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| Source For the Strength of Youth... features standards from the writings and teachings of Church leaders and from scripture, adherence to which will bring the blessings of our Heavenly Father and the guidance of His Son to each of us. |
Brethren, you who are here in the Conference Center in
Salt Lake City are an inspiring sight to behold. It is amazing to realize that
in thousands of chapels throughout the world, others of you—fellow holders of
the priesthood of God—are receiving this broadcast by way of satellite
transmission. Your nationalities vary, and your languages are many, but a
common thread binds us together. We have been entrusted to bear the priesthood
and to act in the name of God. We are the recipients of a sacred trust. Much is
expected of us.
One of my most vivid memories is attending priesthood
meeting as a newly ordained deacon and singing the opening hymn “Come, All Ye
Sons of God.” Tonight I echo the spirit of that special hymn and say to you,
“Come, all ye sons of God who have received the priesthood.” 1 Let us consider
our callings, let us reflect on our responsibilities, and let us follow Jesus
Christ, our Lord.
Twenty years ago I attended a sacrament meeting where the
children responded to the theme “I Belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints.” These boys and girls demonstrated they were in training for
service to the Lord and to others. The music was beautiful, the recitations
skillfully rendered, and the spirit heaven-sent. One of my grandsons, who was
11 years old at that time, had spoken of the First Vision as he presented his
part on the program. Afterward, as he came to his parents and grandparents, I
said to him, “Tommy, I think you are almost ready to be a missionary.”
He replied, “Not yet. I still have a lot to learn.”
Through the years that followed, Tommy did learn, thanks
to his parents and to teachers and advisers at church, who were dedicated and
conscientious. When he was old enough, he was called to serve a mission. He did
so in a most honorable fashion.
Young men, I admonish you to prepare for service as a
missionary. There are many tools to help you learn the lessons which will be
beneficial to you as well as helping you to live the life you will need to have
lived to be worthy. One such tool is the booklet entitled For the Strength of
Youth, published under the direction of the First Presidency and Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles. It features standards from the writings and teachings of
Church leaders and from scripture, adherence to which will bring the blessings
of our Heavenly Father and the guidance of His Son to each of us. In addition,
there are lesson manuals, carefully prepared after prayerful consideration.
Families have family home evenings, where gospel principles are taught. Almost
all of you have the opportunity to attend seminary classes taught by dedicated
teachers who have much to share.
Begin to prepare for a temple marriage as well as for a
mission. Proper dating is a part of that preparation. In cultures where dating
is appropriate, do not date until you are 16 years old. “Not all teenagers need
to date or even want to. … When you begin dating, go in groups or on double
dates. … Make sure your parents meet [and become acquainted with] those you
date.” Because dating is a preparation for marriage, “date only those who have
high standards.” 2
Be careful to go to places where there is a good
environment, where you won’t be faced with temptation.
A wise father said to his son, “If you ever find yourself
in a place where you shouldn’t ought to be, get out!” Good advice for all of
us.
Servants of the Lord have always counseled us to dress
appropriately to show respect for our Heavenly Father and for ourselves. The
way you dress sends messages about yourself to others and often influences the
way you and others act. Dress in such a way as to bring out the best in
yourself and those around you. Avoid extremes in clothing and appearance,
including tattoos and piercings.
Everyone needs good friends. Your circle of friends will
greatly influence your thinking and behavior, just as you will theirs. When you
share common values with your friends, you can strengthen and encourage each
other. Treat everyone with kindness and dignity. Many nonmembers have come into
the Church through friends who have involved them in Church activities.
The oft-repeated adage is ever true: “Honesty [is] the
best policy.” 3 A Latter-day Saint young man lives as he teaches and as he
believes. He is honest with others. He is honest with himself. He is honest
with God. He is honest by habit and as a matter of course. When a difficult
decision must be made, he never asks himself, “What will others think?” but
rather, “What will I think of myself?”
For some, there will come the temptation to dishonor a
personal standard of honesty. In a business law class at the university I
attended, I remember that one particular classmate never prepared for the class
discussions. I thought to myself, “How is he going to pass the final
examination?”
I discovered the answer when he came to the classroom for
the final exam on a winter’s day wearing on his bare feet only a pair of
sandals. I was surprised and watched him as the class began. All of our books
had been placed upon the floor, as per the instruction. He slipped the sandals
from his feet; and then, with toes that he had trained and had prepared with
glycerin, he skillfully turned the pages of one of the books which he had
placed on the floor, thereby viewing the answers to the examination questions.
He received one of the highest grades in that course on
business law. But the day of reckoning came. Later, as he prepared to take his
comprehensive exam, for the first time the dean of his particular discipline
said, “This year I will depart from tradition and will conduct an oral, rather
than a written, test.” Our favorite trained-toe expert found that he had his
foot in his mouth on that occasion and failed the exam.
How you speak and the words you use tell much about the
image you choose to portray. Use language to build and uplift those around you.
Profane, vulgar, or crude language and inappropriate or off-color jokes are
offensive to the Lord. Never misuse the name of God or Jesus Christ. The Lord
said, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” 4
Our Heavenly Father has counseled us to seek after
“anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy.” 5 Whatever you
read, listen to, or watch makes an impression on you.
Pornography is especially dangerous and addictive.
Curious exploration of pornography can become a controlling habit, leading to
coarser material and to sexual transgression. Avoid pornography at all costs.
Don’t be afraid to walk out of a movie, turn off a
television set, or change a radio station if what’s being presented does not
meet your Heavenly Father’s standards. In short, if you have any question about
whether a particular movie, book, or other form of entertainment is
appropriate, don’t see it, don’t read it, don’t participate.
