Stories of people being touched by the priesthood "are repeated across the world and will be over generations," President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, said in his address in priesthood session of conference.

"For some it will be the story of a young home teacher who said words that sparked a desire in your grandfather to come back to the Church. For some it will be the words of comfort and blessing from a patriarch that sustained your mother when tragedy nearly overwhelmed her," he said.

"There will be a common theme in those stories. It will be the power of the priesthood in a holder whose power to serve was magnified by power of the Holy Ghost."

Thus, President Eyring defined his message as this: "Let us do whatever is required to qualify for the Holy Ghost as our constant companion and then let us go forward fearlessly that we will be given the powers to do whatever the Lord calls us to do. That growth in power may come slowly, it may come in small steps that are difficult for you to see, but it will come."

Priesthood holders, President Eyring said, should never miss an opportunity to participate with all their hearts in the promise of the sacrament prayer: "To take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them."

As did Jesus' disciples when He was in mortality, "we should pray for the manifestations of the Holy Ghost to come to us in our service and to those we serve," President Eyring said. "Humble prayer to our Heavenly Father, in deep faith in Jesus Christ is essential to qualify us for the companionship of the Holy Ghost."

Humility and faith to invite spiritual gifts are increased by reading, studying and pondering the scriptures, President Eyring said. "But reading, studying and pondering are not the same. We read words and we may get ideas. We study and we may discover patterns and connections in scripture. But when we ponder we invite revelation by the Spirit. Pondering for me is the thinking and the praying I do after reading and studying the scriptures carefully."

Magnification of power to serve will come as a priesthood holder responds with faith to go forward in callings with the help of the Holy Ghost, President Eyring explained. He suggested two services to which priesthood holders are called.

"The first is as His agent to teach and testify to others for Him. The Lord included the youngest and the least experienced of the Aaronic Priesthood holders in that call to serve. … Somewhere in the world this week there will be a deacon asked by his quorum president to invite a member of their quorum whom they have never seen to a meeting. The 13-year-old president is not likely to use the words 'warn, exhort and teach.' But that is what the Lord expects of the deacon assigned to go to the rescue.

"To the deacon who receives the call, I will make three promises. First, as you pray for help the Spirit will calm your fears. Second, you will be surprised that you know what to say when you get to his home and during the walk with him to the church. What you say may seem jumbled to you. But you will feel that words were given to you at the moment you needed them. And, third, you will feel the approval of the Lord who called you, through your president, whatever the outcome."

In addition to the call to teach, priesthood holders will be sent by the Lord to succor those in need, President Eyring said. "That is another priesthood service in which we will feel the influence of the Spirit increase our power to serve. You will find yourself more able to recognize pain and worry in the faces of people. Names or the faces of people in your quorum will come into your mind with the impression that they are in need."

He told of an incident in which his father was in the hospital, seemingly near death. President Spencer W. Kimball came to visit the father, who was also named Henry Eyring. "President Kimball said a few words of greeting, asked Dad if he had received a priesthood blessing, and then, when Dad said that he had, the prophet sat back in his chair.

"I waited for a demonstration of the comforting skills I felt I lacked and so much needed. After perhaps five minutes of watching the two of them smiling silently at each other, President Kimball rose and said, 'Henry, I think I'll go before we tire you.'"

President Eyring said he thought he had missed the lesson, but it came later, when his father said, "Of all the visits I had, that visit I had from him lifted my spirits the most." The Church president "went with the Spirit of the Lord as his companion to give the comfort," President Eyring remarked. — R. Scott Lloyd