Stake subsidy in support of non-LDS participation in ward activities

29 December 2015

Bishops,

On occasion, you find yourself using ward funds in support of non-members. This is especially true in Cub Scouts where several wards have successfully recruited friend and neighbor families into their Cub Pack. We congratulate you and thank you for going the extra-mile to use the Cub Scout program as an effective out-reach program to fellowship non-LDS.

Because you are not compensated unless the non-members attend sacrament meeting, we recognize the cost of providing support for such programs may not be covered adequately by your annual allocation. 

Therefore we recommend the following:

SURPLUS FUNDS FIRST: In support of costs by non-LDS, draw from carry-over (or surplus) funds to provide the additional financial support for such programs that may involve non-LDS participation and increase the budgets, as needed.

STAKE TO SUBSIDIZE WHERE POSSIBLE: If carry-over funds are inadequate, make a request to the stake presidency for additional funds. Please recommend the amount needed with details on how you arrived at that figure. We will do our best to meet all or a major portion of your request. 

We remind you that non-LDS families can be expected to pay a greater portion of their son’s Scouting experience, such as paying the full amount for the awards or their son’s summer camp experience. The stake’s summer camp subsidy program, for instance, does not apply to non-LDS. 

Finally, please remember to approach non-member families when conducting your ward’s Friends of Scouting (FOS) campaign. This is something expected of parents of all Scouts, whether members or non-members of the Church.

Thank you again putting an emphasis on Cub Scout recruiting or other similar efforts to invite non-LDS to participate in Church activities.

The Stake Presidency

Confirming the policy on collection boxes in our buildings

9 December 2015

Bishops,

Below is a stake policy about collection boxes that was distributed to ward and stake leaders in 2013. 

Will you please help us follow this policy? We, of course, don’t want to offend anyone, but we feel this is very important. 

As you know, our primary purpose as a church is to be a place of worship--a refuge from the world…and so it’s very important to us that we do everything we can to keep the meetinghouses (especially the hallways and foyers leading into chapels) clean, orderly and clutter-free as members enter to worship, draw close to the Lord and participate in sacred ordinances.

Feel free to forward this to others or, if you have any questions, please reply to this email.

Thank you,

President Lewis

Policy for collection boxes in the foyer

Bishops,

On occasion we will have youth, either Young Men or Young Women, ask if they can put a collection box in the foyer of our meetinghouses as part of an Eagle or service project.

Will you please teach families and especially youth leaders that this is not approved or appropriate for two reasons:

1. It creates a messy or cluttered look in our foyers where we're trying to make our meetinghouses warm and inviting for members and visitors;

2. It undermines the leadership purpose of the service project. For instance, Eagle candidates will learn leadership skills more effectively by organizing and following through with fellow troop members in a community or ward outreach effort, instead of setting out a collection box and waiting for members to donate.

Will you please help teach this to families so we don't offend youth or their parents when we ask them to remove their collection box from the foyer?

Thanks,

Stake Presidency

Seeking answers to change the entitlement expectation among those receiving welfare assistance

25 November 2015

Bishop Hokanson,

This morning in my personal study I had a feeling come to me to ask about how the bishops of our stake are managing the welfare assistance—specifically are those receiving assistance being given the opportunity to serve as a way of allowing them to demonstrate their gratitude and to maintain their dignity?

Would you please accept the assignment to survey the bishops and ask them a few questions like…

…what % of those receiving assistance are asked to serve?

…what are the type of things bishops ask them most often to do?

…how do bishops administer the service opportunities to ensure it happens?

…how much is the ward council engaged in the welfare assistance process?

…what could the stake do to help the bishops more in either training, idea-sharing or even working through the Stake JustServe Committee to create service opportunities?

I would welcome a report (email or in person) by early December with your thoughts on what more can we be doing, if needed. I appreciate your leadership and your experience that serves you and our entire stake so well.

Thanks so much,

Pres Lewis

Announcing the new Mount Hood YSA Branch

 25 November 2015

Bishops and Stake Leaders,

We are pleased to announce that the Mount Hood YSA Branch has been approved by the First Presidency and will hold its first meetings in the Sandy building on Sunday, January 3, 2016 at 1:00 PM.

Attached is the official announcement that we ask bishops to read in sacrament meeting this Sunday, Nov 29. Please note that there are two versions of the announcement—one for the Sandy River and Tickle Creek Wards explaining the meeting time adjustments in the Sandy building to take effect on Jan 3, 2016 and a shorter version of the announcement to be read in all the other wards.

Feel free to forward this announcement to other stake and ward leaders and, if you choose, print the announcement in your Sunday bulletins.

We also remind you that the bishops of the three wards in the stake center (Damascus, Powell Valley and Walters Hill), have chosen to alter their block meeting times to start at 9:00 am, 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. The new start times go into effect in less than two weeks, on Sunday, Dec 6.

So beginning Dec. 6, the start times for each ward will be: Damascus, 9:00 am; Powell Valley, 11:00 am; and Walters Hill, 1:00 pm.

On Sunday Jan. 3, the wards will rotate as in the past with the following start times: Walters Hill, 9:00 am; Damascus, 11:00 am; and Powell Valley, 1:00 pm.

Thank you for giving this your attention and helping to spread the word. We especially appreciate the added support that will be needed from every ward to help the new Mount Hood YSA Branch to thrive and bless the young single adults in our stake.

We also extend a special thanks to the Sandy River Ward leadership for their efforts to nurture the Hispanic Group, with the hope that they, too, will become a branch in the coming year. We continue to ask all wards in the stake to encourage any bi-lingual families to help in this worthy effort.

