Jesus Christ stands at the head of the LDS Church, watching over and guiding it through his ordained servants on Earth.
President Gordon B. Hinckley, first counselor in the First Presidency, told priesthood holders Saturday night that Christ himself "directs this work. His is the prerogative, the power, the option to call men in his way to high and sacred offices and to release them according to his will by calling them home. He is the master of life and death," President Hinckley said.In the closing address of the Priesthood Session, President Hinckley said Church President Ezra Taft Benson suffers seriously from the effects of age and illness and has been unable to fulfill important duties of his office.
"The principles and procedures which the Lord has put in place for the governance of his church make provision for any such circumstances. It is important, my brethren, that there be no doubts or concerns about the governance of the church and the exercise of the prophetic gifts, including the right to inspiration and revelation in administering the affairs and programs of the church, when the president may be ill or is not able to function fully."
He said each man who is ordained an apostle is sustained as a prophet, seer and revelator. Counselors in the First Presidency are drawn from the Council of the Twelve.
"When the president is ill or not able to function fully in all of the duties of his office, his two counselors together comprise a Quorum of the First Presidency. They carry on with the regular work of the Presidency."
President Hinckley said President Benson chose his two counselors, helped set them apart with the other members of the Twelve and gave them the powers of agency to direct the business of the church.
"Under these specific and plenary delegations of authority, the counselors in the First Presidency carry on with the day-to-day work of this office. But any major questions of policy, procedures, programs or doctrine are considered deliberately and prayerfully by the First Presidency and the Twelve together."
He said every apostle has the freedom to express himself, and then he quoted from scripture that every decision made by them must be unanimous.
"At the onset in considering matters, there may be differences of opinion. These are to be expected . . . But before a final decision is reached, there comes a unanimity of mind and voice."
President Hinckley said in his nearly 33 years as an apostle, there has never been a major action where this procedure was not observed.
He said President Benson moved up through the ranks of seniority over a period of many years and during that time the brethren came to know him well.
"His views became well-known. Those who love him, respect him, sustain and honor him as president of the church, and prophet, seer and revelator of the Lord, would not be disposed to go beyond what they recognize his position would be on any issue under consideration."
He said President Benson may not be able to speak to the church as he once did. "He need not. During the time that he stood before us as president of this church, he pleaded with us to do more than we are now doing, and to be better than we now are. When the Lord calls him home, there will be another to take his place. No one knows who that will be. No one need speculate."
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Priesthood speakers
Gordon B. Hinckley of the First Presidency
Thomas S. Monson of the First Presidency
Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Council of the Twelve
Charles Didier of the Presidency of the Seventy
Richard P. Lindsay of the Seventy
Marlin K. Jensen of the Seventy
President Monson:
Serve God by activating brethren whose talents and leadership have lain dormant.
Holding the priesthood is a sacred trust, and to fulfill priesthood responsibilities successfully, young and old men alike must walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.
President Thomas S. Monson, second counselor in the First Presidency, said, "All who hold the priesthood have opportunities for service to our Heavenly Father and to his children on Earth. It is contrary to the spirit of service to live selfishly within ourselves and disregard the needs of others. The Lord will guide us and make us equal to the challenges before us."
President Monson recounted several experiences with the priesthood that involved church leaders who have since passed away.
When Elder ElRay L. Christiansen, an assistant to the Council of the Twelve, was called as stake president in Logan, he and his counselors met to determine what stake members needed most.
"At length they agreed that the principle most needed was spirituality. They appreciated the truth found in a favorite observation of mine: `When one deals in generalities, he will rarely have a success; but when he deals in specifics, he will rarely have a failure.' "
President Christiansen's four-year plan was refined to increase the spirituality of the stake through four annual themes - family prayer, sacrament meeting attendance, paying an honest tithe and honoring the Sabbath.
President Monson also quoted President John Taylor, with direct counsel for those who hold the priesthood: "If you do not magnify your calling, God will hold you responsible for those whom you might have saved had you done your duty."
He shared a formula some stakes have used successfully to activate brethren whose talents and potential leadership had lain dormant:
Put forth effort at the ward level; involve the bishop; provide inspired teaching; and do not attempt to concentrate on all the brethren at once. He counseled leaders to work with a few families at any given time and then involve them in activating others.
President Monson said high-powered sales techniques are not the answer in priesthood leadership, but rather devotion to duty, continuous effort, abundant love and personal spirituality. Following such principles touches hearts, prompts change and brings people back to the Lord.
Elder Wirthlin:
Humble and submissive obedience brings rewards of peace, happiness and virtue.
Living in obedience to the laws of the gospel can lift young men above the quagmire of sin that surrounds them, said Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Council of the Twelve.
