By MICHAEL HYTE
Hyte@newsroom.byu.edu
President James E. Faust urged priesthood holders to exercise the power of self-mastery at the priesthood session of general conference on Saturday night.
'Self-mastery is essential to invoke the power of the priesthood of God,' President Faust said.
'Self-mastery is a challenge for every individual. Only we can control our appetites and passions,' President Faust said. 'Self-mastery cannot be bought by money or fame. It is the ultimate test of our character.'
President Faust quoted Samuel Johnson, Fosdick, Tennyson, Shakespeare, Emerson and others to illustrate additional views on self-mastery.
President Faust condemned manifestations of a lack of self-mastery, such as occurs in road rage.
'I have often wondered why some men's personalities change when they get at the steering wheel, secured by glass and metal,' he said.
'Road rage is not caused by traffic congestion but by attitude.'
President Faust also spoke out against noisy trends and fashions, saying 'sloppy clothes and weird hair styles to supposedly look trendy is not proper for one who holds the divine commission of the priesthood.'
In the realm of maintaining purity in one's private thoughts, President Faust said, 'conscience is the only referee that can blow the whistle when we get out of control.'
President Faust said he believes 'reading the scriptures is the best washing machine for unclean or uncontrolled thoughts.'
In teaching that self-discipline is more liberating than confining, he said, 'Self-denial is not restrictive. It is liberating. It is the pathway to freedom. It is strength. It is an essential element of purity.'
In its simplest terms, President Faust said 'self-mastery is doing those things we should do and not doing those things we should not do.'
He also said, 'Self-mastery requires self-determination and strength of character. It enhances our own gifts and talents in a remarkable way. It is the power of noble manhood.'
In his closing remarks, President Faust said self-mastery is essential to righteous living because it 'is related to spirituality which is a central quest of mortality.'