Sorta-liveblogging general conference: Priesthood session

Priesthood session, and for the first time ever i’m watching it from home rather than going to my stake center. That’s right, i’ve officially joined Mormon slackerdom!

Anyway. Again, the first speaker is at the bottom, and then the entry runs chronologically upward. Off we go!

Russell M. Nelson (again!), president of the high priesthood

• It doesn’t matter where or in what capacity you serve, but rather how you perform your service.
• It is a blessing to be able to serve in the church.
• A concern: Too many don’t understand the concept of priesthood power and authority.
• Too many don’t understand the difference between a blessing and a prayer, or between a blessing and words of support—but priesthood holders have the authority to bless!
• This is fun! He’s having all the priesthood holders stand by office (the apostles don’t get a pass!), and then telling us our duties by having everyone sing “Rise Up, O Men of God”.
• [So yeah, I’d say Russell M. Nelson isn’t afraid to shake up the rituals people are comfortable with.]

Dallin H. Oaks, of the first presidency

• The Melchizedek priesthood is not a status or a label, it’s a divine commission.
• It is inappropriate to refer to “the priesthood and the women”—the holders of the priesthood are not the priesthood.
• Offices in the priesthood are not expressions of mastery or rank.
• We need to learn our priesthood responsibilities, and magnify them.
• If fathers would magnify their priesthood within their own families, it would move the church forward more than anything else they could do.

Henry B. Eyring, of the first presidency

• Giving some history of how the early members of the church were organized into groups to care for each other.
• The story he told of how Henry B. Eyring’s great-grandfather Henry Eyring and his wife (didn’t catch her name) met is pretty fabulous.
• Doing home teaching well leads naturally to greeting people at church. [Interesting line of causality, that.]
• It isn’t important if people see us serving, what’s important is that the Lord knows we’re serving.
• Saints working together to serve with charity in their hearts can do amazing things.

Ronald A. Rasband, of the quorum of apostles

• The changes being announced will help simplify coordination of the work of the Melchizedek priesthood, and also coordination between the relief society and the priesthood.
• Reassurance to the high priests that they’re not being shunted aside.
• No priesthood executive committee meeting! One less morning meeting? Yes, please?
• If multiple elders quorums are organized, they need a good balance of age, experience, and so on. (Or, in other words, no creating de facto high priests groups.)

D. Todd Christofferson, of the quorum of apostles

• Restating what Russell M. Nelson just said…
• One elders quorum with one quorum presidency containing all of the elders, high priests, and prospective elders except for members of bishoprics, stake presidencies, members of high councils, and active patriarchs—those will make up the stake high priests quorum for (only) as long as they hold those offices.
• All high priests group leaderships and elders quorum presidencies to be released, then new ones to be called; the new presidencies may be elders or high priests (with no distinction between the two as far as who can serve in which calling).
• People shouldn’t feel like they’re “more” or “less” because they’re an elder or a high priest.
• [Hmmm…You know, every ward now gets three additional active men to fill callings.]

Russell M. Nelson, president of the high priesthood

• [Interesting—the president of the church usually closes out the priesthood session, rather than speaking earlier in the session.]
• Restructuring Melchizedek priesthood quorums! High priests and elders in a single elders quorum. [I’m currently a high priests group leader—so this means i’m released?]
• The stake president will preside over a high priests quorum, to be based on callings (not ordained office?), as will be described in the next two addresses.

Douglas D. Holmes, of the general presidency of the young men organization

• Sometimes we treat the young men of the church as small children, rather than bearers of the priesthood with responsibilities befitting such.
• The Aaronic priesthood gives access to God.
• The Aaronic priesthood gives authority to preach—that doesn’t belong only to prophets, or even to the full-time missionaries, but rather even the youngest priesthood holders are authorized messengers.
• The Aaronic priesthood carries the keys of the gospel of repentance—not as often that we call others to repentance, but that we repent ourselves.