Priesthood Session | April 2021 General Conference

from the conference center theater in salt lake city utah we bring you the priesthood session of the 191st annual general conference of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints the music for this session will be provided by a variety of choirs from previous general conferences priesthood holders throughout the world have been invited to view this broadcast to receive counsel and instruction from church leaders [Music] this broadcast is furnished as a public service by bonneville distribution any reproduction recording transcription or other use of this program without written consent is prohibited president dallin h oaks first councilor in the first presidency of the church will conduct this session brethren we welcome you to the priesthood session of the 191st annual general conference of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints president russell m nelson who presides at the conference has asked me to conduct this session we we're grateful for the technology that makes it possible for all to participate by radio television or the internet the music for this session will be provided by various choirs directors and organists all selections were recorded previously the choir will open this meeting with in hymns of praise the invocation will then be offered by bishop l todd budge second counselor in the presiding bishopric after which the choir will sing god loved us so he sent his son bye [Music] is whose counsels keep the mighty [Music] [Music] is [Music] our king forever [Music] is [Music] forever [Music] the sparrow is [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] on [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] more our beloved heavenly father we humbly express our gratitude to thee for this great global gathering of priesthood holders we are grateful for the restoration of thy holy priesthood and for how it blesses men women and children during this holy week our hearts are filled with gratitude for the gift of thy son we are grateful for his birth for his life and ministry for his infinite atoning sacrifice and for his glorious resurrection that brings hope meaning and purpose to our lives we are mindful of many who are suffering the effects of this global pandemic and we pray that they might find healing and comfort in christ may thy holy spirit be with us now that those who speak may do so with power and those who hear may understand in their hearts may we ever give more love to thee we pray in the name of thy beloved son jesus christ amen [Music] christ jesus [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] us [Music] god [Music] is [Music] [Music] oh [Music] so [Music] oh [Music] is [Music] is [Music] is [Music] god [Music] is we will now be pleased to hear from elder quentin l cook of the quorum of the twelve apostles he will be followed by brother ahmed s corbett first counselor in the young man general presidency elder s gifford nielsen of the seventy will then address us my dear brethren of the priesthood one of the most memorable lines in a much-loved hymn asks shall the youth of zion falter my heartfelt and resounding declaration and answer to that question is no to make sure that answer holds true i testify today that supporting the rising generation in a time of unusual challenges and temptations is an essential responsibility given to parents and bishoprics by heavenly father let me illustrate the importance of a bishopric with a personal experience when i was a deacon my family moved to a new home in a different ward i was beginning junior high school so i also attended a new school there was a marvelous group of young men in the deacon's quorum most of their parents were active members my mother was completely active my father was exceptional in every way but was not an active member the second counselor in the bishopric brother dean ire was a devoted leader when i was still adjusting to the new ward a father-son event was announced for bear lake about 40 miles away i did not think i would attend without my father but brother ire issued a special invitation for me to go with him he spoke highly and respectfully of my father and stressed the significance of my opportunity to be with the other members of the deacons quorum so i decided to go with brother ire and i had a wonderful experience brother ire was a marvelous example of christ-like love and fulfilling the bishops rick's responsibility to support parents in watching over and nurturing the youth he gave me an excellent start in the in this new ward and was a mentor to me a few months before i left for a mission in 1960 brother ire passed away from cancer at age 39. he left a wife and their five children all younger than age 16. his oldest sons richard and chris iyer have assured me that in the absence of their father bishop rick supported and watched out for them and their younger brothers and sister with christlike love for which i am grateful parents will always have the main responsibility for their families quorum presidencies also provide essential support and guidance to quorum members by assisting them in elevating the duties and power of the aaronic priesthood to the center of their lives today my purpose is to focus on bishops and their counselors who can appropriately be called shepherds over the lord's flock with emphasis on being shepherds for the rising generation it is interesting that the apostle peter referred to jesus christ as the shepherd and bishop of your souls the bishop has five principal responsibilities in presiding over a ward he is the presiding high priest in the ward he is president of the aaronic priesthood he is a common judge he coordinates the work of salvation and exaltation including caring for those in need and he oversees records finances and the use of the meeting house in his role as presiding high priest the bishop is the ward's spiritual leader he is a faithful disciple of jesus christ in addition the bishop coordinates the work of salvation and exaltation in the ward the bishop should assign the day-to-day responsibility for sharing the gospel strengthening new and returning members ministering and temple and family history work to the elders quorum and relief society presidencies the bishop coordinates this work in the ward council and ward youth council the bishop has a paramount role in serving as a shepherd to guide the rising generation including young single adults to jesus christ president russell m nelson has emphasized the seminal role of the bishop and his counselors he is taught that their first and foremost responsibility is to care for the young men and young women of their ward end quote the bishopric supports parents in watching over and nurturing children and youth in the ward the bishop and ward young woman president counsel together they strive to help the youth live the standards and for the strength of youth qualify to receive ordinances and make and keep sacred covenants you might ask why is the bishop directed to spend so much time with the youth the lord has organized his church to accomplish crucial priorities accordingly the organization of his church has a structure in which the bishop has a dual responsibility he has doctrinal responsibility for the ward as a whole but he also has specific doctrinal responsibility for the prescorum the young men who are priests and the young women of the same age are at a very important stage