We deeply appreciate your leadership in sharing the gospel and strengthening testimonies among all in our stake.

The Stake Presidency

Dear President Giles and Bishop Lindsay,

As you’re aware, the First Presidency has given approval to the creation of the Mount Hood YSA Branch. Please find attached the statement  that we have asked bishops to read in sacrament meeting this Sunday, Nov 29, announcing that the branch will begin meeting in our Sandy building on Sunday, January 3, 2016, at 1:00 pm.

I wanted you to be aware of our plans and personally thank you both for your support of this action. We do so with some trepidation, recognizing that other stakes have tried this in the past without success. However, we have observed, as you probably have, that the travel distance from our stake to the Aldercreek YSA Ward continues to be a challenge for our young people. Our prayer is that we can create a gospel and church-social environment that will bless the lives of the many in this age group.

We also recognize with sadness that this change may affect your efforts. We hope it won’t be debilitating. Thank you so much for your kindness and willingness to help in this transition.

We look forward to continuing to work with you in every way possible to bless and rescue the young people of our stakes.

With deep appreciation for your encouragement and support,

Crismon Lewis

President, Mount Hood Stake

FOR THE DAMASCUS, ESTACADA, POWELL VALLEY AND WALTERS HILL WARDS

PLEASE READ IN SACRAMENT MEETING ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29

Dear Members of the Mount Hood Stake,

We are pleased to announce that the First Presidency has approved the creation of the new Mount Hood Young Single Adult Branch for all singles in our stake, 18 to 30 years of age. We encourage all young people of this age group, who are no longer in high school, to attend.

The new branch will begin meeting on Sunday, January 3, 2016 in the Sandy building at 1:00 PM.  For those of this group, who choose to attend, please ask your ward clerk to transfer your membership record to the new branch after January 1.

We ask all leaders and members to reach out to the young single adults in our stake and invite them to participate in this wonderful opportunity of fellowship and gospel growth.

-- The Stake Presidency

FOR THE SANDY RIVER AND TICKLE CREEK WARDS

PLEASE READ IN SACRAMENT MEETING ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29

Dear Members of the Mount Hood Stake,

We are pleased to announce that the First Presidency has approved the creation of the new Mount Hood Young Single Adult Branch for all singles in our stake, 18 to 30 years of age. We encourage all young people of this age group, who are no longer in high school, to attend.

The new branch will begin meeting on Sunday, January 3, 2016 in the Sandy building at 1:00 PM.  For those of this group, who choose to attend, please ask your ward clerk to transfer your membership record to the new branch after January 1.

We ask all leaders and members to reach out to the young single adults in our stake and invite them to participate in this wonderful opportunity of fellowship and gospel growth.

In order to accommodate this new branch, along with a weekly sacrament meeting for the Hispanic Group, we ask that the following adjustments be made in the Sandy building meeting times beginning January 3, 2016:

·   The Sandy River Ward, and Hispanic Group, will continue to meet at 9:00 AM;

·   The Tickle Creek Ward will meet at 11:00 AM; and

·   The Young Single Adult Branch will meet at 1:00 PM.

Our hope is that in the near future the Hispanic Group also will become a branch, which would allow the two Sandy wards to return to a rotation schedule, possibly as early as 2017.

Thank you for your understanding and your patience as we seek to provide even more opportunities for all of God’s children to come unto Christ.

-- The Stake Presidency

Discussion in response to the Church's same-gender handbook policy

This was excerpted from a Meridian magazine online article on Nov 17, 2015:

Stake leaders and bishops,

Below is an excerpt from article printed in the online LDS magazine Meridian. It is a timely example of why, when Prophets speak, it is not inappropriate to disagree respectfully (not try to promote our disagreement publicly), but also willingly wait on the Lord to see His hand in support of those He has called to lead His church.

If you want to read the full article, go to: http://ldsmag.com/sustaining-the-brethren-a-modern-example-of-thoughtful-discipleship/

A Modern Example of Thoughtful Discipleship

An inspiring example of this is found in the life of Elder Dallin H. Oaks. Decades ago, when the U.S. Supreme Court first ruled against prayer in the public schools, President David O. McKay publicly criticized the ruling; he considered it to be leading the country “down the road to atheism.” Dallin Oaks, on the other hand, who was a law professor at the time, saw good reason for the Court’s decision in the case before it and worried that criticism might be based on incomplete information about the full rationale and intent of the ruling.

Brother Oaks began organizing his thoughts on paper — reviewing the Court’s reasoning and showing its application to secular influences in the public schools as well as to religious ones. Soon after completing his document, he met President Henry D. Moyle of the First Presidency at a Church function in Chicago. When President Moyle asked him about his work, Brother Oaks gave him a copy of this writing. President Moyle took an interest in it, and, upon returning to Salt Lake City, shared it with President McKay. Interestingly, after reading Brother Oaks’ thoughtful treatment, President McKay directed that it be published in the Improvement Era.

Thus, Brother Oaks did not give up his “right to think.” He felt dissonance between his own judgment and the public expressions of the prophet. He wondered about the issue and prayerfully brought to bear his own best thinking on the relevant questions. Significantly, however, he did not publish a critical article or give a disapproving speech. Instead, he expressed his feelings respectfully and privately (remember that it was President McKay who directed that it be published), with no motivation other than to help and in the spirit of true discipleship.

The outcome of this story is also instructive. Some thirty years later, and now one of the Twelve himself, Elder Oaks wrote an article for the Wall Street Journal on the subject of school prayer. He said: “When the Supreme Court decided the original school prayer case in 1962 … I thought the case was correctly decided. What I did not foresee, but what was sensed by people whose vision was far greater than mine, was that this decision would set in motion a chain of legal and public and educational actions that would bring us to the current circumstances in which we must reaffirm and even contend for religious liberty.”

