CHECK out this vintage, 1965 photograph ....I
It is a picture of the entire young men of the Aaronic priesthood (and some leaders), of the Hooper, Utah First Ward, taken in front of the chapel to commemorate a span of perfect attendance.
That alone is a worthy accomplishment.
However, what stands out a lot in the year 2025 is just how large this group of young men, age 12-18, is back then. Here are 40 young men in a single ward.
Were wards larger in total members back then? Perhaps.
But families were also larger back then too.
Contrast that 40 young men, with the 14 young men who are in my current ward, in 2025, with only about half of them active. (My ward is an "older" congregation, but still...)
