Special Issue:
Aaronic Priesthood

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[Impressed by Aaronic Priesthood holders]

The New Era asked young women what impressed them most about Aaronic Priesthood holders and how young men should show they respect their callings. This is what the young women said:

“I think most of the Aaronic Priesthood holders I know are great guys. They just need to do their best and try to do what they know Heavenly Father would want them to do.”

—Amie Nelson, Salt Lake City

“The ones who impress me are the ones who try really hard to live the teachings of the Church and aren’t trying too hard to be hot shots.”

—Wendy Harmer, Bountiful, Utah

“Some things that truly impress me about young men in the Church are when they are not ashamed to tell people what they believe, when they have fun doing good things, and when they sing in church even if they don’t have good voices. But most of all, when they respect the girls, no matter if they are on a date or just friends. It’s awesome when the young men reach out to the not-so-popular girls to make them feel special.”

—Amber Stout, Fresno, California

“Not every young man in the ward impresses me, but there is one who truly stands out because he shows that he respects his sisters in his family and the other young women in the Church.”

—Heather Howard, Garland, Texas

“I expect young men who hold the priesthood to have clean mouths and clean minds and to be active in the Church and attend all the activities. They should be confident and know what they believe.”

—Jennifer Vines, Greenwood, Arkansas

“I admire the guys who respect their priesthood and act reverently during the sacrament, then take those attitudes with them to school on Monday.”

—Analisa Dameron, Idaho Falls, Idaho

“When I go to seminary in the morning, it upsets me when the priesthood holders don’t take seriously what they have to learn and make a joke of it. When we watch a seminary video, they sometimes goof around, and they can’t feel the Spirit.”

—Savang Sue Chhorm, Madison, Wisconsin

“It’s impressive to go on a date with a guy who doesn’t have to go against his standards to have fun. One of the best things about dating a guy in the Church is expecting from the beginning that he’s not going to try anything. If he does, it’s a major letdown.”

—Tina Banes, Hemet, California

“What I really admire about my LDS guy-friends is that they seem to be nicer and less crude than other guys. They’re kinder to people and don’t put as much emphasis on worldly and material things.”

—Martha Holt, Tucson, Arizona

“I went to homecoming, and my date made it very clear to me he was going on a mission. It was one of the neatest things for someone to actually tell me he was preparing for a mission and that is why he has to make the right choices and do the right things. Also, my brother is a fairly new missionary, and he’s setting a really good priesthood example for my dad, and my dad already holds the Melchizedek Priesthood. It’s not only my dad who sets a priesthood example at home, but my brother too.”

—Amy Bennett, Madison, Wisconsin.

“I’m impressed when guys honor their priesthood by showing they have the courage to do what’s right even though it may not be the ‘coolest’ thing to do.”

—Kim Moody, Apple Valley, California

“I think it’s important that when Aaronic Priesthood holders pass the sacrament, they take it seriously and don’t laugh or mess around. It’s also good if they dress respectfully.”

—Rachel Jett, Marietta, Georgia

“The thing that impresses me most about the guys in the Church is how spiritual they are. I love it when guys get up and bear their testimonies. And guys in the Church are not afraid to cry. They are also pretty friendly. If something’s wrong with someone, they will come up and give that person a hug and talk to them.”

—Rachelle Loftus, Clovis, California

“In my circle of friends, most honor their priesthood. But there are some who don’t, and that makes me sad. I think you find that because they don’t know how important it is. I think one day they will find out, though, and they will regret the time they’ve lost.”

—Julie Henderson, Lubbock, Texas

“LDS guys seem to respect girls more than the other guys at school. If the LDS guys see the nonmember guys cutting girls down, the LDS guys usually stick up for us. One thing I’ve seen my brother do that shows me he honors the priesthood is saying the sacrament prayer slowly, with meaning and feeling. He doesn’t run right through it like some guys do.”

—Melissa Crews, Orlando, Florida

“I’m impressed by the guys who have a clean sense of humor, and an outrageous personality. I like the guys who know how to have fun without the chance of getting hurt or in trouble. But when I go out with a guy, I look to see how he treats other females, especially his mother. Because, like they say, the way he treats his mother is the way he will treat his wife.”

—Angela Burton, Clovis, California

Blessings in Boulder

Everyone loves a carnival, but this one was the most exciting of all. The youth from the Boulder Second Ward, Boulder Colorado Stake, sponsored a free “Kids’ Carnival” for the children living in a local low-income housing development.

