"Strengthening and Vitalizing Aaronic Priesthood Quorums"

Charles W. Dahlquist II
September 2004 Open House

We appreciate the stirring music by this Aaronic Priesthood chorus. What a wonderful way to begin these workshops. I could listen to these great young priesthood holders all night. They are what this work is all about! Thank you, brethren.

We have a full evening planned tonight with these workshops and hope you will take time to look at the exhibits, take notes, and think about how you can use the ideas presented here to touch the lives of your young men. We have learned that the message of the movie Field of Dreams is applicable to youth activity programs: "If we build it [or, better still, help them build it], they will come!" And not only will the active young men come, but those who have become less active and also the friends of other faiths who are looking for a fun, character-building experience will come. The exhibits will be open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evening and Friday afternoon one hour before the workshops and will remain open for one hour after the workshops. We have provided evaluation forms for you and welcome your comments and suggestions.

Shortly after April general conference, we met with the First Presidency to be set apart in our callings. Before we were set apart, President Hinckley said to us, "We want the youth of today to know that it is fun and enjoyable to live the standards of the Church and not feel that it is just a burden." You will see the realization of that desire in the growing number of multistake social and cultural activities and a focus on fun, priesthood-centered weekly activities to help our youth apply the principles taught on Sunday.

After providing this instruction, President Hinckley placed his hands on my head and, among other things, said, "Brother Dahlquist, I bless you that you might be almost consumed with the work of saving the young men of the Church." And I tell you that in the months that have followed, I have learned a bit about what that means. But there is a greater extension of that blessing that I want to discuss with you tonight. In Moses 1:39 there is a great scripture that reads, "For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."

I think we would all agree that if that is our Heavenly Father's work, it is our work too. In a corresponding manner, if it is my charge to become "almost consumed" with the work of saving the young men of the Church, then it seems to me that is also the charge of every bishop; every bishop's counselor; every Young Men presidency; every quorum adviser; every Scoutmaster, Varsity Coach, or Venturing leader; every teacher of youth; and every parent.

The objective and purpose of the Young Men general presidency is to assist parents and local leaders to strengthen the brethren of the Aaronic Priesthood—to prepare them to overcome the temptations of the world; to help them become spiritually and physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight; and to prepare them to become the greatest generation of missionaries, husbands, and fathers that this world has ever seen. Our objective is to help them become men who will lead with vision in their families, in their communities, and in their professions, men who live to bless those around them and in whom burns an almost consuming desire to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life" of those they serve.

Our work is not easy, especially in the face of the onslaught of temptations being thrown continually at our young men. In a recent CES satellite broadcast, President Hinckley stated:

"What a frightening change has occurred in our culture. A great flood of sleaze has gathered and is washing over us. Language is used on our campuses that never crossed our lips back in the days of my youth. Pornography with all its titillating and vicious attraction is all about us. We have television, videos, DVDs, the Internet, and other means to deliver the filthy and the evil into our homes and lives. It is taking its toll. . . . This is the era of gutter-talk, of sloppy dress, of sloppy ways" (address to CES religious educators, Feb. 7, 2003).

That which once was difficult for our youth to acquire now comes right into our homes on the Internet. If we are not careful, it will slip right into the minds of our youth. I was on an airplane recently as ABC News reported that if parents wish to take one more step in distancing themselves from their parental roles, they may consent to their children getting an "R-card," which allows them to enter any R-rated movie they wish without their parents. It is very apparent that a very real war for the souls of men is raging—a war especially for the souls of young men and young women. If we are not more vigilant than ever before, many of our youth will become prey to the wily darts of the adversary.

Even in the face of all the temptations and challenges to youth of today, I believe in the strength of our youth. The young men and young women of today are stronger and more capable than ever before. Maybe that is why the adversary seems to have stepped up the onslaught. But in spite of the challenges and temptations, this is a glorious time to live! Speaking to the youth, President Hinckley said:

"There never was a time such as this. What a season in the history of the world to be alive! Never before has there been such a generation of youth. . . .