"In addition to helping you become better servants of the Lord, obedience to these laws will help you to be better in everything you undertake in life. . . . You will enjoy your life more; you will be happier and at peace with yourself because you will know that your life is acceptable to your Heavenly Father and his beloved son, Jesus the Christ," he said.
Nothing is more important than humble, submissive and diligent obedience to God's commandments, he said, quoting President Benson: "Obedience is the first law of heaven."
The Aaronic Priesthood is given to young men in preparation for the time when they will receive the greater authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood, he said.
"Prepare well for that great blessing by being faithful now in magnifying your Aaronic Priesthood."
He said missionaries receive a small handbook to help them remain faithful and obedient and that the Church also has a handbook for young men and young women - "For the Strength of Youth."
"We ask you to carry it with you, refer to it frequently, and live according to the counsel it contains. That counsel can protect you from evil and help you to obey even when obedience is difficult."
Elder Wirthlin acknowledged that obedience is not always easy and can seem stifling, uncomfortable, even impossible. "But with God all things are possible," he said, quoting from the New Testament.
"If you make a mistake, obtain forgiveness through sincere, humble repentance. God does forgive; it is a miracle made possible by the atoning sacrifice of his son, Jesus Christ. But mistakes that seem to be small to you, if uncorrected, can have enormous consequences."
He said momentary lapses in an otherwise outstanding life can jeopardize the privilege of serving a full-time mission.
Elder Didier:
Remember, commit to and act upon your covenants in devout preparation for eternal life.
Remember your covenants, Elder Charles Didier, a member of the Presidency of of the Quorums of the Seventy, told priesthood members.
"One of my simple answers tonight is to constantly remember your covenants, to act on them, and to commit to them. This sequence, as repeatedly stated in the scriptures, is a classical spiritual teaching pattern to prepare us for eternal life. It is centered upon Christ and his doctrines and teachings," he said.
Elder Didier reflected on this spiritual teaching pattern in his own life and shared some of his memories as a convert to the church.
"As a young man, I considered and learned the doctrine of eternal marriage and family. This was of great interest to me and a determining factor in my conversion. I had witnessed the breakup of my parents' marriage; I had seen sorrow caused by death without spiritual knowledge and friends marrying without temple ordinances. I wanted to avoid these tragedies."
He spoke of marriage as a divine, righteous, ordained union between a man and a woman and said this union should be solemnized by the authority of the everlasting priesthood.
"The true concept of marriage and family, the unit comprised of a husband, wife and children sealed together, was instituted at the beginning by God to create eternal families," he said.
He said the church as a divine institution led by the authority of the priesthood was another determining factor in his conversion.
Elder Lindsay:
Aaronic priesthood holders must venture into moral wasteland, save God's flock.
Aaronic Priesthood holders are keepers of the Lord's precious flock and must be there with the lambs when needed, said Elder Richard P. Lindsay of the Quorums of the Seventy.
He said the Savior's final admonition to his apostles was: "Feed my lambs - Feed my sheep - Feed my sheep."
"The battle for the souls of our Heavenly Father's precious sheep and lambs is raging in every corner of the world," Elder Lindsay said, explaining how a permissive culture - heavily influenced by television - has created a moral wasteland without values.
He said Aaronic Priesthood leaders must, with love, help each young man to become truly converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ and live by its teachings; magnify his priesthood callings; give meaningful service; prepare to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood; commit to and prepare for an honorable mission; and live worthy to receive temple covenants and become a worthy husband and father.
"Brethren, make sure that the love and fellowship of the priesthood reaches out to each young man in your quorum and that each one is included and fellowshiped," he said.
"We must teach, with love, principles of faith and goodness and be righteous examples to the lambs of our Heavenly Father. Each quorum member must be prepared for his future role as a bearer of the Holy Priesthood in a world plagued with sin and desperate for decisive moral leadership."
Elder Jensen:
Companionships within the priesthood provide redeeming influence of good people.
There is power in living a good life, and it is through good people that we become better acquainted with the greatest of all lives - Jesus Christ.
"When we see Christ's image in the countenances of others, it helps us live to receive it in our own," said Elder Marlin K. Jensen of the Quorums of the Seventy.
Elder Jensen told of the Prophet rebuking prison guards for blasphemies and filthy language while he was imprisoned in Richmond, Mo.
"Does not this image of the Prophet Joseph Smith courageously rebuking the forces of evil move us to do likewise?" he asked.
"The Lord is surely aware of our need to feel the influence of good people. That may be one reason why he has established a pattern of companionships as we work together through the priesthood to serve him and his children."
He said some of the influence we have on the lives of others may be less obvious, but this interaction is a foundational element of the gospel.
"It also explains why we build meetinghouses rather than hermitages," he said.
Elder Jensen said he is greatly motivated by the modest written and oral traditions of his father. He said he hopes he can have the same lasting influence for good in the lives of his children.