in their lives and development during a short period of time they make decisions that have significant lifelong implications they determine whether they will qualify for the temple serve a mission strive to be married in the temple and prepare for their life's work these decisions once made have profound spiritual and practical implications for the remainder of their lives bishops please know that a relatively short time spent with a young priest young woman or young adult can help them understand the power available to them through the atonement of jesus christ it can provide a vision that will have a profound influence upon their entire life one of the best examples i have seen of a bishop who helped provide this kind of vision for his youth was bishop moa mahesh he was called to be the first bishop of the san francisco tongan ward he was an immigrant from bavau tonga his ward was located near the san francisco california airport where he worked the ward had a large number of youth most from families who had recently immigrated to the united states bishop mahe not only taught them in word and by example how to be righteous disciples of jesus christ but he also helped give them a vision of what they could become and help them prepare for the temple missions education and employment he served for almost eight years and his dreams and desires for the youth became a reality nearly 90 percent of the young men in the aaronic priesthood quorum served missions 15 young men and women were the first members of their families to attend college he met with the principal of the local high school not of our faith and they forged a friendship and collaborated on how to assist each young person to achieve worthwhile goals and overcome problems the principal told me that bishop mahe assisted him in working with immigrants of all faiths who were struggling the young people knew that the bishop loved them sadly bishop mahe passed away while serving as bishop i will never forget his touching and inspiring funeral there was a huge crowd the choir was composed of more than 35 faithful young members who had served missions or were attending college and who had been youth during his service as bishop one speaker expressed the intense feeling of appreciation from the youth and young adults in his ward he paid tribute to bishop mahe for the vision he had given them in preparing for life and righteous service but most important bishop mahe had assisted them in building faith in the lord jesus christ as the foundation of their lives now bishops wherever you serve in your interviews and other associations you can provide that kind of vision and build faith in jesus christ you can extend powerful invitations to change behavior prepare them for life and inspire them to stay on the covenant path in addition you may help some youth who are in conflict with parents over things that are relatively unimportant at a time when young people seem to have maximum conflict with their parents the person who presides over their quorum and to whom they answer ecclesiastically is also the person to whom their parents go for tech for temple recommends this puts the bishop in a unique position to counsel both the youth and their parents when contention has created a division bishops can help both view things with an eternal perspective and resolve issues of more or less importance we recommend that bishops not have assigned ministering families so they can focus their time and energy ministering to the youth and their families in these kinds of situations i'm aware of one bishop who was able to resolve extreme contention between his son and his parents bringing harmony to the home and enhanced commitment to the gospel the bishop helped the parents understand that striving to be a disciple of jesus christ was more important than exactly how and when family chores were accomplished in order to spend more time with youth wherever they are including at school events or activities bishoprics have to have been counseled to delegate appropriate meetings and counseling time with adults while bishops can counsel on acute and urgent matters we recommend that delegation of ongoing counseling with chronic less urgent matters that do not involve judgments as to worthiness be assigned to members of the elders quorum or relief society usually presidencies or ministering brothers and sisters the spirit will guide the leaders to select the right members to undertake this counseling those who receive this delegated counseling assignment are entitled to revelation they of course must always maintain strict confidentiality thoughtful leaders have always sacrificed for the rising generation this is where the bishopric members spend the majority of their church service time i now desire to say a few things directly to the youth and then to our bishops many of you precious young people may not have a clear vision of who you are and who you can become yet you are at the threshold of the most important decisions you will make in your lives please counsel with both your parents and your bishop about important choices that are ahead of you allow the bishop to be your friend and counselor we are aware that you have trials and temptations coming at you from every direction we all need to repent daily as president nelson has taught please talk to your bishop about any matter in which a common judge can assist you in getting your life in order with the lord in preparation for the great work he has for you in this final dispensation as president nelson has invited you please qualify yourself to be part of the lord's youth battalion now a word for you precious bishops on behalf of the leadership and members of the church we express our deep gratitude to you with the adjustments that you have been requested to make in recent years dear bishops please know how much we love and appreciate you your contribution to the kingdom is almost beyond description the church has thirty thousand nine hundred bishops and branch presidents serving across the world we honor each of you some words and the sacred callings they describe are imbued with almost a spiritual transcendent significance the calling of bishop is definitely in the top tier of such words to serve the lord in this capacity is remarkable in so many ways the calling sustaining and setting a part of a bishop is a never to be forgotten experience for me it ranks with a small number of sublime events in the wide range and depth of feelings it evokes it says comfortably in a hierarchy of precious events like marriage and fatherhood that cannot be described in a few words bishops we sustain you bishops we love you you are truly the lord shepherds over his flock the savior will not forsake you in these sacred callings of this i testify on this easter weekend in the name of jesus christ amen amen amen almost three years ago president russell m nelson invited all youth of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints to enlist in the lord's youth battalion to gather israel on both sides of the veil he said that gathering is the most important thing taking place on earth today close quote i am absolutely sure you youth can do this and do it very well because of one something about your identity and two an enormous power within you 41 years ago two missionaries from our church felt led to a house in new jersey in the united states in time miraculously both parents and all 10 children were baptized in