Proposed Message to Parents on how to more effectively teach their children and prepare them to receive the gospel ordinances

13 October 2018

Dear Parents of the Mount Hood Oregon Stake,

In the beginning God commanded parents to teach their children the gospel of Jesus Christ (see Moses 5:12). It is a commandment that is integral to the Lord’s Plan and has never been rescinded (see Deut. 6:7, 11:19; 3 Nephi 18:21, D&C 68:25-31).

We commend all who have accepted this sacred responsibility to teach their children the gospel in the home. Prophets have declared there is no other work more important.

The Church’s role, as explained in Handbook 2:1.1.5, is to assist parents or guardians in two ways: (1) provide guidance on gospel instruction in the home; and (2) provide priesthood ordinances so children can make and keep sacred and binding covenants.

The parents’ role is “to bring them (their children)” (D&C 20:70) to priesthood leaders prepared to receive the saving ordinances and enjoy all the blessings of the gospel (see Handbook 2:1.3.1).

In consequence of this direction, the Stake Presidency asks all parents in our stake to strengthen the rising generation in the following ways:

· PREPARE TO MAKE COVENANTS: Take responsibility in the home of preparing children for the key ordinances and milestone events in each of your children’s spiritual journey, including baptism, entering the Young Women program, priesthood ordinations, making temple covenants, and serving a full-time mission, if called.

· DEVELOP A SERVING HEART: Above the worthy pursuits of sports, music, drama, dance, etc., is helping children develop this divine quality: a love for service by encouraging them to serve in the home, perform community service, share the gospel with friends, actively participate in ministering opportunities, and become engaged in temple and family history work as well as in classroom instruction at church.

Attached are some suggestions on how to help the rising generation prepare for these ordinances and milestone events. Please counsel together as a family on how to fulfill this guidance and receive all the blessings of “children of the covenant” (3 Nephi 20:26).

With love and admiration,

The Stake Presidency

Suggestions for Strengthening the Family

Ideas on how everyone can help strengthen the rising generation

PARENTS / GUARDIANS:

·    Be an example by living the gospel in the home.

·    Teach children the essential doctrines of the gospel found in Chapter 3 of Preach My Gospel.

·    Help children apply the doctrines and repent as needed so they can enjoy the blessings of the gospel throughout their lives.

·    Consistently hold daily family prayer and family scripture study.

·    Provide opportunities for all family members to bear their testimonies in the home.

·    Teach children to have daily prayer and personal scripture study.

·    Counsel regularly with the bishop on what he expects of you to prepare your children for
(1) baptism, (2) receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, (3) be ordained in the priesthood or advance in the Young Women program, (4) make temple covenants and (5) serve a mission.

·    Seek the Lord’s guidance on what more He wants you to do to prepare each of your children to enjoy all the blessings of the gospel and to receive eternal life.

YOUTH AND CHILDREN:

·    Allow your parents/guardians to teach you.

·    Listen to their counsel and follow their righteous example.

·    Be supportive of family prayer, family scripture study and Family Home Evening.

·    Establish your own righteous routines of daily personal prayer and scripture study.

·    Receive a patriarchal blessing.

·    When in high school, consistently participate in Seminary.

·    Seek the Lord’s guidance daily in how to serve and bless others.

·    Participate in family history research and temple ordinances.

GRANDPARENTS AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS:

·    Set a righteous example for all in your family.

·    When you can, serve in the temple and/or serve a support or service mission.

·    Fast and pray for family members.

·    Continue to hold family and/or personal prayer and scripture study.

·    Where possible, bear your testimony often to your family.

·    Guide or assist your family in temple and family history work.

CHURCH LEADERS

·    Encourage family members in their responsibilities to strengthen the rising generation.

·    Where children are not being taught the gospel in the home, assign ministering brothers, sisters or couples to assist in that effort with the parents’ or guardians’ permission.

·    Use the classroom to support parents’ efforts to teach the gospel in the home.

·    Counsel regularly with parents on what more Church leaders and teachers can do to support their efforts to bless and help their children prepare for ordinances and milestone events.

What Parents Can Teach to Prepare

Children to Receive Gospel Ordinances

Here are some teachings and resources parents can use to prepare their children during the 12 months before they reach the age to receive the saving ordinances and enjoy milestone events.

We remind parents these teachings should not require additional meetings, but are best shared in Family Home Evening with all family members.

