Emulating the love, service and ministry of the Savior is the essence of priesthood leadership, according to Elder Marion D. Hanks of the Presidency of the Seventy.
Elder Hanks, executive director of the Priesthood Department, discussed priesthood leadership in a recent Church News interview."As the scriptures teach, we refer to the higher priesthood as the Melchizedek Priesthood, calling it after a very worthy and holy man," he said.
"But we do that to avoid the too frequent repetition of the name of Deity. It was called anciently, and, I have no doubt, eternally, the Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God. So the essence of priesthood leadership to me is the essence of His own ministry."
Elder Hanks pointed out that the Savior's ministry was based on doing the will of the Father, unselfish service and fidelity to commitments. He added that total sacrifice characterized the Savior's mission, as when He permitted Himself to be hung on the cross, even though He was given all power in heaven and earth.
The kind of love God the Father and His Son exemplify, said Elder Hanks, is illustrated in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son. . . ." and D&C 34:3, "[ChristT so loved the world that he gave his own life. . . ."
"When we learn to love enough," continued Elder Hanks, "then giving becomes the essence; giving obedience, giving service, giving love, giving loyalty, giving complete commitment."
In the quorum, that means giving service, he explained. "It means caring, consideration, kindness. It means having a sense of hope and making the effort to be sure that things are well with others. It is brotherhood and learning."
In the home, proper priesthood leadership would ensure "that no man misunderstood his relationship with his wife and children," he said.
"There would never be any excuse for abuse or discourtesy or inappropriate behavior. And before God there is no hierarchy of value that puts a man above a woman. Men and women - all God's children - are equally esteemed by God, says the scripture. [See 1 Ne. 17:35.T The man needs to know that. The woman needs to know it. And thus, the relationship in the home won't be confused. They won't be filling each other's roles. They will be treating each other with the utmost respect, affection and admiration as well as the wonderful warmth that ought to accompany a man and woman who really love each other and their children."
Just as principles of priesthood leadership bless the quorum and home, they can also bless society, Elder Hanks explained. He said that while speaking on secular occasions at many national forums, he has quoted portions of D&C 121 "without a whole lot of religious background, simply as a standard of behavior in the society I represent."
That is the section that states priesthood leadership, power and influence should be maintained by persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, love unfeigned, kindness and pure knowledge.
"I have been asked many, many times for copies of that scripture," he said, "with its accompanying suggestion that when we get a little authority, as we suppose, we sometimes are capable of exercising unrighteous dominion. And it includes the great thought, let virtue garnish your thoughts unceasingly, and be full of charity towards all."
The teachings in D&C 121 have timely relevance with today's emphasis on ethics in business, Elder Hanks said. "A whole generation I think has learned that Wall Street isn't the end of the line. Hopefully, our business graduates have a higher motivation than feathering the nest. After all, we're here to learn how to work hard, live simply, learn sooner or later that we're not here exclusively to serve our own needs and desires, and to reach out and help others. That's why we're here. Sometimes it takes us a while to learn that. But that's what priesthood is all about, too."
Effective priesthood leadership is identified not necessarily by focusing on the qualities of an effective leader, but rather by observing results in those who are under his charge, Elder Hanks said.
To illustrate, he told of a young man who was called to be adviser of a teachers quorum of 13 boys, only three of whom consistently came to priesthood meeting. The adviser's first effort was to get to know each one individually. He visited each boy at his home and invited him to come to the meetings. On follow-up visits, the adviser presented each boy with a leather-bound triple combination bearing the boy's name.
The adviser promised the boys that if they would come to quorum meetings, he would help them gain a testimony of the gospel and to know for themselves the truth of the scriptures. He also promised to show them how to beat a neighboring ward's team in basketball. They began to come to quorum meetings, and they eventually did beat the basketball team.
But more important, they became diligent priesthood bearers. He was quorum adviser only for a few months, but today, many years later, he is pleased to hear that the boys have lived good lives, including one who has served as a mission president.
"The ultimate objective of the Church itself, or of the priesthood, or of temple worship, is to get us acquainted with the Savior," Elder Hanks declared. "It is through Him and only through Him that we can accomplish the mission of the Church or the priesthood or us individually, and that is to qualify to regain the presence of our Heavenly Father with our loved ones."