"You really are 'a chosen generation.' You are better educated. You desire to do the right thing. Many of you are trying to keep yourselves free from the corrosive stains of the world. In so many ways, you are remarkable! You are exceptional! I believe that as a group, you are the finest this world has ever seen.

"It is important for you to understand that you are part of a chosen generation. Limitless is your potential. Magnificent is your future, if you will take control of it and if you will decide now that you will not let your life drift in a fruitless and aimless manner" (Way to Be! [2002], 3–4).

Now I say, in a corresponding way, "Never has there been a cadre of leaders of youth than there is today. You are better qualified, better educated, better able to lead the youth of today than ever before. In so many ways, you truly are remarkable."

While we are pleased to report that many of the trends are improving, an alarming number of our young men fall into the ranks of the less active. We have a growing need for missionaries. We do not have enough missionaries even to fill our current needs, let alone future needs. Just think of it: When other countries open to missionary work, we will potentially need more missionaries for those countries alone than we currently have in the mission field worldwide.

Unfortunately, in the face of that need, too many of our young men, particularly as they become teacher- and priest-aged, fall to the temptations of the world and are either unworthy to serve or have veered so far from the Church that they have lost the desire to serve or the hope that they can serve. Never has there been a time in the history of the world where there is a greater need for dedicated leaders of youth. Never before has there been a greater time for those who will, day after day, be so consumed with the work of strengthening our youth that not one goes astray.

Soon after our call, we were in a meeting that included several members of the Twelve, the Presidents of the Seventy, and the Presiding Bishopric. In that meeting, as we stood to present our goals as a new presidency, Elder L. Tom Perry said, "President, do you know what your task is?" I replied that I thought I did, to which Elder Perry stated, "Your job is to ensure that every deacon is prepared and worthy to be ordained an elder and serve a mission. It's that simple!" I responded that we were devoted to doing all in our power to accomplish that task, to which Elder Perry stated, "That's not good enough! Your work is to ensure that every deacon is prepared and worthy to be ordained an elder and serve a mission!"

Not knowing exactly how to respond, I thought of a scripture in the book of Genesis that expressed our feelings. I do not have time to tell the sweet story of Joseph and his brothers, but emphasize only the words of Judah when he was confronted with the possibility of having to return home without his brother Benjamin: "Thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father. . . . How shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me?" (Genesis 44:32, 34).

And so my brethren, that is our charge: to do all that is in our power to prepare the lads of the Aaronic Priesthood to be worthy and prepared—to ensure that every deacon is prepared and worthy to be ordained a teacher, that every teacher is prepared and worthy to be ordained a priest, and that every priest is prepared and worthy to be ordained an elder and serve a mission.

As leaders, our charge becomes even more vital as young men grow toward manhood. A Church study performed some years ago found that parents have the greatest impact on the 12- and 13-year-old boy in how he behaves and how he exercises his agency. However, as the boy grows, and particularly when a young man reaches 16 and 17 years of age, some major factors in his life are his peers and his leaders, particularly his bishop and his Young Men leaders.

Tonight in this session, may I say a few words about the vital role you leaders of youth play. I want you to know that you do not stand alone in your callings. First, we pray for you morning and evening—and often at other times throughout the day. Second, frantic and fearful parents who have expended every effort and every resource they know to help and strengthen their young men are praying, pleading every night on their knees for you that you might have success in helping their struggling boys find the way and, for those who have left the path, to return and find peace in repentance.

As we speak of strengthening and vitalizing the Aaronic Priesthood and the Aaronic Priesthood quorum, let me speak first of the leader and then of the boy.

Priesthood and Young Men leaders are the vital link in the lives of these young men. Therefore, it is critical that men be called who can and will make a difference in the lives of our young men. I give you five guidelines for ensuring that every deacon is prepared and worthy to be ordained an elder and serve a mission. The first has to do with selecting youth leaders, and the remaining four have often been referred to as the "Four Ts of Youth Leadership": testimony, training, time, and tenure.