PREPARING FOR BAPTISM

·    Why does the Lord require us to be baptized by immersion? (D&C 20:10)

·    What is the baptismal covenant? (D&C 20:75, Mosiah 18:8-10)

·    What are ordinances and covenants? (Preach My Gospel, pp. 12, 13)

·    What does it mean to be accountable for our sins? (D&C 29:10)

·    What does it mean to repent and how can the Gift of the Holy Ghost help us? (2 Nephi 31:2)

Additional Resources: Preach My Gospel, chapter 12 • “Helping Children Prepare for Baptism,” Ensign, April 2013 • “I Can Prepare for Baptism,” Lesson 12, Primary manual available online • search on www.lds.org for “Prepare children for baptism”

PREPARING FOR ORDINATION TO THE AARONIC PRIESTHOOD

·      Review regularly together the “Faith in God” booklet for boys

·      How was the Aaronic Priesthood restored? (D&C 13; 107:20; JSH 1:68-73)

·      What are the duties of a Deacon in the Aaronic Priesthood? (D&C 20:57-60)

·      What does it mean to do your duty? (“Faith in God,” Fulfilling My Duty to God: For Aaronic Priesthood Holders, page 7)

·      What are the expectations of a new Deacon? (visit with Deacons Quorum Presidency)

·      Why is education so important and how can it prepare you for your future? (D&C 88:77-80; 88:118; 130:19)

·      What is the difference between power and authority of the Priesthood? (search www.lds.org )

Additional Resources: True to the Faith: Aaronic Priesthood • search www.lds.org for “Aaronic Priesthood” • search for “Aaronic Priesthood Leader Traiing” • For the Strength of Youth

PREPARING TO ENTER THE YOUNG WOMEN’S PROGRAM

·      Study the Articles of Faith and identify how each can be applied in your life

·      Invite the Beehive Class presidency to your home to explain the purpose and importance of the YW program

·      Write in your journal how you can “stand for truth and righteousness”

·      Discuss with your family how education will prepare you for your future (D&C 88:77-80; 130:19)

·      Review the Family Proclamation and discuss ways youth can strengthen the family

·      Memorize the Young Women Theme and discuss the values

Additional Resources: True to the Faith: Young Women • search www.lds.org for “Young Women” • For the Strength of Youth • video in LDS Media Library titled “A Bright Light for Generations”

PREPARING TO BE ORDAINED TO THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD

·    What is the difference between the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood? (D&C 107:1-20)

·    What are keys of the priesthood and what is their purpose? (Handbook 2:2.1.1)

·    What is the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood? (D&C 84:33-44)

·    What are the duties of an elder and the purposes of a quorum? (D&C 20:42-45; 124:137)

·    What is the purpose of ordinances and blessings and how are they to be performed? (Handbook 2:2.1.2; Handbook 2: Chapter 20)

Additional Resources: Gospel Principles, Chapters 13-14 • True to the Faith, “Melchizedek Priesthood” • Handbook 2: Chapter 7, “Melchizedek Priesthood” • Gospel Topics on www.lds.org, “Priesthood” and “Melchizedek Priesthood”

PREPARING TO MAKE COVENANTS IN THE TEMPLE

·    What is the Plan of Salvation and how do we fit in? (Preach My Gospel, Section 3, Lesson 2)

·    Why is there a standard of worthiness to enter the temple? (1 Nephi 10:21)

·    What are the worthiness requirements? (Endowed From On High, chapter 2)

·    What is the Work of Salvation and how does the temple fit in? (Handbook 2:5.4)

·    What are the blessings of making temple covenants? (Endowed From On High, chapter 3)

·    Why does the Lord use ordinances and covenants? (Endowed From On High, chapter 4)

·    What role does symbolism play in temple ordinances? (Endowed From On High, chapter 5)

·    How do we best prepare to enter the temple? (Endowed From On High, chapter 6)

·    How do we gain the most out of our temple experience? (Endowed From On High, chapter 7)

Additional Resources: Preparing to Enter the Holy Temple booklet • For the Strength of Youth • www.lds.org/temples • “Preparing to Enter the House of the Lord,” by Elder Kent F. Richards, Ensign, July 2015; “Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings,” by President Russell M. Nelson, April 2001 General Conference

PREPARING TO SERVE A MISSION, IF CALLED

·      Why does the Lord need missionaries? (2 Nephi 2:8)

·      What are the purposes of teaching missionaries? (PMG, Chapter 1; D&C 123:12)

·      What does it mean to teach by the Spirit? (PMG, p3)

·      What are characteristics of effective missionaries? (Alma 17:3, 9; D&C 35:13-14)

·      Why are missionaries endowed in the temple before they depart? (D&C 109:22)

Additional Resources: Preach My Gospel; Missionary Portal at www.missionary.lds.org • www.lds.org/callings/missionary, especially Frequently Asked Questions and Manuals

Message to our children to review the stake presidency's proposed document on needing parents to teach their children

Dear family (our children and sons-and-daughters-in-law, all of whom we love as our own),

Using the “One Coordinated Effort” video found on www.lds.org under Effective Ministering, our stake presidency has tried over the past six months to encourage ward EQ and RS presidencies to assume more responsibility—including missionary work, teaching the gospel and temple and family history—in order to shift that load from the bishopric so they can focus on the youth and their families (a direction we have felt come from the Brethren).

Now we want to give the bishops a tool to work with parents of all children to teach them how to assume more responsibility for teaching the gospel to their children in the home—especially in preparing their children to receive the saving gospel ordinances.

As a stake presidency, we have drafted the attached four-page document that we are planning to give to bishops during our stake conference training the weekend after General Conference (Oct 13-14). We will ask bishops to personally present this document (or a variation of it) to ALL parents in their wards with an explanation of how strongly the stake presidency feels that we need parents to step up if we’re going to prepare, in some cases rescue, the rising generation.

