Charles W. Dahlquist, II Fall 2005 Young Men Open House My brethren, I welcome you to another Young Men open house workshop. Thank you for your faithful service to the young men of the Aaronic Priesthood. Thank you for your faithfulness in applying that which has been taught in previous workshops. We are thrilled with the reports from the field of a new spirit and vibrancy in this great work of working with young men. Thank you for taking seriously our challenge to become trained. We are grateful for the many stake presidencies, bishoprics, and Young Men leaders who have attended the Boy Scouts of America’s Basic Training and Wood Badge, and have reported a strengthening in their stakes and wards as a result. We are thrilled at the progress in implementing the Duty to God program. We applaud your efforts of becoming “almost consumed” in this great work of ensuring that, as we have been challenged, every deacon is worthy and prepared to be ordained an elder, attend the temple, and serve a full-time mission for the Lord. We know this takes dedication, vision, and sacrifice on your part, and we appreciate the miracles that are occurring in the lives of your young men. As I look into your eyes, I am impressed with the feelings I have had these past six months of the impact one dedicated youth adviser can have in the lives of his young men. Just a few weeks ago, early one Sunday morning, my counselors and I visited a deacons quorum presidency meeting not far from here. We met in the home of the quorum adviser, Brother Richard Christensen, a wise and experienced man with over five decades of Church leadership under his belt. Although he had the ability to lead those young men where he wanted, that was not his objective. His obvious goal was to help them understand that it was the deacons quorum president―not the adviser―who had the keys of presidency. It was the president who conducted, not the adviser. It was the president who presided, not the adviser, nor the Young Men general president. We did have a few minutes, each of us, to teach, but in each case it was to reinforce the lesson their adviser taught―that there is power and majesty in the Aaronic Priesthood and the worth of the one young man brought back into activity. Each time the message was given, that deacons quorum president sat a little taller and realized a bit more the significant impact he can, and must, have on the youth in his quorum. During that presidency meeting, President Neider spoke of an experience he had in Mexico while visiting with President Wilford Andersen of the Mexico Guadalajara Mission. When the Andersens were called to serve in Mexico, President Andersen’s son, Matt, was just 13 years old. Matt was a normal 13-year-old, except that he was extremely hard of hearing, which made learning Spanish very difficult. In the local ward, there were so few young men that all the quorums met together and were taught by the Young Men president. The quorum presidencies were not organized. A few months later when Matt approached his 14th birthday, he asked the bishop if he could be the teachers quorum president when he turned 14. The bishop answered that since there was only one active teacher, he didn’t see why there was any need for a teachers quorum president. Matt replied, “Well, there is one teacher, so don’t you think we need a president?” The bishop told him that he would think it over and get back to him. A couple of weeks later, after consulting with his counselors, the bishop said to Matt, “I have thought about what you said, and you are right, we do need a teachers quorum president, even if there is just one teacher. And I have prayed about it, and you are the one the Lord wants to serve as the president!” The day Matt was sustained as the teachers quorum president, he received his deacon Duty to God certificate. His mother had continued helping him after their move to Mexico. The first thing Matt did was to ask the ward clerk for the names of any inactive young men. He knew the bishop was busy and that as a ward leader he had a job to do. The clerk did some research and found three less-active young men, and one of them, named Omar, had a telephone number. Within the week and after working on his Spanish, Matt called Omar. When the person on the line answered the phone, Matt just said, “Omar!” He was hoping that someone would know enough to get the phone to Omar, which they did. Soon Omar’s voice was heard on the other end of the line, “Hola!” Matt responded in simple Spanish, “Omar―tu―hoy―iglesia.” (Omar―you―today―Church), hoping that Omar would understand it was an invitation to come to Church, which he did, and came to church that day. Omar became active and a short time later became a priest. When Omar’s family moved from the ward a year later, his mother and sister were also attending. A short time after the call to Omar, the bishop, acting as translator for the teachers quorum president, accompanied Matt to the homes of the two boys without telephone numbers. Each boy became active and―you are right―they each were called as the first and second counselors to President Matt Andersen. As an important ward leader, Matt took the initiative to