First, call good youth men to serve with the youth. Look for men who can be examples to your young men, who relate well to the youth and yet are able to keep a bit of a distance so they can still inspire them and lift them to greater heights. Look for men who can say, "Come, follow me—to the temple and on a mission." Listen for the promptings of the Spirit; you will know whom to call.

When you call leaders, make it a memorable call. Take time to discuss your expectations and what is required of them. Talk to them about time commitments, training expectations, personal preparation, and the need for one-on-one contact with each boy. Have in your hand a list of young men in the quorum, and take time to discuss the needs of each boy with the new leader.

If you are in the United States or Canada, teach leaders the role of Scouting, Varsity Scouting, and Venturing in supporting the purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood and helping the young men of the quorum become men of character and strength. While our experience has shown that it generally works most effectively when the deacons quorum adviser is also called as the Scoutmaster and, where possible, has an able assistant (or assistants) to help, the bishop may call one individual as the deacons quorum adviser and one as the Scoutmaster (see Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2: Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders [1998], 181). In such cases, however, the two must work very closely together to help the deacons quorum presidency accomplish the purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood in the quorum. The same holds true in the teachers quorum and the priests quorum.

Most importantly (and this comprises the first T), ensure that the new leader is a man of character who has a strong testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Bishop H. Burke Peterson, formerly the Presiding Bishop, stated in 1975, "The primary reason why we have youth activities is to give our youth opportunities to associate with men and women who have testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ." And President Kimball often quoted Walter MacPeek in stating: "Boys need lots of heroes like Lincoln and Washington. But they also need to have some heroes close by. They need to know some man of towering strength and basic integrity, personally. They need to meet them on the street, to hike and camp with them, to see them in close-to-home, everyday, down-to-earth situations; to feel close enough to them to ask questions and to talk things over man-to-man with them" (in Conference Report, Apr. 1976, 71; or Ensign, May 1976, 47). Our young men need heroes today as never before, heroes who are men of character and who have testimonies of the gospel.

Next, training. Along with testimony, training is essential to all we do. A recent graduate from a trade school must generally complete an apprenticeship before he can be employed. For a physician, it is called residency and internship. All jobs requiring competency require training.

I was recently at Disney World and became acquainted with the Disney Institute, which is Disney's training school for Disney World employees, or cast members. All Disney World cast members receive training appropriate for their role in the Disney experience. Walt Disney himself once said, "You can dream, create, design, and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it requires people to make the dream a reality." Those people must be trained in "the Disney way."

It is no different in the Aaronic Priesthood. What makes us think that just because it is God's work, we don't need to be trained? The Prophet Joseph went through years of training at the feet of Moroni and other heavenly beings for his marvelous work (see D&C 128:19–21). So we too must become qualified for the work. The School of the Prophets was established to train and qualify the early leaders of the Church. In addition, in the Doctrine and Covenants we are instructed, "Let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence" (D&C 107:99).

When I was a mission president in northern Germany, Sister Dahlquist and I had a few minutes one day and took a short trip to the top of a little mount called Hercules, right in the city Kassel. At the top of Hercules, I saw a shepherd with his staff, sheep dogs, and sheep, and thought I would ask him the age-old question: "When you move the sheep from one place to another, do you go in front of the sheep or behind?" His answer surprised me. "It depends," he said. "If they are going a route they are familiar with, they go ahead, with the dogs watching out to ensure that none go astray. But if they are going to a place where they have not been before, I go ahead and they follow." What a wonderful principle of leadership.

As leaders we need to know where we are going, or else we will go astray. We must be trained and directed; we must catch the vision. It is the same with the young men. When they are charting unknown waters, we must be close to them, often leading the way so they can follow and so they can be prepared to lead the next time. The moment I was called as a Scoutmaster, I felt an unusual sense of urgency, one I had not had before. I remember discussing that with the bishop and also with the boys in leadership. I told them, "Boys, I have a feeling we do not have long to accomplish all we must in this quorum. For the next couple of weeks, I will be doing some things that, after you have seen how it's done, you will be doing, so watch carefully!" Within several weeks they shouldered their proper share of the load, but only after they had seen it done and caught a vision of how things should go.

