"Rise Up, O Men of God" Young Men Open House, Spring 2007 Charles W. Dahlquist, II Young Men General President My dear brethren, we welcome you to another Aaronic Priesthood leadership workshop. We are grateful for the youth whom we serve and for their faithfulness in keeping the commandments of the Lord. We are also grateful for your diligent service in touching the lives of these great youth. Although these leadership workshops are especially for leaders of young men of the Aaronic Priesthood, it would not be complete without the young men themselves. And so, as has become tradition with us, we are grateful to open another workshop session with young men of the Aaronic Priesthood and their fathers who are called to serve! [Choir of fathers and sons sing “Called to Serve,” Hymns, no. 249.] Thank you, brethren, for your stirring music. We are grateful for your music, for your example, for the things you do, for what you are, and for the blessing of serving with you. Thank you for blessing our lives this evening. As you may recall, as President Gordon B. Hinckley looked over the vast throng of priesthood brethren gathered in the priesthood session of the October 2006 general conference, he said: “Brethren, you look like a shirtsleeve priesthood. You look all dressed in white, ready to go to work. And the time has come to go to work” (“Rise Up, O Men of God,” Ensign, Nov. 2006, 59). He then quoted a hymn that has become one of my favorite priesthood hymns and which is the theme of this conference: Rise up, O men of God! Have done with lesser things. Give heart and soul and mind and strength To serve the King of Kings. Rise up, O men of God, In one united throng. Bring in the day of brotherhood And end the night of wrong. Rise up, O men of God! The church for you doth wait, Her strength unequal to her task; Rise up, and make her great! Rise up, O men of God! Tread where his feet have trod. As brothers of the Son of Man, Rise up, O men of God! [Hymns, no. 324; third verse in The Oxford American Hymnal, ed. Carl F. Pfatteicher (1930), 256] “Rise Up, O Men of God,” then, is our theme for these Aaronic Priesthood–Young Men workshops. As we announce this theme, we also announce that the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve have recently indicated that these workshops will now be held only once each year just prior to April general conference. They will be known as Aaronic Priesthood–Young Men New-Leader Workshops―although the attendance is not limited solely to new leaders. This change will allow us to spend more of our efforts to take the workshop messages internationally so that more leaders of our young men will be able to benefit from the instruction. We are grateful for this change. Now, brethren, the message of this workshop does not stand alone, but together with previous workshops that have focused on (1) the Aaronic Priesthood as a marvelous work and a wonder (October 2004), (2) For the Strength of Youth (April 2005), (3) preparing young men for full-time missionary service (October 2005), (4) how Scouting can support and strengthen the work of the Aaronic Priesthood (April 2006), and (5) Duty to God (October 2006). You can locate these previous president’s messages on the Church Web site. We encourage you to use these materials as well as those prepared for this leadership workshop in strengthening your young men. Those of you who have participated in these leadership workshops before know that it has become tradition to conclude the final session with a hymn, “Ye Elders of Israel.” This year, we will carry on with that tradition, but with a different hymn―that of our theme. However, many of you have never sung this hymn, so, for the next few minutes, I will have the privilege of conducting a hymn practice so that you will be prepared to sing this song with such fervor and strength that Brother Craig Jessop, conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, will have offers out to each of you to join the choir by next Monday! I am excited to do this because it takes me back over four decades when, as a 16-year-old priest, I was called to serve as the Sunday School music director at a time when we had hymn practice as part of opening exercises. For those of you who are viewing this program at home, I suggest you get out your hymnbook and turn to hymn number 324. [Hymn: “Rise Up, O Men of God.”] Shortly after October general conference, I was invited to speak at a youth fireside. Prior to my remarks, we heard this very hymn from a marvelous 60-voice Aaronic Priesthood and fathers choir. They were wonderful! During my remarks, I felt to ask a young Beehive from the congregation to repeat the Young Women theme, which she did wonderfully in spite of the fact, as I learned later, that she was just coming back into activity. I then asked a young man who had participated in the choir to join me on the stand. I had particularly noticed this young man because, as he sang, he didn’t look at a single note and sang with great vigor. As he approached me with a bit of fear in his eyes, he looked directly at me and asked, “Do we have a theme?” I laughed and told him that we did not, but I wanted to know if he had memorized anything inspiring lately that he could share