help organize the quorum presidency and, with the help of willing adult leaders, was able to make significant progress in growing the quorum. That is how it started. Later, when the bishop was helping President Andersen with a computer, Sister Andersen expressed gratitude for his work with their sons in the Aaronic Priesthood. The bishop said with tearful emotion, “No, no, Sister Andersen, it is I who must thank you for your son, Matt, who helped us learn that we should organize our Aaronic Priesthood quorums and presidencies.” Just two weeks ago, I stood on the bank of the Susquehanna River, near the spot where John the Baptist restored the Aaronic Priesthood with these words: “Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels and of the gospel of repentance and baptism by immersion for the remission of sins.” 1 Brethren, as I stood alone on that quiet bank, contemplating the events that occurred just over 176 years ago, I thought about Brother Christensen and his deacons quorum, and I thought about Matt and Omar, and I thought about you and me and the marvelous work we have to do. The priesthood of God has been restored, the keys of the priesthood have been restored, and it is now up to us to teach and touch the lives of the young men within our sphere of accountability that they too may understand the majesty of what occurred on that spring day in May 1829; that they  may rise to meet the challenges that are theirs; that they may be true to the covenants they have made when they received the priesthood; and that they too may become “almost consumed” in ensuring that every member of their quorum is active, spiritually fed, and prepared to be advanced to the next office of the priesthood―on time! But more than that, these young men are miracle workers in their own right. I would hope that under your direction, and with the help of the Lord, each one of them will come away with an abiding feeling of concern for their fellow quorum members that is not linked to position or calling, but to the fact that each of them holds the Aaronic Priesthood and bears a solemn responsibility to help his fellow quorum members stay true and prepare for full-time missionary service and temple marriage. As these deacons grow and become teachers and then priests, they will understand that the young women they date have a right to rely on them for their safety and well-being. When a young woman dates a young man of the Aaronic Priesthood, she should feel as safe as if she were with her brother. Years ago, when I was lobbying at the Utah Legislature, my name was called and I entered the floor of the House. When I returned to the hall, a man called my name and said, “Are you Charlie Dahlquist’s boy?” I replied, “I’m Winston Dahlquist’s boy.” He said, “We knew him as Charlie.” He then, without hesitation, continued: “Let me tell you a story about your dad you probably have never heard before. When we were in the 11th grade we were at a dance. Your dad was the junior class president and we had all been dancing―all the guys and all the girls―except one girl in our class. As we stood there together, I remember your dad quietly backing away from our group without a word and walking across the floor to ask that girl to dance. It has been nearly 60 years since that day, and since then I have always wished I would have been the one to ask her to dance.” Dad was just a priest when that happened. That is the kind of priests and teachers and deacons we need all over the Church. As we build strength in our deacons quorums, we will experience corresponding strength as they become teachers, and our priests quorums will be stronger than ever. We will have more missionaries, stronger and better prepared missionaries, to fill the Lord’s commandment to take the gospel message to all the world. Now, this has been a wonderful past six months, filled with marvelous celebrations all over the world, from Boise to Berlin and from Vernal to Vladivostok. In Boise, Idaho, over 1,400 youth filled the arena in an impressive display of dance. They provided on that day nearly 6,000 hours of service, tied over 90 quilts and 100 fleece blankets, and made 300 ABC children’s booklets for needy children. In Salt Lake City, in Logan, in Ogden, in St. George, and in Cedar City, thousands of young men and young women celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Prophet Joseph’s birth and the 175th anniversary of the Restoration of the Church in 1830. In celebrating, they sang the songs of the Restoration, just as we heard tonight. Many stakes and wards held smaller celebrations that were life changing for those who participated. In Centerville, following the deacons and Beehives starting the evening with square dancing (as well as the Boot-Scootin’ Boogie), they were followed by about 20 couples of young single adults dancing the waltz in a circle that filled the floor. As they danced, the moderator, a 15-year-old young woman, waltzed to the middle of the circle and met her stake president coming from the north. After a few turns together, she waltzed off, while the stake president’s wife, coming from the south, joined him in the waltz. Seeing those youth surrounding