While the Court’s decision was probably the correct one on the matter before it at the time, the way the majority opinion was written set in motion the chain of events that President McKay had originally feared. In recognition of the prophetic nature of President McKay’s warning, Elder Oaks wrote: “My worldly wisdom in writing approvingly of the school prayer case on the facts of the decision was just a small footnote to history compared with the vision of a prophet who saw and described the pernicious effects of that decision in the years to come.” It was, he says, “a powerful learning experience on the folly of trying to understand prophetic vision in terms of worldly wisdom.”

Son Dallin responded:

Thanks for sharing, Dad, I had never heard this story.

Two follow-ups: one of the challenges of the modern church is that the distinction between "public" and "private" speech is very murky. Before, Elder Oaks would've needed to rely on a media platform to vet and disseminate his opinions to a wide audience. Now, everyone has a platform to speak "publicly" with a very idiosyncratic audience. Is it "public" disagreement if I post my displeasure about a church decision on Facebook, where primarily (but not exclusively) my friends will see it? This was my primary concern with the Kate Kelly ex-communication last year: it wasn't clear where the lines were being drawn over what counted as "public" advocacy.

The other: similarly, this story leaves the vast majority of members without an example to follow. What if we don't have the ear of the First Presidency? If no one had spoken "publicly," would there ever have been a clarification or more context provided? This is important because woman rarely have the type of access or close association with pivotal church leaders as men do, for a host of reasons.

No good answers to this, but just something for leaders to keep in mind.

My response to Dallin:

I agree, it is a different world in which we live where everyone can have a “public voice.” In deference to the leaders being Prophets, though, I would think that a disagreement with them could be handled by an email or letter (interestingly they tell us not to write to them, but they quote personal letters from members in conference talks all the time).

When we had some time with Elder Holland earlier this year, he told us that the Brethren have created a new committee, the Member Concerns Committee. Sadly, most members or leaders don’t know about it, but that’s one avenue…send a letter to your file priesthood leader and ask that he send to the Brethren (Member Concerns Committee…it’s chaired by Elder Holland) or send a letter directly to Elder Holland.

I personally think our role, as members or leaders, is simply to share our feelings, concerns, disagreements with the Brethren and then just leave it in their hands. If we are on track, the Spirit will work with their hearts and they will come to understand the validity of our argument.

I personally don’t think the Brethren’s clarification a week later was in response to the public outcry, though it didn’t hurt. But it came about from stake presidents sending questions and concerns up thru the priesthood channels.

Just some thoughts. 

Your thoughts are always insightful and provoking. Thank you for sharing so eloquently and thoughtfully.

Recommendation for a mid-singles unit in the Portland Metro area

17 November 2015

Dear Elder Stapleton,

Good morning...and good news! As you probably know, the First Presidency has approved our recommendation for a YSA branch in our stake. Thank you for your mentoring on the application. We have already begun making preparations, meeting tonight with the bishops of the meetinghouse where the new branch will be located to discuss logistics. Our goal is to have the first block meeting on January 3.

I am writing, however, on another matter.

We have in our area a young single man (returned missionary) by the name of Christopher Bentley, who is extremely engaged in the Church and community. He’s a former White House fellow and is now working in the Public Affairs office for the US Forest Service here. In the Church he has always been very involved in missionary work (ward mission leader multiple times, I’m sure) and in the bishopric. I believe he also chairs a citizen committee for the City of Gresham, where we both live. I know Chris well as he was in our ward when I served as bishop of a YSA ward.

In short, Chris is a do-er!

Well, as happens to all of us, Chris grew up! :) Now in his early 30s, Chris has outgrown the YSA wards, where he has served faithfully. Because of our friendship, he has approached me about the need for a mid-singles unit in the Portland metro area. 

Below is the recommendation by Chris, excerpted from an email he sent me, with links to websites that discuss the continuing growth of mid-singles wards throughout the Church, including some mid-singles magnet wards, which I thought were not allowed (magnet wards). You will see the list of mid-singles units on the following website that was updated this month.

https://midsingles.wordpress.com/midsingles-wards-list/

I was surprised to see how extensive is the list and how broad the reach. They’re not just in Utah! It appears there are mid-singles units in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Washington D.C., where apparently the first mid-singles unit was created years ago.

You can readily see why Chris would feel there is a need for the same in a city the size of Portland.

I recognize the handbook doesn’t encourage or even address the mid-singles age group (31 to 45). But I can understand why they would like to be their own group. I remember, when I was a young man, the cut-off for YSA in the Church was 26 years of age. I was one of those “slow moving” young men, who didn’t get married until I was 26 years old. I still remember how odd it felt when I turned 26 that I was suddenly lumped into the Church's Single Adult program that included my 95-year-old widow grandmother! :)

I’m not sure how a request like this even gets consideration or moves forwards, but I assume, if you are open to the idea, that this could be discussed briefly in our CCM to see if the other stake presidents would consider supporting the creation of such a unit. As more and more of our young people are delaying marriage (much to our disappointment), I do feel there is merit in trying to bring together as often as possible those  “graduating” from our YSA wards.

Thank you for giving this your consideration. My apology for raising this request so close to our next CCM. 

Please know I have not tried to illicit support from other stake presidents. I will leave this with you and await any guidance you want to give me, if I can be of help.

I look forward to meeting with you this Sunday and express my personal appreciation for the many ways you make our meetings both informative and inspiring.