In our young single adult branch, I would often tell the brethren in elders quorum, "Watch how things are administered in the branch by the branch presidency. Watch how meetings are conducted, how brethren and sisters are set apart, how new officers and teachers are presented for sustaining, how a proper priesthood executive committee or branch council is conducted, and how the presidency ministers to and watches over the flock, for it will not be long before you will be in our shoes, presiding over the flocks of the Lord's kingdoms! Your on-the-job training has already begun. May God bless you that you may be ready!"

Each priesthood and Young Men leader has the responsibility of instructing the leaders of his assigned quorum in their duties in the Aaronic Priesthood and helping them catch a vision for their calling and fulfill it. These duties are outlined in the Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2 in the section on Aaronic Priesthood. This section also has some excellent resource materials for Aaronic Priesthood presidency leadership training.

In the United States and Canada, we have a wonderful partnership with the Boy Scouts of America. Scouting in these countries provides a vital application phase of the learning process for our Aaronic Priesthood quorums. I have found an unexplained reluctance on the part of some priesthood leaders to implement fully Scouting, Varsity Scouting, and Venturing as the activity arm of their quorums and to become trained themselves. Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone once said, "I do not believe that Varsity Scouting is on trial in the Church, nor is Boy Scouting, Cub Scouting, or [Venturing]. But rather it is my firm belief that bishops, and the ward leaders, the advisers, Scoutmasters, coaches, and [Venturing] advisers are on trial. The program will work if they will work and become trained and put into effect the things they have been trained to do" (personal letter to Thane J. Packer, Oct. 7, 1997, in Thane J. Packer, On My Honor: A Guide to Scouting in the Church, [1998], 57).

My experience has shown that this is true. As a newly called Scoutmaster, I think I did a reasonable job. We accomplished much, advancement was passable, and we garnered a number of awards at our annual council Scout camp. But not until I finished my basic Scouting training and then Wood Badge training did I realize how much more we could have done to strengthen our boys.

As a presidency, we believe training—both Aaronic Priesthood training and training in the Boy Scouts of America—is vital to the success of an Aaronic Priesthood experience. In fact, in those parts of the world where Scouting is not a feasible partner, we must develop efforts to simulate that which Scouting does so well to support the Aaronic Priesthood and help young men accomplish the purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood. In that vein, Duty to God was not intended to take the place of Scouting but is intended to help young men of the Aaronic Priesthood become better prepared to go to the temple, serve missions, and accomplish the purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood. Brethren, it is time we received the training that is there to help us become better priesthood and Young Men leaders and recognized that Scouting is a vital part of the Aaronic Priesthood activity program and can help greatly to build better-prepared missionaries, better husbands and fathers, help prepare our young men to receive the ordinances of the temple, and help reactivate those who have drifted.

The other day I was at the checkpoint for a 100-mile endurance run. I noticed, not unexpectedly, that not one of the runners was competing in flip-flops. They all had quality footwear because, to a great extent, their footwear would either make or break their experience during a very grueling 24- to 36-hour experience.

To even think that someone would compete in such an event or in an Olympic event in flip-flops is unthinkable. Yet sometimes I think that in the Aaronic Priesthood it is as if we have purchased a $200 pair of running shoes that we then place on a shelf and then try running the marathon in flip-flops. Wouldn't it make more sense to use the wonderful, tried, and tested program in the way it was intended? I challenge each of us in these next six months to get with the program. Get those $200 running shoes down from the shelf, get trained, and then apply the program in the right way.

And while I am talking about Scouting, let me take just a moment and speak about financing Scouting. Periodically we hear comments about the cost of Scouting. My response is "You haven't seen anything until you have five daughters and understand the cost of cheerleading!" I know what parents pay for school sports and other activities. Scouting is a drop in the bucket in comparison—especially when we recognize what Scouting offers in return.