their stake president and his wife in an evening that began with a marvelous tribute to the Prophet Joseph and the Restoration, I think that will be a night not soon forgotten. This August we also joined with approximately 45,000 Scouts at the National Scout Jamboree at Fort A. P. Hill, Virginia. What a memorable occasion that was, as many of you already know. We lost four faithful and devoted youth leaders from Anchorage, Alaska, just as the troops were arriving at the jamboree. You also know of the very difficult weather situation. The heat index on the day President Bush was to speak to the boys rose to 119 degrees. But there are some other things you may not know. During the jamboree, it was estimated that 42,000 of the 45,000 in attendance attended religious services either Saturday or Sunday. Thousands thronged the Merit Badge Midway and earned thousands upon thousands of merit badges. The Genealogy merit badge booth, sponsored by the Church, logged the second-most visitors and participants during the jamboree. In the LDS Relationships booth at the jamboree, thousands of commemorative patches and coins were given away and hundreds of gospel conversations occurred between the adults staffing the booth and the boys attending. One morning a young boy with long hair was just sitting on the floor of the booth. When Brother Brad Allen, director of LDS Relationships, approached him to give him a patch and a coin, he said, “Oh, I was here yesterday and already got one.” Brother Allen then asked him why he was back again. The boy responded, “I really don’t know. I just like the way I feel here.” Brother Allen then said, “Young man, let me tell you a little about why you are feeling the way you are.” A wonderful discussion followed about the sweet promptings of the Holy Ghost in the life of a young boy. And the discussions went on and on. The tragedy that claimed the lives of the four leaders occurred at approximately 4:45 p.m. on Monday afternoon as the boys and their leaders were setting up camp. The leaders, chaplains of all denominations, physicians, and security personnel went to work in a manner that would later be described as the greatest combined service effort at any jamboree in recent years. Three of the Scouts from the Anchorage contingency lost their fathers in this tragedy. I was touched with the continuous outpouring of kindness and thoughtfulness toward them. Because they left the jamboree to return to Anchorage before they had time to buy any jamboree souvenirs, they were taken to the souvenir booth en route to the airport―where they were given patches, belt buckles, hats, backpacks, and other gifts, while many waited in yet another line for the opportunity to pay for the gifts for these boys. When it came time to pay, the volunteers at the souvenir booths merely said, “This is our blessing. We want to pay for these ourselves.” The boys also received thousands of coveted patches and collectors’ coins and memorabilia from fellow Scouts at the jamboree. The Scouts in the contingency from the Great Salt Lake Council auctioned their coveted patches to raise money for those who had lost their fathers, accumulating over $20,000 toward the effort. Each day of the jamboree was a day of deep consideration of those timeless values that are such a part of each of us―friends, family, life itself, and an abiding faith in God. On Sunday following the tragic accident, President Thomas S. Monson of the First Presidency joined nearly 5,000 LDS Scouts and Scouters for a memorable sacrament meeting. One hundred and sixty deacons and teachers passed the sacrament, which was administered by seventy-two priests. As he began to speak, President Monson first paid tribute to those who had lost their lives, referring to the small plot of ground where the accident had taken place and which was within in the area where the sacrament meeting was held. The area was set off by a small picket fence and some flowers that one of the fallen leaders had brought all the way from Anchorage. He told the boys that the flowers were “just to beautify our campsite.” President Monson then invited those in attendance to rise and give the Scout salute in honor of those leaders who had lost their lives. This was followed by a moment of silence. Needless to say, those are times never to be forgotten. There have also been many firesides, morningsides, and commemorative programs throughout the year to impress our youth with the impact of the Restoration in their lives. Elder Robert L. Simpson was once quoted as saying, “The "First Vision is the very foundation of this Church, and it is my conviction that each member of this Church performs his duty in direct ratio to his personal testimony and faith in the First Vision.” 