Gratefully,

Crismon Lewis

President, Mount Hood Oregon Stake

503-667-5843

Here is the recommendation from Chris Bentley excerpted from an October 6 email:

I did a little bit of research on the mid-single's wards in Utah. I found out that recently the Riverdale Ward was setup to be a Mid-Singles ward. The new ward was established about 6 months ago. There are now dozens of Mid-Single's traditional or magnet wards throughout the country. 

I understand the difficulty with stewardship issues with magnet wards. Who has authority when members are being fed from lots of different wards and even possibly different stakes and missions? Having gone through the transitions that took place over a year ago with the Portland and Vancouver missions, I know first hand how sticky this can be. 

However, I think having a traditional Mid-Singles ward housed somewhere central to the major hubs for mid-singles would serve a huge need right now. I've attached a few resources that might be useful in showing the importance of and the growing number of Mid-Singles wards: 

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/lifestyle/56921335-80/ward-singles-says-mormon.html.csp

http://ldsmag.com/article-1-13958/

https://midsingles.wordpress.com/midsingles-wards-list/

As these resources clearly show, the Riverdale Ward being a clear and obvious example as well, Mid-Singles wards are not only allowed as ward units but are encouraged in areas where they make sense. Now that's the real crux of the matter: does it make sense for one to be established in the Portland Metro area? Portland is about half the size of Seattle, so maybe there isn't a sufficient number of mid-singles to make a ward work. Or perhaps the thinking is that the drive time to make a ward like this feasible would make it too burdensome on members although I know that a lot of people in Ogden drive to a Mid-Single's ward in Bountiful where they are welcomed despite the fact that the drive is usually about a half hour. 

Bottom line, there may be some legitimate reasons why a ward doesn't make sense but the "We're not allowed to establish a Mid-Singles ward," or the "These wards are unofficial and are being phased out," reasoning simply isn't true. These wards are being established officially and are doing incredibly well.

Decision to end the Stake Emergency Preparedness Expo

October 18, 2015

Dear President Lewis,

After many prayers, much pondering, attending other Emergency Preparedness Expos, several meetings, proposed Emergency Preparedness Expo outlines, several emails and more prayers, we have decided it would be in everyone’s best interest for us to bow-out of planning the next Mt. Hood Emergency Preparedness Expo. In our most recent meeting with Doug Yates, it was communicated to us that it was our decision to move forward, or not, with planning this event. At this point, we do not feel that we are the individuals that can properly plan and carry-out an Emergency Preparedness Expo. Please do not think that we harbor any ill or negative feelings personally and we hope the feeling is mutual.  We are all loving brothers and sisters in the gospel doing our best with the skills and talents we have been blessed with. We love and support you as our Stake President and feel badly that we are not able to fulfill this assignment. Please accept our apology.

Thank you for understanding and we look forward to attending the next Mt. Hood Emergency Preparedness Expo.

Sincerely,

Trent and Sheryl Westover

Dear Westovers,

Thank you for giving this your serious consideration and for all the background work you did on an Expo. Please know you have not offended or let us down. This is the right direction for our stake and we appreciate your help in arriving at that conclusion. We will give consideration to such an expo another time, possibly in 2017. 

Your bishop will be especially happy to know you’re available to continue serving in the ward! :)

Thank you for giving this your deep and prayerful consideration. We appreciate so much your family and the wonderful examples you are to so many.

Gratefully,

Pres Lewis

Application for Mount Hood YSA Branch

19 October 2015

Elder David L. Stapleton

Area Seventy, Oregon Portland Area Coordinating Council

1203 S. Tranquility Pr

Kennewick, WA 99338

Dear Elder Stapleton,

Please find attached the Branch Organization Application for a Young Single Adult (YSA) branch to be created in the Mount Hood Oregon Stake. We propose it be named the Mount Hood YSA Branch.

In the fall of 2013, soon after the Washington Vancouver Mission was created, the Mount Hood YSA Ward was moved from Troutdale, OR (now located in the Vancouver Mission) to the Portland Stake and re-named the Springwater YSA Ward.

The Mount Hood Oregon Stake remained in the Oregon Portland Mission. Unfortunately, it meant the closest YSA unit for our stake was the Alder Creek YSA Ward, located in Gladstone, OR (Milwaukie Stake), a distant drive that has become an obstacle for many YSA in our stake.

As a consequence, there has been a noticeable reduction in activity among the YSA, both in Church attendance and participation in the nearby Gresham Institute, which is now located in the Washington Vancouver Mission.

Therefore, this recommendation hopefully will: (1) re-establish a presence for YSA in our stake to gather with other YSA for weekly Church services; (2) organize the active YSA to help rescue the many less-active young people in our stake; and (3) create a bond among the YSA that will result in greater participation in Institute and other activities.

All members of the Stake Priesthood Executive Committee and Bishops in our stake have given their approval of this recommendation. Also, the Bishop of the Alder Creek YSA Ward, despite the potential impact this could have on his ward leadership, has expressed approval. We appreciate the Church’s consideration of this application and welcome any questions or concerns.

The Mount Hood Oregon Stake Presidency

Becoming One in the Work of Salvation: Oregon Portland Mission and Mount Hood Oregon Stake

Objective: Help members and missionaries become one in the Work of Salvation.

