Notes from the Priesthood Session

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I will clean these up later. I was using my BlackBerry to take notes and probably made some mistakes. I’d love to hear from others about what they got from the session.

Update: Guy Murray also posted some detailed notes here.

Conducting: President Monson

Music from: Combined mens choir from BYU

Opening Song: Rise Up O Men of God

Opening Prayer: Wayne S. Peterson of the 70

Song by the choir: Brightly Beams our Father’s Mercy

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin:

Reflected on many wonderful experiences and thought about the lessons he learned in his youth and how they shaped his life. Told a story about a football game where he was a wingback and was supposed to block a large member of the other team. He was focusing more on getting hit by a bigger player, took his eyes off the ball, dropped the pass, got hit by the other player and passed out. His coach asked him why he dropped the ball. His honest reply: “I took my eyes off the ball.” His coach chided him for taking his eye off the ball. He ended up catching the game winning touchdown pass in the 4th qtr because he
kept his eye on the ball. Lesson: keep your eye on the ball in life.

Do what is right. Told the story about not pushing the ball forward 2 inches in
a football game when he was on the bottom of the pile. He would have been the
hero of the game for a few short weeks, but would have suffered long term.

A quote from his youth: ‘Priesthood means service, bearing the priesthood I will
serve.’

He said he was blessed with an obedient spirit and encouraged us to cultivate a
spirit of obedience. We will be blessed when we are obedient.

Elder Robert D. Hales:

Behold a royal army: you are a royal army.

Speaking to the youth. You enlisted in the permortal existence. You are a son of
god who decided to follow the savior when it mattered most.

The Aaronic Priesthood is a prepratory priesthood for this prepratory time of
your life. Your 20s will be a decade of decisions.

Told a a story of a friend in flight school who had not made the decision when
he would bail out in an emergency. His friend died in a crash because he never
nailed out. We need to make decisions ahead of time..

Keep a good appearance. Live the standards set by the Prophets. Choose good
friends who will help you be a good person. Good friends will help lead to a
good eternal companion.

Prepare now to serve a mission. Serving a mission is a priceless experience.
Your youth is the internship of life. Be obedient now.

Told a story about a pilot who performed acrobatics at night against orders. The
pilot flew his plane into the ground because of vertigo. When we practice
selective obedience we experience spiritual vertigo.

Don’t give up your spiritual heritage for the things of the world. The youth are
like the Stripling warriors.
Be obedient.

When you make a comittment: be there. When you get married: be there as a
participant and not as a witness. 🙂

Be worthy that we may honor the sisters in your lives.

Bishop McMullin:

Told the story of a young man who sacrificed his goal to become a doctor to
become a football player. He soon found that he didn’t like football when facing
large players from the varsity squad. He failed a chemistry test badly because
of lack of study. After a mission he was able focus more on what he really
wanted. He is still haunted by that chemistry test. 🙂

We need to: Be faithful, unencumber your life, lay up in store.

Get out of debt and live as debt free as possible.

Get a years supply of food and live debt free.

Follow President Hinckley’s advice by building food storage gradually.

Spoke about new pamphlets that will soon be given out about food storage and
money management.

Be prepared and you will not fear.

Singing by the choir/congregation: Now let us rejoice

Elder James E. Faust: (seated while speaking)

I want to speak to you as I would my grandsons.

Holding the priesthood is an honor. It is the authority to act in the name of
God.

A priest told a story of him ordaining a teacher. He explained that through that
experience he learned about priesthood power.

We are agents of the Lord. Serving as a missionary is a great honor and helps to
prepare us in life (temporally and spiritually).

As youth we run into difficulties, when we are old difficulties run into is.

Young men need to respect womanhood. As priesthood golfers you have a greater
responsibility to safeguard a woman’s morality. Don’t push the envelope of
sexual sin.

Family life should be put ahead business life.

Encouraged young men to get a good education. Doesn’t matter what you do as long
as it is honorable. Don’t focus on the material things of life at the expense of
important things. Seek the kingdom of heaven first.

Go forward in faith and righteousness; follow the prophet.

Elder Thomas S. Monson:

The priesthood is sacred and must be held as sacred. Live worthy of the
priesthood.

Spoke of being sustained as 2nd counselor in the stake presidency while not
knowing of the call. Thr choir had just sung a song about the word of wisdom:
have courage to say no. His theme that day: take courage to say yes.

There is no limit in the power of the priesthood that we hold. We only limit
ourselves. Are we living worthy of priesthood power? Make the necessary changes
now if you are not living worthily.

He told of the story of giving his first blessing and how he used his Missionary
Handbook to learn how to give a blessing. He gave the blessing in front of 120
curious seamen. He had previously used his book to keep his clothes packed
firmly in his duffel bag. His friend was healed and said, ‘Monson, I’m glad you
hold the priesthood.’

Told a story of using prayer to find the home of a member he promised to visit
before he died. He spoke of the blessing he gave and the humble spirit of those
in the home. He felt blessed for being able to bless the life of this family
through the priesthood.

President Gordon B. Hinckley:

I regret that I am so old when life is so exciting.

Gave some statistics about missionary service since he has served, concert
baptisms, Retention, ordinations and tithing donations; extremely encouraging
but we can do better with a little effort.

Repeated counsel he gave years ago (those who heard it then have forgotten it
and those who haven’t need to hear it): Told of Joseph F. Smith’s dream on his
mission. He told of being in a hurry to reach his destination, but stopped to
bathe and change into white clean clothing. He put on clean clothing , headed to
his destination and saw Joseph Smith.

Joseph said to him, ‘You are late.’

‘Yes, but I am clean,’ he replied.

That dream helped him to become a man.

The meaning of the dream is-be clean. He was able to face anyone because of a
clear concsience.