2 We pray that as a result of these celebrations, our faith and strength of testimony, our activity and faithfulness in keeping our covenants, and our devotion to strengthening the quorums of the Aaronic Priesthood are stronger than ever before. This is the majesty of the celebrations. We look back that we might be strengthened in order to look and live forward! We must now press forward building on those days of celebration to continue to strengthen the quorums of the priesthood; to ensure that each deacon is prepared and worthy to be ordained a teacher; that each teacher is worthy and prepared to be ordained a priest; and that each priest is worthy and prepared to be ordained an elder, enter the temple, and serve a full-time mission for the Lord. As we have spoken before, when we return to the Father, the lads (and the lasses) will be with us.3 To help us in that process, the new Mutual theme for 2006 is found in the Doctrine and Covenants, section 115, verse 5: “Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations.” I honestly can’t think of a better standard or battle cry to take us from a year of remembering and celebrating to a year of moving forward to build that greatest generation of missionaries this world has ever seen. Tom Brokaw wrote a book about the “greatest generation ever,” 4 speaking of those who served during World War II, my father’s and mother’s generation. As I read of their greatness, I thought, “He’s right.” They were great, and because of their greatness, their industry, their vision, and their work ethic, we are blessed. But their generation is, for the most part, past. As with my father, many of that generation are gone but not forgotten. It is now our turn to run the race of life. How will history speak of us and those who follow? I love the last verse in section 35 of the Doctrine and Covenants, which reads: “Fear not, little flock, the kingdom is yours until I come. Behold, I come quickly. Even so. Amen.” 5 The kingdom, His kingdom, is indeed ours to grow and build, to nourish and strengthen, and to prepare for the day when He comes. It is obvious the Lord needs builders, not just caretakers. The success of our ministry will depend not solely upon whether the light we bear burns while we yet live, but whether that light will continue to burn in the hearts and souls of those we teach and lead long after we have been released or finished our missions here on earth. And so, as we look to another wonderful year of service with the young men of the Aaronic Priesthood, may I share with you a few thoughts about strengthening the Aaronic Priesthood and helping these great young men to be prepared and worthy to serve a mission. First, take care of yourself, your own testimony, and your family. We cannot draw our youth to higher ground if we ourselves are not there. The Savior did not send His disciples out unprepared into the world. Instead, He taught them, schooled them, occasionally chastened them, gave them experiences that would strengthen their understanding and their faith, and then simply said, “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” 6 And in this dispensation, the Lord said to Hyrum Smith: “Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men.” 7 Second, take care of your own families. Read the scriptures together, pray together, teach your children the principles of the gospel, make sure that each Monday night in your home is reserved for family home evening―no matter what! I have a strong testimony of the value of family home evening. There are many things that we have struggled with in our family over the years, but each Monday evening, rain or shine, it was family home evening. Every night since 1970, we have sung, “Teach Me to Walk in the Light,” 8 a hymn that was first introduced to the Church in the family home evening manual that year. On the few occasions when I have been away from home on a Monday night, we have sung our song over the telephone, even though we may be separated by many time zones. I must admit that not every family home evening was a piece of heaven. In fact, sometimes it took all the patience we could muster just to get through the lesson to the refreshments, but how grateful we are that we did. Monday night still stands in mind as a piece of heaven on earth. Third, ensure that your life is what it should be. Just as you expect the young men of the Aaronic Priesthood to study the scriptures, ensure that you too have an effective personal study program. Be a living example of the scripture in section 38 of the Doctrine and Covenants which counsels: “And go ye out from among the wicked. Save yourselves. Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.” 9 There are not two standards in the kingdom of God. The pamphlet entitled For the Strength of Youth was intended to apply as much to you and to me as to the youth of the Church. Attend the temple regularly if you live near a temple. Pray diligently for each young man in your charge―by name. Never underestimate the power of personal example in all you do. Jayne Bradford Terry once wrote a marvelous poem entitled “To Those Who Teach Children.” You are called to be true under-shepherds, To keep watch o’er the lambs of the fold; And to point out the way to green pastures. Of more value than silver or gold. Unto you is entrusted the children, Priceless treasures from heaven above. You’re to teach them the truth of the gospel― Let them bask in the warmth of your love. Do you ask for the help of our Father, In teaching His children so dear? Do you put forth a true, honest effort? Is your message impressive and clear? Are you living