In response to a request that 14 brothers and brothers-in-law are allowed to stand in the circle for baby Ivan Williams' blessing

Email to my son-in-law Bryan Williams

27 December 2017

Bryan,

We so look forward to your arrival this weekend. And we can’t wait to get acquainted with that half-grown man named Ivan! :) Thank you to you and Meredith for having so many children and blessing us in such a way.

Please remember to bring your current temple recommend and/or Recommend to Perform an Ordinance signed by your bishop. I have asked the Walters Hill Ward bishopric to request the ward clerk to have the paper work ready for you to take back to your ward in Hawaii validating the blessing so membership records can be updated.

Also, the bishopric requests that you arrive early to sacrament meeting (we start at 11:00 am) to arrange for the paper work to be completed.

I understand you still feel strongly about having all worthy Melchizedek Priesthood holders participate in baby Ivan’s blessing—14 or 15 brethren?

Please know I understand such a desire and your concern, I’m sure, that no one is offended or left out. But when we have a group that large it’s awkward to get that many men around the baby. In some ways it becomes a “side show” and detracts from the sacredness of the ordinance.

Will you please reconsider and have just a few family members invited to stand in the circle? Both the bishopric and myself feel strongly about this and ask that you let the others (brothers-in-law?) know they’re “brothers,” too but this is about a baby receiving a blessing--a sacred priesthood ordinance--not about how many worthy uncles the baby has.

I hope this doesn’t offend. But I want you to know how priesthood leaders here feel about this special occasion.

Thank you so much for blessing Ivan here so we, too, can participate by offering prayers of support, if not actually standing in the circle.

With much love and gratitude for your being such a great husband and dad,
Dad Lewis

Encouraging bishops to purchase gift subscriptions of Church magazines

28 December 2017

Bishops and Branch Presidents…

Nearly every unit is ending the year with surplus funds. We commend you for your frugality and wise use of the Lord’s funds.

For some (only 2-3 units), your surplus will be such that some of your surplus funds will revert back to the stake at year’s end to help further reduce the financial burden of summer camps on families in your ward and branch. Thank you for blessing them in this way!

Here’s another idea that may be worth considering, but you’ll need to act quickly.

While the Church magazines are free to read online, there are many (especially older members) who still do not use the Internet to access Church materials. We urge you to consider purchasing  gift subscriptions for adults (Ensign), youth (New Era) and children (Friend), such as…

…new converts this year;

…active youth and children where parents are not members or not active;

…older members on fixed incomes.

Obviously, the best option is to encourage home and visiting teachers to purchase gift subscriptions for those they watch over, but in the interest of time (i.e. use your surplus before it reverts to the stake on Dec 31) you may want to purchase gift subscriptions now before the end of the year. We do NOT recommend purchasing subscriptions for every ward member, but only those you feel confident are not receiving the magazines and are not accessing them online. (Unfortunately we are unable to obtain a list of Church magazine subscribers in our stake.)

The annual price for each magazine is very affordable: $10 for Ensign, $8 for New Era and $8 for the Friend.

To order a gift subscription, you can call the Church’s Global Service Center at 800-537-5971 Ext. “1" and then “2” between 7a - 7p PT on weekdays and 7a - 3p PT on Saturdays. If you have your unit number, they will automatically charge your account—no need to send a check.

Or place an order online at https://store.lds.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category3_715839595_10557_3074457345616706253_-1___#tab3

This can be such a wonderful gift and a blessing to those special members, who need an extra contact from the Church.

Thank you for giving this your consideration.

The Stake Presidency

Announcing New 2018 Budget Allocation Policy

22 December 2017

TO: All Bishops and Branch Presidents

FROM: The Stake Presidency, Mount Hood Oregon Stake

Dear Brethren,

Thank you for your faithful service and attention to spending the Lord’s funds wisely. We apologize for the delay in announcing your budget allocations for 2018.

As you know, our budget allocation from Church headquarters is based on sacrament meeting attendance.  We receive for operating expenses $12 per person per quarter based for each person we record in the Quarterly Report attending sacrament meeting.

SACRAMENT MEETING ATTENDANCE

Our combined sacrament meeting attendance for our stake has gone from 1,173 in 2013 to 1,042 in 2017 — roughly a 7% decline in four years. Some of that can be attributed to move-outs, but the stake’s total membership has only dropped from 2,821 in Sept. 2013 to 2,730 in Sept. 2017—a 3% decline.

We’ve also had a decline in the percentage of members who attend sacrament meeting—from 43% in 2013 to 39% in 2017. So the revenue we receive from Church headquarters has been affected by declining numbers in both membership totals and percentage of attendance.

Still, thanks to the no-fundraising miracle, our allocation from Salt Lake City continues to provide all we need—and more!

CHANGES TO YOUR 2018 BUDGET ALLOCATION

In consequence of the above, there will be two changes to the 2018 allocations:

·   We are raising the share that wards and branches receive of the total revenue from 50% to 60% in hopes of minimizing the impact declining allocations may have on your individual budgets in 2018.

