Elder D. Todd Christofferson issues a call for boys to step up

Recent studies have suggested that boys are performing poorly in school and are more depressed than girls, according to a Deseret News article titled "War on boys: Sex, media and violence" by Lois M. Collins and Jamshid Ghazi Askar.

This same trend that researchers, authors and journalists have drawn attention to was the the focus of Elder D. Todd Christofferson's talk during Saturday's Priesthood session of the 182nd Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"Girls out perform boys at every level, in elementary school through graduate school," said Elder Christofferson, a member of the quorum of the twelve apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, quoting a study.

Christofferson focused on men of all ages in his talk. He told the adult men they needed to become "worthy models and help the rising generation of boys to become men."

Currently, fathers in the United States have more education than their sons do, according to Warren Farrell, author of "Why Men Are the Way They Are" and "Father-Child Reunion," who was cited in the article "The war on boys: Young men facing a new crisis" on DeseretNews.com.

"The Church and the world and women are crying for men — men who are developing their capacity and talents, men who are willing to work and make sacrifices, men who will help others achieve happiness and salvation," said Christofferson at the end of his talk. "Yes brethren, we have a work to do," he said. "Keep going and the Lord will help you."