April GC - Elder Hale, Pres. Faust

In general priesthood meeting, Elder Hales talked of preparing for the "Decade of Decision" explaining that -

"...These decisions include receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood, going to the temple, serving a mission, getting an education, selecting an occupation, and choosing a companion and being sealed for time and for all eternity in the holy temple. There is a time and season for all of our decisions. Make sure you make decisions in the proper time and season. All of these life-altering decisions will be made in a very busy, relatively short period during your 20s..."

To the young people he stressed -

"...In the decade ahead, your time for preparation will be limited. As you are Aaronic Priesthood bearers, it is important that you prepare now. You must develop your own preconditioned responses for the important decisions you will make in the next decade of your life. You must know what to do and when to do it when each decision presents itself. Remember that making no decision at all could be just as deadly as making the wrong decision. Many of the decisions you make or don't make will have eternal consequences..."

Alma admonished his son -

"O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God." (Book of Mormon Alma 37:35)

What is wisdom? -

"...behold here is wisdom—let him obtain whatsoever he can obtain in righteousness, for the good of the saints." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 57:12)

"And now, my son, I have told you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and righteousness." (Book of Mormon Alma 38:9)

Elder Hales taught -

"Now is the time to become a disciple of Jesus Christ..."

"Now is the time to organize and prepare ourselves to have the Holy Ghost as our constant companion..."

"Now is the time to decide who your friends are and to become worthy of a righteous eternal companion..."

"Now is the time to prepare for your mission..."

"Now is the time to obey..."

"Now is the time to use our time properly..."

"Now is the time to safeguard your birthright..." Dont' be as "unstable as water".

"...Now is the time to prepare for training, education, and an occupation..."

In President Faust's final priesthood meeting address he spoke this preparation -

"...We live in an age of specialization. When I was a boy, many people had Model T Fords. Compared to modern cars, they were relatively simple mechanically. Many people were able to fix their own cars by grinding the valves, changing the rings on the pistons, putting in new brake bands, and using a generous supply of baling wire. Nowadays automobiles are so sophisticated that the average person knows very little about how to repair them. The mechanics of today use a computer to diagnose engine problems. I mention this example to encourage you young men to get training and education in order to keep up. Technical education is very important, and the same thing is true in fields of higher education. Any kind of skill requires specialized learning.

I do not care what vocation you choose to follow in life so long as it is honorable. How you provide for your family is your decision. Acquiring a skill is a good way to pay the bills, but there really ought to be something more in terms of personal involvement. Do not become so preoccupied with the material things of life that you lose the essence of your humanity. You may recall Dickens's character Jacob Marley, who lamented his obsession with work when he exclaimed: "Business? . . . Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business."12 Each of us ought to play some role in strengthening society, especially in doing the work of God.

I have learned that for those of us who hold the priesthood, the best formula for success is "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."13 Success will not come immediately because it requires preparation and hard work. There really are no shortcuts to success.

Each of us is a unique creation of our Heavenly Father. No two of us are completely alike. No one else has exactly the same gifts and talents that we have been given. We should increase those talents and gifts and use them to leverage our uniqueness. For example, when I was growing up, there was a fine young man in our neighborhood who was not a scholar but made beautiful furniture with his hands. He and I were drafted into the military the same day. He could not learn to make his bed so it would pass inspection, but he could make pieces of wood into exquisite art. As President Howard W. Hunter said: "Some persons have the idea that talent, creativity, moral stability, or greatness are not in the realm of youth, but are reserved to those who are older. This is not so."14

You young men have a future with great promise. You are the beneficiaries of knowledge the world has never known before. This knowledge will allow you to contribute to the future of modern business, industry, agriculture, and the professions. You may be among those who will defend a way of life on the battlefields. You will be among those who spread the principles of the gospel in the world and help the Church grow..."

As youth leaders we need to help them prepare now for the coming Decade of Decision.