“Let No Man Despise Thy Youth” Young Men Open House, Spring 2006 Charles W. Dahlquist, II Young Men General President We are grateful to meet with you again at this conference time. This has been a very busy six months, filled with opportunities to meet with a number of you and the young men you serve. Thank you for your devoted service and for the way you strive to touch the lives of your young men. We have often spoken about our charge to “retain the active, reclaim the less active, and grow the quorum.” Thank you for your efforts in doing just that. This also has been an eventful time for me personally. With five daughters and no sons, I have gone to general priesthood meetings alone each conference for many years. However, just two weeks ago, our oldest grandson, Taylor, received the Aaronic Priesthood and was ordained a deacon. This conference, for the first time, I will have a lineal descendant in the congregation. I am thrilled! And this fine young man is so well prepared to bear the Aaronic Priesthood. As I quizzed him about the priesthood, I was impressed with his answers and understanding. He has been blessed with faithful parents and marvelous ward and stake leaders to help prepare him as he has grown through the Primary. Taylor is a fine example of the miracles that the family and Primary, working together, can do in the life of a young man. And with all that, he enters the deacons quorum as a kind and thoughtful young man who is also a Star Scout. This has also been a wonderful year of 2005, filled with events commemorating the 200th birthday of the Prophet Joseph and the 175th anniversary of the Restoration of the Church. We have been thrilled to attend dance festivals, drama presentations, pageants, and choir programs celebrating the message of the Restoration—just as tonight we are grateful now to enjoy the music from our Aaronic Priesthood chorus. [Singing by chorus.] Thank you, brethren, for your stirring rendition of those two great numbers. We are grateful for your music, for the spirit you bring to this meeting tonight, and for your example to the world. As we have concluded a year of celebration and begun another year of growth, we hope that the feelings of testimony of the Restoration will continue in this new year. For this reason, the First Presidency has recently announced the 2006 youth theme from Doctrine and Covenants section 115:5: “Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations.” We hope that as you have begun this year, your lessons and activities embody this great scripture as you continue to apply the lessons of the Restoration in helping our youth prepare to let their light shine as a standard to the world. Let me share with you just a couple of youth who are arising and letting their lives shine forth. Just recently I had the opportunity of visiting a number of quorums of the Aaronic Priesthood in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There I became acquainted with Blaise Kola, the son of a stake president in Kinshasa. He is the epitome of what Elder David Bednar spoke of when he encouraged the youth of the Church to become missionaries before they are called to go on a mission (see “Becoming a Missionary,” Ensign, Nov. 2005, 44–47). I also met Gilson, a 16-year-old priest in the Harare, Zimbabwe, ward, who led their ward Aaronic Priesthood chorus singing a stirring rendition of “Praise to the Man” (Hymns, no. 27). After this marvelous hymn of the Restoration, and after the youth left our meeting, stake president Eddie Dubé rose and, referring to the young men of the Aaronic Priesthood, said: “Most of these young men do not have parents; most of these young men do not have families; most of them have very difficult family situations. And yet, they are true and faithful to their priesthood.” As I heard their music, I thought, “O youth of the noble birthright, carry on!” (“Carry On,” Hymns, no. 255). We also hope that you will continue to talk of the Prophet Joseph and other heroes of the Restoration throughout this year and into the future and help our youth build relationships with those men and women of faith, so that when they struggle and have difficult choices to make, they will be strengthened by those who have gone on before. In a small room in our home we affectionately call the “cabin,” I have my own “hall of heroes”—men and women who have stood greater than life for me to help me make wise and correct decisions. Some you would recognize. They may also be on your list. But most you would not, for they are the quiet heroes who have touched my life in quiet and wonderful ways, just the same as you touch the lives of those youth you serve. Years ago, as I served as president of the Germany Hamburg Mission, I had a young man who struggled with feelings of diminished self-worth. I worked with him, interviewed him, chatted with him on numerous occasions to help lift him and realize his potential. Still—little progress. Then one day during one of our interviews, I said, “Elder, who are your heroes?” He was startled a bit, stammered for a moment, and said, “I really don’t have any.” I responded, “Then I want you to think this week of someone whom you would like to name as the first entry in your hall of heroes—someone whom you look up to and would like to pattern your life after.” He agreed and we parted. The next week we met again and I asked, “Who is your first candidate?” His answer surprised me: “Elder Bruce R. McConkie” (a former member of the Council of the Twelve). It surprised me not because Elder McConkie wasn’t a perfect role model, but because this