Increased capacity
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For those overwhelmed by responsibilities, the Lord provides courage and assurance. He goes with them and angels bear them up, taught President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, during Saturday evening's priesthood session.
Individuals may think the future — after a mission, marriage or the start of a family — is when being a faithful priesthood holder becomes easier.
"Those of you further down the road are smiling now, because you know something about priesthood service," President Eyring replied. "It is this: the more faithful service you give, the more the Lord asks of you. But your smile is a happy one because you know that He increases our power to carry the heavier load.
"The tough part of that reality, however, is that for Him to give you that increased power, you must go in service and faith to your outer limits."
He likened developing priesthood service to building muscles, which must be broken down through exertion before being strengthened and increased. But unlike an individual workout, a priesthood holder qualifies and purifies himself through gospel practices such as faith, repentance, baptism and making and keeping covenants as well as through the Atonement.
"The fact is that you can't do it by yourself. The responsibility is too difficult and too important for your mortal powers and for mine. Recognizing that is at the foundation of great priesthood service," he said.
"When those feelings of inadequacy strike us, it is time to remember the Savior. He assures that we don't do this work alone."
President Eyring recalled six months previous a blessing given him by President Thomas S. Monson and the latter's citation of Doctrine and Covenants 84:88 — that the Lord, His Spirit and angels accompany us and bear us up.
"That promise which President Monson remembered and quoted was fulfilled for me," he continued. "Confidence replaced doubt, the Spirit came, medical helpers were inspired, my life was preserved, and I was borne up. Because of that blessing by President Monson, it will always be easy for me to remember the Savior and trust His promise that He goes before and beside us in His service."
Some "angels" promised are invisible to mortal eyes, others are mortal peers, said President Eyring.
"That suggests at least two things. One is to recognize and welcome those who the Lord sends to help us. The other is to see in every assignment the opportunity to strengthen another."
He later added: "We can expect in our service to have help sent to us at the right time to see the strength in us and lift us up. And we can look forward to being the one sent by the Lord to encourage another."
In committing to going, doing and being the type of servants the Lord wants, "we will find joy in going wherever the Lord would have us serve, we will be given the revelation to speak His words to invite Heavenly Father's children to become changed by the Atonement and fit to go home and live with Him."
Pullout quote: "We can expect in our service to have help sent to us at the right time to see the strength in us and lift us up. And we can look forward to being the one sent by the Lord to encourage another."
