In 1878 my great-grandfather George F. Richards was 17
years of age.
As was sometimes the case in those days, he had already
been ordained an elder.
One Sunday his mother was groaning in intense pain.
As his father was not available, the bishop and
several others were invited to give her a blessing, but no
relief came.
Accordingly, she turned to her son George and asked him to
lay hands on her head.
He wrote in his diary, "In the midst of my tears for my
mother's suffering and the task of performing an
administration such as I had never yet done, I retired to
another room where I wept and prayed."
When he became composed, he laid his hands on her and gave
her a very simple blessing.
He later noted, "My mother ceased her groaning and
received relief from her suffering while my hands were
yet on her head." He then recorded in his diary this
most insightful observation.
He said he had always felt that the reason mother did not
get relief from the bishop's blessing was not because the
Lord failed to honor the bishop's blessing but because
the Lord had reserved this blessing for a boy, to teach
him a lesson that the priesthood in the boy is just
as powerful as the priesthood in the man when exercised in
righteousness.
Tonight I would like to speak about that power.
Though I will refer to deacons quorum presidents, the
principles discussed apply to all Aaronic Priesthood youth
and their respective leaders, including our teachers quorum
presidents and priests assistants.
While serving as a mission president, I observed that
there was a dramatic increase in the spirituality and
leadership skills of young men during their mission years.
If we could somehow quantify these qualities over their
Aaronic Priesthood and mission years, perhaps they would look
something like the line you see on this graph.
In my mind, there at least three key factors that
contribute to such dramatic growth in the mission years:
(1) we trust these young men as never before.
(2) we have high but loving expectations of them, And (3)
we train and retrain them so they can fulfill those
expectations with excellence.
One might appropriately ask, "Why could not the same
principles be employed with deacons quorum presidents?
If that were done, perhaps the growth would commence much
earlier and look more like this.
For a moment, may I address how these principles might
apply to a deacons quorum president.
First, we can entrust our deacons quorum presidents with
great responsibility.
The Lord certainly does, as demonstrated by His
willingness to give them keys, meaning the right to preside
over and direct the work in their quorum.
As an evidence of this trust, we call deacons quorum
presidents by revelation, not solely by seniority or any
other similar factor.
Every leader in this Church, including the deacons quorum
president, has the right to know, and should know, that he
has been called by revelation.
This assurance helps him know that God both trusts him and
sustains him.
The second and third attributes are
interconnected--high expectations and the related
training to fulfill them.
I learned a great lesson in the mission field.
Missionaries generally rise or fall to the mission
president's level of expectation, and so it is with
deacons quorum presidents.
If they are only expected to conduct quorum meetings and
attend bishopric youth committee meetings, then that
is all they will do.
But you leaders can give them a greater
vision--the Lord's vision.
And why is vision so critical?
Because with increased vision comes increased motivation.
Inherent in every calling in this Church is the right to
receive revelation.
Hence, these deacons quorum presidents need to know they
have the right to receive revelation to recommend their
counselors, the right to receive revelation concerning
rescue of the lost, and the right to receive revelation to
train the quorum members in their duties.
A wise leader will teach the deacons quorum president those
principles that will be helpful in obtaining
revelation.
He may teach him the unequivocal promise of the
Lord: "If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon
revelation."
The Lord is most generous in giving revelation.
Did he not remind Joseph and Oliver, "As often as thou hast
inquired thou hast received instruction of my Spirit"?
And so it can be with you deacons quorum presidents.
The Lord loves you and wants to reveal to you
His mind and will.
Could you ever imagine the Lord having a problem
He could not solve?
I can't.
Because you are entitled to revelation, He can help you
solve every concern you have as president of your quorum if
you will but seek His help.
You wonderful leaders might teach this deacons quorum
president that revelation is not a substitute for hard work
and homework.
President Eyring once asked President Lee, "How do I get
revelation?" President Lee responded, "If you want to get
revelation, do your homework."
The wise leader might discuss with his deacons quorum
president some of the spiritual homework he might do
in preparing to recommend his counselors.
He might need to ask and answer questions such as: Who
would be a good example that could lift the other boys?
Or who would be sensitive to the needs of those who face
special challenges?
