In response to President Paul Hansen, first counselor in the stake presidency, feelings about calling on leaders and members to bear testimony during quorum or group meetings

2 August 2016

Paul,

Thank you for sharing your feelings about having outgoing and incoming quorum leaders (and even members) share their testimonies during quorum meetings. You are a wonderful advocate for teaching doctrine and the gospel in quorum meetings…and making sure there is adequate time for instructors to teach. Thank you for speaking up on this subject often!

While I appreciate the importance of quorum instruction, too, I feel quite strongly about the importance of having quorum leaders and members bear testimony in the quorum or group meeting even at the expense of quorum instruction. For multiple reasons:

1) I want quorum members to hear the strength and depth of their quorum (group) leaders’ testimonies;

2) I want all to know that bearing of testimony is an important element of our discipleship and leadership, especially in the latter days;

3) I want quorum members to bear their testimonies because it has a way of helping those who sometimes sit back in ward testimony meetings to share their feelings, some for the first time in a long time;

4) I want the leaders to appreciate that the bearing of testimonies in the quorum setting creates unity.

The drawback, of course, is that we usually don’t have any lesson and the person, who prepared the lesson, feels slighted…for which I regret very much.

So going forward, will you please take the responsibility to make sure that when we know there is going to be a leadership change that the quorum or group leader and instructor know that the stake presidency may take up most, if not the entire, meeting time; that we plan to call on the outgoing and incoming leaders, and maybe some quorum members, to bear testimony? 

Feel free to assign this to the assigned high councilor. What I want to avoid is anyone’s feelings getting hurt because they prepared a lesson and didn’t have the opportunity to present it. So please help them be aware so they prepare a very short lesson, if possible, and know that there may not be time for any lesson at all.

Because of our schedule last Sunday, will you please plan to attend the High Priest Group in Estacada this Sunday and conduct a brief testimony meeting at the beginning of the Group meeting calling on the members of the outgoing Group leadership and then the incoming leadership to bear their testimonies. It will be an idea time for you to express again the stake presidencies gratitude. If you feel so directed, you may call on others in the Group to share their testimony. Please ask Brother Baird to prepare the lesson time accordingly. (I realize the Estacada HP meeting will end at the same time we go into the Tickle Creek HP reorganization. We are happy to excuse you from the TC meeting and give Brother Franklin or the new Group leader an opportunity to set apart one of the assistants.)

Please invite Brother James Anderson to attend with you and invite him, also, to share his testimony as a way for the Group to get acquainted with him. While you’re at it, please advise Bishop Hawkins of the HC assignment change that Bro Anderson is now replacing Bro Yates so he can properly recognize him in sacrament meeting this Sunday.

I realize this bearing of testimony during the quorum meeting is not a Handbook-approved “policy.” But, as you know, there are a number of policies and practices in our stake (and in most stakes, I assume) that are traditions or preferences, not Handbook-approved.

One that you’re very familiar with is the practice of bishopric members leaving the stand during the closing hymn to greet members at the door, which is now being practiced in at least two wards in our stake. 

While this is not Handbook-approved, I have not wanted to stop it because I want to give the bishops the flexibility to do what they feel appropriate to help them in their efforts to connect with ward members.

However, if a General Authority were to spend some time in our stake, I’m confident that this practice would be ended immediately for two reasons:

1) It causes the presiding authority to leave the stand, even though it’s only for a few minutes;

2) It sends a signal to members, especially children, that it’s OK to leave your seat during the meeting and go (what appears to be) outside the chapel.

I apologize for making this such an issue, but I sense you feel very strongly about the importance of not taking quorum-group meeting time for testimonies instead of gospel teaching. While I value your counsel tremendously, it’s important that you know I do not share your passion on this subject.

I will be happy to address this with you personally. And I hope that I have not offended you in the least. If so, please forgive me. You are a tremendous “right hand man” in the stake presidency and I appreciate very, very much the countless hours you put in to support me personally and to move forward the Lord’s work in our stake.

With love and gratitude for your continuing efforts to bless our stake,

Crismon