young elder would feel some connection with Elder McConkie and place him at the top of his list. Over the next few weeks, I worked with this missionary to get a special picture of Elder McConkie and to collect some biographical information that was a bit unique. And his hall of heroes had begun. The next candidate was a quiet teacher, a youth adviser who had impressed him. Another was a priesthood leader, a garden-variety servant just doing his job, who took the position of number three. And so the process continued. Needless to say, this fine young man finished his mission, thanks much to his desire to succeed and his newfound heroes to help him along the way. May I suggest that this is one of many wonderful activities for young men of all ages—in any ward, in any state, in any country. Teach them to pattern their lives according to the examples of worthy heroes. And teach them how to recognize a true hero. Don’t forget, as in each divine principle, the Savior is our guide and a perfect role model. As a sidelight, you might be interested to know of some of the Duty to God and Scouting requirements they are fulfilling. [View slide show presentation: "Duty to God, Scouting, and Venturing Requirements Met in Developing a Personal Hall of Heroes."] I am not going to spend time on each of these, but you can see that there are a number of Duty to God requirements that can be accomplished in a young man putting together his hall of heroes as a deacon, teacher, or priest. Also note the Scouting requirements that might be fulfilled—at least six merit badges and additional awards. I challenge you to know the requirements of the Duty to God certificates and Scouting advancements so well that you can apply them effectively in helping the young men of your quorums have a fun, productive, priesthood-centered activity experience during their Aaronic Priesthood years. And most important, I challenge you to know your young men—their needs and their interests—so well that you are able to apply the resources of Scouting, Duty to God, and the Aaronic Priesthood quorum in retaining the active, reclaiming the less active, and growing the quorum—that when we return to the Father, the lads will be with us (see Genesis 44:34). “Let No Man Despise Thy Youth” Over the years I have had many opportunities to serve in the Church—as have you. And as I responded to each call to serve and contemplated the weight of these callings, I would seek for comfort to help me fulfill that calling. Each time I would find comfort in the reassurance President Monson often quotes: “Whom God calls, God qualifies.” And each time I would turn to two foundation documents. The first one was a talk by President Hinckley given at BYU years ago called “The Loneliness of Leadership,” and the other was the New Testament book of 1 Timothy. In the fourth chapter, Paul writes: Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. [1 Timothy 4:12–16] And even today, though my hair is thinner and much lighter than it was in the early years of service, I still find comfort with this scripture. I still read this scripture as a youth, feeling that if President Hinckley at his age exhibits a youthful exuberance, I too can qualify as “a youth.”       And just as it was a charge to young Timothy, so it is a charge to our youth of today to be strong and to “let no man despise [their] youth.” But what exactly does that mean? One meaning of the term “despise” is “to overlook or underestimate the importance of.” Paul’s message to Timothy was “Don’t allow the fact that you are younger than those you teach weaken your resolve or the power of your teaching—or your example.” As leaders of youth, we can accomplish this if we help these young men to feel the power of their priesthood and to realize just who they are. This means that we must believe in them and in their capabilities. When we were preparing to preside over a mission in Hamburg, Germany, brother Sherm Crump, then managing director of the Missionary Department, said, “One of the greatest mistakes we can make with our missionaries is to underestimate their capability and overestimate their experience.” The same is true of our young men. In 2004, Elder Henry B. Eyring of the Council of the Twelve gave a powerful talk in a CES broadcast in which he spoke to this particular subject: We share a consuming concern. Night and day we ask ourselves: What can I do better to strengthen the faith of young people? . . .  Our concern is deepened by what we know it will take to be a missionary and a parent in the days ahead. It will take deep conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It will take the companionship of the Holy Ghost. . . . One of the dangers of the times we are passing into is that we might be tempted to lower our expectations for ourselves and for those young people we serve. As the world darkens, even a partial conversion and a few spiritual experiences may seem more and more remarkable, compared to the world. We might be tempted to expect less. . . .   . . . [But] if you expect little, they will feel your lack of faith in them and in the Lord’s promised outpouring of the Spirit. If you communicate, by word or action or even by your tone of voice, that you doubt their spiritual capacity, they will doubt it. If you see in them the potential Joel describes, they will at least have the chance to see it in themselves. Your choices of what you expect will have powerful effect on their choices of what to expect of themselves. [“Raising Expectations,” CES Satellite Training Broadcast, Aug. 4, 2004, 1–2] I have in my study a small mirror that simply says to the onlooker, “I believe in you!” As our youth look into our eyes, they must see and feel that same message. “Be . . . an Example of the Believers” Secondly, Paul exhorts Timothy to “be . . . an example of the believers.” That counsel is for the young men as well as for us as leaders. As leaders, our lives must be pure, our testimonies must be strong, so that we can say, “Come, follow me.” If we expect them to read the scriptures, we must have our own scripture study plan. If we expect them to be worthy to attend the temple, we too must attend the temple regularly, so far as distance allows. If we expect them to prepare for a mission, we must also be preparing for a mission ourselves. We are not expected to be perfect, but we must be striving for perfection, to improve each day—as President Hinckley says, “to do our very best.” “Give Attendance to Reading, to Exhortation, to Doctrine” Paul then reminds Timothy to “give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” What does it mean to “give attendance to” those things of such profound worth? The poet once said: If one wishes to improve his speech and be an inspiration to his friends, let him read the scriptures with such concentration as to impress upon his memory the best of what he reads. To store in one’s memory select passages from the scriptures [or poetry, or good literature] and to add daily to that store is to live constantly in the presence of the best. That which we value enough to memorize becomes part of us. What we share with others will help others to improve their lives. Let us keep the account current by daily review and constant additions. Let us never miss an opportunity to cast a lovely thought into the heart of a friend. [Anonymous] But we ourselves must challenge these youth to fill their minds with positive and constructive thoughts and resources and help them to have faith that they can indeed control their own thoughts. King Benjamin cautions us: “But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds . . . even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not” (Mosiah 4:30). This becomes even more crucial in our day than it was in the days of King Benjamin or Timothy. With the pervasiveness of the media for good and bad, our youth must be more prepared to control their thoughts than ever before. They must have stored in their mind's reserve thoughts to help them overcome the temptations that will inevitably come their way. Several weeks ago I was in my own ward and found a young man who epitomizes this quote and the scriptural exhortation of Paul to Timothy. On February 19th of this year, Chandler Paulsen was presented to the ward to receive the Aaronic Priesthood and be ordained a deacon and was ordained by his father that same day. In preparation for that day, Chandler memorized Joseph Smith's description of the First Vision. What a marvelous, well-prepared young man. And what a strong missionary he will be! I have noticed as I have visited many Aaronic Priesthood quorums that it has become a pattern to recite the purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood, much the same as the young women recite their theme. While the reason for doing so is noble, these purposes were never meant to be recited but were compiled solely to help us, as leaders of youth, plan lessons and activities that would help to accomplish those purposes. Some wards and stakes have even gone the extra mile and added additional wording to make it a “charge” or “theme.” While teaching our young men to fill their minds with noble and positive thoughts and even to memorize the purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood is commendable, may I suggest an alternative to repetitive weekly recitation of these purposes. As these young men grow, they need to feel the power of the priesthood and need to memorize things that will stick in their minds and help fan the flames of faith. May I suggest several things that might be even more helpful for our young men to put into their minds to help them make wise and correct choices and endure to the end. First, what about the Joseph Smith story; the fourth section of the Doctrine and Covenants; 1 Nephi 3:7; the sacrament prayers; or the oath and covenant of the priesthood from the 84th section of the Doctrine and Covenants. And young men could learn to say them as they were given, with power and meaning. Imagine how John the Baptist might have given the 13th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, as he conferred the Aaronic Priesthood on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery: Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness. [D&C 13:1] Or our young men might memorize power poetry, such as “The Man in the Glass” or “The Touch of the Master’s Hand” or Edwin Markham’s “Outwitted”: He drew a circle that shut me out— Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But Love and I had the wit to win: We drew a circle that took him in! [in The Best Loved Poems of the American People, sel. Hazel Felleman (1936), 67] Or what about several verses from hymns of the Restoration. Think of the power that would be available to the youth who from memory could recite or sing, with power and conviction, a verse or two from the classic hymn “Who’s on the Lord’s Side?” (Hymns, no. 260) or hymn number 254, “True to the Faith”: Shall the youth of Zion falter In defending truth and right? While the enemy assaileth,                        Shall we shrink or shun the fight? No!  . . .  