President Eyring: We welcome you! The music will be provided from a father-son choir.
Choir: Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel
Opening Prayer: Elder Kevin W. Pearson of the Seventy
Choir: Secret Prayer
A rocket’s mission is to deliver a payload. The priesthood is compared to the payload. Because of the Atonement, Jesus has delegated a portion of the power and authority to men on Earth — this is the priesthood. This allows priesthood holders to help Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to bring about the salvation of people on Earth. None of us can return to our heavenly home without help. We need the atoning power so we can be reconciled to Heavenly Father.
The opportunity to benefit from the atoning power is the most important payload. The priesthood is the rocket. If the priesthood fails to deliver the opportunity to benefit from the atoning power, it has failed. Minor defects in rockets can cause failure. The keys help guard the priesthood from defects.
The priesthoods are received by covenant. Priesthood holders covenant to help God in His work. The covenants are to benefit the entire world. The purpose of the priesthood is to invite others to come onto Christ.
Covenants are a pledge of self. A man makes a covenant only when a man wants to commit himself to a promise. When a man makes a covenant, he is holding himself like water in his hands. A covenant-breaker no longer has a self to commit.
Different responsibilities for Aaronic and Melchezidek Priesthood holders.
Jesus Christ will prepare the way before a priesthood holder. The HG will assist. To each man who receives the M priesthood, God affirms his covenant promises with an oath. Being casual in a calling is like introducing material fatigue in a rocket. Disobedience breaks the covenant.
A story about the restoration of the priesthood to a man who had wandered. The purpose of organizing a stake is to assist Jesus Christ in their work. The purpose is to provide exaltation. The priesthood delivers the Gospel of Jesus Christ, like a rocket delivering a payload.
I invite you to make and keep priesthood covenants. Use the priesthood to help offer opportunities to others.
: David F. Evans of the Seventy
Willingness to be patient is part of our search for truth. During his mission he had to know whether the Church is true. If you do not have a firm testimony of these things, do what is necessary to obtain one. He needed to read the BoM with sincere intent. Quotes Moroni 10:3-5.
In order to receive what was in the BoM, he needed to read it. He needed to read the entire book before receiving a witness. He found joy in knowing the truth. In his journal: “I have pledged to do my very best. Whatever I am asked, I’ll do.”
Constant nourishment of a testimony. Reading the BoM was an important step in finding a testimony. President Monson has asked us to do what is necessary to obtain and keep a strong testimony. Keeping covenants is part of God’s pattern.
His daughter is faithful but has doubts. She was asked to serve in the temple. Sealing. This woman had a private spiritual experience in which she knew that the temple ordinances are true. Patient covenant keeping brings the blessings of heaven into our lives.
By the power of the HG you may know the truth of all things. We can feel deep that the BoM is the word of God. We can know that God is our father. We can know that membership in His church is to be cherished. Through temple ordinances, families really can be together forever.
All of this I know to be true.
: Elder Richard J. Maynes of the Seventy
Trust is a blessing. When we keep our promises to the Lord, his trust in us grows. Integrity of heart. Men who have integrity of heart are those who can be trusted. Your intentions as well as actions are pure and righteous. We either merit more of God’s trust or lose his trust.
As husbands and fathers, we have received a divine charge in the Proclamation on the Family. Fathers preside, work and protest our families. The Lord’s way is to fulfill these responsibilities with our wives with equal support.
Because Nephi did the Lord’s will, God trust him.
His two daughters: “one of the most important things to me is that I know my husband will make good choices. Peace in the home.” “Having trust in someone is similar to having faith in someone. No fear and doubt. I have peace of mind knowing he does what he says he will do.”
His father also honored the priesthood. On a business trip, a client offered a payoff. His father asked him “what we should do?” My father said: “once you take a bribe or compromise your integrity, it is difficult to get it back. Don’t ever do it, even once.” Fathers have a lasting influence. He lived these same principles with his wife and children.
My prayer is that we will first place our trust in the Lord. Then we will earn the trust of our wives and children. We will be true to our sacred covenants.
Choir and Congregation: How Firm a Foundation
An elderly man at a post office. A woman helped him by offering to help him with a machine to buy stamps. He said he preferred to wait because the machine will not ask him about his arthritis.
We accept aging as part of our mortal journey. When suffering from emotional distress, we seek the help of experts. Just as we face physical and emotional trials, we also face spiritual challenges. Most of us have experienced times when our testimony burns brightly. But there may be times when Heavenly Father seems distant.