·   Your allocation will now fluctuate each quarter based on your sacrament meeting attendance. In the past you were allocated a set amount for the entire year then when divided by four you received the same amount each quarter.

Obviously, that made it easy for you to budget—you knew far in advance exactly how much to expect in your checking account each quarter. It will also be easy with the new policy to calculate your next allocation in advance. Simply take your sacrament meeting attendance and multiply it by $7.20 (60% of the $12/person) and that is what you can expect in the following—not next—quarterly allocation.

BENEFITS TO WARDS AND BRANCHES

Because our sacrament meeting attendance is changing enough, we feel there may be benefits in having each of you monitor the fluctuations in sacrament meeting attendance and see the impact on your budget allocation more immediately.

For instance, it may help you:

·   Emphasize with your ward or branch council the importance of planning and training to improve the quality of sacrament meeting speakers and music;

·   Ensure your clerks take an accurate count each Sunday;

·   Give your ward leaders an added reason to invite, accompany and fellowship investigators and less-active members to sacrament meeting.

HOW IT WILL AFFECT YOUR WARD OR BRANCH

In a second email you will receive an attached document with specific details about your 2018 budget allocation, including:

·   Sacrament meeting attendance totals for your ward or branch over the past four quarters.

·   Total budget allocation or revenue you actually received in 2017.

·   Total allocation you would have received in 2017 using the formula from the new 2018 Allocation Policy.

Most of you will notice that the new policy does not dramatically affect your ward or branch budget. In fact, the difference from the total you received in 2017 and what you would receive in 2018, if attendance remains the same, averages less than $250 (for the entire year) across the wards in our stake. Plus, you will still retain your 2017 surpluses up to 50% of your 2017 allocation.

Even with these adjustments, we still feel strongly that one of the best uses of these sacred funds is to reduce (and simplify) the financial burden of youth summer camps on families—as per the Handbook. In fact, we will announce in January yet another decrease in the family contribution fees, to be subsidized by 2017 surpluses and our own efforts to reduce and simplify the 2018 stake budget.

The miracle continues even when we are called on to tighten our belts.

Another follow-up email regarding Ezra Smith

12 December 2017

Dear (names of parents),

Thank you for your continuing efforts to help your son (name) in a very difficult situation. We appreciate very much his willingness to be totally forthright with you and to fully repent. As you know, repentance is a process that takes time, especially when deceit and sin have spanned years.

We especially appreciate you taking the time to help him on this difficult, but worthwhile, journey to full and complete forgiveness so he can go forward in life with a clear conscience and the guidance of the Spirit.

In our most recent phone conversation, you suggested that he is stagnant (or “lost”) here in Oregon and the best thing that could happen is for him to go off to school, specifically BYU where he would be in such an uplifting and spiritual environment. I agreed with you…once local priesthood leaders can issue him an ecclesiastical endorsement.

I’ve since learned that he is hoping to enroll at one of the BYU schools as early as winter term (early January). While that would be wonderful, I need to explain that it is not realistic. As you’re well aware, only students with an ecclesiastical endorsement can be considered. Both President Westover and myself do not feel comfortable in giving him such an endorsement so quickly. 

We hope that he will take seriously the charge he has received to become more engaged and diligent in daily scripture study, daily prayers, journal writing, Addiction Recovery study, Institute class attendance, etc. Use of his idle time and personal worthiness become very important in determining where he is going in his daily “walk with the Lord.” Until he demonstrates that he’s serious about walking that path, we cannot remove his informal probation thus precluding him from applying to a Church school.

We look forward to him working very closely with both of you, demonstrating faithfulness and accountability, and meeting regularly with President Westover and myself so we can consider him for an ecclesiastical endorsement around the end of January with the intent he would apply for spring semester before Feb 1. It will depend totally on him and his efforts as to whether his informal probation can be lifted at that time.

We wholly concur with you that there is wisdom in getting him into higher education as soon as possible so he’s on a productive path. You may want to consider MHCC or even Utah Valley University in Orem. We, of course, would prefer to have him nearby where we can all continue to work with him, but we certainly respect your decision.

I hope this is helpful in clarifying where his priesthood leaders stand. If I suggested anything otherwise in our phone conversation, please forgive me.

We love you and your family and are honored to work with you in helping your son return to full fellowship in the Church and living the gospel.

