My dear brethren of the priesthood, though we are from many

nations, we are, as Paul said, of "one Lord, one faith, one

baptism."¹ But the strength of the faith within each of us is

developed individually, not as a group.

For example, think of the faith of a boy, about eight years of

age, who was facing an emergency operation for acute

appendicitis. As he lay on the operating table, he looked up at the

surgeon and said, "Doctor, before you begin to operate, will you

pray for me?"

The surgeon looked at the boy in amazement and said, "Why, I

can't pray for you."

Then the little fellow said, "If you won't pray for me, please wait

while I pray for myself." There on the operating table, the boy got

on his knees, folded his hands, and began to pray. He said:

"Heavenly Father, I am only a little orphan boy. I am awful sick,

and these doctors are going to operate. Will you please help them

that they will do it right? Heavenly Father, if you will make me

well, I will be a good boy. Thank you for making me well." He

then lay on his back, looked up at the tear-filled eyes of the doctors

and nurses, and said, "Now I am ready."²

His physical recovery was complete, and his spiritual power was

developing. You brethren are older and have had the priesthood

conferred upon you. Your priesthood quorums provide

opportunities for friendship, service, and learning. But the

responsibility to develop power in the priesthood is personal. Only

as an individual can you develop a firm faith in God and a passion

for personal prayer. Only as an individual can you keep the

commandments of God. Only as an individual can you repent.

Only as an individual can you qualify for the ordinances of

salvation and exaltation. And when your wife is sealed to you, her

power and potential will increase yours.

I belong to a wonderful priesthood quorum. We enjoy a

precious brotherhood. We pray together; we serve together. We

teach, love, and sustain one another. The Twelve come from

different backgrounds—business, education, law, and science. But

not one was called to serve because of that background. In fact, all

men called to positions of priesthood responsibility are chosen

because of who they are and who they can become.³

Throughout life you will have a wide variety of duties and

responsibilities. Many of these are temporary and will be

relinquished upon your release. (You probably won't object to your

release from a call to pull weeds at the welfare farm.) But you

never will be released from responsibilities related to your personal

and family development.

When ordained to an office in the priesthood, you are granted

authority. But power comes from exercising that authority in

righteousness.

Responsibility to the Lord

From the President of the Church to the newest deacon, we are responsible to the Lord. We are to be true and faithful and live by

every principle and doctrine that He has given to us. We cannot

compromise a revelation or a commandment committed to our

charge. He trusts us to "build up the kingdom of God, and to

establish his righteousness."⁴

One day each of us will give an account to the Lord.⁵ This

awareness was evident in a serious conversation I had years ago

with a dear friend facing the end of his mortal life. I asked him if

he was ready to die. I'll never forget his answer. With courage and

conviction, he said, "My life is ready for inspection."

When the Prophet Joseph Smith faced death, he said, "I am going

like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a summer's morning;

I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all

men."⁶

Now is the time to prepare for your own ultimate interview. You

might ask yourself: "Do I pay tithing with a willing heart? Do I

obey the Word of Wisdom? Is my language free from obscenities

and swearing? Am I morally righteous? Am I truly grateful for the

Atonement that makes my resurrection a reality and eternal life a

possibility? Do I honor temple covenants that seal loved ones to

me forever?" If you can honestly say yes, you are developing

power in the priesthood.

The gift of the Holy Ghost can add to that power. Scriptures tell of

people who had received the Holy Ghost but did not know it.⁷ Don't

let that happen to you. Cultivate that gift and qualify for this promise from

God: "Speak the thoughts that I shall put into your

hearts, and you shall not be confounded before men; For it shall be

given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall

say."⁸

Personal Responsibility and Priesthood Power

Priesthood authority has existed in many dispensations, such as

those of Adam, Noah, Enoch, Abraham, Moses, the meridian of

time, the Jaredites, the Nephites, and others. All previous

dispensations were limited in time, as each ended in apostasy. They

were also limited to small segments of planet Earth. In contrast, our

dispensation—the dispensation of the fulness of times—will not be

limited in time or place. Globally, it will host a whole, complete,

and perfect union, welding together dispensations, keys, powers,

and glories from the days of Adam even to the present time.⁹

The Aaronic Priesthood was restored May 15, 1829, by John the

Baptist; the Melchizedek Priesthood was restored shortly thereafter

by Peter, James, and John.¹⁰ Other heavenly messengers conveyed

specific keys of the priesthood. Moroni held keys of the Book of

Mormon.¹¹ Moses brought keys of the gathering of Israel and the

leading of the ten tribes.¹² Elias conveyed keys of the restoration of

all things,¹³ including the Abrahamic covenant.¹⁴ And Elijah

conferred keys of the sealing authority.¹⁵

You know something about keys. In your pocket there might be a

key to your home or car. Priesthood keys, on the other hand, are

intangible and invisible. They "switch on" the authority of the

priesthood. Some keys even convey power to bind in heaven as

well as on earth.¹⁶

Joseph Smith conferred priesthood keys upon all of the Twelve.¹⁷ Those keys have been transferred to successive leaders. Today President Gordon B. Hinckley holds authority for every restored