the prophet's words they let god prevail in their lives i should say our lives i was the third child i was 17 years old when i decided to make a permanent covenant to follow jesus christ but guess what else i decided i would not serve a full-time mission that was too much and this could not be expected of me right i was a brand new church member i had no money besides although i had just graduated from the toughest high school in nearby west philadelphia and faced down some dangerous challenges i was secretly terrified of leaving home for two whole years but i had just learned that i and all of humanity had lived with our heavenly father as his spirit sons and daughters before our birth others needed to know as i knew that he longed for all his children to enjoy eternal life with him so before anyone was on earth he presented all with his perfect plan of salvation and happiness with jesus christ as our savior tragically satan opposed god's plan according to the book of revelation there was war in heaven satan cunningly deceived a third part of heavenly father's spirit children into letting him prevail instead of god but not you the apostle john saw that you overcame satan quote by the word of your testimony close quote knowing my true identity helped by my patriarchal blessing gave me the courage and faith to accept president spencer w kimball's invitation to gather israel it will be the same for you dear friends knowing you overcame satan by the word of your testimony before will help you love share and invite now and always to invite others to come and see come and help and come and belong as that same war for the souls of god's children rages on what about the enormous power within you think of this you shouted for joy to come to a fallen world where all would face physical and spiritual death we would never be able to overcome either on our own we would not only suffer from our own sins but other sins too humanity would experience virtually every imaginable type of brokenness and disappointment all with a veil of forgetfulness over our minds and the world's worst enemy continuing to target and tempt us all hope for returning resurrected and clean to god's holy presence rested entirely upon one being keeping his promise what empowered you to go forward president henry b eyring taught quote it took faith in jesus christ to sustain the plan of happiness and jesus christ's place in it when you knew so little of the challenges that you would face in mortality close quote when jesus christ promised he would come into mortality and give his life to gather and save us you did not simply believe him you noble spirits had such exceedingly great faith that you saw his promise as sure he could not lie so you saw him as if he had already shed his blood for you long before he was born in john's symbolic words you quote overcame satan by the blood of the lamb president dallin h oaks taught that in that world quote you saw the end from the beginning close quote suppose one day before you leave for school one of your parents makes a true promise that you can have your favorite food when you return home you are excited while in school you imagine eating that food and you can already taste it naturally you share your good news with others looking forward to going home makes you so happy that the tests and challenges of school seem light nothing can take away your joy or make you doubt because of how sure the promise is similarly before you noble spirits were born you learn to see christ's promises in this sure way and you tasted of his salvation your great faith is like muscles that get stronger and bigger the more you exercise them but they are already inside you how can you awaken your giant faith in christ and use it to gather israel now and triumph over satan again by re-learning to look forward and see with that same certainty the lord's promise to gather and save today he mainly uses the book of mormon and his prophets to teach us how long before christ quote the nephite prophets and priests and teachers persuaded the people to look forward unto the messiah and believe in him to come as though he already was the prophet abinadi taught quote and now if christ had not come into the world speaking of things to come as though they had already come there could have been no redemption like alma abinadi looked forward with an eye of faith and saw god's sure promise of salvation as already fulfilled they overcame satan by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony long before christ was born just as you did and the lord gave them power to invite and gather israel he will do the same for you as you look forward in faith see israel gathered globally and in your own circles and invite all hundreds of missionaries built upon their powerful pre-mortal faith in christ by envisioning those they contacted or taught dressed in baptismal and temple clothing in a talk titled begin with the end in mind president nelson shared a personal example of doing this and instructed mission leaders to teach our missionaries to do the same knowing they exercised this great faith in jesus christ in the pre-mortal world immensely helped our dear missionaries hear him and activate their enormous faith to gather israel as the lord promised of course imagining lies harms faith my friends intentionally envisioning or viewing things that conflict with who you really are especially pornography will weaken your faith in christ and without repentance could destroy it please use your imaginations to increase faith in christ not ruin it the children and youth program is a prophetic tool to help you youth power up your great faith president oaks taught quote that program is designed to help you become more like our savior in four areas spiritual social physical and intellectual close quote as you youth lead lead in living the gospel caring for others inviting all to receive the gospel uniting families for eternity and organizing fun activities the great faith in christ you had in the pre-mortal life will resurface and empower you to do his work in this life also personal goals especially short-term goals help you reignite your powerful faith when you set a good goal you are looking forward as you did before and seeing what your heavenly father wants you or another to become elder quentin l cook taught never underestimate the importance of planning setting goals and inviting others all with an eye of faith close quote the choice is yours the lord said of you the power to choose is in them elder neil l anderson explained your faith will grow not by chance but by choice he added any honest questions you may have will be settled with patience and an eye of faith close quote i testify that one your true identity and two the enormous power of faith in christ within you will enable you to help to prepare the world for the savior's return by inviting all to come unto christ and receive the blessings of his atonement may we all share the joy of the book of mormon's sure promise quote the righteous that hearken unto the prophets and look forward unto christ with steadfastness notwithstanding all persecution shall not perish but christ shall heal them and they shall have peace with him in the name of jesus christ amen in 1978 i stood in a football field in a stadium packed with 65 000 fans in front of me were several very large opponents who looked like they wanted to take my head off it was my first game as a starting quarterback