Spoke of repentance. Be clean in language, appearance and in all things in life.
Don’t take the name of God in vain. Be clean in thought. Be clean in body,
dress and manner. Don’t get tattoos; you will regret it.

Look your best when you pass the sacrament.

Be careful on the internet. You cannot live in the world and partake of the
things of the world.

Get an education.

Speak with the lord in prayer.

Singing by the choir: I Love the Lord (a medley of hymngs)

Benediction: Elder Paul V. Johnson

25 thoughts on “Notes from the Priesthood Session”

  2. I love catching a fresh glimpse of what was discussed. You got a lot more than hubby did with paper and pen. 🙂 Thank you for sharing.

  3. That beautiful closing number is a Ronald Staheli arrangement of John Tanner’s setting of 2nd Nephi 4. It’s on the BYU Singers CD “Songs of the Soul,” one of my favorites.

    I love the Lord, in Him my soul delights.
    Upon His word, I ponder day and night.
    He’s heard my cry,brought visions to my sleep,
    And kept me safe o’er deserts and the deep.
    He’s filled my heart with His consuming love,
    And borne me high on wings of His great dove.

    Yet oft I groan, “O wretched man am I”
    My flesh is weak and I’m encompassed by
    A world of sin, which holds me in it’s thrall,
    If I give in and to temptations fall.
    Then strength grows slack, I waste in sorrow’s vale;
    My peace destroyed, my enemies prevail.

    Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin.
    Rejoice, my heart! And let me praise again,
    The Lord my God, who is my rock and stay
    To keep me strict upon His straight, plain way.
    Oh let me shake at the first sight of sin
    And thus escape my foes without and in.

    Source: BYU 100 hour board (you expected Wikipedia, maybe?)

    http://theboard.byu.edu/index.php?area=posts&date=2004.06.7&archives=1

  4. That closing song wasn’t a medly, but the same music used for “Be Still, My Soul” sung with different lyrics and a lot more expressiveness than untrained singers are capable of.

  5. Sigh … nice post Brian … I’m just remembering that Bryce I. used to write these posts. I came over here hoping there might be a sign he still is hanging around the ‘Nacle.

  6. That closing song wasn’t a medly, but the same music used for “Be Still, My Soul” sung with different lyrics and a lot more expressiveness than untrained singers are capable of.

    Thanks, witteafval, I made the correction on my notes. Unfortunately I was too busy editing my notes to enjoy the song. Perhaps danithew will post it on his radio blog- http://blognitivedissonance.com/radio-blog/- so we can all enjoy it again.

  8. Ron Staheli, one of the reasons to send your children to get a music education at BYU.

  9. I found interesting Hinckley’s remark that he isn’t so much concerned about what you are wearing at church as he is that it be clean and neat.

    Does this mean an ironed light blue shirt is better than an un-ironed white shirt when passing the Sacrament?

  11. The music is included on the official CDs of conference (unlike the cassettes, which just have the talks), available at Church distribution centers. I’m not sure how quickly they come out, but probably pretty close to next month’s edition of the Ensign.

    “Does this mean an ironed light blue shirt is better than an un-ironed white shirt when passing the Sacrament?”

    Seminary teachers are told to wear white or light-colored shirts. priesthood holders are encouraged to wear white shirts whenever they participate in any ordinance, but in my experience no one has been prevented from participating because he forgot to wear the right color or doesn’t own a white shirt. I do think it’s safe to say that clean is better than color when one must choose between the two.

  12. The music is included on the official CDs of conference (unlike the cassettes, which just have the talks), available at Church distribution centers. I’m not sure how quickly they come out, but probably pretty close to next month’s edition of the Ensign.

    I subscribe to the conference CDs, which you can sign up for at the same time you renew a subscription for church magazines. Then you get them automatically, about a month after conference, without having to remember.

    And yes, having the music in separate tracks is helpful.

  14. I took notes during this session too, but mine look nothing like this. Generally, my notes include brief snippets of what was actually said (to the extent that it’s relevant to this next part) and loads of notes regarding what I feel the Spirit is whispering to me during each talk. Usually it is related to the message, but sometimes, interestingly, it’s not.

    By the way- I felt really inspired by this priesthood session. They just keep getting better and better.

  15. I have found an mp3 audio of the song and I would be willing to email it to anybody. I am not sure that it is the exact version but it sounds identical to me.

  16. The BYU Combined Men’s Choirs under Dr. Staheli certainly outdid themselves on “I Love the Lord.” Everyone near me sat up and took notice as soon as they started singing. The Spirit was very strong. As others have noted, the BYU Singers have recorded the number also under Dr. Staheli, but that recording pales next to the Priesthood Session performance. The number lends itself to a strong men’s chorus. The tune, btw, is the Finlandia Hymn, a section of the symphonic poem Finlandia by Jean Sibelius.

  17. (To Tom S. or anyone else:) I’ve been searching for the mp3 version of the song sung by BYU men’s chorus during the priesthood session of conference for my husband. If anyone has this could you please email it to me? Sincere thanks!

  18. (To Tom S. or anyone else:) I’ve been searching for the mp3 version of the song sung by BYU men’s chorus during the priesthood session of conference for my husband. “I Love the Lord.” If anyone has this could you please email it to me? Sincere thanks!

  19. To anyone looking for the mp3 of ‘I Love the Lord’ from the Priesthood Session. The Church recently posted the video of the whole priesthood session as an mp4 which I have downloaded and extracted the song as an mp3. The version on Songs of the Soul is not a touch on the all male Chorus at the session, it was amazing.
    Anyone who wants it, I have posted it on my website here: (http://www.joewheeler.co.uk/downloads.html)

  24. Thanks Joe Wheeler! I loved that song, and was pleased to find out you had already done the legwork for us. You ‘da man!

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