We also hear complaints about Friends of Scouting and how difficult it is to raise the money. I have noted that most often the complaints come from those areas of the Church that are most able to pay. It has nothing to do with ability to pay and everything to do with attitude. Brethren, the most recent increase of budget for youth activities was designed to help and lift the load of parents and families, and not curtail some worthwhile youth activities, including BSA council camps. It was also not designed as a direction to summarily discontinue all fund-raising projects. Stake presidents and bishops, we encourage you to be prudent, consider the needs of your youth and the opportunities available, and then make those decisions in line with the Church guidelines of fund raising.

When I was Young Men president in our ward in Sandy, Utah, I was in charge of Friends of Scouting. I was excited to conduct the drive. I wanted to know for myself just how tough it was to ask people in our ward boundaries to contribute to the cost of local Scouting. So we began the campaign. First, I sent a letter to each of those who lived in the ward boundaries—member and nonmember alike—indicating that Friends of Scouting time was coming up again and that a member of our Scout troop, Varsity team, or Venturing crew would visit them on a specific night. I talked about the cost of local Scouting and how much it cost to give one boy a quality program. I indicated that we would appreciate their contribution to this worthy effort in any way or in any amount.

On the appointed night, we all met dressed in Scout uniforms and paired off—one boy and one leader. We visited each house in the ward. By the end of the evening we had raised sufficient to meet our own goal, had met some wonderful people, and had a delightful time. I must admit that several days later I was taken to task by two ladies who lived within the ward boundaries. Each wrote me a letter expressing disappointment that they were not there when the boys came around and scolding me for not returning on another day to collect their contributions. Each of these great ladies included a check in her letter. Brethren, in addition to that which you will see during our exhibits, let 's watch this short DVD from the Boy Scouts of America to see what all this goes for.

[CLIP: "I'm Proud to Be a Scout Today"]

Third, time—it takes time each week to be an effective leader of youth. It is much, much more than an hour on Sunday in quorum meeting and an hour-or-so during the week. It takes preparation to make a difference in the lives of boys. It is also vital that you become fully engaged in their lives and their activities.

Years ago, when I was a stake president, a young man called me who had not been in our stake for three or four years. He was calling for help in making some changes in his life. I asked him why he was calling me, since he no longer lived in our stake. He replied simply, "Because I know you love me."

I thought back on what I had done as a stake president to give him that impression. I recalled hearing one day that he was competing in a track meet at the local high school. I decided to go to support him. I stood near the track, and as he completed his vault, I waved to him. He came over to me and said, "President, how come you're here?" I told him, "I'm here to watch you break the state pole vault record!" "No," he replied, "you must have a daughter cheerleading today." I reassured him that our daughters did not cheer for track meets and the only reason I was here was to support him. With an unusual look in his eye, he grinned and returned to his pole vaulting. Little did I realize that this single exchange was sufficient to express a stake president's love and concern for one of his flock—enough to bring the lamb back to the fold years later. Be involved with the youth, and in time you will find that they will develop confidence and trust in you.

Finally, tenure. When I was stake president, I would tell our bishops, "In this stake, when we speak of youth leader tenure in callings, we spell it t-e-n y-e-a-r. It takes time in a calling before the youth build what missionaries have called a "relationship of trust." That someone is qualified to serve in another calling is not sufficient reason to release a Scoutmaster to become a counselor in an elders quorum presidency or for any other calling. Unless the Spirit shouts, I have found it a good rule of thumb to leave Young Men leaders in their calling for a sufficient length of time to be trained, to apply what they have learned, and to make a difference in the lives of the young men they serve.

It is often very difficult to find good leaders of young men. If they are good, leave them there. If you must change them, change them to another age group, but leave them where they can make a difference in the lives of young men and in the generations unnumbered that follow. I have a friend who was just released as Varsity Coach and teachers quorum adviser in his ward. I asked him how long he had served there. His reply was "four years!" And then he added, "I have just been called as ward clerk, but I know that in a few months the Scoutmaster position will open up, and I believe that shortly I will be back with the youth!" What a wise bishop to keep those who are great with youth serving with the youth! Bishops, carry on!