key held by "all those who have received a dispensation at any

time from the beginning of the creation."¹⁸

With this doctrinal history in mind, it is clear that one cannot buy

the priesthood. Scripture declares that "no man taketh this honour

unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron."¹⁹

To bear the priesthood means you have a personal responsibility to magnify your calling. Let each opportunity to serve help to develop

your power in the priesthood. In your personal grooming, follow

the example of the living prophets. Doing so gives silent

expression that you truly comprehend the importance of "the Holy

Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God."²⁰

When you brethren have an opportunity to exercise the

Melchizedek Priesthood, ponder what you are to do. When you lay

hands upon the head of another, you are not offering a prayer,

which of course requires no authority. You are authorized to set

apart, to ordain, to bless, and to speak in the name of the Lord.²¹ Remember

His promises: "Whomsoever you bless I will bless,"²² and "I will impart unto you of my Spirit, . . . and then shall ye

know . . . all things . . . pertaining

unto things of righteousness, in

faith believing in me that you shall receive."²³

To magnify your callings in the Aaronic Priesthood, you young

men should shape your personal efforts toward five personal

objectives to:

• Gain a knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

• Be worthy of missionary service.

• Keep yourself morally clean and qualified to enter the holy temple.

• Pursue your personal education.

• Uphold Church standards and be worthy of your future companion.

How can you remember those five objectives? It's easy. Look at

your hand. Let your pointer finger point to the scriptures. From

them gain a better knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and

then live in accord with His teachings. Let your middle finger

remind you to be worthy of missionary service. Let your ring

finger remind you of marriage, endowment, sealing, and blessings

of the temple. Let your end finger remind you that pursuit of an

education is a religious responsibility.²⁴ Let your thumb go up,

reminding you to uphold the standards of the Church and be

worthy of your eternal companion. The realization of these five

objectives will bless your lives.

You bearers of the Melchizedek Priesthood should qualify for the

highest degree of celestial glory. "In order to obtain [it], a man

must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and

everlasting covenant of marriage]; And if he does not, he cannot

obtain it."²⁵

That covenant is honored when you honor your wife. A husband's

foremost priority should be the care of his wife. Be true to her.

Don't ever allow your eyes to gaze upon pornography or let your

language be lewd. The very choices made by reason of agency

limit one's agency in the future. You cannot exercise agency and

escape accountability and responsibility for each choice.

Never forget that "the rights of the priesthood are inseparably

connected with the powers of heaven. . . . [This power] cannot be

controlled nor handled [except] upon the principles of

righteousness."²⁶ If we abuse that power to cover our sins, to

gratify our pride, to pursue vain ambition, or to control others in

any degree of unrighteousness, we lose both the authority and the

power of the priesthood.²⁷

Brethren, serve with gentleness, long-suffering, kindness,

meekness, love unfeigned, pure knowledge, and charity toward

all.²⁸ Then the "doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon [your]

soul as the dews from heaven."²⁹

Please know of our love and gratitude for each of you. We thank

you for your faith, your service, and your sustaining strength. May

you, your loved ones, and your posterity be blessed by your

righteous pursuit of power in the priesthood.

God lives. Jesus is the Christ. He directs His Church through His

prophets and apostles. I so testify, in the name of Jesus Christ,

amen.

Notes:

1. Ephesians 4:5.

2. See George Albert Smith, Sharing the Gospel with

Others, comp. Preston Nibley (1948), 144–45.

3. See Matthew

20:16; 22:14; 1

Peter 2:9; Revelation

17:14; Alma 13:3, 6,

9; 3 Nephi 12:1; D&C 3:10; 52:1; 95:5; 121:34,

40–46.

4. Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 6:38.

5. See Hebrews

13:17; Alma 5:18; 11:43; D&C

72:13–16.

6. D&C 135:4.

7. See 3 Nephi 9:20.

8. D&C 100:5–6.

9. See D&C

128:18.

10. See Joseph

Smith—History 1:72; D&C

27:8, 12.

11. See D&C

27:5.

12. See D&C

110:11.

13. See D&C

27:6.

14. See D&C

110:12.

15. See Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph

Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith (1976), 337–38; see also D&C

27:9; 110:13–16; 128:21.

16. See Matthew

16:19; 18:18; D&C

124:93; 127:7; 128:8,

10; 132:46.

17. See Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R.

McConkie, 3 vols. (1954–56), 3:154–56.

18. D&C 112:31; see also D&C

128:18.

19. Hebrews 5:4.

20. D&C 107:3; see also Joseph

Smith Translation,

Hebrews 7:3; Alma 13:1.

21. See D&C

1:20, 38; 84:19–22,

26–27; 107:18–20; 124:39–46; 133:6.

22. D&C

132:47.

23. D&C 11:13–14.

24. See D&C 130:18–19.

25. D&C 131:2–3; second brackets are in the original.

26. D&C

121:36.

27. See D&C

121:37.

28. See 2 Thessalonians

1:3; D&C 121:41–42.

29. D&C

121:45.