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