Now that we have spoken about the priesthood leader and the adult Young Men leaders, let's focus for a minute on the quorum president and the individual Aaronic Priesthood quorum member. In the Doctrine and Covenants, we are instructed that it is the duty of the president of a quorum of deacons to preside over 12 deacons and "to sit in council with them, and to teach them their duty, edifying one another" (D&C 107:85). Since our call to the Young Men general presidency, I have pondered this direction given by the Lord to the Prophet Joseph in Kirtland in 1835 and have wondered how long it will take us before we take this guidance seriously and begin treating Aaronic Priesthood presidents as priesthood leaders—as leaders of a priesthood that, in the Lord's own words, "is to hold the keys of the ministering of angels, and to administer in outward ordinances" (D&C 107:20).

In many cases, the extent of their leadership experience is to stand, in the case of a deacons quorum, unprepared each Sunday, welcome the quorum members, ask for a volunteer to pray, ask for volunteers to pass the sacrament, turn the lesson over to Brother Johansen, and then ask for another volunteer to pray at the end. Then we wonder why they leave their Aaronic Priesthood experience unchallenged, untrained, and sorely unprepared to meet the challenges that await them.

What a difference it would be if that adult quorum adviser and the member of the bishopric assigned to the quorum ensured that a regular quorum presidency meeting was held each week, a presidency meeting that included specific Aaronic Priesthood quorum leadership training. I know as a young single adult branch president and also as a stake president, I met with the presidency each week (and sometimes more often) to consider matters that affected our callings.

The quorums of the Aaronic Priesthood are no different. They have the responsibility to help the young men of the Church—future bishops, stake presidents, missionaries and mission presidents, elders quorum presidents, seminary and Sunday School teachers, and, yes, General Authorities of the Church. If that is the case, then the priesthood quorums and quorum presidency meetings and all activities should be designed as preparation. This is truly a preparatory priesthood. We must not lose sight of our responsibility to prepare these young men now. Someone once said, "Five minutes before the dance is no time to learn the samba." And I add, "One month (or even six months) before going into the MTC is no time to begin preparation for a mission." As they grow in strength and understanding, think where they will be in a few years.

What a difference it would make in the elders quorums of the Church if every deacons quorum president truly presided over his quorum in the Lord's way! What would happen if every week there was a presidency meeting, with at least 10 to 15 minutes devoted to training the quorum presidency how to preside, how to edify, how to plan priesthood-centered activities, how to reactivate those who have strayed, how to go about visiting the less active, how to hold an interview, the importance of service in the Aaronic Priesthood quorum, how to prepare to receive personal inspiration and guidance for the quorum, understanding priesthood keys, or how to consider prayerfully the issues that tend to weaken their members, such as spending mindless hours playing video games or being controlled by sleaze on the Internet.

This is particularly vital in the priests quorum, where the bishop, as president of the quorum, presides and is responsible for the welfare of all quorum members and should, himself, attend all priests quorum presidency meetings and ensure that training of his assistants occurs appropriately. Remember, the Lord could have organized the Aaronic Priesthood with the bishop as the president of the deacons quorum. But He didn't. He designated the bishop as the president of the priests quorum, knowing that this is the time in a young man's life when he needs close association with his bishop more than ever and that this is when Satan works overtime to derail the priest from going to the temple and serving a mission.

Bishops, I implore you to make this part of your calling a priority. As one writer said: "The Lord requires that the bishop be wise and prudent when dealing with those entrusted to his presidency. He is to 'sit in council with them.' No priest should ever go astray, whom the bishop, through the exercise of his keys of presidency, can hold to the doctrines and behavior patterns of the Church. . . . No priest in the ward should be uninformed concerning his duties in the priesthood because it is the bishop's responsibility so to teach him or to cause that he be so taught" (Lee A. Palmer, The Aaronic Priesthood through the Centuries [1964], 339–40).

