A Will to Do

Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (I Peter 2:9) ¶

No one can look into the faces of this extraordinary body of men and partake of the spirit present without being conscious that there is here a power not usually felt in gatherings of like numbers. ¶

The source of this power is, of course, the Priesthood. Each of us bearing the Priesthood, as we do, there should be power in our gatherings, for as Peter wrote to the Saints in his day, so with equal truth it may be said of us, we "are a chosen generation, a royal Priesthood," and it is our calling and opportunity to "shew forth the praises of him who hath called us out of darkness unto his marvelous light." All who have received the gospel have come from darkness into light, but we, who have been invited to this conference, have been called, also, to leadership in the Priesthood; to be officers in the government of God; to responsibility in a well-defined field of action in which no one else can function so long as we hold the appointment. ¶

Yesterday, the responsibility of leadership was borne by our fathers; tomorrow, it will rest upon our children; today, it is ours. It is now that we should feel the weight of our callings. ¶

As we labor in the Church, two observations force themselves upon us. One is that there is great strength and devotion among the membership of the Church. No one can visit among the branches, wards, and stakes and see the amount of work that is done and the time freely given to service in the activities of the Priesthood quorums and auxiliaries without being impressed with this strength and devotion. It makes one, with the spirit of this latter-day work, thrill to be a part of it. ¶

The other observation is of quite a different nature. It comes when the individual records of members are examined. They show that in nearly every Priesthood quorum in the Church there is a large percentage of our brethren who count the high honor of being ordained to the Priesthood as a thing of naught; who enjoy not its blessings because they magnify not their callings. If they continue in their course, they stand in jeopardy of losing their right to the Priesthood. ¶

I call these well-known facts to your attention, because I am persuaded that if this great host of inactive brethren are ever to be awakened, if they are ever to be called again "out of darkness into His marvelous light," it must be done by more effective action on the part of Priesthood quorum presidencies and their committees. ¶

The Priesthood quorum is an indispensable unit of the Church. The presidencies of Priesthood quorums have the responsibility to see that every member of their quorums honors his calling in the Priesthood, and they, with their quorum committees, can labor with every member if they but have "the will so to do." Instructions as to how to proceed have been and will be given. They should be studied and followed, in order that our activities may be purposeful; but no instructions, and no program, can take the place of "A Will To Do." ¶

We Priesthood officers must shake off our apathy. With the prize of eternal life for our brethren and ourselves at stake, we must not falter. The Priesthood we bear is not of men. Joseph Smith the Prophet received it direct from heavenly messengers. He was instructed by them, and he labored with all the energy of his soul to carry out those instructions. ¶

We bear the same Priesthood he bore; we are called to service in that Priesthood as was he; and we must discharge the responsibilities laid upon us in like manner, if we would share with him in the rewards. Unto us the Lord has said: Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence. ¶

He that is slothful shall not be counted worthy to stand, and he that learns not his duty and shows himself not approved shall not be counted worthy to stand. (D. & C. 107:99-100) ¶

Would that every officer in the Priesthood quorums could approach his labors with the spirit and determination of Nephi. When his brothers murmured about going for the brass plates, saying it was a hard thing that was required of them, he said to his father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. (I Nephi 3:7) ¶

Then after Laman's futile attempt to obtain the plates, and he and Lemuel were about to return to their father, Nephi said: As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us. (I Nephi 3:15) ¶

Observe that he did not complain that the assignment was difficult, that he had other work which took all his time, that they had done the best they could, nor that they had called on Laban once and that it would be useless to call on him again. What he said was that, "As the Lord liveth ... we will not go . . . until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us." ¶

The manner in which he obtained the plates is a familiar story, as is the manner in which he obtained wild game for food when all their bows were broken. Everything he set his hand to do in righteousness, he accomplished. Why? Because he had the faith, and the courage, and the "will to do" what the Lord required of him, until finally he could say, when his brothers ridiculed him for undertaking to build the ship: If God had commanded me to do all things, I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it would be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done. (I Nephi 17:50) ¶

The Lord help us, in this Priesthood quorum activity, to approach our work with the spirit of Nephi, that we may indeed be " a chosen generation, a royal Priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people"; and that we may by our works "shew forth the praises of him who hath called" us "out of darkness into his marvelous light," I pray. ¶