in the national football league and we were playing the reigning super bowl champions to be honest i questioned whether i was good enough to be on the field i dropped pact to throw my first pass and as i released the ball i was hit harder than i had ever been hit before at that moment lying under a pile of those massive athletes i wondered what i was doing there i had a decision to make would i let my doubts overtake me or would i find courage and strength to get up and to carry on i didn't realize at the time how this experience would prepare me for future opportunities i needed to learn that i could be strong and courageous in the face of difficult situations a football game might not be nearly as important as the challenges you will face in most cases there won't be a stadium full of people watching but your valiant decisions will have eternal significance maybe we don't always feel up to the challenge but our heavenly father sees us as fearless builders of his kingdom that is why he sent us here during this most decisive time in the world's history this is our time listen to what president russell m nelson said shortly after becoming president of the church our savior and redeemer jesus christ will perform some of his mightiest works between now and when he comes again we will see miraculous indications that god the father and his son jesus christ preside over this church in majesty and glory mightiest works miraculous indications what will that look like what role will we play and how will we understand what to do i don't know all the answers but i do know that the lord needs us to be ready worthily exercising priesthood power has never been more crucial do we believe god's prophet can we find and fulfill our destiny yes we can and yes we must because this is our time when we hear stories of god's mighty servants who came before us like moses mary moroni alma esther joseph and many others they seemed bigger than life but they were not that different from us they were regular people who faced challenges they trusted the lord they made the right choices at pivotal moments and with faith in jesus christ they performed the works required in their time consider the old testament hero joshua he was a devoted follower of moses one of the greatest leaders in history after moses departed it was joshua's time he was to lead the children of israel into the promised land how would he do that joshua had been born and raised in slavery in egypt he had no handbook or instructional videos to help him he didn't even have a smartphone but he did have this promise from the lord as i was with moses so i will be with thee i will not fail thee nor forsake thee be strong and of a good courage when i was a new and inexperienced seventy i received an urgent phone call from the office of the first presidency asking if i would represent the prophet in visiting a young man in the hospital immediately the young man's name was zack he was preparing to be a missionary but had been in an accident and suffered a serious head injury as i drove to the hospital my mind raced and errand for the prophet are you kidding what am i going to face how will i help this young man do i have enough faith fervent prayer and the knowledge that i possess the authority of the holy priesthood became my anchors when i arrived zach was lying in a hospital bed and orderedly stood ready to whisk him to the operating room so doctors could relieve the pressure on his brain i looked at his tearful mom and a fearful young friend standing nearby and i knew clearly that zach needed a priesthood blessing his friend had recently received the melchizedek priesthood so i asked him to help me i felt the power of the priesthood as we humbly gave zach a blessing then he was hurried away for the surgery and a peaceful feeling confirmed that the savior would handle things according to his wisdom the medical staff performed one last x-ray before making the initial incision they discovered to their astonishment that no operation would be needed after much therapy zach learned to walk and talk again he served a successful mission and is now raising a beautiful family of course that is not always the outcome i've given other priesthood blessings with equal faith and the lord did not grant complete healing in this life we trust his purposes and leave the results to him we can't always choose the outcome of our actions but we can choose to be ready to act you might not ever be asked by the first presidency the first presidency to represent them in a life-threatening situation but we are all called upon to do life-changing things as representatives of the lord he will not forsake us this is our time peter the savior's chief apostle was in a ship on the sea when he saw jesus walking on the water he wanted to join him and the savior said come courageously and miraculously peter left the safety of the boat and began walking toward the savior but when peter focused on the boisterous wind his faith faltered he was afraid and beginning to sink he cried saying lord save me and immediately jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him when winds blow in our lives where is our focus remember there is always one reliable source of strength and courage the arms of jesus extend to us just as they extended to peter as we reach for him he will lovingly rescue us we are his he said fear not for i have redeemed thee i have called thee by thy name thou art mine he will prevail in your life if you let him the choice is yours at the end of his life joshua pleaded with his people choose you this day whom you will serve but as for me in my house we will serve the lord because of the choices he made to serve the lord joshua became a great leader in his time my dear friends this is our time and the choices we make will determine our destiny while i was serving as a bishop we had a motto in our ward good choices equal happiness eternally the youth would pass me in the hall saying bishop i'm making good choices that's a bishop's dream what do we mean by good choices someone once asked jesus which is the great commandment in the law he answered thou shalt love the lord thy god with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind this is the first and great commandment and the second is like unto it thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself i don't know about you but when i read these two great commandments i detect a third implied commandment to love thyself have you ever thought about loving yourself as a commandment how do we truly love god and love his children if we don't love ourselves a wise leader recently counseled a man who was trying to overcome years of destructive choices the man felt ashamed doubting that he was worthy of anyone's love his leader said to him the lord knows you loves you and is pleased with you in the courageous steps you are taking but then he added you need to hear the commandment to love yourself so you can feel god's love and love others when this brother heard that counsel he saw life with new eyes he later said i have spent my whole life trying to find peace and acceptance i have looked for those many those things in many wrong places only in the love of heavenly father and the savior can i find comfort i know they want me to love myself it really is the only way i can feel their love for me as heavenly father our heavenly father wants us to love ourselves not to become prideful or self-centered