As we work as leaders to strengthen the presidents of our Aaronic Priesthood quorums, what a difference it would make if the bishop, when considering home teaching assignments, said to the teachers quorum president (as my own bishop did recently), "President, we have made a home teaching assignment to President Dahlquist now that he is back in our ward. We have assigned him to home teach the Bentley family and the Ellsworth family. Now, as the teachers quorum president, will you ponder and pray about which member of your quorum we should assign to be President Dahlquist's companion. Would you consider this prayerfully, and then get back to me in a couple of days?"

Can you imagine what it would do to a deacons quorum president's image of his own calling if the bishop called him and said, "President, we are struggling in our fast offering contributions in the ward. We know we can all do better and are having a special ward council meeting next week to consider ways to improve our fast offering contributions. Since the deacons quorum is involved with the collection of fast offerings, I would appreciate you meeting this week with your presidency and prayerfully considering how we can improve this most important part of our gospel service. We then invite you, as a presidency, to join us in our ward council meeting next Sunday at 8:30 a.m. to consider this matter. Would you be prepared to give us a report of your thoughts? Feel free to take two to three minutes for that report."

In the same vein, in the weekly priests quorum presidency meeting, the bishop may say, "Brethren, we are having a challenge in our ward with reverence in our sacrament meetings. Since the priests have such a significant role in administering the sacrament, I would like us to consider ways that the ward council should consider to improve reverence in the ward. Jake, as first assistant, would you please take notes of our discussion and then prepare to come to ward council and report our recommendations and take part in the council discussion?"

I am convinced that once we begin to treat Aaronic Priesthood presidents as such, we will also find that they will rise to a new level of performance and priesthood power. Just as important, if we really want to strengthen the elders quorums of the kingdom, we must begin with the deacons quorum. To a great extent, much of what we have done in the past has not worked, and it is time we look at our responsibility toward our Aaronic Priesthood bearers with new eyes. Unless we do, we will continue the trend of sending 70 percent of them into the ranks of the less active in the United States and Canada and around 80 to 90 percent in some international areas of the Church. We can do better, and we must!

We can also do a better job at using the resources available to us, in addition to those provided by the Boy Scouts of America, of which we have already spoken. Think of all we could do with the resources we already have: For the Strength of Youth, True to the Faith, videos, the "Serving in the Church" portion of the Church Web site, which will be continually updated and will provide additional training helps for priesthood and Young Men leaders.

In addition, I wonder if we are really getting our maximum effect from the New Era and other Church magazines. I think if I were still a Scoutmaster or a priests quorum adviser, I would want each young man in the quorum to have the New Era in his home. We encourage you to use the New Era in your teaching. Talk to parents about giving their sons a gift subscription to the New Era, and encourage your young men to use the New Era in preparing talks in sacrament meeting and priesthood meeting. I think one of the best things we did as parents was to give each of our children a gift subscription to the appropriate Church magazine. They loved to get something in the mail that was their very own and, to this day, enjoy reading the Church magazines. Brethren, we can do better in using these available resources.

May God bless us that we may be valiant in striving to strengthen and save our young men to the point of being "almost consumed" with this great work, that when we return to the Father, the lads will be with us. I testify of the divinity of this great work. In changing the lives of our youth, in holding them to the straight and narrow path, in helping them see the validity of holding to the rod with both hands, we are not only affecting their lives but the lives and exaltation of countless generations. I know that this is not their program. It is not our program. It is His whose name we bear and in whose name we serve.

Now, brethren, in conclusion, I recall Bishop Robert L. Simpson of the Presiding Bishopric once saying that our activity in the Church was directly proportional to the strength of our testimony of the First Vision. In 2005 we have the opportunity to focus on the First Vision and the Restoration of the gospel as we celebrate "A Great and Marvelous Work" as our Mutual theme. To assist you in beginning to focus on this momentous event and planning ways to strengthen the testimonies of your young men and particularly their testimony of the First Vision, we present the following.

[DRAMATIC PRESENTATION]

As did the Prophet Joseph, may we serve valiantly. May we become strengths and pillars to those young men we serve. And in us, in the words of the prophets, and most importantly, in the Savior, may they feel peace and purpose, strength and stability, hope and reassurance, that when we return to the Father, the lads will be with us, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.