Dear Elders and Sisters—

Our visiting teaching message this month is worth one of your morning study sessions.  It was on virtue, a divine attribute of Jesus Christ.  President James E Faust said “virtue in its fuller sense encompasses all traits of righteousness that help us form our character.”  If you substitute that into D&C 121:45 it would read, “Let [all traits of righteousness] garnish thy thoughts unceasingly… which would certainly take a lot more thought control than I have right now!  It would be worth the effort though as we read the blessings that would ensue:  “then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.”  Distill means to purify, refine, filter, treat, process or extract essential meaning but what exactly is the doctrine of the priesthood that is supposed distill upon the soul?   Bruce R McConkie gave a masterful conference talk on the subject (recorded in May 1982 Ensign) which is well worth reading & pondering.   It’s the least we could do since Elder McConkie was tempted (as Alma) to wish he could speak with “the voice of seven thunders or send forth the word by ten thousand trumpets”.   One wonders why he felt so strongly about it & why we are so resistant.  

Bro & Sis Baum