but to see ourselves as he sees us we are his cherished children when this truth sinks deep into our hearts our love for god grows when we view ourselves with sincere respect our hearts are open to treat others that way too the more we recognize our divine worth the better we understand this divine truth that god has sent us right here right now at this momentous time in history so that we can do the greatest possible good with the talents and gifts we have this is our time joseph smith taught that every prophet in every age looked forward with joyful anticipation to the day in which we live they have sung and written and prophesied of this our day we are the favored people that god has chosen to bring about the latter day glory as you face your daily challenges remember this reassurance offered by elder jeffrey r holland so much rests on our shoulders but it will be a glorious and successful experience the victory in this final contest has already been declared the victory is already in the record books the scriptures on this beautiful easter and very special weekend may i extend an invitation that we all pray to recognize and embrace our individual roles as we prepare for the glorious day when the savior comes again the lord loves us more than we can comprehend and he will answer our prayers whether we are on a football field in a hospital room or in any other place we can be an important part of these remarkable events because this is our time in the name of jesus christ amen we invite you wherever you are to join the choir in singing hark all ye nations after the singing we will be pleased to hear from president henry b eyring second counselor in the first presidency it will then be my privilege to address you this is the priesthood session of the 191st annual general conference of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints [Music] nations [Music] r [Music] is [Music] is [Music] is [Music] is [Music] oh [Music] foreign [Music] is [Music] so my dear brethren fellow servants in the priesthood of god it is an honor for me to speak to you tonight you have my deepest respect and gratitude while i speak with you and hear of your great faith it is my belief that there is an ever increasing priesthood power in the world with ever stronger quorums and ever more faithful priesthood holders in my few moments this evening i will speak to those of you who want to be even more effective in your personal priesthood service you know of the charge that you are to magnify your call to serve but you may wonder what to magnify your calling can mean for you i will start with the newest deacons because they are the most likely to feel uncertain about what magnifying their priesthood service might mean newly ordained elders might also want to listen and a bishop in his first weeks of service might be interested too it is instructive for me at least to look back on my days as a deacon i wish that someone had told me then what i will suggest now it could have helped in all the priesthood assignments that i have come to me that have come to me since then even the ones i receive in the present day i was ordained a deacon in a branch so small that i was the only deacon and my brother ted the only teacher we were the only family in the branch the entire branch met in our home the priesthood leader for my brother and me was a new convert who had just received the priesthood himself i believe then my only priesthood duty was to pass the sacrament in my own dining room when my family moved to utah i found myself in a large ward with many deacons in my first sacrament meeting there i observed the deacons an army it seemed to me moving with precision as they passed the sacrament like a trained team i was so frightened that next sunday i went early to the ward building to be my by myself when no one could see me if i remember right it was the yale crest ward in salt lake city and it had a little some sort of a statue i went behind the statue i prayed fervently for help to know how not to fail as i took my place in passing the sacrament well that prayer was answered but i know now that there is a better way to pray and to think as we try to grow in our priesthood service it has come by my understanding why individuals are given the priesthood the purpose for our receiving the priesthood is to allow us to bless people for the lord doing so in his name it was years after i was a deacon when i learned what that means practically for instance as a high priest i was assigned to visit a care center sacrament meeting i was asked to pass the sacrament instead of thinking about the process or precision in the way i passed the sacrament i instead looked in the phases of each elderly person i saw many of them weeping one lady grabbed my sleeve looked up and said aloud oh thank you thank you the lord had blessed my service given in his name that day i had prayed for such a miracle to come instead of praying for how well i might do my part i prayed that the people would feel the lord's love through my loving service i have learned this is the key to serving and blessing others in his name i heard a recent experience that reminded me of such love when all church meetings were suspended due to the kova 19 pandemic a ministering brother accepted an assignment from his elders quorum president to bless and administer the sacrament to a sister he ministers to when he called her to offer to bring the sacrament she accepted reluctantly hating to take him out of his own home in such a dangerous time and also believing that things would quickly return to normal but when he arrived at her home that sunday morning she had a request could they walk next door and also have a sacrament with her 87 year old neighbor with the bishop's authorization he agreed for many many weeks and with very careful social distancing and other safety measures that small group of saints gathered each sunday for a simple sacrament service just a few pieces of broken bread and cups of water but many tears shed for the goodness of a loving god in time the ministering brother his family and the sisters sister he ministers to were able to return to church but the 87 year old widow the neighbor out of an abundance of caution had to remain home the ministering brother remembered that his assignment was to her neighbor and not even to the this elderly sister herself still to this day quietly comes to her home each send these scriptures and a tiny piece of bread and hand to administer the sacrament of the lord's supper his priesthood service like mine that day in the care center is given out of love in fact the ministering brother recently asked his bishop if there were others in the ward he could care for his desire to magnify his priesthood service has grown as he has served in the lord's name and in a way known almost exclusively to him i don't know if the ministering brother has prayed as i did for those he serves to know of the lord's love but because his service has been in the lord's name the result has been the same the same wonderful result comes when i pray for it before i give a priesthood blessing to someone who is ill or in a time of need it happened once in a hospital when impatient doctors urged me more than urged me ordered me to hurry and get out of the way as they wanted to do their work rather than giving me an opportunity to give the priesthood blessing i i stayed and i did and that little girl that i blessed that day who the doctors