Defining our roles in the Hastening of the Lord’s Work

·   Members INVITE     • Missionaries TEACH     • Members and Missionaries TESTIFY

What needs to change in the mission and our stake:

·   80% of investigators come from missionaries, 20% from members

·   Of those baptized, 80% come from members

How Ward Leaders can make a difference

Ward Council Members

·   Each Ward Council member’s family takes a turn feeding the full-time missionaries on a Sunday night (8-week rotation)

·   Their organization or quorum takes ownership of missionaries’ schedule the Thursday of that week, including investigator and home visits

·   They maintain a list online of those they visit to avoid overlapping visits

·   They counsel with missionaries before and after the visits how to bless each family visited and report on their efforts in the next Ward Council meeting

Ward Mission Leaders

·   He conducts weekly coordination meetings and uses the first 15 minutes of this meeting for full-time missionaries to coordinate with ward missionaries

·   He connects at least three times per week with the full-time missionaries to monitor progress of investigators, ward missionaries and Ward Council members

·   He serves as the “mouthpiece” for missionary work in Ward Council

Ward Missionaries

·   They feed the full-time missionaries three times per month

·   They take ownership of a 2-hour block of time, three times per month, by planning visits accompanied by a full-time missionary

·   Two-hour blocks can be 10a-12n, 2-4p or 7-9p on any given day

·   They arrange for visits with family, friends, home teaching families, and others

·   They schedule families to receive the full-time missionaries for their Family Home Evening on Monday nights, with visits from 7:15 to 8:00 pm

Full-Time Missionaries

·   They update the Progress Record daily and coordinate needs with WML

·   They communicate with leaders and members about needs and plans

·   They continually extend an invitation for a commitment and prayerfully prepare to teach the Gospel with the Spirit of the Lord

Assignments for bishops on how to support missionary and Hispanic Group efforts

15 October 2015

Bishops,

As a reminder, here are the items we asked that you report on by Nov 1 via email. The assignment came out of our Missionary Training Meeting with President Ballard and the Stake Presidency on Sept 22:

1. How are you implementing the direction given in the attached document on “Becoming One…”, such as which of the items listed under “How Ward Leaders can make a difference” are being implemented—how and by whom?

2. What is your ward council doing to provide support to the stake Hispanic Group now meeting in the Sandy River Ward? For instance…

a) Have you taught the doctrine to the ward council on why our stake has decided to create an Hispanic Group with the intent that it become a branch within the next few months?

b) Have you designated a Spanish-speaking ward missionary or assistant ward mission leader to be a point person in your ward to help identify and transition investigators and members to the Hispanic Group? If so, who?

c) Have you identified a Spanish-speaking person or family in your ward who could be considered for helping with two initiatives: (1) teach English in the home to investigators and members, and/or (2) serve a short-term “mission” attending full-time the Hispanic Group meetings in Sandy.

Thank you very much for giving this your serious consideration.

The Stake Presidency

Clarifying again how new Apostles are called in the Church today

Bishops and Stake Leaders…

I continue to hear of members who think the procedure for calling new Apostles happens the way it did in New Testament times with the remaining members of the Quorum of the Twelve casting lots or voting for the replacements (see Acts 1:23-26).

In the article below, published in yesterday’s (Sept 24, 2015) Deseret News, Elder Christofferson gave some insightful comments on how Apostles are called today…by the one holding the keys to preside over the Twelve (see D&C 107:33). 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865637493/Elder-Christofferson-talks-about-how-President-Monson-calls-a-new-apostle-reflects-on-Elder-Scott.html

This is not a major doctrinal concern, but where we have three vacancies in the Twelve—apparently for the first time since 1906—there is a lot of interest in how members of the Twelve are called. We expect that three new Apostles will be sustained in General Conference next weekend, but that, too, is the prerogative of the President of the Church.

Will you please help teach this wherever you feel appropriate? Feel free to forward this email to others.

Thank you,

President Lewis

Excerpted from Deseret News article above in an interview with Elder Christofferson:

Elder Christofferson said the selection and calling of new apostles to the Quorum of the Twelve is the prerogative of the president of the church.

"President Monson, I don't know if this always has been the case, but his practice has been to ask each of his counselors and the members of the Quorum of the Twelve to give him names they would recommend for his consideration, not to discuss with each other but just individually, to give him whatever name or names they feel impressed he ought to look at," he said.

"What process he goes through exactly, I'm not sure. That's, again, something private he pursues. He then brings back, when he's reached his decision and had the inspiration he needs, the name or names to the council that we have of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to sustain it. That goes forward to general conference."

In April 2009, President Monson selected Elder Neil L. Andersen as a new apostle after the December 2008 death of Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin.

"I recall this last time around when Elder Neil L. Andersen was called," Elder Christofferson said. "Before that happened, we were just discussing casually before one of our meetings of the Twelve about the vacancy, and I remember President (Boyd K.) Packer saying, 'We don't have to worry, President Monson knows how to get revelation.'

"That's what it is, a revelatory process in the end. Different prophets may approach it in different ways, but in the end, it's finding out from the Lord who he wants."

Elder Christofferson talked about the increased responsibilities that fell on the remaining members of the Twelve with the deaths of their colleagues. Elder L. Tom Perry died May 30, and President Packer, who was president of the quorum, died July 3. Elder Scott had been unable to function in the quorum for months due to health issues.

"This is unusual," Elder Christofferson said. "We found the last time there were three vacancies at one time was 1906, so it's not something that comes very often, and I hope it always remains rare. But I see the wisdom in the Lord organizing a Quorum of the Twelve. Sometimes people think that's a lot, but I can see that's barely enough.

"It may add a little bit to the load or the responsibility or the assignments of those who are actively functioning for a time, but it's a brotherhood, and we all pull together, and maybe some things don't get done or are delayed until later that have lesser priority, but the things that really matter happen and, in the end, we all understand that it's the Lord's work, and he really is the one who does it and he lets us help. … Happily we get to be a part of it."