About 50 young people and leaders provided booths with fishing ponds, sponge throws, ring tosses, etc. for more than 100 children. There were also hot dogs, popcorn, and lemonade. Ward member Brenda Lyle, who has three children in the ward’s youth program and works at the family learning center adjacent to the project where the event was held, helped spearhead the activity.

“I’ve been involved in many service projects,” said Jan Lindeman, 15, “but this was one of the best because you could see the results of all our hard work in the kids’ smiling faces.”

Tokishiki Girls

Imagine spending girls’ camp on a tropical island in the Pacific with white sandy beaches and crystal blue ocean waves. Now imagine girls’ camp with 90 percent humidity in 90-degree heat, snakes, spiders, and centipedes. When you live in Okinawa, Japan, and go to camp on the island of Tokishiki, you get a little of both.

The mountainous and seaside scenery was great, and so was the spirit. The theme was service, so the girls got lots of ideas for serving their families and communities back home and for serving each other at the camp. “I guess that’s what girls’ camp is about,” said Laurel Katrina Voyce. “You learn camping skills, but you also learn about yourself and Heavenly Father.”

Sign of the Times

Did you ever stop to think how difficult it would be to be the only hearing-impaired person in your ward? Daniel Frame of Lansing, Kansas, has.

On his application for the Robert K. Neeley Scholarship that enables a hearing-impaired student in the Chicago Temple District to attend an “Especially for Deaf” session at BYU, Daniel wrote, “My home ward is a hearing ward where everything I do must be done with my parents, who act as interpreters. Attending the ‘Especially for Deaf’ conference would be my first opportunity to participate in a learning and spiritual activity with other deaf members of the Church.”

Daniel got the scholarship and hopes to use some of the things he learns there on his mission next year.

A Mission Runs through It

The priests in the Billings Second Ward, Billings Montana East Stake, were asked what words popped into their minds when they heard the words “Serve a mission.” This is what they came up with:

• Carry scriptures

• Learn public speaking

• Save money

• No movies

• Iron shirts

• Learn customs

• Short hair

• Sell truck

• Write letters

• No speeding tickets

• Good-bye to girlfriend

• Be worthy

• Read Book of Mormon

• Earn money

• Manners

• No cowboy boots

• Suits and white shirts

• Learn discussions

• Study scriptures

• Listen to quorum adviser

• No radio

• Meet new people

• Endowments

• Budget

• No TV

• Seminary preparation

• Learn to do laundry

• Learn to cook and clean

• Stay in shape

• Love

• Learn basketball without fouling

• Pray

Why Not Party?

“At times I find myself wondering why what I do now is so important,” said 18-year-old Kara Cattani at a Tempe Arizona Stake conference. “Why can’t I lead the party life for a couple of years? Why can’t I be dishonest?

“After struggling to understand, I finally realized that the answer is quite simple. Maybe I could get away with bad choices for a while, but eventually they would catch up with me. They’d be stored in my mind and work against me when the next temptation comes.

“Because our choices eventually determine our fate, it is important to use our agency to make good choices.”

Inventive Service

The Butler brothers, of Orangeville, Utah, are always thinking up interesting inventions to help people. This year, their inventions not only made some people’s lives easier, but they paid off. Brett, the youngest, invented a way to use Velcro to help kids take their jackets on and off without turning the sleeves inside out. B. J. invented a way to make garbage bags with dog repellant on them so animals wouldn’t rip them apart at night. And Wes invented a flag container that would pull the flag in when it gets dark or rainy. They entered their ideas in a contest and won medals, trophies, TV appearances, magazine interviews, and free trips for their efforts. A little ingenuity and a desire to help others served them well.

Russian In

There once was a time, not so very long ago, that you could get in big trouble for sharing the gospel in Russia. But not any more. When Chris Wasson, of the Broken Arrow First Ward, Tulsa Oklahoma East Stake, spent time in Russia as a teen ambassador, he was able to share a copy of the Book of Mormon with a hotel employee.

Chris was intrigued by the differences in cities like Kiev, Kharkov, and Moscow, but he was delighted to find a familiar sight—Mormon missionaries in suits and ties.

Photography by Phil Shurtleff

Left to right: Wes, Brett, and B. J. Butler. Inventive brothers in Utah.