We will work out our salvation; We will cleave unto the truth; We will watch and pray and labor With the fervent zeal of youth. Yes! True to the faith that our parents have cherished, True to the truth for which martyrs have perished, To God’s command, Soul, heart, and hand, Faithful and true we will ever stand. [“True to the Faith,” Hymns, no. 254] Our young men might also memorize the Articles of Faith. I don’t know of a better summary of the major doctrines of the kingdom. As a mission president, hardly a day went by that I did not use the Articles of Faith to help someone understand what we believe. That is also one of the requirements of the deacon Duty to God certificate: to rememorize the Articles of Faith. There is another benefit to treasuring up in our minds words of wisdom. For each of these young men, there will come a time when he is placed on his own to make a choice that will affect not only his exaltation but the history of generations to come. At that time no one will be there to bolster or to strengthen or to encourage. At that moment, will he have treasured up sufficient thoughts and messages and doctrines of power and inspiration to carry the day? When he is sitting before the computer and inadvertently a picture of sleaze and filth appears, will he be prepared, as was Joseph of old, to flee—or will he, like David, linger, ponder, surrender, and then fall? “For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors” (Alma 34:32; emphasis added). We must help them, have faith in them, and encourage them in this day of preparation. “Neglect Not the Gift That Is in Thee” Returning to the letter of Paul to Timothy, Paul then writes, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee,” namely, the priesthood of God. In my patriarchal blessing, it counsels: “Honor thy father and thy mother. But above all, honor the priesthood, for it will be your salvation.” I wonder if a young man realized the significance of the priesthood in his life, how ready he would be to cheat on a test, to disobey the Word of Wisdom, or to violate the law of chastity. To Remember—and Not Forget In the fifth chapter of the book of Helaman in the Book of Mormon, Helaman counsels his sons Nephi and Lehi to remember—in fact, the word “remember” is used fifteen times in the space of ten verses (and six times in one verse). We need to give our young men visual, audio, and spiritual markers to help them remember who they are and the significance of the priesthood they bear. When each of our daughters turned 14 and was ready to begin attending the youth dances, Sister Dahlquist and I took them out to dinner and talked to them about the law of chastity, and I then challenged them to always be as clean and pure as their mother. We then gave them a pearl ring to help them remember to always be clean. In a corresponding manner, our young men of the Aaronic Priesthood need things to help them remember who they are and the significance of the Aaronic Priesthood they bear. As I travel throughout the world, I continue to search for evidence of efforts to help them remember. I particularly look at the rooms where they are taught the principles and doctrines of the priesthood. Most of the time as I walk through a meetinghouse, whether in Sandy, Utah; Kampala, Uganda; or Hamburg, Germany, I am able to readily identify the Relief Society, children’s meeting, and Young Women rooms. As I was in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, a month or so ago, I was also able to identify where the Aaronic Priesthood met by a sign hanging from the doorjamb by a single nail, probably placed there during the Belgian era. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. And on the island of Kauai, I actually found a room that included pictures to help these young men remember who they are. Now you may not think that this is very significant, but think about your individual homes or offices. Don’t you hang pictures on the walls of your homes and offices to remind you of who you are and what you are about? Visual images are important for our young men as well. As I travel and discuss this with priesthood leaders like you, we brainstorm what could go on the wall of a room where the Aaronic Priesthood meets—like the one in Kinshasa. Their answers include a picture of John the Baptist bestowing the Aaronic Priesthood on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, a picture of the Savior, of the First Presidency, of missionaries, of the sons of Helaman, of Book of Mormon heroes. One stake had prepared for each Aaronic Priesthood room in the stake a large poster of the Duty to God booklets, along with the purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood. And if you happen to meet in the kitchen or on the stage or another similar room, remember that a few simple easels and several powerful pictures from the meetinghouse library will do just fine. In my office I have a picture of one of the two teenage young men who heeded the call of Brigham Young in November 1856 to go out as part of a rescue party and meet the Martin Handcart Company and bring them in to Salt Lake. When the Martin Company was required to ford the river, which was 100 feet wide and almost waist deep in places and with big chunks of ice floating in the water, many of the pioneers simply could not make it. At that point, several members of the rescue party, including two teenagers named in one account as David P. Kimball and George W. Grant, stepped forward to help. These courageous young men waded the river, helping the handcarts through and carrying the women and children and some of the weaker of the men over the river. One