with us. He had difficulty thinking of something, so I said, “I noticed as you sang that you didn’t look down at your music once and sang every word.” At this point he said, “Brother Dahlquist, I must confess. I pinned the words of the song onto the shirt of the kid in front of me.” But I was not to be disappointed as I pressed him a bit more for anything that he had memorized lately that was inspiring. His response was classic: “Scripture mastery?” I replied, “Perfect!” He continued, “Joseph Smith—History?” I responded, “Grand!” “Verses 15 through 17?” I said, “Share it with us, please.” This great young man then gave the Joseph Smith story as powerfully and humbly as I have heard it―word perfect! This is what it means to “Rise up!” Brethren, never before in the history of the world has there been a greater need for the brethren of the priesthood of God, young and old, to stand up and take their place. It is time for men of the Church to become men of Christ; for young men of the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood to stand up for what they know to be true; for the quorums of the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood to be organized, vitalized, and to take seriously the stanza: Rise up, O men of God, The church for you doth wait, Her strength unequal to her task; Rise up, and make her great! This was the same message Lehi gave to his sons when he said: “Arise from the dust, my sons, and be men, and be determined in one mind and in one heart, united in all things. . . . Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust” (2 Nephi 1:21, 23). This was the same message that Elder M. Russell Ballard gave to the young men of the Aaronic Priesthood as he powerfully called on them to “rise up, to measure up, and to be fully prepared to serve the Lord.” He added, “Please understand this: the bar that is the standard for missionary service is being raised.” Elder Ballard then addressed the fathers of these young men saying, “If we are ‘raising the bar’ for your sons to serve as missionaries, that means we are also ‘raising the bar’ for you” (“The Greatest Generation of Missionaries,” Ensign, Nov. 2002, 47–48). Brethren, this same charge applies to all of us gathered here today. This is a time for parents and leaders of youth to join together to help build the greatest generation of young men this world has ever seen. May I share with you several suggestions for preparing this great generation spoken of by Elder Ballard. First, we must be strong and devoted leaders. This is no time for a double standard. The standards set out in the For the Strength of Youth booklet were given to the entire Church and apply as well to the adults as to the youth. We have too many parents and leaders who expect one thing from their youth while living an entirely different standard themselves. The watchcry “Rise up, O men of God” is not just for the young men of the Aaronic Priesthood, but for you and me as well. This is the time to “have done with lesser things” and rise up ourselves. Our actions must be exemplary. We must be reading the scriptures regularly and praying for guidance in our callings. We recently met with the First Presidency to report on our progress. At the end of our report, I turned to President Hinckley and said, “President, what would you teach us?” He pondered just a moment and then said, “Do your work and say your prayers.” I don’t think there was any more profound counsel that we could have received. Twice during our discussion he mentioned the importance of prayer. I think there is nothing more important that we could pass on to you as prophetic counsel, for though he was speaking to us, indirectly he was speaking to you through us. Next, we must understand the resources we have at our hands and be able to use them effectively to help the young men in our charge accomplish the purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood. This includes knowing the Duty to God program well and getting appropriate Scouting training, including basic, leader-specific youth protection and Wood Badge training. We are gratified with the wonderful efforts of leaders around the Church who are following this pattern and see in the lives of the young men and in the lives of their Aaronic Priesthood quorums a very positive difference. The call to work with the young men of the Aaronic Priesthood and Scouting is a demanding assignment―but very worthwhile. Brethren, as President Hinckley has often reminded us, there are ways that we can all improve as we accept the challenge to “Rise up!” Now, just one word of caution. As leaders, we need to be cautious about being so caught up with activities and “things” of our callings that we neglect the important time for pondering and “waiting upon the Lord,” for without inspiration and revelation in our callings, we are nothing. The Brethren often remind us how we can become in tune with the Lord in mind and spirit. President Boyd K. Packer once taught that “inspiration comes more easily in peaceful settings” (“Reverence Invites Revelation,” Ensign, Nov. 1991, 21). Elder Henry B. Eyring recently said, “Only when my heart has been still and quiet, in submission like a child, has the Spirit been clearly audible to