April 2005 General Conference - Priesthood Session

Jeffrey R. Holland -Our Most Distinguishing Feature

• "[The priesthood] activates and governs all activities of the Church. Without priesthood keys and authority, there would be no church."
• "We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof." Clearly, acting with divine authority requires more than mere social contract. It cannot be generated by theological training or a commission from the congregation. No, in the authorized work of God there has to be power greater than that already possessed by the people in the pews or in the streets or in the seminaries--a fact that many honest religious seekers had known and openly acknowledged for generations leading up to the Restoration.

Neil L. Andersen -Beware of the Evil behind the Smiling Eyes

• 'Beware of the evil behind the smiling eyes.'
• Let's begin with what he know. Good comes from God; evil comes from the devil. They are not, however, equal forces that are fighting each other in the universe. At the head of all that is good is the Christ--He who is the Only Begotten of the Father, who created our world and numerous others. Our Redeemer is a resurrected and perfect being. I know He lives.
• The devil, on the other hand, "persuadeth men to do evil." "He [has] fallen from heaven, ... [has] become miserable forever," and now works "that all men might be miserable like unto himself." He is a liar and a loser.
• The power of the Savior and the power of the devil are not truly comparable. On this planet, however, evil had been allowed a position of influence to give us the chance to choose between good and evil. The scripture says: "God gave unto man that he should act for himself. [And] man could not act for himself ... [unless] he was enticed by ... one or the other."
• The choice between good and evil is at the very heart of our experience on earth.
• "Ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you."
• The gift of the Holy Ghost is a spiritual gift. It is sensitive and will not be associated with unworthiness. You cannot offend or ignore it one day and expect it to strengthen you the next day.

Robert C. Oaks -Who's on the Lord's Side? Who?

• The weapons of eternal worth reflecting the whole armor of God are truth, righteousness, faith, prayer, and the word of God. These weapons are wielded in our minds, mouths, and movements. Every righteous thought, word, and deed is a victory for the Lord.

James E. Faust -Perseverance

• Success is usually earned by persevering and not becoming discouraged when we encounter challenges.
• "Someday I hope to enjoy enough of what the world calls success so that someone will ask me, 'What's the secret of it?' I shall say simply this: 'I get up when I fall down.'"

Thomas S. Monson -The Sacred Call of Service

• "One breaks [his] priesthood covenant by transgressing commandments--but also by leaving undone his duties. Accordingly, to break this covenant one needs only to do nothing."
• "Men will work hard for money, [Men] will work harder for other men. But men will work hardest of all when they are dedicated to a cause. ... Duty is never worthily performed until it is performed by one who would gladly do more if only he could."
• The work of reactivation is no task for the idler or daydreamer. Children grow, parents age, and time waits for no man. Do not postpone a prompting; rather, act on it, and the Lord will open the way.
• "You see, when one becomes a holder of the priesthood, he becomes an agent of the Lord. He should think of his calling as though he were on the Lord's errand."

Gordon B. Hinckley -Gambling

• "The Church has been and now is unalterably opposed to gambling in any form whatever. It is opposed to any game of chance, occupation, or so-called business, which takes money from the person who may be possessed of it without giving value received in return. It is opposed to all practices the tendency of which is to ... degrade or weaken the high moral standard which the members of the Church, and our community at large, have always been maintained."
• "Form the beginning we have been advised against gambling of every sort. The deterioration and damage comes to the person, whether he wins or loses, to get something for nothing, something without effort, something without paying the full price."
• The pursuit of a game of chance may seem like harmless fun. But there attaches to it an intensity that actually shows on the faces of those who are playing. And in all too many cases this practice, which appears innocent, can lead to an actual addiction. The Church has been and is now opposed to this practice. If you have never been involved in poker games or other forms of gambling, don't start. If you are involved, then quit now while you can do so.  
• "The LDS Church asks a lot of its teenagers, and ... more often than not, they get it."
• Our young people were found to be more likely to hold the same religious beliefs as their parents, to attend religious services once a week, to share their faith with others, to engaged in fasting or some other form of self-denial, and to have less doubt about their religious beliefs.

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Dream

I was at a store, it looked like a trading game store, and I noticed that one of the workers there, was taking cards from the drawers/cash in a way...and hiding it. His actions were of a noble mind, but to all others it looked like he was stealing and trying to get the high advantages. So he quit, and was utterly despairing about it, for this wasn't how it was supposed to have ended, nor was he as bad as the people were making him out to be...

Then the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)

-S.N.D