had thought would die uh lived uh i am grateful at this moment that i that day didn't let my own feelings get in the way but i felt that the lord wanted that little girl to have a blessing and i knew what the blessing was and i blessed her to be healed and she was it has happened many times as i have given a blessing to someone apparently near death with family members surrounding the bed hoping for a blessing of healing even if i have only a moment i always pray to know what blessing the lord has in store that i can give in his name and i ask to know how he wants to bless that person and not what i or the people standing nearby want my experience is that even when the blessing is not what the others desire for themselves or their loved ones the spirit touches hearts to experience acceptance and comfort rather than disappointment the same inspiration comes when patriarchs fast and pray for guidance to give the blessing the lord wants for a person again i have heard blessings given that surprised me and also surprised the person receiving the blessing clearly the blessing was from the lord both the warnings it contains as well as the promises shared in his name the patriarch's prayer and fasting were rewarded by the lord as a bishop i learned while conducting worthiness interviews to pray for the lord to let me sense what he wanted for the person keeping any inspiration he would provide unclouded by my own judgment that is hard if the lord in love may want to bless someone with correction it takes ever to distinguish what the lord wants from what you want and the other person may want i believe that we can magnify our priesthood service over our lifetime and perhaps beyond it will depend on our diligence in trying to know the lord's will and our efforts to hear his voice so that we can know better what he wants for the person we are serving for him that magnifi magnification will come in small steps it may come slowly but it will come the lord promises this to us open quote for whoso is faithful under the obtaining these two priesthoods of which i have spoken and the magnifying their calling are sanctified by the spirit under the renewing of their bodies they become the sons of moses and of aaron and the seed of abraham and the church and kingdom and the elect of god and also they who receive this priesthood receive me saith the lord it is my witness that the keys of the priesthood were restored to the prophet joseph smith servants of the lord appeared from heaven to restore the priesthood for the great events that have unfolded and that lie before us israel will be gathered the lord's people will be prepared for his glorious second coming the restoration will continue the lord will reveal more of his will to his prophets and to his servants you may feel small compared to the great sweep of what the lord will do if you do i invite you to ask prayerfully how the lord sees you he knows you personally he conferred the priesthood upon you and you're rising up and magnifying the priesthood matter to him because he loves you and he trusts you to bless people he loves in his name i bless you now to be able to feel his love and his trust in the name of the lord jesus christ amen amen in a saturday evening meeting at a state conference many years ago i met a woman who said her friends had asked her to come back to church after many years of inactivity but she could not think of any reason why she should to encourage her i said when you consider all of the things the savior has done for you you have many reasons to come back to worship and serve him i was astonished when she replied what's he done for me what has jesus christ done for each of us he has done everything that is essential for our journey through mortality toward the destiny outlined in the plan of our heavenly father i will speak of four of the principal features of that plan in each of these his only begotten son jesus christ is the central figure motivating all of this is the love of god which seth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men wherefore it is the most desirable above all things just before easter sunday it is timely to speak first of the resurrection of jesus christ the resurrection from the dead is the reassuring personal pillar of our faith it adds meaning to our doctrine motivation to our behavior and hope for our future because we believe the bible and book of mormon descriptions of the literal resurrection of jesus christ we also accept the numerous scriptural teachings that a similar resurrection will come to all mortals who have ever lived upon this earth as jesus taught because i live ye shall live also and his apostle taught that the dead shall be raised incorruptible and this mortal shall have put on immortality but the resurrection gives us more than this assurance of immortality it changes the way we view mortal life the resurrection gives us the perspective and the strength to endure the mortal challenges faced by each of us and those we love it gives us a new way to view the physical mental or emotional deficiencies we have at birth or acquire during mortal life it gives us the strength to endure sorrows failures and frustration because each of us has an assured resurrection we know that these mortal deficiencies and oppositions are only temporary the resurrection also gives us a powerful incentive to keep the commandments of god during our mortal lives when we rise from the dead and proceed to our prophesied final judgment we want to have qualified for the choicest blessings promised to resurrected beings in addition the promise that the resurrection can include an opportunity to be with our family members husband wife children parents and posterity is a powerful encouragement to fulfill our family responsibilities in mortality it also helps us to live together in love in this life and it comforts us in the death of our loved ones we know that these mortal separations are only temporary and we anticipate future joyful reunions and associations the resurrection provides us hope and the strength to be patient as we wait it also prepares us with the courage and dignity to face our own death even a death that might be called premature all of these effects of the resurrection are part of the first answer to the question what has jesus christ done for me for most of us the opportunity to be forgiven of our sins is the major meaning of the atonement of jesus christ in worship we reverently sing his precious blood he freely spilt his life he freely gave a sinless sacrifice for guilt a dying world to save our savior and redeemer endured incomprehensible suffering to become a sacrifice for the sins of all mortals who would repent this atoning sacrifice offered the ultimate good the pure lamb without blemish for the ultimate measure of evil the sins of the entire world it opened the door for each of us to be cleansed of our personal sins so we can be readmitted to the presence of god our eternal father this open door is available to all of the children of god in worship we sing i marvel that he would descend from his throne divine to rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine that he should extend his great love unto such as i the magnificent and incomprehensible effect of the atonement of jesus christ is based on god's love for each of us it affirms his declaration that the worth of souls every one is great in the sight of god in the bible jesus christ explained this in