my heart and mind” (“As a Child,” Ensign, May 2006, 16). And Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin counseled, “Inspiration comes most easily to a mind that is calm and focused.” We need to make time to find those peaceful settings where our hearts can be still and our minds can be calm. Then we will be open to the Spirit and ready to receive the inspiration we need. The Lord said through the Psalmist and also through the Prophet Joseph Smith in Kirtland, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10; D&C 101:16). This is a lesson that I am learning―slowly, but surely. So, with all of your doings, take time to pray and to listen for the answer. I testify to you that this is God’s work and only with the help of the Lord and the inspiration and revelation that come to us and to the presidents of the quorums of the Aaronic Priesthood will we be able to accomplish that which the Lord expects of us. Second, we must help build strong families. We need homes where families hold personal and family prayers, where there is a devotion to family home evening, where regular interviews are held with each child, and where love, support, forgiveness, and the Spirit of the Lord abound. This applies to our own families as well as to the families of the young men we serve. We know that one of the prime indicators of righteous youth is the nature of the family from which they come. Although there are exceptions, it is more likely that a young man will live a happy and righteous life if he comes from a family where gospel standards are lived and where family members are loved and respected. For this reason, I plead with you, as leaders of youth, to do all that you can to involve parents in your activities and to support them in their efforts to raise righteous youth. I plead with you to use the resources available to you, including the ward priesthood executive council and ward council meetings to help strengthen fathers and mothers―for their own sakes and for the sakes of their children. ’Twas a sheep not a lamb that went astray, In the parable Jesus told. ’Twas a grown sheep that wandered away, From the ninety and nine in the fold. And out on the hillside, and out in the cold, ’Twas a sheep that the Good Shepherd sought. And back to the flock safe into the fold, ’Twas a sheep the Good Shepherd brought. Now, why for the sheep should we earnestly long, And as earnestly hope and pray? Because there is danger if they go wrong, They will lead the lambs astray. For the lambs will follow the sheep, you know Where ever the sheep may stray. When sheep go wrong, it will not be long ’Til the lambs are as wrong as they. And so for the sheep we earnestly plead, For the sake of the lambs today. If the lambs are lost, what a terrible cost Some sheep will have to pay. [“Twas a Sheep Not a Lamb,” Anonymous) I pray that you will do all in your power to help strengthen the families of the boys in your Aaronic Priesthood quorums. Involve them in youth activities, as is appropriate. Help them to see the value of their participation on Scouting committees, as merit badge counselors, and in many other opportunities. I know of nothing more effective than the Scouting program to help support and involve parents in the lives of their young men. Now, in your efforts to involve parents, be sensitive to their other assignments and pressures and involve them, as is appropriate, in blessing their families. I would think that it might also be important, now and then, to meet with the parents and ask how they are feeling about their son’s experience in the Aaronic Priesthood and how they feel we are doing in helping them to strengthen their son. This becomes even more important in single-parent homes where mothers are often taxed to the limit just with household obligations.   It is here that the priesthood can go to work to help, support, assist, and lift the load in order to help these grand, faithful Latter-day Saint mothers in their significant role of teaching and raising their sons. The priesthood can help mothers prepare their sons for full-time missionary service and provide appropriate priesthood role models for these great young men. During the workshops tonight and later during the counselor’s exchange, you will see the majesty of priesthood power as it moves from the deacons quorum presidency meeting to the Aaronic Priesthood committee, to the priesthood executive council, to the deacons quorum itself, and then into the lives of the members of that quorum. You may have already noticed that our new exhibit focuses on the process of a devoted leader helping to strengthen a young quorum president as he magnifies the keys he has received to bless the lives of the members of his quorum. In the process of serving and strengthening these young men, there may arise concerns about family support, family stress, family illness, and other family issues. The Young Men president can and should raise these issues, along with the bishopric, in the ward priesthood executive council and the ward council meetings. There, within the strength of the ward councils, the priesthood and the auxiliaries can prayerfully consider these matters and can assist in supporting and strengthening the families of our