In his talk “Let Us Be Men” Elder D Todd Christofferson speaks of the importance of embracing the responsibilities of the priesthood and of life. He opens the story by sharing the story of his father sacrificing lunches for a year so that he could save enough money to buy his wife a machine to help her do the ironing. She had cancer and the surgery she underwent made if very painful to complete the ironing. Elder Christofferson points out that this sacrifice was the embodiment being a true man.
He then goes on to share the admonition of Lehi to Laman and Lemuel when he calls them to be men. Elder Christofferson points out that Lehi was speaking of spiritual matters and of personal character. He goes on to speak of the boys who move back into their parents home after college and only work part time, who seem to be stuck without any plan to move them forward.
Elder Christofferson then says:
“We who hold the priesthood of God cannot afford to drift. We have work to do (see Moroni 9:6). We must arise from the dust of self-indulgence and be men! It is a wonderful aspiration for a boy to become a man—strong and capable; someone who can build and create things, run things; someone who makes a difference in the world. It is a wonderful aspiration for those of us who are older to make the vision of true manhood a reality in our lives and be models for those who look to us for an example.”
Elder Christofferson then goes on to say that you can measure true manhood by the relationships you have with the women in your life. He speaks about the importance of living worthy of the women and their strength of testimony. He also speaks of the importance of being worthy of your wife.
Elder Christofferson then goes on to say that Christ is the best example of true manhood. He emphasizes the characteristics of resisting temptation, being obedient, doing good and opposing evil. He points out that it is important to emulate the Savior as much as possible.
This was a really good talk. While Elder Christofferson was speaking to the men and boys of the church, everyone can apply the counsel from the talk to their lives. It is important to have a purpose in life. It is important to build a strong and good character that will help you meet life’s temptations. We can all try to emulate the Savior in our lives. I hope that you will take the time to read this talk.
Related Links:
General Conference: “A Royal Priesthood”
Helping Your Son Honor His Priesthood
General Conference: “Our Sacred Priesthood Trust”