Thoughts on giving emphasis to the work of salvation in our stake

1 April 2019

Bishops and Branch Presidents,

The first paragraph of Handbook 2, Chapter 5 reads:

"Members of the Church of Jesus Christ are sent forth 'to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men' (Doctrine and Covenants 138:56). This work of salvation includes member missionary work, convert retention, activation of less-active members, temple and family history work, and teaching the gospel. The bishopric directs this work in the ward, assisted by other members of the ward council.”

I have felt a desire for our stake to find ways for more members—not just leaders—to become engaged in the Lord’s work of salvation, as described in Chapter 5. Furthermore, I have felt the Brethren are trying to focus us on two of the key areas of this work: (1) member missionary work and (2) temple and family history work.

Attached are several documents that may help that happen in your ward or branch:

• A 6-page letter that was delivered today by High Councilors to your Elders Quorum and Relief Society presidents;

• A 2-page list of ideas on how to help more members become engaged in member missionary work;

• A 1-page list of ideas on how to help more members become engaged in temple and family history work.

These are NOT directives, but helps on how elders quorum presidencies, with the assistance of Relief Society presidencies, can more effectively fulfill their new responsibility, delegated by you, to take the lead in the ward or branch efforts in (1) member missionary work, and (2) temple and family history work.

Thank you for giving this your consideration as you discuss this as a ward council. Feel free to share this with your ward or branch council.

President Lewis and the Stake Presidency

A Letter to Relief Society & Elders Quorum Presidents

Dear…Presidents Newell and Hansen (D), Presidents Richards and Bevers (E),

            Presidents Glazier and Ellinger (MH-YSA), Presidents Brown and Araya (P),

            Presidents Paxson and Krein (PV), Presidents Smith and Hokanson (SR),

            Presidents Howes and Stephenson (TC), and Presidents Hall and Ricker (WH)…

Thank you for the outstanding work all of you are doing to embrace the many changes we’ve seen in the past 12 months and for shouldering so much new responsibility as Relief Society (RS) and Elders Quorum (EQ) presidents.

This is going to be a little different message than what you normally receive from me. I’m going to share with you more background than I normally do, even some personal feelings. I hope you’ll find it helpful.

FEEL NO OBLIGATION

Before I say any more, let me establish at the outset that even though I’m sharing this with you as your stake president, I DO NOT WANT YOU TO FEEL OBLIGATED to implement what I’m about to tell you. If it resonates with you, then run with it. If it’s too ambitious, please know I won’t be offended if you choose otherwise.

Each of us is seeking the Lord’s will in our callings and I believe there can be multiple approaches to moving forward His work within the guidance we’ve received.

ARE THE BRETHREN TRYING TO FOCUS US?

Over the past six months, I have felt a desire for us to focus our efforts in two key areas of the work of salvation—for several reasons:

·      President Nelson declares often that we are “to help gather Israel on both sides of the veil.”

·      On October 6, 2018, in what I consider a landmark announcement, the Brethren issued a policy authorizing the bishop to delegate responsibility to the elders quorum president for missionary work and temple and family history work.

·      In that same announcement, the elders quorum president was authorized to delegate those assignments to his counselors and for the Relief Society to “follow the pattern of the elders quorum,” with counselors assigned to the same areas.

All of this said to me the Brethren want us to focus on those two key areas of the work of salvation: (1) member missionary work and (2) temple and family history work.

WRESTLING WITH QUESTIONS

As background, I confess that for the past six months I have wrestled with how do we effectively implement the many policy changes coming from the Brethren and keep a focus on the work of salvation as directed in Handbook 2, chapter 5?

For instance:

·      How do we raise the stature of your counselors to feel the full weight of their new responsibility and authority, if delegated by those holding priesthood keys—the bishop and elders quorum president?

·      How do we help more sisters take a leadership role in these two key areas, which in the past have been considered solely priesthood duties?

·      How do we help more members feel engaged, even assume a level of ownership, of these two key areas of the work of salvation?

·      How do we raise the stature of the “new” ward temple and family history leader as well as the ward mission leader—the latter possibly feeling he’s been  “demoted” when he was removed as a permanent member of the ward council?