a worthy example? Is your character what it should be? When the children have gathered around you, Can you say, “Come follow me?” Earnest effort is always rewarded: Righteous lives are inspiring to all. You can render your thanks to our Savior By making the most of your call. 10 Fourth, prepare yourselves constantly for your calling with the young men of the Aaronic Priesthood by getting properly trained for your calling. Understand section 2 in the Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2 on the Aaronic Priesthood. Become a scholar of what the scriptures and the prophets have said about the Aaronic Priesthood. In the United States and Canada, Scouting is the activity arm of the priesthood. We encourage you to become appropriately trained so you can make the best of this wonderful resource to the priesthood. If you are new (or even if you have been in your calling for some time), yet have never been appropriately trained, go to www.scouting.org and begin your training now, online. Begin with Fast Start training, then basic and leader specific training, and then Wood Badge. Scour not only the New Era, but also Boys’ Life, Scouting magazine for adult leaders, and, in Canada, The Leader, for ideas that will help you strengthen the young men you serve and their families. We are gratified with the reports from the field that priesthood leaders, including stake presidents and their counselors, bishops and their counselors, and Young Men leaders on both stake and ward levels are beginning to take the importance of this training seriously. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to sign up now for the next Wood Badge course in your council. I promise you that if the Scouting program in all age groups is alive and functioning, including the Varsity program for the teacher-age boys and the Venturing program for the priests, it will make a difference in the quality of the experience your young men receive and their preparation for a mission. Recently, I attended a court of honor where, in addition to two adults receiving their Wood Badge beads, a very small number of young men of the ward received 17 rank advancements and 84 merit badges. As I spoke with the leaders in that ward, and heard how lovingly they spoke of the support of their bishop, I was not surprised to see that he too had attended Wood Badge training 25 years ago, yet the effect is still felt in that great ward. We have also noticed that, with a rare exception, where Scouting is strong, so is the Duty to God program. Both of them are part of the Aaronic Priesthood achievement program to help better prepare our young men for missions and temple marriage. Just recently, as President Boyd K. Packer, Elder M. Russell Ballard, and others were in the Gulf States surveying the horrible destruction left by Hurricane Katrina, someone asked, “Which is most important, the Duty to God Award or the Eagle Scout program?” Elder Ballard quickly responded, “It is the priesthood.” And so it is. Both the Duty to God Award and Scouting, in all of its age groups, are there to support and build and strengthen the young men of the Aaronic Priesthood. Therefore, our leaders must understand not only Scouting and its resources, but must also know the Duty to God program backwards and forwards so that they will know how to help quorum presidents implement it in their quorums to strengthen the priesthood. Bishops and stake presidents, once your leaders are trained, do everything you can to ensure that they stay in their callings long enough to make a difference in the lives of the boys they serve. In 2004, LDS troops had one of the largest percentage of boys registered in the Boy Scouts of America. Unfortunately, we also had a much higher percentage of the fatalities that occurred during Scout activities. We have learned that there are three reasons for this: (1) lack of training, (2) lack of experience, and (3) failure to exercise good common sense. We plead with you as you prayerfully consider calling them to serve as leaders of our young men, to ensure that they are committed to receiving appropriate BSA training and that they serve with the youth for an extended time. Now brethren, today our workshop focuses on how the Aaronic Priesthood experience can assist in preparing our young men for full-time missionary service. Never before has it been more significant and urgent that our young men be prepared and worthy to accept a call to serve. President Gordon B. Hinckley has stated: “I throw out a challenge to every young man within this vast congregation tonight. Prepare yourself now to be worthy to serve the Lord as a full-time missionary. He has said, ‘If ye are prepared ye shall not fear’ (D&C 38:30). Prepare to consecrate two years of your lives to this sacred service. That will in effect constitute a tithe on the first twenty years of your lives.” 11 And remember Elder M. Russell Ballard’s stirring challenge in the October 2002 general conference when he said: “What we need now is the greatest generation of missionaries in the history of the Church. We need worthy, qualified, spiritually energized missionaries who, like Helaman’s 2,000 stripling warriors, are ‘exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity’ and who are ‘true at all times in whatsoever thing they [are] entrusted’ (Alma 53:20).” 