woman recalled: “Those poor brethren [were] in the water nearly all day. We wanted to thank them but they would not listen to [us]” (Patience Archer, in Women’s Voices: An Untold History of the Latter-day Saints, 1830–1900, ed. Kenneth W. Godfrey et al. [1982], 236). It is said that when President Young heard of their heroic act, “he wept like a child, and declared that this act alone would immortalize them” (Solomon F. Kimball, “Our Pioneer Boys,” Improvement Era, July 1908, 679). I have this on my wall so I will not forget. Our youth need these opportunities for application and multisensory experiences to help them remember, when they would be tempted to forget. Scouting: The Application and Activity Arm of the Aaronic Priesthood And that brings us to the topic of our workshops this conference. The Aaronic Priesthood is given to our young men to allow them to act in the name of God, and also to provide opportunities for them to learn the doctrines and then learn how to apply them in their lives in a way that will bless the lives of those around them. It is in the priesthood quorum that the doctrines of the kingdom are learned. And it is in the activity program of the Aaronic Priesthood quorum that they are applied in a way that prepares a young man to fulfill a full-time mission, receive the ordinances of the temple, and live a life of service to his family, the kingdom, and his community. Developing Character and Timeless Values In the United States and Canada, Scouting is the primary activity and application arm of the Aaronic Priesthood. In 1913 the Church became the first charter partner of the Boy Scouts of America. In those nearly one hundred years, hundreds of thousands of young men have been helped to learn their duty in the Aaronic Priesthood through their Scouting experiences. I like to think of Scouting as providing two major supports to help young men fulfill the purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood in their lives. First, it helps them build strength of character. I can think of no stronger statement of moral principle than On my honor I will do my best To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. [Boy Scout Oath] Scouting’s founder, Lord Robert Baden-Powell, said: Let us, therefore, in training our Scouts, keep the higher aims in the forefront, not let ourselves get too absorbed in the steps. Don't let the technical outweigh the moral. Field efficiency, back woodsmanship, camping, hiking, Good Turns, jamboree comradeship are all means, not the end. The end is character with a purpose. Our objective in the Scouting movement is to give such help as we can in bringing about God's Kingdom on earth by including among youth the spirit and the daily practice in their lives of unselfish goodwill and cooperation. Acquiring Life Skills Secondly, Scouting helps young men develop skills that are vital to their survival—to getting along in the world, to providing for their families, for making a contribution to their chosen vocations, for developing their talents to help make the world a better place. Recently, while in Hawaii, I had the opportunity to hear a talk given by Elder Brett Tano, a young man who had recently returned from serving in the Japan Hiroshima Mission. In his talk he said: “I am glad that I was a Scout. It helped me prepare for my mission. Many listened to us, because of the skills I learned in Scouting.” (And I thought, “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear” [D&C 38:30].) Elder Tano continued: “One day an investigator gave us a fish and said, ‘Do you know what to do with it?’ I said, ‘Sure, I have the Fishing merit badge!’ My companion and I went home, and I put the fish in the kitchen and went to change my clothes. When I came back, my companion was frying up the fish, putting in all sorts of spices, and I said, ‘You know how to do this?’ And he replied, ‘Sure, I have the Cooking merit badge.’ ” A few weeks ago we were in the temple with President Wayne Ursenbach. As we spoke and I told him the story of Elder Tano, he said: “When I was 11 years old and lived in Lethbridge, Canada, I was able to go to hear Baden-Powell speak in Calgary. One of the games he taught Scouts to teach them the skill of observation was called Kim’s Game, where the Scouts would empty their pockets, place various items on the table, and then the items would be covered with a cloth. A Scout would then approach the table, the cloth would be removed, and he would have 30 seconds to try to memorize as many of the objects as possible.” President Ursenbach said: “After a while, I was able to name all 35 objects under the sheet—after only 30 seconds of observation.” He then went on to explain, “My success professionally as an expert witness in fire and explosions cases has been due to my ability to observe things that others missed—all learned during a child’s game, Kim’s Game, during my Scouting experience.” President Monson, in a talk given at the 1997 Scout Jamboree, told how the practical skills learned in Scouting impacted his own family. He said: A few years ago, a Scouting skill taught by a leader such as you saved a life—in my own family. My nephew’s son, 11-year-old Craig Dearden, successfully completed his requirements for Scouting’s swimming award. His father beamed his approval, while mother provided an affectionate kiss. Little did those attending the court of honor realize the life-or-death impact of that award. Later that very evening it was Craig who spotted a dark object at the deep end of the family swimming pool. It was Craig who, without fear, plunged into