·      How do we make committees that many of you have already created effective and sustainable so they lighten the load on your presidencies, just as the ward councils have lifted a load from the bishoprics so they can focus on the youth?

These questions, and more, were answered in my mind while watching the RootsTech 2019 Leadership Training broadcast on February 28 with Elders Bednar, Renlund and Stevenson, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

As you’ll recall they clarified, with more specifics than we’d seen before, how temple and family history work should be organized at the ward level. During that presentation, answers to my questions above came clearly to my mind as to how wards can focus on those two elements of the work of salvation so more members, possibly the entire ward, can become more engaged in one or both areas.

I immediately drafted what I saw in my mind and put it into the 4-page document, titled “Our Emphasis in the Work of Salvation,” which was delivered to you on March 3.

You likely noticed that I made a few deviations to what we saw in the Feb. 28 leadership presentation, which Elder Renlund suggested may be appropriate to do.

DEVIATIONS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

There were three major deviations that I felt would help us move forward the work even more effectively in our stake:

·      TWO WARD COMMITTEES: Under your direction and with the approval of the bishop and ward council, the elders quorum and the Relief Society would create a Ward Temple Family History Committee and a Ward Missionary Committee, each with members—possibly many members—from the Relief Society, the elders quorum and, with approval from the bishopric and parents, youth in the Young Men and Young Women programs.

·      COUNSELORS LEAD THE COMMITTEES: Both committees would be presided over by the elders quorum counselor (assisted by the Relief Society counselor), who would also conduct the committee meetings. The ward council would task both committees to develop a proposed ward plan consisting of no more than two or three targets or goals to accomplish that year.

·      IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN: The ward mission leader and the ward temple and family history leader would not oversee the committees nor conduct the committee meetings, but assume a role similar to an “executive director” to guide the implementation of the committee’s plan. These two leaders also would be responsible for conducting the regular coordination meetings—(1) the ward temple and family history leader meeting regularly with the ward temple and family history consultants and (2) the ward mission leader meeting weekly with the full-time and ward missionaries, as they do now.

How many would serve on these two committees? If it were practical, I wish every adult (and some youth) not in a major leadership calling would serve on one of these two committees so nearly every household is focused on one or both of these two areas of emphasis from the Brethren.

Of course, that’s not practical. But attached is a document describing how to make even a large committee effective in preparing and implementing a simple plan. Also attached are documents with ideas on how to involve members in both areas of emphasis that may be helpful in drafting or implementing each committee’s plan.

I realize this is ambitious. It goes beyond the guidance found in Handbook 2, chapter 5 (for instance, there is no reference to committees in the handbook). My hope is that it does not go beyond the spirit of the direction we’ve received from the Brethren and that it will be beneficial to you in your pondering and planning on how to fulfill your new responsibility (as delegated to you by the bishop or branch president) to oversee temple and family history work and member missionary work in your ward or branch.

President Lewis and the Stake Presidency

Making Even a Large Committee Effective

In 2018 when Melchizedek Priesthood holders were consolidated into one quorum and the Relief Society (RS) and Elders Quorum (EQ) began to coordinate ministering efforts, the creation of RS and EQ committees became a natural outgrowth.

Committees were encouraged because they: (1) help share the load of the RS and EQ presidencies; (2) allow more members to participate, even take ownership, in setting and meeting goals; (3) provide expanded opportunities for members to serve; and (4) give focus to the most important aspects of the work of salvation.

Committees can be effective and sustainable when they: (1) have a specific purpose or mission; (2) are led by those with authority; and (3) are accountable.

Therefore, the Mount Hood Stake Presidency makes the following recommendations with the hope that even more members will become engaged in the work of salvation (Handbook 2, Chapter 5) through a systematic approach to focusing our efforts.

TWO KEY COMMITTEES

If the Relief Society and Elders Quorum choose to organize committees, with approval of the bishop,we recommend that they give priority to creating two ward committees aligned with the two key elements of the work of salvation emphasized by the Brethren, namely Temple and Family History and Member Missionary. The committees would consist of members from the  Relief Society, elders quorum and, with the approval of the bishopric and parents, youth in the Young Men and Young Women.

