Learning in the Priesthood

This entry is part of my general conference application series.

Learning in the Priesthood, by Henry B. Eyring
First Counselor in the First Presidency


I'm a husband. I'm a father. I'm a priesthood holder. In my mind, these three roles are closely related and there is significant overlap. Perhaps this is why when I read this talk, I repeatedly read "husband" or "father" where the text clearly says "priesthood."

I've been contemplating how I can be a better father. For a while, I felt that I wasn't making any real progress—I continued to make the same mistakes over and again. Each night I felt like a failure in significant areas as I remembered these mistakes and prayed for forgiveness and help to overcome.


There are many units or groups in the Church. I imagine that priesthood quorums can be thought of as distinct Church units. At the same time, it's important to remember that the family is the basic unit of the Church. Because I have the priesthood, and I'm in a family, I try to apply instruction intended for priesthood use to my family.

In speaking of the need to sit in council as a priesthood quorum, President Eyring quoted from D&C 107:27:

And every decision made by either of these quorums must be by the unanimous voice of the same; that is, every member in each quorum must be agreed to its decisions, in order to make their decisions of the same power or validity one with the other.

However, in my personal study, I've long altered this verse (a la 1 Nephi 19:23) as follows:

And every decision made by [the husband and wife] must be by the unanimous voice of the same; that is, every member in [the family] must be agreed to its decisions, in order to make their decisions of the same power or validity one with the other.

Of course, communication is important in a marriage and in a family, but I like the implication of having more power when unanimity is achieved!

Returning to me being a sub-par father. I recently sat in council with my wife and heard excellent advice on how I can be a better father. I say "heard," meaning that I heard her suggestions, and I felt other advice in my heart. As I contemplated this as I sat in the temple on Saturday, it really felt like a shell was falling off of me—a shell of less-than-ideal parenting. I found renewed strength, energy, and commitment to be a better father! Equipped with a plan, I've had better experiences in the last couple of days.

It will take work, but I'm convinced that as I sit in council with my wife and family, the decisions we make together will have the power needed to help us be an even happier forever family!