Eyring - "Man Down!" - April 2009

President Eyring speaks to the priesthood brethren of the church and encourages them to see their priesthood responsibilities as a calling from God.  He says there are people wounded all around us and it is out responsiblity to take to them the needed medicine to help save their souls.  This medicine is the Light of Christ.

• Our comrades are being wounded in the spiritual conflict around us. So are the people we are called to serve and protect from harm. Spiritual wounds are not easily visible, except with inspired eyes. But bishops, branch presidents, and mission presidents sitting before fellow disciples of the Savior can see the wounded and the wounds.

Your calling as a priesthood holder can inspire you to know who needs assistance and how you can help even without prompting or direction from your priesthood leaders.  The Lord has the ability to tell you what you can do to help others along the path when others have not seen the need yet.

• As a priesthood holder responsible for the spiritual survival of some of Heavenly Father’s children, you will then move to help without waiting for a cry, “Man down!” Even a best friend or other leaders or parents may not see what you have seen.

Your responsibility is to love the individual and assist in their journey.  If sins are needing to be resolved, we should refer them to their bishop or branch president.  But that doesn't stop or duties.  We are still to love, encourage, and assist those wounded.

• Only an authorized judge in Israel is given the power and the responsibility to verify that there is a serious wound, to explore it, and then, under inspiration from God, to prescribe the necessary treatment for healing to begin. Yet you are under covenant to go to a spiritually wounded child of God. You are responsible to be brave enough and bold enough not to turn away.
  

President Eyring gives us two bits of advice on how we can handle the responsibilities on our shoulders.

• I need to explain, as best I can, at least two things. First, why do you have a responsibility to move to help your wounded friend? And, second, how do you meet that responsibility?
  • First, you are under covenant, as has been made clear to you, that when you accepted the trust from God to receive the priesthood, you accepted a responsibility for whatever you might do or fail to do for the salvation of others however difficult and dangerous that might appear to be for you.
    
  • Your office, whatever it is in the priesthood, brings with it an obligation to “lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees” of those around you. You are the Lord’s servant covenanted to do for others, as best you can, what He would do.
    

President Eyring gives an example of a Home Teaching visit that might occur and how we can help bring God's children to a higher level in their lives through priesthood service.

• If your companion feels an impression to urge change, watch what he does. You will likely be surprised at the way the Spirit guides him to speak. There will be the sound of love in his voice. He will find a way to tie the needed change with a blessing that will follow. If it is the father or mother who needs to make a change, he may show how it would lead to happiness for the children. He will describe the change as a move away from unhappiness to a better and safer place.
  
• Your contribution during the visit may seem to you small, but it can be more powerful than you may think possible. You will show by your face and manner that you care for the people. They will see that your love for them and the Lord makes you unafraid. And you will be bold enough to bear your testimony to truth. Your humble, simple, and perhaps brief testimony may touch the heart of a person more easily than that of your more experienced companion. I have seen it happen.
  
• Whatever part you play in that priesthood visit, your desire to go to the people for the Lord to help them will bring at least two blessings. First, you will feel the love of God for the people you visit. And, second, you will feel the Savior’s gratitude for your desire to give the help the Savior knew they needed.
  

Finally, he shares his testimony of the divine gifts that can be given to us to help God's children find their way to Him.

• I testify that you were called of God and you are sent to serve His children. He wants that no one be left behind. God will give you inspiration and strength to meet your charge to help His children find their way to the happiness made possible by the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
  

I am grateful for clear instruction such as this talk to know what obligations I have to help other people.  I was visiting with a friend/quorum member last night and I see the hurt, the pain, the fear, and concern in his eyes.  My duty is to help where I can, support their righteous efforts, and strengthen them so that the trials they are facing are not eternally damaging to them.  I felt that guidance to shut my mouth last night and just listen to their fears and worries and inadequacies.  I know we all can be part of answering the call if we are doing things in our lives on a daily basis to be ready when the Lord calls us up.