And finally, this wise leader might teach him how to
recognize and act upon revelation when it comes.
We live in an action-packed, fast-paced world where bright
lights and high-volume speakers are the norm.
But these young men need to know that this is the world's
way, not the Lord's way.
The Savior was born in the relative
anonymity of a manger.
He performed the most magnificent and incomparable
act of all time in the quiet of a garden.
And Joseph received his First Vision in the
seclusion of a grove.
God's answers come by the still, small voice--feelings
of peace or comfort, impressions to do good,
enlightenment, sometimes in the form of tiny seeds of
thought, which if reverenced and nourished can grow into
spiritual redwoods.
Sometimes these impressions or thoughts might even cause you
deacons quorum presidents to recommend as a counselor or
extend an assignment to a young man who is currently
less active.
Years ago as a stake presidency we felt impressed
to call a good man a stake clerk.
At the time, he temporarily struggling with regular church
attendance.
We knew, however, that if he accepted the calling, he would
do a marvelous job.
We extended the call, but he replied, "No, I don't think I
can do it." Then an impression came.
I said, "Well, I guess the Glendale Stake won't have a
state clerk then." Shocked, he responded, "What are you
talking about?
You have to have a stake clerk." I replied, "Do you
want us now to call someone else to serve as stake clerk
when the Lord impressed us to call you?" "OK," he said,
"I'll do it." And do it he did.
There are not only many men but many boys who will respond
to a call when they know the Lord is calling them and that
the Lord needs them.
Next, you can let this deacons quorum president know that one
of the Lord's expectations of him is to rescue the lost,
both less active and nonmember.
The Lord declared His central mission in these terms: "For
the Son of man [has]
come to save that which was lost." If it is a priority of
the Savior to rescue the lost, if it is a priority of
President Monson to do so, as demonstrated by his entire
life, should it not be a priority of every leader,
every deacons quorum president in this
Church, to do likewise?
At the core of our leadership, as a central part of our
ministry, should be the burning, driving, unrelenting
resolve to go get the lost and bring them back.
One young man who was visited by his quorum member said, "It
was surprising today when ...
30 people just came up to my house.
...
It makes me want to go to church now." How can a youth
resist love and attention like that?
I am thrilled when I hear the many stories of deacons quorum
presidents who've caught the vision and occasionally are
teaching all or a part of the lesson in their core meetings.
Several weeks ago I attended a deacons quorum class.
A 12-year-old boy gave a 25-minute
lesson on the Atonement.
He commenced by asking his fellow deacons what they
thought the Atonement was.
Then he shared some meaningful scriptures and asked
thoughtful questions, to which they responded.
Realizing, however, there was more time than remaining
lesson material, he had enough presence of mind, and perhaps
some forewarning from his father, to ask the leaders who
were present what questions they'd been asked about the
Atonement in their missions and their responses.
He then concluded with his testimony.
I listened in awe.
I thought to myself, "I don't recall ever giving a
significant part of a lesson when I was an Aaronic
Priesthood youth." We can raise the bar and vision for
these young men, and they will respond.
You leaders lift these deacons quorum presidents best when
you let them lead out and you step back from the spotlight.
You have magnified your calling best not when you give
a great lesson but when you help them give a great lesson,
not when you rescue the one but when you help them do so.
There is an old saying: Do not die with your
music still in you.
In like manner I would say to you adult leaders, do not get
released with your leadership skills still in you.
Teach our youth at every opportunity; teach them how to
prepare an agenda, how to conduct meetings with dignity
and warmth, how to rescue the one, how to prepare and give
an inspired lesson, and how to receive revelation.
This will be the measure of your success--the legacy of
leadership and spirituality you leave ingrained in the
hearts and minds of these young men.
If you deacons quorum presidents will magnify your
calling, you will be instruments in God's hands
even now, for the priesthood in the boy is just as powerful
as the priesthood in the man when exercised in
righteousness.
And then, when you make temple covenants and become the
missionaries and future leaders of this Church, you
will know how to receive revelation, how to rescue the
one, and how to teach the doctrine of the kingdom with
power and authority.
Then you will have become the youth of the noble birthright.
Of this I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, who is
the Savior and Redeemer of the world, amen.