Brethren If I Had The Authority I...

Brethren, if I had the authority, I think I would dismiss this meeting. I have certainly enjoyed the messages given by these two young men and Brother Sill. ¶

I was thrilled, inspired, and encouraged, and my testimony was strengthened. ¶

There are 370 places in which our young men, and men not so young, holding the priesthood are meeting tonight. If there are 20 young men in each place, and I think I am being conservative, we have 7,500 young men holding the Aaronic Priesthood assembled out away from this Temple Square. ¶

When they heard the messages of these two boys, I am sure they were happy to be one of those holding the Aaronic Priesthood. ¶

The priesthood is the power of God delegated to man to act in his name. ¶

What a thrilling thing that is to think about; our young men throughout the Church, their fathers and their older brothers having that authority! I think of the young deacon passing the Sacrament, the emblems of the great sacrifice that was made by our Savior. You know, when the Savior was here upon this continent, he asked the apostles to pass the Sacrament, and then others were called and appointed and given the authority to do this and other things as well — then think of our boys who are deacons, passing the Sacrament to the people! Then think of the teachers out teaching the gospel to the people, warning them, helping them, and encouraging them to live the gospel teachings! I think of these young priests holding the priesthood, which is the power of God, going into the waters of baptism to baptize a person. They have the same power and authority to baptize that the apostles, and even Christ himself, had. These young men at the age of 19 and 20 are ordained elders. They are then called to go out into the mission field. They are commissioned by Jesus Christ, through those having authority, and are ordained and set apart as ambassadors of the Lord. There are 12,000 of these young men in the field today, holding the priesthood, and as they baptize a person, that baptism is accepted by our Heavenly Father. As they confirm a person, he is confirmed a member of the Church, and it is binding through time and all eternity. ¶

As those young men 19 or 20 years of age lay their hands upon the head of an individual and ordain him a deacon, teacher, priest, or elder and bestow upon him all the authority and power pertaining to that office and calling in the Melchizedek Priesthood, he is accepted by Jesus Christ and becomes a member of his Church and his kingdom. ¶

I wonder how many businessmen here tonight would be prepared to say to those 12,000 young men, "You go out into the world, and I will accept your judgment. You make any deal that you think is right with anybody you think you can depend upon and whom you can trust, and I will honor the agreement — I will pick up the tab." ¶

I would just like to ask some of you businessmen how many men you could pick out that you would be prepared to send out into the world and say, "This is your assignment, and I will honor whatever you do." There wouldn't be many, but still the Lord is saying to these young men who hold the priesthood, as they go out into the field, "Anything you do in the power of the priesthood and in my name, I will honor." ¶

Then I see these young men — these deacons, these teachers, and these priests present here tonight— all preparing themselves for this call as missionaries. I was proud of these two young men, and I could just see thousands of them throughout the world, preparing themselves to accept that great responsibility as missionaries. ¶

Boys, keep this in mind. It is a great honor; it is a great privilege; it is a great blessing to hold the priesthood of God. ¶

You are the only people in all the world who hold the priesthood. What a privilege! And I say, following what Brother Sill said tonight, it is so important that you not only want to do what is right, but you have to determine what you wish to do, and make up your mind that you are going to do it, and then set about to discipline yourselves as these two young men told us we should discipline ourselves. That is simple. That is all that you have to do — decide what you want to do to be happy and to be worthy of the priesthood, so that you can speak in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and have that accepted. ¶

So, boys, as you go into this great program of the Church and into the great challenges that are given to you as you go into life, make up your minds what you want to be. Of course, you must honor your parents. They are the ones that gave you life. They looked after you when you couldn't do anything but cry and squirm. They fed and clothed you. They have given you the education that you have and the opportunities that are yours. You are mighty poor sports and not very good citizens if you won't honor your parents. ¶

But, when it comes to determining what you are going to do in life, you make up your own minds. They have given you plenty of teaching. Obey them, but when it comes to this decision, "Just what do I want out of life?" ¶

you determine what you want and set about to do what you want to do. But sit down and be sure you have decided what you want to do. I don't think there is a young man within the sound of my voice tonight that would choose to do wrong. As this young man said, those men that are in Sing Sing didn't want to be there, that isn't what they set out to do. But, they had not made up their minds strongly enough as to what they did want to do to go about it with a determination to discipline themselves and do the things that would make life really what they wanted. ¶

So, talk to yourselves and say to yourselves, "Just what do I want out of life?" Make up your mind and have the courage and the strength, the determination and the discipline to do it. ¶

Don't let the devil, himself, get in your way. He is certainly going to try, and he will be there all the time, watching for a place to interfere with your program. But, how successful and how happy you will be, and what joy you will experience, as you follow the program that you have set out for yourself. ¶

Be man enough to say, "This is what I am going to do." ¶

I have a definition of will power which I use, and will power is so important in the program you have chosen. ¶

Will power is the power to do what you want to do when you don't want to do it. Brother Sill said these missionaries want to get up at six o'clock; but when six o'clock comes in the morning, they don't want to do it. ¶

And will power is the power to do it then, and you will find that as you go on through life. ¶

I would like to say to you young men that you have a great influence in the world. How much greater your influence would be if everyone of you would just follow the advice of these two young men who spoke to you tonight. I need not add anything to what they have said, but to encourage you to realize that the things that these young men have said are the things that will bring joy and happiness into your lives. ¶

Set about to do it — we want you to be happy. ¶

I love these young people in our Church. I love young people wherever I find them, and if there is anything I can do to help them be happy, to be successful in life, to accomplish the things that they want to accomplish, that is the thing I would like to help them do. We are cognizant of the fact that you are going to have temptations as you go through life — all kinds of temptations. Your young friends told you about them tonight. They didn't go into detail, but you are going to have them. But make up your mind now what you are going to do and what you are not going to do. ¶

I have talked to hundreds of young people who have had problems, and with very few exceptions, yes, with very few exceptions, it is because they have not made up their minds what they would do under certain circumstances. ¶

I would like to make this appeal to young men. Honor your parents, honor your mother, and honor womanhood. ¶

I would like to say to you young men who hold the priesthood of God, any girl with whom you go has a right to expect you to protect her, to look out for her interests, to honor her, to honor the womanhood in her, and to treat her as you would want your mother or your sister to be treated. She has a perfect right to expect that and to feel sure that you will protect her virtue with your lives. ¶

Brethren, it is a great honor to hold the priesthood of God. Magnify your priesthood, and it will magnify you. ¶

You will have joy and happiness while you sojourn upon this earth, and as you finish your mission here, you will be worthy to go back into the presence of our Father. That is my testimony to you, and my prayer for you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