In response to a proposal for a YSA branch in our stake

Bishops,

Bishop Hokanson shared with me last night your concerns about our proposal for a YSA Group to meet in the Damascus Ward. I understand you have some strong feelings on the matter. You were kind not to share them in our earlier meeting in deference to the spirit of the meeting and those in attendance.

Please know your counsel is very much appreciated and we intend to follow it.

Let me say at the outset that it was wrong of me to propose something counter to the Handbook. Please forgive my less-than exemplary leadership.

Candidly, having served in a YSA Ward, I have my personal concerns about creating a YSA branch. It’s exciting at first, but the novelty ultimately wears off and to sustain the enthusiasm is not always easy. So I was looking for a way to give this a “test drive” to determine the true interest level among our YSAs. However, the Handbook does not provide for a “test drive” in proposing and creating units, even where the members of the new unit can choose whether or not to attend.

So I was wrong to propose a temporary YSA Group. And I appreciate you helping me recognize my error—evidence again of the Lord’s amazing organization where He surrounds key holders with counselors and councils. There truly is safety in councils. 

So…

…We will NOT be inviting YSA to attend the Damascus Ward beginning Oct 11.

…We will move forward with preparing the data and documents needed to seek Church approval for the creation of a YSA Branch in our stake. This is all new territory for us, too, so we have a lot of questions to address. In the meantime, we will do our best, with the wonderful stake YSA adult leaders now in place, to provide a quality, exciting YSA activity program in hopes of creating a core group of YSAs who will eventually become the “pioneers” of a new branch in our stake, possibly as early as December or January.

We thank you again for your counsel and for your willingness to encourage the YSA in your wards to attend such a branch, once approved and functioning. We have no idea how long it will take for this to happen, but we will keep you apprised as the application process progresses.

If you have any questions or additional concerns, feel free to reply to this email.

Gratefully,

President Lewis

Instruction to members on how new Apostles are called in the Church today

The following was sent to bishops on August 4, 2015, after a gospel doctrine class wrongly concluded that members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles choose new Apostles, following the recent death of President Boyd K. Packer and Elder L. Tom Perry.

Bishops,

Your gospel doctrine class has or will soon teach Lesson 28: “We Are Witnesses.” There is a passing reference in that lesson to the selection of a new apostle (see Acts 1:21-26). 

In light of the fact that there are two vacancies in the current Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, this may (and probably should) get more than a passing reference.

We know of at least one ward where this came up in the gospel doctrine class and was discussed at length. The teacher and class arrived at the conclusion that new Apostles are chosen by the Twelve meeting together and casting “forth their lots” or, in other words, voting until they reached a unanimous selection (see Acts 1:26).

Because of the current vacancies, will you please teach in your ward the procedure for calling an Apostle in the Church today? We recommend you or your counselor give a brief explanation at the beginning of the gospel doctrine class or, if you feel appropriate, even teach briefly in sacrament meeting.

Here is the official procedure:

All members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are called by the First Presidency under the direction of the President of the Church. The current members of the Twelve are then asked to sustain--but they do not vote on or elect--those chosen. 

There are several resources that may help support this instruction:

1. D&C 107:22 reminds us that one of the distinctions of the modern Church of Jesus Christ is that we have a First Presidency that is a quorum in itself. While Peter, James and John appear prominently together in the New Testament, there is no indication they were a quorum separate from the Twelve.

2. D&C 107:33 explains that the Twelve officiate under the direction of the Quorum of the First Presidency; therefore the keys for calling and ordaining new Apostles rests solely with the First Presidency under the direction of the President of the Church.

3. This brief video clip of President Hinckley, in an April 1994 general conference address, explains that the Twelve are invited to recommend candidates for the Twelve, but the responsibility rests solely with the First Presidency to receive the revelation as to who should be called. https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-10-1700-how-apostles-are-called?lang=eng

4. The following two links have lots of support information about the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, including how members are chosen: https://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/calling-an-apostle-of-god?lang=eng and http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/topic/quorum-of-the-twelve-apostles.

5. Last month (July) the stake presidents in the Oregon Portland Mission were invited to a dinner with Elder M. Russell Ballard, of the Twelve, who was visiting his son and family. Elder Ballard conducted a brief Q&A session with us. At one point he asked and answered one question on his own: “Question: When will the new Apostles be called?”   “Answer: When President Monson decides they should be called.”

We hope this is helpful. Normally this would not be a matter that needs to be addressed. But where there is such interest in the subject, with two vacancies in the Twelve, will you please make sure your ward members understand the procedure for calling new Apostles and that they don’t assume there is an “election” or voting by the members of the Twelve, as was the case in ancient times (Acts 1:26)?

Gratefully,

The Stake Presidency

The importance of teaching service in our stake through assignments

The following was in response to member of the JustServe committee asking why we were making assignments for volunteer opportunities when the JustServe handbook says we're not to be making assignments.

It’s natural, because there is a program and a committee in place, for us to assume every service project is a JustServe project. But that is not always the case. Our JS efforts are starting to bring to us opportunities for our members to serve in the community. The JS projects that the handbook references are those that get posted and we hope members and others will seek out and volunteer for.

However, there are community projects that are coming to us from outside organizations. We want to support these projects because of the relationships it will build between the Church and the community. These are “Community Service Projects,” in my mind, not JS (I realize there’s a lot of overlap here so it can be confusing.) It’s like a non-member friend in the TC Ward, some time ago, desperately needed a new roof. The bishop got word of the need and turned to the priesthood leaders, who reached out personally to their quorum members and asked them to help out. It was a huge success.