terms of our heavenly father's love for god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life in modern revelation our redeemer jesus christ declared that he so loved the world that he gave his own life that as many as would believe might become the sons of god is it any wonder then that the book of mormon another testament of christ concludes with the teaching that to become perfect and sanctified in christ we must love god with all our might mind and strength his plan motivated by love must be received with love what else has our savior jesus christ done for us through the teachings of his prophets and through his personal ministry jesus taught us the plan of salvation this plan includes the creation the purpose of life the necessity of opposition and the gift of agency he also taught us the commandments and covenants we must obey and the ordinances we must experience to take us back to our heavenly parents in the bible we read his teaching i am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life and in modern revelation we read behold i am jesus christ a light which cannot be hid in darkness if we follow his teachings he lights our path in this life and assures our destiny in the next because he loves us he challenges us to focus on him instead of the things of this mortal world in his great sermon on the bread of life jesus taught that we should not be among those who are most attracted to the things of the world the things that sustain life on earth but give no nourishment toward eternal life as jesus invited us again and again follow me finally the book of mormon teaches that as part of his atonement jesus christ suffered pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people why did our savior suffer these mortal challenges of every kind alma explained and he will take upon him their infirmities that his bowels may be filled with mercy according to the flesh that he may know according to the flesh how to sucker which means to give relief or aid to his people according to their infirmities our savior feels and knows our temptations our struggles our heartaches and our suffering for he willingly experienced them all as part of his atonement other scriptures affirm this the new testament declares in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to sucker them that are tempted isaiah teaches fear thou not for i am with thee i will strengthen thee yea i will help thee. all who suffer any kind of mortal infirmity should remember that our savior experienced that kind of pain also and that through his atonement he offers each of us the strength to bear it the prophet joseph smith summarized all of this in our third article of faith we believe that through the atonement of christ all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel what has jesus christ done for me that sister asked under the plan of our heavenly father he created the heavens and the earth so that each of us could have the mortal experience necessary to seek our divine destiny as part of the father's plan the resurrection of jesus christ overcame death to assure each of us immortality jesus christ's atoning sacrifice gives each of us the opportunity to repent of our sins and return clean to our heavenly home his commandments and covenants show us the way and his priesthood gives the authority to perform the ordinances that are essential to reach that destiny and our savior willingly experienced all mortal pains and infirmities that he would know how to strengthen us in our afflictions jesus christ did all of this because he loves all of the children of god love is the motivation for it all and it was so from the very beginning god has told us in modern revelation that he created male and female after his own image and he gave unto them commandments that they should love and serve him i testify of all of this and pray that we will all remember what our savior has done for each of us and that we all will love and serve him in the name of jesus christ amen brethren thank you for joining us this evening we likewise express appreciation to the various choirs for the inspiring music that has been provided and acknowledged all those who have assisted in preparing for these proceedings in any way the concluding speaker for this session will be president russell m nelson following his remarks the choir will close this meeting by singing hope of israel the benediction will then be offered by elder the grand r curtis jr of the seventy my dear brethren i have looked forward to this virtual meeting with you the last time we held a priesthood session of general conference was in april 2019 much has happened in the past two years some of you have lost loved ones others have lost jobs livelihood or health still others have lost a sense of peace or hope for the future my heart goes out to each one of you who has suffered these are other losses i pray constantly that the lord will comfort you as you continue to let god prevail in your life i know that he is just as optimistic about your future as he has ever been amid the losses we have experienced there are also some things we have found some have found deeper faith in our heavenly father and his son jesus christ many have found a fresh perspective on life even an eternal perspective you may have found stronger relationships with your loved ones and with the lord i hope you have found an increased ability to hear him and receive personal revelation difficult trials often provide opportunities to grow that would not have come in any other way think back on the past two years how have you grown what have you learned you might initially wish you could go back to 2019 and stay there but if you look at your life prayerfully i believe you will see many ways in which the lord has been guiding you through this time of hardship helping you to become a more devoted more converted man a true man of god i know the lord has great and marvelous plans for us individually and collectively with compassion and patience he says quote ye are little children ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the father hath prepared for you and ye cannot bear all things now nevertheless be of good cheer for i will lead you along close quote my dear brothers i testify that he has been and is indeed leading us along as we seek to hear him he wants us to grow and to learn even through and perhaps especially through adversity adversity is a great teacher what have you learned in the past two years that you always want to remember your answers will be unique to you but may i suggest four lessons i hope we have all learned and will never forget lesson one the home is the center of faith and worship often when the lord warns us about the perils of the last days he counsels thus stand ye in holy places and be not moved these holy places certainly include the lord's temples and meeting houses but as our ability to gather in these places has been restricted in varying degrees we have learned that one of the holiest of places on earth is the home yes even your home brethren you bear the priesthood of god the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven you and your family have received priesthood ordinances it is in the ordinances of the priesthood that the power of godliness is manifest that power is available to you and your family in your own home as you keep the covenants you have made just 185 years ago this very day april 3rd 1836 elijah restored the keys of the