12 The Savior gave His early Apostles the divine charge to teach all nations. That admonition is brought to us in the latter days, as He stated to the Prophet Joseph, “And I give unto you a commandment that . . . ye shall teach [the messages of the scriptures] unto all men; for they shall be taught unto all nations, kindreds, tongues and people.” 13 Our charge as leaders is to prepare a generation of missionaries such as has never before been seen in this world―both in strength and in number. Our workshops today will focus on that charge. We hope you will not only take notes of that which you hear and that which you feel, but take opportunities to share what has worked in your stakes, wards, and quorums. Not wanting to take anything away from those workshops, I offer just a few suggestions: First, the key to strengthening our missionary force is to strengthen both the families of Zion and the quorums of the Aaronic Priesthood.  One cannot underestimate the strength and value of a good home where there is a loving mother and a father who honors his priesthood and holds regular father’s interviews with his children―a home where the family kneels in humble prayer morning and evening, where the scriptures are read faithfully, where kindness and respect are present, where family home evening is religiously held and anticipated by all, and where parents are intimately involved in the lives of their sons and daughters. But to many, that doesn’t come naturally. We also have many single-parent families with primarily mothers trying to help their young men prepare for missionary service without a reliable male role model in the family. For these situations, as well as many others that are less than optimal, we must ensure that while we build the quorums of the priesthood, we are also striving to provide opportunities to build and strengthen the relationships between the young men and their parents. I know of no better program than that provided by the Boy Scouts of America and Scouts Canada for involving parents in the growth, achievement, and activities of their sons by serving as merit badge counselors; unit leaders; committee members; and specialists to assist with specific activities. The inspired program is there and has been there since 1913, when the Church first partnered with Scouting as the activity arm of the priesthood. It is now up to us to apply the program and allow the youth and their families to reap the blessings of that partnership. And we must act now with no further delay. One of the signatories of the Church’s charter from the Boy Scouts of America in 1913 was Bryant S. Hinckley, the father of President Gordon B. Hinckley. Think of the impact of a strong father in the life of a discouraged missionary. Second, along with strengthening the family, we must strengthen the quorums of the Aaronic Priesthood. The Church will not grow and flourish until the quorums of the priesthood are properly organized and functioning. Take a moment to reflect on how things are going in your stake. In so doing, you might ask yourself: Are we doing all we can to strengthen and train our Aaronic Priesthood quorum presidencies to help them exercise the priesthood keys they hold? Is a part of every weekly quorum presidency meeting devoted to training the quorum presidency in their duties? There are only four brethren in each ward or branch with priesthood keys: the bishop, the elders quorum president, the deacons quorum president, and the teachers quorum president. Are we treating each of them as if they were a priesthood leader, or just the first two? Are we looking for opportunities to cause Aaronic Priesthood presidencies to stretch in their callings, or are we doing it all for them? Are we teaching them to get down on their knees and pray for each of their quorum members, and then give them an opportunity to practice what they are taught? Do we help them understand and feel the stewardships and responsibilities they have for each quorum member―to ensure that every member of the quorum is prepared and worthy to be advanced in the priesthood on time? In helping our brethren of the Aaronic Priesthood fulfill their priesthood duties, have we taken the time to teach them not only the “how” but also the “why?” When they are passing the sacrament, do the deacons understand not only how to pass the sacrament correctly but also the significance of their service in assisting other members to renew their covenants with the Lord? Are we adequately teaching our young men how to be strong and faithful home teachers, or are we merely leaving that to their senior home teaching companions? In some cases, that may be fine. In others, they are left woefully lacking. Elder F. Melvin Hammond used to sing the wonderful song, “How Will They Know Unless We Tell Them So?” 14 That is a question that we must constantly ask ourselves. Third, take time to utilize the resources available to help our young men develop feelings of self-worth and to understand who they are, especially the achievement programs that are