youth. Third, we must develop strong, united quorums. Although there may be many definitions of such a quorum, let me share with you some attributes of a strong quorum. First, it is fully organized. If there are four or more quorum members, there should be a full, functioning presidency; and if less than that, the presidency is organized as far as possible. In addition, the presidency of that quorum is functioning and meeting weekly in quorum presidency meetings to ensure that each member of the quorum has a friend, a responsibility, and is being nourished by the good word of God. Lessons are given on Sunday from the approved curriculum to help quorum members learn their duty and understand gospel principles and to set the stage for spiritual experiences in the lives of these young men. In a strong quorum, I would also expect that there would be a functioning activity program that helps young men of the Aaronic Priesthood apply the principles of the gospel taught on Sunday. In the United States and Canada, this means a functioning Scouting program, in all of its families, that teaches timeless character values to quorum members. I would also anticipate that the quorum adviser and a member of the bishopric would be working closely with the quorum presidency to help them fulfill their scriptural mandate: And again, verily I say unto you, the duty of a president over the office of a deacon is to preside over twelve deacons, to sit in council with them, and to teach them their duty, edifying one another, as it is given according to the covenants. [D&C 107:85] This is only a glimpse of what an effective Aaronic Priesthood quorum would look like―but it is a start. The other day I attended a deacons quorum meeting. I was drawn to attend this particular meeting because I had previously seen a young man, whom I knew to be a member of this quorum, skateboarding around the corner when he should have been in priesthood meeting. I was interested to see what I would find in this quorum. After asking the bishop if I could attend the quorum meeting, I entered the room to find four of the strongest youth leaders you would find anywhere in the Church and one deacon, a very bright and competent young man. While I was pleased that they had not decided to join with the teachers or priests quorum, I learned that this great young deacon, whom I will call Brett, was the president of the deacons quorum and had been serving without counselors for over two months―in spite of the fact that there were four additional members of the quorum. No efforts had been made to fill the vacancies in this presidency. Because there was only the president, they had stopped having presidency meetings. To give them credit, these good brethren were working diligently to have a full program of Scouting activities―not only for the one active quorum member, but for others who would come fairly regularly to Scouting activities. Before concluding my visit to this quorum, we talked about the divine role of the deacons quorum president according to section 107 of the Doctrine and Covenants and the keys of presidency he held. We discussed how it was his responsibility to go to the Lord to ask Him who the right deacons were that could serve as his counselors and as a secretary. We also talked about the opportunity he had, holding the keys of presidency, to seek inspiration as to how to ensure that each member of his quorum had a friend and a responsibility and was being nourished by the good word of God. I look forward to returning to this quorum soon and pray that I may find a much changed condition. Brethren, it is vital that we place a priority on vitalizing the quorums of the Aaronic Priesthood. During the workshops you will see video clips of Aaronic Priesthood quorum and other meetings that were held recently not far from here. [View "The Aaronic Priesthood Committee Meeting," "Teachers Quorum Presidency Meeting," "Teachers Quorum Meeting," "Ministering," and "Bishop and Young Men Presidency Interview."] These adult leaders and youth were filmed during their normal meetings, including a quorum presidency meeting and an Aaronic Priesthood committee meeting. These are not staged. There is no script. These leaders and young men are not actors, but garden-variety members of the Church like you and me who are trying very hard to fulfill their divine callings. And, I might say, they are doing very well! Let me show you one clip of these brethren while in their ward Aaronic Priesthood committee meeting. While some of you may be holding this meeting on a regular basis, most, we have found, are not. This is a meeting that is normally held monthly and includes the bishopric, as the presidency of the Aaronic Priesthood, the deacons quorum president, the teachers quorum president, and the first assistant to the bishop in the priests quorum. Also in attendance are the members of the ward Young Men presidency. Please note what role they play in the meeting. Let’s watch. ["The Aaronic Priesthood Committee Meeting."] Truly vitalized Aaronic Priesthood quorums, such as these, do not occur overnight. Let’s listen to a small part of the comments of Bishop Butler, who presides over the Aaronic Priesthood in this ward. [Excerpt from "Bishop and Young Men