Priesthood brethren "must never let the great powers of the holy priesthood lie dormant in us," President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency, counseled at the priesthood session Saturday evening.

"We are bound together in the greatest cause and the most sacred work in all the world. To exercise these great powers, we must be clean in thought and action. We must do nothing which would impair the full exercise of this transcendent power."Noting that priesthood is the greatest power on earth, President Faust said that to safeguard it, all priesthood holders act under the direction of those who hold the keys of the priesthood.

"These keys bring order into our lives and to the organization of the Church," he explained, adding that the very essence of priesthood responsibility is caring for others.

"It is the power to bless, to heal and to administer the saving ordinances of the gospel. Righteous priesthood authority is most needed within the walls of our own homes. It must be exercised in great love. This is true of all priesthood holders - deacon, teacher, priest, elder, high priest, patriarch, seventy and apostle."

President Faust said he learned great lessons of priesthood caring as a teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood assigned to serve as junior companion to a Swedish immigrant named Algot Johnson, who was dedicated to his calling and who became his lifelong friend, despite their differences in age.

He told the experience of Robert F. Jex, who as a 15-year-old junior companion, was assigned to give a home teaching message to an elderly widow. When he finished his message there were tears in her eyes and she expressed gratitude for the presence of priesthood bearers in her home.

"The duty of home teachers cannot always be satisfied with a once-a-month visit," President Faust said. "They need to be caring and willing to serve as the need arises."

To bishops, President Faust said some of their duties can and should be delegated to counselors, fathers, home teachers and quorum leaders. Quoting President Harold B. Lee, he said: "It becomes the responsibility of those of us who lead to let, to permit, to give opportunity for every man to learn his duty. . . . Help is not helpful if we assume the prerogatives that belong to that individual."

Another aspect of priesthood responsibility, President Faust said, is to sustain those in authority. "In my lifetime," he said, "there have been very few occasions when I questioned the wisdom and inspiration given by key priesthood leaders. I have tried to follow their counsel whether I agreed with it or not. I have come to know that most of the time they were in tune with the Spirit and I was not. The safe course is to sustain our priesthood leaders, and let God judge their actions."

Priesthood service requires the setting aside of selfish interests, President Faust said, adding: "We need to prepare so that we are able to accept priesthood callings should they come. We should try to live providently with respect to our personal lifestyles. . . . In short, we should seek to manage our affairs so that we are better able to accept the calls which might come to us now, as well as in the future."

To young men, he said they need to understand priesthood power is not accessed the way power is used in the world.

"Worldly power often is employed ruthlessly. However, priesthood power is invoked only through those principles of righteousness by which the priesthood is governed," he said, quoting D&C 121:41-42, 45, regarding the qualities by which priesthood is exercised, such as persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness and meekness, and love unfeigned.