such a vital part of the Aaronic Priesthood experience, the Duty to God program as well as the advancement programs of Scouting. Are we teaching them who they are and who they have the potential to become? The Young Women theme states, in part, “We are daughters of our Heavenly Father who loves us, and we love Him. We will stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places.” What a statement! I would hope each young man of the Aaronic Priesthood could say, “I am a son of the living God and a holder of His holy priesthood. I love Him and know that He loves me. I will stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things, and in all places.” Brethren, in conclusion, I have a thought and a challenge. When we think of missionary preparation in the stakes of Zion, we often think of the stake or ward missionary preparation courses that often occur just prior to a young man going on a mission. As good as these may be, they are, standing alone, too little too late. At best they are a few focused hours or efforts in preparing our young men for missionary service. By that time we have already lost a lion’s share of our youth as they pass from deacon to teacher and from teacher to priest. We must begin earlier in the deacons quorum to retain the active, to reclaim the less active, and to grow the Church by inviting friends of other faiths to join us and participate in our quorums and quorum activities. In the early days, there were Schools of the Prophets to prepare missionaries for their service in the kingdom. 15 Today, our missionary preparation must occur within the quorums of the Aaronic Priesthood. We must 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, to enter the temple, and to serve a full-time mission for the Lord. Now, finally, here is a challenge. Elder Ballard has given us a challenge to add “one more” to the missionary force from each ward or branch in the Church. One who had not planned on serving a mission. 16 He has indicated that just that would add, during this year, over 26,000 additional missionaries to those already serving. We support Elder Ballard’s challenge and encourage you to prayerfully select and prepare your “one more” for missionary service. But that is not enough. If we are to fulfill our divine charge, we must do more. We must look to the deacons, teachers, and priests quorums of the Church as we strive to retain each active young man, reclaim each less-active youth, and grow the quorum. We therefore challenge each quorum within the sound of my voice to select and reactivate one young man within the next six months. If you have three less-active young men in your quorum, identify them and discuss their needs and where they are in their activity. Then, prayerfully select one to reactivate during the next six months. Unless the Spirit directs otherwise, you might want to begin with the one most likely to return to activity. After he has joined the ranks of the active, focus on the next young man on your list until 100 percent of your young men are active. And when you have reached that goal, or possibly even before, encourage your young men to invite their friends of other faiths to join them in their Scouting, Varsity, and Venturing activities. Look carefully to ensure that you have a fun, priesthood-centered, character-building activity program that involves the young men in planning and carrying out those activities. Remember the poem by Edwin Markham: We are blind until we see that in the human plan Nothing’s worth the making if it does not make the man. Why build these cities glorious if man unbuilded goes? In vain we build the world, unless the builder also grows. 17 I promise you that if you and your Aaronic Priesthood quorum presidencies will focus during these next six months on retaining the active, reclaiming the less active (especially one per quorum), and growing the quorum, you will be blessed and your young men will be stronger and better prepared to enter the temple; serve missions; and live lives of service to their families, the Church, and their communities. Please know of our prayers for you and the youth you serve. We express our love and our appreciation for your faithful and dedicated service, and testify of the divinity of this great work of the Aaronic Priesthood as a preparatory priesthood―to prepare the youth of the noble birthright for the temple, for full-time missionary service, and for life. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. REFERENCES 1. D&C 13:1. 2. Robert L. Simpson, “Our Fundamental Obligation: The Priesthood,” Ensign, Jan. 1974, 86. 3. See Genesis 44:32−34. 4. See Tom Brokaw, The Greatest Generation Speaks: Letters and Reflections (1999). 5. D&C 35:27; italics added. 6. Luke 22:32. 7. D&C 11:21. 8. Hymns, no. 304; Children’s Songbook, 177. 9. D&C 38:42. 10. Jayne Bradford Terry, “To Those Who Teach Children.” 11. In Conference Report, Sept.−Oct. 1995, 70; or Ensign, Nov. 1995, 52−52. 12. In Conference Report, Oct. 2002, 50−51; or Ensign, Nov. 2002, 47. 13. D&C 42:58. 14. See “How Will They Know?” Children’s Songbook, 182−85. 15. See D&C 88:118−27. 16. See “One More,” Ensign, May 2005, 69. 17. Edwin Markham, “Man-making.”