The Apostle Paul declared: “Know ye not that ye are the
temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? … The temple of God
is holy, which temple ye are.” 6 Brethren, it is our responsibility to keep our
temples clean and pure.
Hard drugs, wrongful use of prescription drugs, alcohol,
coffee, tea, and tobacco products destroy your physical, mental, and spiritual
well-being. Any form of alcohol is harmful to your spirit and your body.
Tobacco can enslave you, weaken your lungs, and shorten your life.
Music can help you draw closer to your Heavenly Father.
It can be used to educate, edify, inspire, and unite. However, music can, by
its tempo, beat, intensity, and lyrics, dull your spiritual sensitivity. You
cannot afford to fill your minds with unworthy music.
Because sexual intimacy is so sacred, the Lord requires
self-control and purity before marriage as well as full fidelity after
marriage. In dating, treat your date with respect and expect your date to show
that same respect for you. Tears inevitably follow transgression.
President David O. McKay, ninth President of the Church,
advised, “I implore you to think clean thoughts.” He then made this significant
declaration of truth: “Every action is preceded by a thought. If we want to
control our actions, we must control our thinking.” Brethren, fill your minds
with good thoughts, and your actions will be proper. May each of you be able to
echo in truth the line from Tennyson spoken by Sir Galahad: “My strength is as
the strength of ten, because my heart is pure.” 7
Not long ago the author of a paper on teenage sexuality
summed up his research by saying that society sends teens a mixed message:
advertisements and the mass media convey “very heavy messages that sexual
activity is acceptable and expected,” inducements that sometimes drown out the
warnings of experts and the pleas of parents. The Lord cuts through all the
media messages with clear and precise language when He declares to us, “Be ye
clean.” 8
Whenever temptation comes, remember the wise counsel of
the Apostle Paul, who declared, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as
is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted
above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape,
that ye may be able to bear it.” 9
When you were confirmed a member of the Church, you
received the right to the companionship of the Holy Ghost. He can help you make
good choices. When challenged or tempted, you do not need to feel alone.
Remember that prayer is the passport to spiritual power.
If any has stumbled in his journey, there is a way back.
The process is called repentance. Our Savior died to provide you and me that
blessed gift. Though the path is difficult, the promise is real: “Though your
sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” 10
Don’t put your eternal life at risk. Keep the
commandments of God. If you have sinned, the sooner you begin to make your way
back, the sooner you will find the sweet peace and joy that come with the
miracle of forgiveness. Happiness comes from living the way the Lord wants you
to live and from service to God and others.
Spiritual strength frequently comes through selfless
service. Some years ago I visited what was then called the California Mission,
where I interviewed a young missionary from Georgia. I recall saying to him,
“Do you send a letter home to your parents every week?”
He replied, “Yes, Brother Monson.”
Then I asked, “Do you enjoy receiving letters from home?”
He didn’t answer. At length I inquired, “When was the
last time you had a letter from home?”
With a quavering voice, he responded, “I’ve never had a
letter from home. Father’s just a deacon, and Mother’s not a member of the
Church. They pleaded with me not to come. They said that if I left on a
mission, they would not be writing to me. What shall I do, Brother Monson?”
I offered a silent prayer to my Heavenly Father: “What
should I tell this young servant of Thine, who has sacrificed everything to
serve Thee?” And the inspiration came. I said, “Elder, you send a letter home
to your mother and father every week of your mission. Tell them what you are
doing. Tell them how much you love them and then bear your testimony to them.”
He asked, “Will they then write to me?”
I responded, “Then they will write to you.”
We parted and I went on my way. Months later I was
attending a stake conference in Southern California when a young missionary
came up to me and said, “Brother Monson, do you remember me? I’m the missionary
who had not received a letter from my mother or my father during my first nine
months in the mission field. You told me, ‘Send a letter home every week,
Elder, and your parents will write to you.’” Then he asked, “Do you remember
that promise, Elder Monson?”
I remembered. I inquired, “Have you heard from your
parents?”
He reached into his pocket and took out a sheaf of
letters with an elastic band around them, took a letter from the top of the
stack, and said, “Have I heard from my parents! Listen to this letter from my
mother: ‘Son, we so much enjoy your letters. We’re proud of you, our
missionary. Guess what? Dad has been ordained a priest. He’s preparing to
baptize me. I’m meeting with the missionaries; and one year from now we want to
come to California as you complete your mission, for we, with you, would like
to become a forever family by entering the temple of the Lord.’” This young
missionary asked, “Brother Monson, does Heavenly Father always answer prayers
and fulfill Apostles’ promises?”
I replied, “When one has faith as you have demonstrated,
our Heavenly Father hears such prayers and answers in His own way.”
Clean hands, a pure heart, and a willing mind had touched
heaven. A blessing, heaven-sent, had answered the fervent prayer of a
missionary’s humble heart.
Brethren, it is my prayer that we may so live that we too
may touch heaven and be similarly blessed, each and every one, in the name of
the Giver of all blessings, even Jesus Christ, amen.
References:
2. For the
Strength of Youth (booklet, 2001), 24, 25.
3. Miguel de Cervantes, in John Bartlett, comp., Familiar
Quotations, 14th ed. (1968), 197.
4. Exodus 20:7.
5. Articles of
Faith 1:13.
6. 1 Corinthians
3:16–17.
7. Alfred Lord Tennyson, in Familiar Quotations, 647.
8. Doctrine and
Covenants 38:42.
9. 1 Corinthians
10:13.
10. Isaiah 1:18.
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