Today I wish to speak of spiritual wellness. How can we have vibrant spiritual health?
Sometimes we suffer from sin or emotional wounds. Sometimes things seem overwhelming. We can lose sight of the joy of the gospel. We might feel we have no more to give. Just because we have trials, does not mean the trials are incurable. We can heal spiritually. Even the deepest spiritual wounds can be healed.
The healing power of Jesus Christ is with us. The Savior’s healing touch can transform lives. If we will but have faith, he can take our hands and fill our souls. Rise, take up thy bed and walk.
Whatever causes our spiritual ailments, they all have in common the absence of divine light.
When we are in darkness, we are more likely to make poor choices. Light allows us to see things as they really are. Discern between truth and error, between the vital and the trivial. When we are in the light, we have a perfect brightness of hope.
We will find spiritual healing as we step away from the shadows of the world. The more we understand and apply the concept of light, the more we can guard against spiritual sicknesses, the better we can serve as an angelic presence, we can be true disciples of the Eternal King.
The power of Spirit and Truth and Light. The word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is spirit, even the spirit of Jesus Christ.
This truth is as important as it is hopeful. The light of Christ saturates the souls of all who hearken to the voice of the Spirit. God’s light is available to all. Your whole bodies will be filled with Light.
This is the ultimate remedy for spiritual sickness. Darkness vanishes in the presence of light. God will not force us to embrace His light. If we become comfortable with darkness, our hearts will not change.
Airline captain: always fascinated by the beauty of God’s creation. Relationship between the Earth and the Sun. Night is nothing more than a shadow. Even the darkest of nights does not mean the Sun stops shining. Half of the Earth is in darkness. The absence of light causes darkness. We understand we are in a shadow. The light will come back.
Darkness simply means we are not in the right place to receive the light. During the eclipse, people looked for the shadow. Spiritual light always shines upon all. Satan will make every effort to create a shadow. He will push us into the darkness of his cavern. Spiritual darkness can create a veil of darkness. Even in moments of gravest darkness. God hears our petitions.
We must be in the right place to hear the truth of the light of the Gospel. We can choose to walk in Christ’s light and keep his commandments.
Bearers of priesthood are bearers of light. Keep on doing it so people may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven. When you do your callings or help others, the light expands. Every time you testify of the Gospel, the light chases away darkness.
At the temple or at the Sacrament table. In family gatherings, or an act of priesthood service. Never forget our young people are seeking light and they need to hear from you that with light comes hope and healing.
It is our quest to seek the Lord until his light burns within us.
Particularly to young men: wonderful way in which the Lord leads his kingdom on Earth.
First, Jesus Christ is the head of the Church.
Second, he leads his church by speaking to prophets.
Third, he gave revelation to prophets in the past and present.
Fourth, he confirms revelation to those who serve in the Church.
It takes faith to believe that the Lord is watching over the details of his kingdom. It takes faith to believe that he knows all of the people who serve.
People have the capacity to receive revelation and to act. It takes faith to believe that the Lord has called imperfect people to lead you.
I want to build your faith that the imperfect people who lead you are called by the Lord.
Less active boy called to a calling. The secretary went to the boy’s house, and then came back with the boy. That was faith.
A bishop is known by members of the ward. When a new bishop is called, the ward members know that others could have been called. Without the faith of the other members, the bishop will find it harder to get support from the ward.
The people must trust that leaders are called of God. King Benjamin was not perfect. He said he was a mortal man. He said he had been chosen and consecrated to serve. Your leader may seem weak and human. Every leader has failings. But we must try to see them as the Lord did when He called them.
People can be changed by their experiences. A bishop may be made stronger by such experiences.
An 18-year-old went to Pres. Eyring when he was a bishop. He knew what to do, but he wanted to provide the experience to the bishop of revelation. The faith of the people we serve brings us revelation in the Lord’s service. The boy never told anybody in the ward that the bishop’s counsel had been bad at first. He helped create faith from others in the ward.
Some of the people around Joseph Smith criticized him. The people met in the temple to replace Joseph Smith. Brigham Young stood up and said he knew Joseph Smith is a prophet. It was the faith of BY that helped show support for Joseph Smith. We will need faith and integrity of the members.
Jesus Christ is at the helm. He leads this church. President Monson exercises all of the keys of the holy priesthood.
Choir: We Ever Pray for Thee
Closing Prayer: Elder Rafael E. Pino of the Seventy