessing.
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