We further recommend:

• Both committees be chaired by a counselor in the EQ presidency, assisted by a counselor in the RS presidency;

• The EQ counselor (assisted by the RS counselor) conducts regular committee meetings, maybe quarterly, and assign the ward temple and family history leader and ward mission leader to conduct the regular coordinating meetings as needed, preferably weekly for the missionary coordinating meeting, as they do now;

• The committee meetings are held at a time other than immediately after Sunday services and can be conducted in person or via teleconference (brief coordinating meetings may be held after Sunday services);
  
• The ward council, under the bishop’s direction, tasks the committees with: (1) creating a proposed ward (branch) plan and, once approved, (2) executing the plan.

COORDINATING MEETINGS

Using the approved plan as a guide and under the direction of the committee chair, the Ward Mission Leader (WML) and Ward Temple and Family History Leader (TFHL) should be    assigned to conduct more frequent coordinating meetings with a few key committee members, specifically ward and full-time missionaries with the WML; and ward temple and family history consultants with the TFHL.

HOW TO SIMPLIFY AND FOCUS A LARGE COMMITTEE

Involving as many members as possible in these two committees is a wonderful way to help more members take ownership of these two key areas of the work of salvation in the ward or branch. But a large committee also can be unwieldy and therefore ineffective.

Here is an idea on how to help a large committee to become effective:

• First, the committee drafts a plan, preferably a very simple plan with no more than two or  three targets or goals for the year;

• Second, they submit the plan to the bishop and ward council for approval;

• Once a plan is approved, they divide their committee into two or three smaller sub-committees each tasked with working on one element of the committee’s plan.

THE POWER OF SUB-COMMITTEES THAT MATCH THE PLAN

For instance, let’s say the Ward Missionary Committee comes up with the following Ward Mission Plan that is approved by the bishop and ward council:

1. Encourage all members to invite someone to quarterly Invitation Sundays in 2019.
2. Have a member participate in 80% of all lessons taught by the full-time missionaries.
3. Hold a quarterly activity for members to invite friends to attend with them.

Now that the Mission Plan is in place, the RS and EQ counselors organize two or three sub-committees—one for each of the three goals listed above.

For the theoretical Mission Plan above, for example, the sub-committees might be:

1. Invitation sub-committee
2. Lesson Support sub-committee
3. Activity sub-committee

The sub-committees would be tasked with creating their own, simple plan, such as:

1. Invitation sub-committee plan
1. Coordinate with the bishopric and then promote four Invitation Sundays in the year
2. Use the full-time and ward missionaries to encourage members and teach them how to invite their friends to attend worship services or an activity
3. Coordinate with the Activity sub-committee and encourage inviting friends to these events
   
2. Lesson Support sub-committee plan
1. Create a “pool” of members (especially ward missionaries) who are willing and able to attend missionary lessons and who could be called on fairly short notice at different times of the day
2. Teach members in this “pool” about their role as a member when attending a missionary lesson and how to help with the fellowshipping of the investigator

3. Activity sub-committee plan
1. Organize simple, maybe even small, gatherings—like a potluck in someone’s home—to which  members can invite friends to attend with them
2. Develop ideas for other organizations in the ward, like Primary or YMYW, on activities that are especially good for inviting friends to participate

Ideas for a Ward Temple and Family History Plan might include:

• Involving 10- and 11-year-old children in family history work
• Helping youth and new converts obtain limited-use recommends to attend the temple
• Encouraging members to enter 4 generations of their family tree on FamilySearch.org
• Inspiring members to attend the temple more often without establishing a quota
• Encouraging all members to download and use the Family Tree app

The sub-committees would meet as often as they feel is needed to accomplish their plan

Once sub-committees are functioning it means the overall committee only needs to meet occasionally (maybe quarterly or less). And committee meetings can be relatively brief—maybe as  brief as 30 minutes, long enough for each sub-committee to report progress on their part of the plan and to discuss any new directions or assignments the committee may want to consider.

In the end, working through these committees, the hope is that (1) we can involve more members than ever before in the work of salvation, (2) move forward the work with greater focus, and (3) yet not burden members with too many extra meetings.