Sacred Keys of the Aaronic Priesthood

This entry is part of my general conference application series.

Sacred Keys of the Aaronic Priesthood, by Larry M. Gibson
First Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency


In our meeting of men on Sundays (called Elders' quorum, or Priesthood), we've been discussing priesthood keys frequently the last few weeks. It all seemed to start when a young man had the Melchizedek Priesthood conferred upon him and was ordained an elder in the Church. Following the natural order, his father was the one who performed this action.

I noted that in the prayer, the father incorrectly bestowed the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood upon his son--in addition to the various rights, duties, and responsibilities. Afterward, a member of the stake presidency who was in attendance used this slip-up as a teaching opportunity. He said that in his desires to give everything good to his son, the father had inadvertently used the wrong wording. A mini-lesson on priesthood keys followed, where it was stated that there are only four men in the ward who hold priesthood keys [of presidency]: the presidents of the quorums of elders, priests, teachers, and deacons.


As part of this instructive moment, I asked for clarification regarding the keys mentioned in the thirteenth section of the Doctrine and Covenants--the section recounting the words used by John the Baptist when conferring the Aaronic Priesthood on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. This section mentions "the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins" (D&C 13:1). We then discussed briefly that when the phrase priesthood keys is used in the Church, it usually refers to the keys of presidency, but that it is through the priesthood and its keys that lives are blessed.

In his talk, Elder Gibson quoted President Monson:

The priesthood is not really so much a gift as it is a commission to serve, a privilege to lift, and an opportunity to bless the lives of others.

Later, Elder Gibson said:

Your priesthood holds the sacred keys that open the door for all of Heavenly Father’s children to come unto His Son, Jesus Christ, and follow Him. This is provided through “the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins”; the weekly ordinance of the sacrament; and “the ministering of angels” (D&C 13:1; Joseph Smith—History 1:69)

I'm grateful for the priesthood, for the saving ordinances made possible through its righteous exercise, and that my family is blessed through it.

In a few months, I'll baptize my eldest child through the authority of the priesthood. A few years later, I will confer upon him the Aaronic Priesthood. I like the additional understanding I'm still getting regarding the priesthood and its keys.

And if I accidentally say something wrong while assisting with these ordinances, I'm happy it might make a nice classroom of instruction for myself and others!

Hope

This entry is part of my general conference application series.

Hope, by Steven E. Snow
Of the Presidency of the Seventy


The different uses of the word hope in social settings and in church lessons confused me when I was younger. At school I would say, I hope we have super nachos for lunch soon, but at church hope was spoken of among the noble peers of faith and charity. My usual usage could be defined as "it sure would be nice if such-and-such happened." I later learned that this type of hope isn't at all what was meant at church.

A memorable part of President Obama's campaign for presidency centered on the word hope. I don't think he was saying, "It sure would be nice if I were President." Rather, I think his message was for hope in a bright future accomplished through meaningful and focused work.


I know that the above image may stir different feelings in different readers. Some may still be inspired and filled with hope, while others may believe that the hope spoken of by Mr. Obama has gone the way of "many honorable hopes [that] have gone unfulfilled, shipwrecked on the reefs of good intentions and laziness." Regardless of where you stand on the political use of hope (and who are the ones being lazy today), hope is a part of everyday life.


Whereas I was once confused by the differing uses of hope, I now think of President Uchtdorf's comparison of hope as "one leg of a three-legged stool, together with faith and charity." Elder Snow reminded that President Uchtdorf continued to testify: "These three stabilize our lives regardless of the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter at the time." (Read more here.)


In addition to reminding me of something I readily remember, Elder Snow introduced me to another way to visual these three:

Elder Russell M. Nelson has taught that "faith is rooted in Jesus Christ. Hope centers in the Atonement. Charity is manifest in the ‘pure love of Christ.’ These three attributes are intertwined like strands in a cable and may not always be precisely distinguished. Together they become our tether to the celestial kingdom."