Sometimes we confuse “assignments” with “callings.” An assignment for a service opportunity is simply a way of communicating more effectively with quorum (or organization) members. The leader calls the member and says, “The Sandy Mountain Festival is in need of volunteers to help set up booths. Our stake has chosen to support this service opportunity. Are you available to help out either Thursday morning or afternoon? If so, would you be willing to take a 2-hour shift at 1 or 3 pm or is there a better time for you?”

Something like that.

It’s not meant to be an obligatory assignment, but simply communicating with members one-on-one of a service opportunity that we have chosen to support and inviting them to participate. We ask priesthood and RS leaders to find volunteers using one-on-one contacts, instead of passing lists, because: (1) it helps them reach out beyond the circle of the same-members who do everything (hopefully reaching less-actives) and (2) it’s more efficient and more effective for a presidency of 3 organizations to find 3 people each than it is for a JS rep to find 9 people.

I hope this helps. Feel free to forward this to reps so they’ll understand their additional role and why the stake is occasionally making assignments to find volunteers in each ward.

Let me add, we do not want members to feel obligated…as they do with a church calling. We are simply using the JS committee as a vehicle, in addition to their regular duties of finding and posting service projects, to help expand our reach in finding volunteers for what might be better described as “Public Affairs Service Projects”—service that will begin to endear the community to the Church and strengthen our reputation as a Church that cares for everyone, not just its own. Hopefully, it will also begin to expand our members’ acquaintances to circles beyond their ward family.

Objectives for a scaled-down Emergency Preparedness Expo in our stake in the spring of 2016

Email sent to Trent and Cheryl Westover, who will head up our stake's Emergency Preparedness Expo in 2016:

Thanks so much for this email. I agree, the buzz won’t last into next year unless there is some shaking. 

A few days after our meeting, I asked Pres Hansen to get with you and Bro Yates to draft a one-page overview or plan for a one-day, scaled down Expo next spring. I’m sure they were planning to meet with you soon.

I think I expressed to everyone the night we met that there’s no purpose in an expo unless our objective is to draw the community to us. An expo, in my opinion, is not the best way to prepare the members. Working through priesthood channels is the most effective and efficient way to prepare members. This is something we should discuss another day, but it’s important.

In the meantime, I would like to ask us to move forward with a one-day event next spring, scaled down but still sizable enough to draw the community to our stake center…providing an event for members to invite their neighbors and friends.

Objectives

Thanks so much for your willingness to head this up and provide an opportunity for us to: (1) sustain our “reputation” in the community as a church that serves as a resource for the community on emergency preparedness; (2) create an image that we care deeply about our neighbors and friends, not just “our own”; and (3) provide members a non-religious event in our stake center to which they can invite their neighbors and friends.

I would appreciate you focusing around the above 3 objectives as you prepare this one-page overview or plan (I’m open to others, if anyone has any ideas). Please be careful that we not burden wards. True, we will use members from all wards, but we want to be careful that we don’t just dump a part of the expo on the ward leadership. Rather please consider creating an ad hoc committee made up of members from throughout the stake and ultimately tasking them with drawing others from throughout the stake onto their respective committees.

So that’s what we’re looking for in a one-page overview or plan: (1) objectives, (2) organization ad leadership, (3) overview of what will happen on that day and (4) how to draw the community to this event. Feel free to modify your plan in any direction you want, but those 4 elements seem, to me, the most obvious key elements of a plan for this type of event.

Is there a chance we can have a one-page plan in place by early or mid August?

In response to concerns expressed by a stake member about the role of women in the Church

The following is an email response dated June 27, 2015 to Jennifer Miller, a member of our stake, who shared concerns about women in the Church that she felt were serious enough to become totally inactive.

Hello, Jennifer…

Thank you for your email and for your sincere quest to get answers. We would be happy to meet with you, if you choose. Your questions are never onerous or inappropriate. We love you, your family and want to be as forthcoming and helpful as possible (with what we know). Please know of our own personal disappointment that we have not been able to answer your questions to your satisfaction. 

I appreciated very much President Christiansen’s email and his attempt to get answers to your questions from Elder Holland (you would have been proud of him!). I don’t know that I can add much to what he has shared. It was very gratifying to hear Elder Holland, in the meeting referenced, be so candid and acknowledging that we don’t have all the answers. I got the sense the Brethren are very concerned about the questions you raise and are doing their very best to address them…to sort out the doctrine from the tradition. Because some of these policies (or “just the way we do things”) have been in place for so long, this will obviously take time.

After the meeting with Elder Holland, Vivienne and I had the unexpected privilege of sitting next to Elder Holland during dinner. He shared with me that the Church has created a new committee, called the Member Concerns Committee. I think he said he chairs that committee. I remember him saying this committee is mostly addressing some of the questions you raise…the women’s role in the Church, specifically leadership roles. He confirmed that it was this new committee that recommended the noticeable changes made recently: women offering prayers in General Conference; women auxiliary leaders sitting among the Brethren during conference and not with the wives off to the side; the Women’s Session becoming the official "first session" of General Conference (note it’s now the first talks published in the May/Nov Ensign). He said these changes were a kind of a “why didn’t we think of them before?” They were just oversights, so the speaking up by concerned women, like you, have not gone unrecognized or unappreciated.