Presidency Interview."] The great part of this story is that the revitalization of the Aaronic Priesthood quorums in this particular stake began during a conversation between two bishops while they drove together to southern Utah. They decided that they would work together to strengthen their respective Aaronic Priesthood programs. And what a difference their inspired efforts have made! And now, I return to the fourth criterion for helping to raise up the next great generation: We must help develop strong, spiritual, qualified, and well-prepared young men of the Aaronic Priesthood. When President David O. McKay died, it was said of him, “He was a pure vessel through whom revelation could flow to the Church.” Our young men of the Aaronic Priesthood must be the same if they are to be prepared for the challenges that will be thrown in their paths during their lifetime. They must be clean. During the past New Year’s Eve celebration in the Conference Center, President Hinckley said the following to the youth who were gathered there: [President Hinckley, “Be Clean.”] A number of months ago, I asked a young woman I know what she would suggest to help young men become strong and effective missionaries. Her answer was immediate and blunt as she said, “Well, to start with, they could pull up their pants!” I spoke with another very attractive high-school-aged young woman just a week ago and asked her a similar question focused on the issue of young men’s dress. She said, and she has given me permission to quote her, “Boys are nuts if they think it is impressive for everyone to see their underwear―and more. To me, and to all the girls I know at school, it is just gross!” In his address to the priesthood last October, President Hinckley said: “Some of you young men seem to delight in dressing in a slouchy manner. I know that it is a sensitive subject, but I believe it is unbecoming to young men who have been ordained to the holy priesthood of God” (Ensign, Nov. 2006, 60). In the For the Strength of Youth booklet, the First Presidency has counseled: Your body is God’s sacred creation. Respect it as a gift from God, and do not defile it in any way. Through your dress and appearance, you can show the Lord that you know how precious your body is. You can show that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ.  . . . The way you dress is a reflection of what you are on the inside. . . . When you are well groomed and modestly dressed, you invite the companionship of the Spirit and can exercise a good influence on those around you. Never lower your dress standards for any occasion. Doing so sends the message that you are using your body to get attention and approval and that modesty is important only when it is convenient.  . . . Young men should . . . maintain modesty in their appearance. All should avoid extremes in clothing, appearance, and hairstyle. Always be neat and clean and avoid being sloppy or inappropriately casual in dress, grooming, and manners. Ask yourself, “Would I feel comfortable with my appearance if I were in the Lord’s presence?” [For the Strength of Youth (2001), 14–15] To this I would add a few thoughts. Initially, we do not expect our youth to go around in white shirts and ties all of the time, but there is a time and place for various kinds of modest dress. Years ago, when I was a new stake president, I had the privilege of interviewing a young man as he returned from his mission. He had entered the mission field before my call as stake president, so this was the first time I had met him. I asked him to tell me about himself. During his comments he indicated that when he was in high school he became the designated driver for his friends because he was the only one who didn’t drink alcohol. He said that there were always beer cans in and around his car, to the point that most were surprised to learn that he was actually worthy to go on a mission. He then said, “My dad always said, ‘Keep ’em guessing; keep ’em guessing!’ ” As he said that, I stopped him and said, “Jim [that wasn’t his real name], there are some things in life where there should never be any doubt in anyone’s mind―and one of those is our worthiness before the Lord.” The same is true with regard to dress. Some of our young men dress as the world dresses in order to disguise themselves and help themselves blend in a bit more with the other young men of the world. But the Lord never intended that the Latter-day Saints should blend in, but rather that we should stand as a light (or a candle) set on the hill for all to see (see Matthew 5:14–16). If our young men of the Aaronic Priesthood are to “rise up” and “have done with lesser things,” there must be no doubt, as evidenced by their dress, what their standards are. And, as Elder F. Melvin Hammond used to sing, “How will they know unless we teach them so?” (see “How Will They Know?” Children’s Songbook, 182–85). And while we are speaking about dress, would you help our young men, as well as many of the older ones, learn respect for our meetinghouses? I am continually concerned when I see our youth enter a building, including the chapel, and fail to remove their baseball caps. It is a mark of respect for the Lord when we treat His house with respect. One