Much like faith, hope, and charity may be hard to distinguish, we may find it difficult to distinguish the meaning of the word hope when we hear it used. We may think, "Do they mean a simple wish, or are they talking about hope in the Atonement?"

I think it's fine to use hope for its different meanings. I have hope that my children will "grow up to lead responsible and righteous lives." I will work to realize this hope by showing them the faith I have in Christ, the hope I find in the Atonement, and through examples of charity and by spending quality time with them.

I don't want my hopes to become shipwrecked on the reefs of good intentions and laziness.

But I do still hope to have super nachos sometime soon!

Preparing the World for the Second Coming

This entry is part of my general conference application series.

Preparing the World for the Second Coming, by Neil L. Andersen
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles


When speakers say who their remarks are directed toward, do you ever feel tempted to tune out and not pay attention? I don't imagine I'm the only one who does this; however, whenever I feel this way in general conference, I actually get excited shortly afterward because it feels like I'm dropping eaves (or eavesdropping) on a privileged conversation! (Yes, I'm strange.)

Elder Andersen addressed the young priesthood holders (up to age 25) and spoke of the link between missionary service and preparing the world for the Second Coming. I thought of this address just the other day when a friend who has recently moved to Europe made a facebook status update about watching rugby and trying to figure the game out. When I read this, I thought of Elder Andersen's story of Sid Going, the rugby player from New Zealand who postponed his athletic career for a mission. (It's really not surprising that I thought of this story because it contributed more than half to my working knowledge of rugby!)

Sid Going was good:

How good was Sid Going? He was so good that training and game schedules were changed because he would not play on Sunday. Sid was so good the Queen of England acknowledged his contribution to rugby. He was so good a book was written about him titled Super Sid.

Here's the book:

I love that when describing this man and his service, Elder Andersen spoke of the most important events after his choice to serve the Lord instead of pursue fame and glory:

You’re probably wondering what happened to Sid Going following his mission. Most important: an eternal marriage to his sweetheart, Colleen; five noble children; and a generation of grandchildren. He has lived his life trusting in his Father in Heaven, keeping the commandments, and serving others.

Did you get that? Listed as most important were his marriage and family.

Knowing that I'm not in the intended audience for this talk—I'm too old and I've completed a full-time mission (to Boise, Idaho!)—I wondered what happened to Clark Siler following his mission. I don't know that I've done amazing things and achieved achieved glory, but I do know that I have an amazing wife and glorious family!


I'm convinced that I'm vastly different than I would have otherwise been had I not made the choice to faithfully serve the Lord as a missionary. I was once part of the Lord's worldwide missionary coverage: "The sun never sets on righteous missionaries testifying of the Savior."

I know that I can (and should) still participate in missionary work, but I look forward to the time that I can return to full-time service, "but this time with a companion of [my] own choosing:" my wonderful wife, Maryann!

Finding Joy through Loving Service

This entry is part of my general conference application series.

Finding Joy through Loving Service, by M. Russell Ballard
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles


There is something deeply cleansing in yard work. I wrote about the joy of mowing the lawn previously (click here), and how that task is great because it lets you see how much you've accomplished, where you are in the overall task, and what yet remains to be done.

Since moving to Florida, my lawn duties have expanded beyond simply mowing a lawn. Now we have hedges to keep under control, weeds to keep at bay, and many trees to manage. To assist in my new chore/hobby, I purchased an electric hedge trimmer. Last night I opened the trimmer's package and set out to work, but I didn't want to go alone. My seven-yr-old boy was kind enough to accompany me, but he quickly realized that he didn't have anything to do (I was hesitant to let him use the trimmer alone), and he didn't fancy raking leaves behind me. After a short conversation where we discussed what needed to be done and how to do it, he chose to use the pruning shears to trim the scraggly limbs between the hedge and the house—a task I couldn't do (I'm too big), and something he had great fun doing (it's always fun to feel the snip of a limb as its cut).


As we attacked the lawn—and it was an attack—I couldn't help but think of the currant bush story from Hugh B. Brown (link here), especially when my son said he thought he heard the bush softly yell in pain as he cut it.