I think your questions about auditors and Sunday School presidencies are valid. It was nice to hear Elder Holland suggest they’re still working on those issues. I’m sure they’re a bit more complicated simply because placing women in those positions, while not doctrinally prohibited, could create situations of a man and a woman working so closely side-by-side to lead to inappropriate relations. I think that’s why I suspect  you’ll never see a man called as a counselor in a Primary presidency. I suppose, for some, this is a stupid reason to keep women from serving as auditors or in a SS presidency. “Are we so hormone-driven that we can’t keep our thoughts and hands to ourselves when in a meeting between a man and a woman?” But from the Brethren’s point of view, I could see why they would go to great lengths to avoid being the cause of such a problem. “We have enough break-up of families without us helping to create them.”

As you know, this “problem” arises when a bishop, or other priesthood leader, conducts an interview alone with a woman. As indication of how concerned the Brethren are about this potential situation, bishops are cautioned regularly to make sure some one else is in the building during such an interview; have a table or desk between the two of you; do not ask questions about intimacy or intimate practices, etc.

I share this so you’ll know that I feel the Brethren really are trying to address these issues. Again, some of these matters have been tradition for so long that it takes time to unravel the traditions and make sure they don’t contradict doctrine or prophetic “policies” established years before. From our stand point, these matters may appear like no-brainers, but when making decisions at the general church level, you can imagine the number who have to sign off on such policy changes. In fact, no policies are changed until there is total unanimity among the First Presidency and the Twelve. If there is discord among them, they wait for the Spirit to soften hearts and everyone becomes “settled” before moving forward.

As for your question about the priesthood, I personally don’t feel it makes a man more inclined to receiving revelation than women. A priesthood holder is supposed to seek revelation for his circle or level of stewardship, but so is a woman. I believe it’s mostly to bring order into His church, to some extent what Herb suggested. I’m confident there is more to the “why” it rests solely with males that we will learn some day and I’m confident it will make sense when we do find out. (No, I don’t know when that will be, but maybe it’s a trial of our faith that will be addressed at the Judgment; probably at the same time we learn the real “why” behind plural marriage and other doctrines and practices that have proven to be troubling or even divisive.)

Jennifer, you know how much we love you and your family and it would break our hearts if you chose to go completely inactive. We plead with you to be patient. Maybe you feel your patience has been exhausted. But I see these recent “signs” as solid indicators that the Brethren are listening and trying to address them as best and as quickly as possible. 

Please consider reviewing again Elder Holland’s talk in the April 2013 Conference where he conceded there are things we don’t have answers for. But he gave this wonderful, relevant counsel: “…when those moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes…Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not!…Be as candid about your questions as you need to be; life is full of them on one subject or another. But if you and your family want to be healed, don’t let those questions stand in the way of faith working its miracle.”

I hope this is helpful. If you still want to meet, please let us know and we’ll be happy to schedule a time.

President Lewis

My personal missionary example

At the most recent Coordinating Council Meeting, our Area Seventy, Elder Stapleton, asked all stake presidents to send him an email about our personal missionary examples. Here is what I sent him on June 21, 2015:

Elder Stapleton,

First, a happy Father’s Day to you. Please know we love and sustain you in your calling and, though we are still getting acquainted, recognize you are a choice and chosen leader called of the Lord. We look forward to the blessing of having you visit our stake some day soon, we hope, and to be taught by you. 

My apologies for the delay in sending you this email, as requested, about my personal missionary example.

My wife Vivienne and I have been persistent in our prayers, setting dates to have someone taught in our home. We have gone through November 23, 2014, February 1, 2015, April 15, 2015, and June 1, 2015 without success; or at least having someone taught in our home.

The success, of course, has been the constancy in our prayers and keeping the joy of sharing the gospel in the forefront of our minds and hearts. We have had many wonderful experiences inviting friends, but so far no one has accepted our invitation. We have had friends, including pastors of other churches, in our home for dinner; on occasion with the missionaries present, but still no one taught in our home.

However, we are beginning to see a very encouraging sign that the Lord is working with a neighbor. 

At the end of our block lives a man and a woman, whom we’ve known for some time. Actually, we knew the man soon after moving to Oregon from Arizona in 1989. He was a member of the adjacent ward bishopric and some of his children were quite close friends with our children in school. Sadly, he and his wife got a divorce and he went inactive, eventually requesting his name be removed. We lost contact until about 10 years ago when he and his new wife, Lori, moved into our neighborhood.

Over the past 10 years we have tried to befriend them, even taking them to an Ensign Choir concert, but with little success in creating a deepening relationship. A turning point happened about six years ago when one of our sons, while in high school, one day saw Lori shoveling bark dust. On his own he went to help her. Needless to say, she was “won over” by the goodness of a teenager, who spontaneously jumped in to help.

Even with that, there was no significant progress until recently. A few months ago, my wife Vivienne invited Lori to attend her monthly book club meeting made up mostly of LDS women. That constant contact has deepened their friendship. Then the sister missionaries began to visit Lori (her husband Mike still keeps his distance). Just this past week, Lori happily responded to Vivienne’s invitation to attend Church (which she plans to do with us today) and suggested she would like to receive a Book of Mormon. A bit chagrined we hadn’t already given her one, we gladly presented her with her own copy two days ago.

It’s no coincidence, I’m sure, that our once-teenage son, who helped Lori years ago, is visiting us this week after he and his wife spent a year in Taiwan where he attended a language school before going on to his post-graduate studies. (He served a mission to Australia and came home speaking Mandarin, thanks to his many Chinese companions. He fell in love with the language and wants to teach Chinese at the college level.) 

We are very encouraged that Lori will accept our invitation soon to be taught the gospel in our home in answer to our prayers for just such a miracle.

We welcome your prayers that all of this will move forward favorably and the gift of the gospel will be introduced again to this wonderful couple.

Warmly,

Crismon Lewis

President, Mount Hood Stake