priesthood that allow our families to be sealed together forever that is why it felt so good to administer the sacrament in your home how do you think it affected your family members to see you their father grandfather husband son or brother administer this holy ordinance what will you do to retain that sacred feeling in your family you may feel that there is still more you need to do to make your home truly a sanctuary of faith if so please do it if you are married counsel with your wife as your equal partner in this crucial work there are few pursuits more important than this between now and the time the lord comes again we all need our homes to be places of serenity and security attitudes and actions that invite the spirit will increase the holiness of your home equally certain is the fact that holiness will vanish if there is anything in your behavior or environment that offends the holy spirit for then the heavens withdraw themselves have you ever wondered why the lord wants us to make our homes the center of gospel learning and gospel living it is not just to prepare us for and help us through a pandemic present restrictions on gathering will eventually end however your commitment to make your home your primary sanctuary of faith should never end as faith and holiness decrease in this fallen world your need for holy places will increase i urge you to continue to make your home a truly holy place and be not moved from that essential goal lesson two we need each other god wants us to work together and help each other that is why he sends us to earth in families and organizes us into wards and stakes this is why he asks us to serve and minister to each other that is why he asks us to live in a world but not be of the world we can accomplish so much more together than we can alone god's plan of happiness would be frustrated if his children remained isolated one from another the recent pandemic has been unique in that it has affected everyone in the world at essentially the same time while some have suffered more than others we have all been challenged in some way because of this our common trial has the potential to help unite god's children as never before so i ask has this shared trial drawn you closer to your neighbors to your brothers and sisters across the street and around the world in this regard the two great commandments can guide us first to love god and second to love our neighbor we show our love by serving if you know of anyone who is alone reach out even if you feel alone too you do not need to have a reason or a message or business to transact just say hello and show your love technology can help you pandemic or not each precious child of god needs to know that he or she is not alone lesson three your priesthood quorum is meant for more than just a meeting during the pandemic sunday corps meetings were cancelled for a time some quorums are now able to meet virtually nevertheless the work that the lord has given to priesthood quorums was never meant to be confined to a meeting meetings are only a small part of what a quorum is meant for and what it can do my brethren of the aaronic priesthood and elders quorums expand your vision of why we have quorums how does the lord wish you would use your quorum to accomplish his work now seek revelation from the lord humble yourself ask listen if you have been called to lead counsel as a presidency and with quorum members whatever your priesthood officer calling let god prevail in your commitment as a member of your quorum and in your service experience with joy the righteousness you will bring to pass as you are anxiously engaged in a good cause quorums are in a unique position to accelerate the gathering of israel on both sides of the veil lesson 4 we hear jesus christ better when we are still we live in the time prophesied long ago when quote all things shall be in commotion and surely men's hearts shall fail them for fear shall come upon all people close quote that was true before the pandemic and it will be true after commotion in the world will continue to increase in contrast the voice of the lord is not a voice of great tumultuous noise but it is a still voice of perfect mildness like a whisper and it pierces even to the very soul in order to hear this still voice you too must be still for a time the pandemic has cancelled activities that would normally fill our lives soon we may be able to choose to fill that time again with the noise and commotion of the world or we can use our time to hear the voice of the lord whispering his guidance comfort and peace quiet time is sacred time time that will facilitate personal revelation and instill peace discipline yourself to have time alone with your loved ones open your heart to god in prayer take time to immerse yourself in the scriptures and worship in the temple my dear brethren there are many things the lord wants us to learn from our experiences during this pandemic i've listed only four i invite you to make your own list consider it carefully and share it with those you love the future is bright for god's covenant keeping people the lord will increasingly call upon his servants who worthily hold the priesthood to bless comfort and strengthen mankind and to help prepare the world and its people for his second coming it behooves each of us to measure up to the sacred ordination we have received we can do this i so testify with my expression of love for each of you my beloved brethren in the sacred name of jesus christ amen [Music] children on the promised day [Music] is [Music] watch every day [Music] see the falling countless numbers [Music] [Applause] [Music] cry watch and pray thank you [Music] is [Music] down [Music] [Music] is [Music] watch every day [Music] oh [Music] [Music] our beloved father in heaven we are most grateful for the blessing that we have to have been participated in this session of conference today not just that we're grateful for this remarkable day of conference we have been so blessed but with what we've been taught today we are grateful for the preparation we're grateful for the remarkable thing of being taught by and led by apostles and prophets we're grateful for all who have spoken and taught us this evening and in the earlier meetings today we pray that thou will bless our first presidency in the twelve we seek to uphold these good faithful men by our confidence faith and prayers we pray that thou will bless the remarkable sisters of this church we are grateful for the strength and the blessing that they are we pray they'll bless us as holders of the priesthood to serve well in all that we're asked to do in our families and but also to the others to the single members of the church and to the church as a whole bless us we pray we thank thee pray thou bless us as we prepare for an easter tomorrow in the name of jesus christ amen amen this has been a broadcast of the priesthood session of the 191st annual general conference of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints speakers were selected from the general authorities and general officers of the church the music for this session was provided by a variety of choirs from previous general conferences this broadcast has been furnished as a public service by bonneville distribution any reproduction recording transcription or other use of this program without written consent is prohibited [Music] you

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Published: Sun Apr 04 2021