'We must be true to the very best in us'
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One word, loyalty, was the basis for the priesthood session address of President Gordon B. Hinckley, who chose to speak on various aspects: loyalty to oneself, in family relationships, to the Church and to God.
"We must be true to the very best that is in us," he said. "We are sons of God honored to hold His divine authority. But we live in a world of evil. There is a constant power, pulling us down, inviting us to partake of those things which are totally inconsistent with the divine priesthood which we hold."
He decried pornography, saying "its producers grow rich on the gullibility of those who like to watch it." To pornography, he applied the warning in the Word of Wisdom, given "in consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days." (Doctrine and Covenants 89:4.)
President Hinckley warned that young men are "particular targets for the adversary. If he can get you now, he knows he may win you for a lifetime. There has been implanted within you wondrous powers and instincts for a divine purpose. However, when these are perverted, they become destroyers rather than builders."
He issued a challenge to the men in the congregation: "Run from the tide of sleaze that would overcome you. Flee the evils of the world. Be loyal to your better self. Be loyal to the best that is in you. Be faithful and true to the covenants that are associated with the priesthood of God. You cannot wallow about in lasciviousness, you cannot lie, you cannot cheat, you cannot take advantage of others in unrighteousness without denying that touch of divinity with which each of us came into this life."
Regarding loyalty in family relationships, President Hinckley decried the frequency of divorce. "I am grateful to be able to say that divorce is much less frequent with those married in the temple," he said, "but even among these there is far more divorce than there should be."
While no one expects every marriage to work out perfectly, he said, "one might expect that every marriage in the House of the Lord would carry with it a covenant of loyalty one to another."
"I have long felt that the greatest factor in a happy marriage is an anxious concern for the comfort and well-being of one's companion," he added. "In most cases selfishness is the leading factor that causes argument, separation, divorce and broken hearts."
Concerning loyalty to the Church, the president remarked: "We see much indifference. There are those who say, 'The Church won't dictate to me how to think about this, that or the other, or how to live my life.'
"No, I reply, the Church will not dictate to any man how he should think or what he should do. The Church will point out the way and invite every member to live the gospel and enjoy the blessings that come of such living. The Church will not dictate to any man, but it will counsel, it will persuade, it will urge and it will expect loyalty from those who profess membership therein."
Having served in the general councils of the Church for 45 years, President Hinckley declared: "I want to give you my testimony that although I have sat in literally thousands of meetings where Church policies and programs have been discussed, I have never been in one where the guidance of the Lord was not sought nor where there was any desire on the part of anyone present to advocate or do anything which would be injurious or coercive to anyone."
He expressed gratitude for the faith of Latter-day Saints who, when facing a major decision on which the Church has taken a stand, align themselves with that position. "And I am especially grateful to be able to say that among those who are loyal are men and women of high achievement, of accomplishment, of education, of influence, of strength — highly intelligent and capable individuals."
Finally, President Hinckley spoke of "loyalty to God our Eternal Father and His Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ."
"How many in our time, to quote the words of Paul, 'crucify . . . the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame' with profane and blasphemous language. (See Hebrews 6:6.)
"You know of the profanity of the school grounds and the street. Avoid it. Never let it cross your lips. Show your loyalty to the God of heaven and to the Redeemer of the world by holding their names sacred.
"Pray to your Heavenly Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and always, under all circumstances, by the very nature of your lives, show your loyalty and your love."
