Leadership training: Foster godliness in life, Church duty
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When the priesthood is solidly in place, everything else will fit together, President Boyd K. Packer, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve, declared in his leadership meeting address.
"As authorized servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is the responsibility of every holder of the priesthood, all of you, to foster godliness in your life, in your home and in your callings in the Church."
Priesthood keys
President Packer explained that in a stake or mission, the president is given priesthood keys, which are the right to approve an ordination in the priesthood or authorize one to be set apart to serve. In the quorum, the president is given priesthood keys, and in the ward, the bishop is given the keys, he said. "Auxiliary presidents do not receive keys." For both ordinations and settings apart, an interview must be held to determine worthiness, willingness, support from spouse and whether family, work or health problems might interfere, he noted. "A call is more than an invitation or a request," he said. "It is a call from the Lord through His chosen servant."
An office in the priesthood is conferred by ordination, President Packer said. These include, for the Melchizedek Priesthood, elder, high priest, patriarch, Seventy and apostle; and, for the Aaronic Priesthood, deacon, teacher, priest and bishop. In the case of elder, the Melchizedek Priesthood is conferred first, and for a deacon, the Aaronic Priesthood is conferred first, before the ordination takes place.
"An ordination to an office in the priesthood is permanent and follows one ordained wherever he goes," President Packer said, while one set apart is eventually released by the same authority by which he is called. He explained that a high priest ordained as a bishop is set apart to preside over a ward. "He will be released from presiding over a ward, but his ordination as bishop remains. If he is called to preside over another ward, he need only to be set apart."
Inspired calls
President Packer said one should not aspire to a call nor request or resent a release; both are directed by inspiration of leaders. "How crucial it is that we be worthy," he exclaimed. "Each must be absolutely faithful to his wife." Word of Wisdom observance and avoidance of unworthy pictures, films or printed materials are also important so the mind may be an instrument for revelation required in priesthood ordinances, he said.
