Eyring - A Priesthood Quorum - October 2006

President Eyring speaks about what an organized priesthood quorum looks like.  The responsibilities of how the quorum is structured is the responsibility for the President but the members have a role to play as well.  It is the ultimate goal that a quorum is united towards the common goal of being united in righteousness.

• I have learned over the years that the strength in a quorum doesn’t come from the number of priesthood holders in it. Nor does it come automatically from the age and maturity of the members. Rather, the strength of a quorum comes in large measure from how completely its members are united in righteousness.

Unity in a quorum is found through building stronger testimonies in the atonement of Jesus Christ.  Quorum instruction, activities, and fellowship should be organized with this ultimate purpose.

• What is true in any unified priesthood quorum I have seen, is that the members’ hearts are being changed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. That is how their hearts become knit together.
  

Quorums are strenghtened through making and keeping covenants.  Those covenants start at baptism and continue in the temple.  One of the most important covenants that we can make is done during our sacrament meetings when we partake of the sacrament.  Members of the quorum need to routinely partake of the sacrament and that means they need to be at church to renew their covenants.

• Every covenant requires faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to His commandments to qualify for the forgiveness and purified hearts necessary to inherit eternal life, the greatest of all the gifts of God.
  

Quorum instruction is vital to having a unified quorum.  Having a unified quorum requires producing a desire to repent and to be clean.  That obligation applies to those that are in the room during class and those that are not present.

• The teacher and those who participate must always desire to bring the Spirit of the Lord into the hearts of the members in the room to produce faith and a determination to repent and to be clean.
• That desire goes beyond the walls of the room where the quorum meets. In a truly united quorum, that desire extends to the members wherever they are.
  

An organized quorum has opportunities to serve others.

• Priesthood quorum members are taught in more ways than by lessons in a class. The quorum is a service unit, and the members learn in their service. A quorum can give greater service than the members could give alone. And that power is multiplied by more than their numbers. Every quorum has a leader with authority and responsibility to direct priesthood service.

Finally, an organized quorum has opportunities for fellowshipping.  This will allow the members of the quorum to join in unity and provide encouragement to stay on the straight and narrow path.  The quorum is a brotherhood and in order to be united, activities that build friendship are necessary.  The purpose of the activity should be to lift and encourage all to stay on the right path.

• One of the hallmarks of a strong quorum is the feeling of fellowship among its members. They care for each other. They help each other. Quorum presidents can build that fellowship best if they remember the Lord’s purpose for unity in the quorum. It is of course so that they will help each other. But it is more, much more. It is so that they will lift and encourage each other to serve in righteousness with the Master in His work to offer eternal life to Heavenly Father’s children.
  

President Eyring ends with a invitation to become united in our quorums.  This unity will bless all of God's children as we reach out to those in need.

• My prayer is that you will accept the Lord’s invitation to become united, as one, in our quorums of the priesthood. He has marked the way. And He has promised us that with His help good quorums can become great quorums. He wants that for us. And I know that He needs stronger quorums to bless the children of our Heavenly Father, according to the covenants. I have faith that He will.
  

This talk really hits home with me at this point in my life.  I am looking for ways to unite the quorum that I am a part of.  We have a very transient ward where people are moving in and out often.  So building a long term strategy on how to reach each person coming and going in the ward can be difficult.  The suggestions and things to focus on give me some direction on how I can help make our quorum more unified.  The ultimate goal is to invite all to come unto Christ and receive sacred ordinances.  I know that God magnifies our efforts and if we will do our part, He will assist us along the way.