the pool to investigate and brought to the surface his own little brother. Tiny Scott was so still, so blue, so lifeless. Recalling the lifesaving procedures he had learned and practiced, Craig and others responded in the true tradition of Scouting. Suddenly there was a cry, breathing, movement, life. Is Scouting relevant? Ask a mother, a father, a family who know a Scouting skill saved a son. Scouting had reached out to rescue. [See also Thomas S. Monson, “Called to Serve,” Ensign, Nov. 1991, 47] A Challenge for Leaders of Youth There are many tools available to us to help these young men of the Aaronic Priesthood to rise to their potential: the Duty to God program, the For the Strength of Youth brochure, Preach My Gospel, the Church Internet site, and Scouting. Please don’t think that because we are focusing on Scouting during these workshops that that is the only resource we have. Your work and mine is to understand these resources—all of them—well, so that they may be applied by the power of inspiration in a way that will touch and strengthen the young men of the Aaronic Priesthood. That means reading and rereading the Duty to God manuals. It might even mean taking the challenge that one of our board members took as part of his Wood Badge ticket, to fulfill all the requirements of the priests’ Duty to God certificate—including having an interview with his bishop. It also means reading and rereading and applying in our own lives the standards in the For the Strength of Youth booklet and continually using it to teach and strengthen our youth. It also means getting appropriate Scouting training, including Basic Training, Youth Protection Training, Leader Specific Training, and Wood Badge and attending monthly roundtables—so that we will understand and be able to apply the timeless values of Scouting to reinforce and strengthen the quorums of the priesthood. Brethren, seek the guidance of the Spirit in your selection of leaders for our young men of the Aaronic Priesthood. And then, once they are called, give them time to serve, to be trained, to gain the love and trust of their boys—which generally takes years, not months. It takes time for leaders to become trained and to build relationships of trust with their young men. And as Elder Carlos Asay once said, “The Lord needs builders, not just caretakers.” And it takes time to build anything worth building! God bless each priests quorum adviser, Varsity coach, Scoutmaster, merit badge counselor, and all within the sound of my voice and beyond who realize the majesty that can be part of the activity program of the Aaronic Priesthood, if we apply the principles that caused the Brethren, in 1913, to enter into a partnership with the Boy Scouts of America for the strengthening of the Aaronic Priesthood. There was inspiration in that decision, as there is inspiration in the decision to continue that decision today. And there must be inspiration in applying the principles of Scouting to strengthen and vitalize the quorums of the Aaronic Priesthood and each young priesthood bearer today. Recently I heard of one leader who did just that. The boys decided to work on the Architecture merit badge, which required that they perform a study of a particular piece of architecture. The Scoutmaster then said, “Fine, and how about selecting the Salt Lake Temple as our building to study?” The boys agreed, and for the next few weeks, they studied the building, the history of the construction, the symbolism, and the structure. They visited the building, and each time they saw the Architecture merit badge, it was associated with the Salt Lake Temple. Therefore, when they received their merit badge, they in fact had received much, much more—all thanks to a leader with vision. Our workshops will give you more practical ideas to help our young men be able to apply the principles of the gospel and to exercise the priesthood they hold. We pray that your minds will be open not only to that which is taught, but to the whisperings of the Spirit to help you know how to apply those lessons and principles in touching and strengthening the young men you serve. Brethren, these are indeed the youth of the noble birthright. As President Hinckley has said of this generation: There never was a time such as this. What a season in the history of the world to be alive! Never before has there been such a generation of youth. . . .  You really are “a chosen generation.” You are better educated. You desire to do the right thing. Many of you are trying to keep yourselves free from the corrosive stains of the world. In so many ways, you are remarkable! You are exceptional! I believe that as a group, you are the finest this world has ever seen. [Way to Be! (2002), 3–4] These are noble youth—in President Hinckley’s words, the best “this world has ever seen.” But they must be taught and given opportunities to apply what they learn. They must learn and apply principles of faith, of prayer, of morality, of integrity, of courage. The scriptures tell us,“Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). The corollary to that is that where there are leaders and parents with vision of the Aaronic Priesthood, with confidence in the ability of these youth of the noble birthright, and with courage and dedication to love and teach these young men and challenge them to reach their potential, then not only will the people not perish, but they will thrive and grow. In the words of Paul to Timothy: “For in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” May such be our lot I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.