As I read Elder Ballard's talk today, I was reminded of the great fun we had as a family in the yard last night. Elder Ballard spoke of how seasons can remind of Christ (especially Spring). Although it's no longer Spring, the transformation we're working toward in the yard is comparable:

Spring brings a renewal of light and life—reminding us, through the cycle of seasons, of the life, sacrifice, and Resurrection of our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, for "all things bear record of [Him]" (Moses 6:63).

This is a picture from our back yard!

This was just what appeared to be a brief aside at the start of his talk, but the reference to change and seasons reminding of Christ was on my mind as I reviewed the rest of the talk as well. The title is "Finding Joy through Loving Service," and I couldn't help thinking of how family members were lovingly serving each other by working in the yard together last night (there weren't even any complaints!).

As much fun as it was to work together as a family, I think I need to look outside sometimes, too. I spend so much of my free time with my family, that I rarely interact with others. (In all fairness, I do have a pretty amazing family! My three-yr-old would say we're AWESOME!).

Perhaps I can take the example of family service that I see and practice in my family and try to extend it to others. We show our love for each other through little things (like small flecks of gold, a reference to a mining analogy from the talk). Even the most mundane chores become elaborate valentines when performed with love. Elder Ballard shared a quote from President Kimball that really stood out to me:

It is vital that we serve each other in the kingdom. … So often, our acts of service consist of simple encouragement or of giving … help with mundane tasks, but what glorious consequences can flow … from small but deliberate deeds!

I want to remember to give service to my family through small but deliberate deeds, and I want to look for ways to help others outside of my family, too. As President Monson said:

The needs of others are ever present, and each of us can do something to help someone.

...Unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives.

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Here's a bonus video of part of this talk (part I didn't really discuss...):

Desire

This entry is part of my general conference application series.

Desire, by Dallin H. Oaks
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles


Now that I have a mortgage, I feel like there is a ever-present weight hanging over my head, ready to fall and crush me if I'm not constantly vigilant. I'm beginning to wonder how anyone with such a large debt can ever decide to spend money on entertainment, fun, or frivolity. Hopefully I'll learn to adjust to life under these conditions and can take my family out to a movie, a trip to a theme park, or for a ride in a hot air balloon.

Even larger than my desire to be free of debt is my desire to be with my family. Whenever I'm away, I feel drawn like a fleck of iron to a large magnet—I want to get back to them! It may sound strange, but at the beginning of meetings at church where announcements are being made, someone will ask, "Does anyone else have an announcement?" Without fail, I always want to raise my hand and say, "I have an announcement: I love my wife!"

Every time. Without fail. But I haven't done it yet...

When we moved, we somehow acquired a large painting of Helaman and the Stripling Warriors (see [link]). While the story is captivating and worth studying, I've never been a fan of the portrayal shown in this particular painting. I don't know why, but it's never drawn me in.


However, my seven-year-old son wants to hang the painting on his wall. When he expressed this desire, we asked him why he wanted it. After telling us that he liked the picture and story, he proceeded to recount it all in great detail! Suddenly, my appreciation for the painting increased. Because my son likes it and wants to be like the sons portrayed in the painting, it looks better to me now.

Apparently his desire influenced my own.

(By the way, Elder Oaks referenced the stripling warriors in his talk.)

Desire is powerful. Much like thoughts lead to actions, Elder Oaks presented another causal connection chain that I love; it starts with desires:

Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming.

As I studied this talk, I thought of my desires. I've shared two: to be debt-free, and to be with my family. I think these are righteous desires. I know I have at least a couple of unrighteous desires—I'm not going to write about them here—but I'm going to focus on developing and maintaining righteous desires. Elder Oaks didn't talk about debt, but he did talk about marriage and family:

All should desire and seriously work to secure a marriage for eternity. Those who already have a temple marriage should do all they can to preserve it.

This is what I'm doing. I try to every day.

And in case you're wondering, I do have an announcement I'd like to make:

I love my wife!