way to show this respect is by removing our hats while anywhere inside the building. Next, if our young men are to rise up, they must learn to work hard. Elder Donald Keyes once told me that his father used to say, “Work is doing something that you really don’t want to do and sticking with it until it’s finished.” I like this definition. If these young men are to stand as strong, well-prepared missionaries, husbands, and fathers, they must learn to work hard or they will not make it. We tell young men that their full-time mission will be the best two years of their lives. While this can be true, we also need to tell them that if they are going to have the best two years of their lives up to that point, they must begin preparing now! Part of this preparation is hard work. Said the big white rooster, “Gosh all hemlock, things are really tough, Seems that worms are getting scarce and I cannot find enough. What’s become of all those fat ones is a mystery to me; There were thousands through the rainy spell, but now where can they be?” The little red hen who heard him didn’t grumble or complain, She had been through lots of dry spells, she had lived through floods of rain; So she flew up on the grindstone and she gave her claws a whet, And she said, “I’ve never seen the time there were no worms to get.” She picked a new and undug spot; the earth was hard and firm. The big white rooster jeered, “New ground! That’s no place for a worm.” The little red hen spread her feet, she dug both fast and free, “I must go to the worms,” she said, “the worms won’t come to me.” The rooster vainly spent his day, through habit by the ways, Where fat worms have passed in squads, back in the rainy days. When nightfall found him supperless, he growled in accents rough, “I’m as hungry as a fowl can be―conditions sure are tough.” He turned to the little red hen and said, “It’s worse with you, For you’re not only hungry, but you must be tired too.” I rested while I watched for worms, so I feel fairly perk. But how are you? Without worms too? And after all that work?” The little red hen hopped to her perch and drooped her eyes to sleep, And murmured in a drowsy tone, “Young man, hear this and weep. I’m full of worms and happy, for I’ve dined both long and well. The worms were there as always―but I had to dig like h---!” Oh, here and there, white roosters are still holding sales positions, They cannot do much business now, because of poor conditions. But as soon as things get right again, they’ll sell a hundred firms― Meanwhile the little red hens are out a-gobbling up the worms. [“The Little Red Hen,” author unknown] And finally, and probably most importantly, we need to help these young men of the Aaronic Priesthood develop faith in the living God, to have and recognize spiritual experiences while yet in their youth, and to understand what it is to pray and then get up and work. There will be times when the rising generation, just as for all generations before, will feel so overwhelmed that they will wonder if they can go on. It is during these times that youth must have sufficient spiritual reserve so that when they have no place else to turn, they will fall on their knees and pray for divine guidance. In those moments when our youth feel overwhelmed and unable to accomplish their divine task, they must know to whom they can go for peace and solace and comfort. They must know how to come unto Him. They must have, deep in their souls, the faith of the ancients that has been born of many hours of humble prayer, searching scripture study, and unselfish service. (See “Where Can I Turn for Peace?” Hymns, no. 129.) In the midst of all of our activities designed to strengthen and retain our young men and to teach them character values and life skills, there must be priesthood purpose and spiritual enrichment. Youth must know to whom it is that they can go for forgiveness, for direction, and for peace. And they must be prepared in such a way that they, for the most part, choose the right the first time, and not spend their entire lives backtracking and making up for lost opportunities and for poor decisions made early in their lives. Seminary can help. Sunday School can support. But it is primarily in their homes and in the quorums of the Aaronic Priesthood that they will learn those timeless and divine principles that will keep them on the straight and narrow path and help prepare them for righteous lives of service in the mission field, as husbands and fathers, and as future leaders of the Church. It is my prayer that as we strive to build the greatest generation ever, that we will be focused on (1) becoming prepared, devoted leaders; (2) supporting and helping to build strong families; (3) building strong, united quorums; and (4) preparing our young men of the Aaronic Priesthood to become strong, spiritual, qualified, and well-prepared men. Only then will we be able to answer the charge of a living prophet to— Rise up, O men of God! Have done with lesser things. Give heart and soul and mind and strength To serve the King of Kings. Rise up, O men of God! Tread where his feet have trod. As brothers of the Son of Man, Rise up, O men of God! [Hymns, no. 324] In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.