President Lewis

Additional Guidance on 3rd Hour Adult Classes

12 December 2017

TO: Bishoprics, Branch Presidencies and Ward Councils

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As we all prepare for the exciting new teaching plans for the 3rd Hour Adult Classes beginning in 2018, we offer this additional guidance:

1. SELECTING TOPICS: We remind you that topics for the First Sunday Council Meetings are to be recommended by the Ward Council, but selected by the ward Relief Society presidency and priesthood quorum/group leaders. It’s an another example of how the Brethren continue to place the responsibility to those leaders closest to the members and their concerns for deciding which topics will “help meet the needs of the ward or branch. Priesthood and Relief Society leaders can decide when and how their organizations will address these needs.” (p. 135, November Ensign)

• The same applies for the 2nd and 3rd Sundays when messages from the most recent General Conference are to be discussed. “On occasion…the bishop or stake president” will recommend messages to be discussed. (p. 138, November Ensign)

• The 4th Sunday discussions will be topics selected by the First Presidency (for instance, the topic for the first part of 2018 is the Sabbath Day; see p. 144 in the November Ensign).

• The 5th Sunday discussions will be topics selected by the Bishopric or Branch Presidency.

2. WHEN THERE’S NO FIRST SUNDAY: On occasion, such as for General Conference, there are no block meetings on the 1st Sunday of the month. Or some times there is a conflict on one of the other Sundays in the month, such as the upcoming stake conference broadcast on Jan. 28, 2018. 

We leave it to the discretion of the bishopric or branch presidency, in consultation with the ward or branch council, to decide if a First Sunday Council Meeting needs to be conducted or not. It is not required that the First Sunday Council Meeting be conducted on that month’s Fast Sunday (or any Sunday, for that matter). The same applies to other Sundays that may have a scheduling conflict.

In short, we trust ward and branch leaders’ judgement as to which discussion should be conducted on any given Sunday in the adult classes.

3. EXTRA MAGAZINES FOR THE 3rd HOUR DISCUSSIONS: Because the most recent General Conference talks will become the “manuals” for much of the 3rd Hour instruction, the stake has ordered 20 extra copies of the November 2017 edition of the Ensign magazine with the Conference talks for each ward (5 for each branch) for the few members who may not have a subscription or access to the talks on their mobile device. We will deliver the magazines to you within the coming week to use as you choose. We hope it’s helpful, but may not be needed.

In the future, if you decide to order extra copies of the May or November Ensign magazine, you can place the order online or call the Global Service Center, anytime between 7a and 7p on weekdays and 7a - 3p on Saturdays, at 1-800–537-5971. Hit “1” for English then “2” for magazines. Single editions cost $1 each.

We hope the above is helpful. 

Bishops and Branch Presidents, please forward this email to your ward/branch council members.

Thank you,

The Stake Presidency

An assignment to prepare adult classes and quorums for the new First Sunday council meetings

8 December 2017

Sister Anderson and President Hansen…

Last night I met with two High Priest Group Leaders in our stake. I came away a little concerned that they may not have received the email below sent to bishops earlier and as a consequence they’re feeling a little nervous about how to effectively conduct a council meeting with their class or quorum members on Jan. 7.

Will you please accept the following assignment:

• Sister Anderson, personally contact all of the ward RS presidents, and President Hansen, personally contact all of the HP Group Leaders and EQ presidents…by Wednesday, Dec 27. Personally means you can contact them by phone, face-to-face or email. 

• Please ask them the following questions:

1. Have they introduced to their respective organization the concept of the class or quorum/group becoming a council on the First Sunday? If not, when do they plan to do so?

2. Have they selected a topic for their first council meeting on Jan. 7? If not, do they need help in formulating a question they can share with their organization’s members the week before the council meeting? (point them to the list of questions on the backside of the attached document or to the list found on page 140 of the November Ensign)

3. Would they like training on how to facilitate a council discussion? If so, have they reviewed the instructions in the November Ensign magazine and the attached document sent to bishops and branch presidents last month?

4. Are they aware of the following keys to conducting an effective council meeting?

• Put the class or quorum/group in a circle or semi-circle so everyone is facing each other (you may want to set up a mock classroom a week or more in advance to see how you can do this logistically so everyone can be involved).

• Have you reviewed some of the videos found on the 23 Teaching Tips below? Have you ever invited a class to "pair-share" as the ideal way to help everyone participate in the discussion or to prevent one or two vocal persons from dominating the discussion? Can we help teach you how to conduct a pair-share?

• Have you discussed with your organization’s leadership how to help the class or quorum/group arrive at solutions or ideas to the challenge presented at the beginning so all in attendance can be invited to act upon guidance from the Holy Ghost in their personal life?

5. Do they have any concerns about the 4th Sunday discussion to be conducted on observing the Sabbath Day until April or May, as explained on page 144 of the November Ensign?

I know this is asking a lot during a very busy time. You may use counselors or high councilors to conduct this survey. Please report back by Wednesday, Dec. 27, on the status of each ward or branch's Relief Society and Melchizedek Priesthood quorums and their plans and preparation for their first council meeting on Jan 7.

Gratefully,

President Lewis

P.S. I am also copying this to President Malan so he can also solicit the assistance of ward/branch Sunday School presidents to follow up with the leadership of the three adult classes in each ward or branch and offer their assistance and training in this wonderful effort to teach members how to use a council to problem solve and respond to the Spirit’s guidance in our personal lives.