Because all of you are amazing parents (or parents-to-be), in my opinion, would you be a sounding board for this often-apprehensive priesthood leader before we move forward?

How would you react if you received this document from your bishop?

Would you feel overwhelmed or guilty?

Would you want to follow this counsel or would you feel burdened by it?

I hope it’s not too much to ask of you during these busy days to review this. I’ll take whatever feedback you can give me. I welcome your candid feelings. 

Please know how much I love all of you, admire you so much and consider you the most amazing parents on the planet. Wish we could clone all of you and move you into our stake…or better yet, just move you into our stake! :)

With the deepest of love and gratitude for your marvelous examples of faithfulness,

Dad Lewis

An idea for bringing the Spirit into a Testimony Meeting

Bishops and Branch Presidents…

We have a daughter and family who live in Maryland. Her ward has a relatively new bishop. He did something in their Testimony meeting last Sunday that I had never considered, but thought it was an idea worth passing along.

Feel NO obligation to do this, but wanted you to know that while the guidelines for sacrament meeting are appropriately very confining, there’s still room to think outside the proverbial box.

Apparently, in the Testimony Meeting, the bishop, who was conducting did the following:

1. When he announced the sacrament hymn, “I Stand All Amazed,” he also announced that they would sing the 2nd and 3rd verses without accompaniment (a cappella). Our daughter said it really helped focus the congregation on the lyrics.

2. Then after he bore his testimony of the Savior’s love in his own life, to start the testimony portion of the meeting, he asked everyone to turn to a neighbor or someone sitting in the pew to the side or behind and share back and forth in just one minute “How have you seen the Savior’s love bless your life?" He cautioned: “We must be very quiet. Please use your temple voice” 

Our daughter said it was not only a sweet, tender, sprit-filled moment, but the testimonies that followed during the meeting were all focused on the Savior.

Again, feel NO obligation to do this, but I was so impressed by this bishop’s approach, within the Handbook guidelines, to bring the Spirit into his ward’s Testimony meeting that I thought I would share.

Thank you, all of you, for what you’re doing to lift and bless the members of your ward spiritually each Sunday in sacrament meeting.

Gratefully,

President Lewis

P.S. By the way, Vivienne and I recently attended the sacrament meeting of another daughter’s ward (in Utah) where the speaker (apparently a “popular” knowledgeable Sunday school teacher and she knew it) spoke in sacrament meeting. She brought a teaching object into the sacrament meeting and interacted with the congregation like it was a classroom. In my opinion, it detracted from the spirit of the meeting not enhanced. Her husband then spoke and he had lots of stories to tell, finally closing his talk 20 minutes after the hour. 

The handbook guidelines are very important and I’m not suggesting that we should go outside that "box.” 

An apology to the Stake Primary leaders

20 September 2018

Dear Sister Thomas and Others,

I am writing to ask your forgiveness.

My feelings got carried away in my earlier email and, after some sleepless hours last night, I realize, in essence, I had “publicly” (i.e. those who were copied on this email chain) scolded our Stake Primary President, for which I deeply regret. There is no justification for such action on my part as I am reminded in D&C 121:41-42.

The contention that I allowed or even created will dampen the Spirit in our conference more than any of the concerns that I expressed toward the music and preparation of the music for our general session. We dearly need the Spirit at stake conference and that begins with me. Will you please forgive me for being so insensitive and know how grateful I am for the many efforts by you and your wonderful Stake Primary leaders to please this  sometimes-hard-to-please stake president and to bless the children and their parents in our upcoming stake conference?

With sincere gratitude for your patience with me,

President Lewis

In response to the Stake Primary President about a children's choir in stake conference

19 September 2018

Sister (Stake Primary President),

Thank you very much for being flexible. I’m sorry it took me so long to give direction as to the theme of the meeting.

Actually, the theme for the general session, at which the children will sing, is Temple and Family History. The two songs “Families Can Be Together Forever” and “I Love to See the Temple” are both written from the child’s perspective and I had a deep desire for the parents of the stake to hear their children sing those messages to them.

The song “The Family Is of God” is also a beautiful tune with a powerful message from the child’s perspective. 

We really don’t have room in the program for three numbers by the choir, so if you feel strongly about wanting to sing “The Family is of God,” then we’ll have that as the special number after the stake business and we’ll ask Brother Jones to have the congregation sing “Families Can Be Together Forever” as our stand-up intermediate hymn. “I Love to See the Temple” by the choir will be the closing song.

Another option is to have the children sing “The Family is of God” right after the organ prelude and right before the start of the meeting as a way of quieting the congregation and preparing us for the meeting.

May I express again my concern that we don’t have very many rehearsals with a children’s choir? We have been reminded by the Brethren that when we schedule a child, we schedule a family. We want the choir to sound good, but these are songs the children are very familiar with and the quality (spirit) of their performance will not come because of multiple rehearsals, but because Heaven will be with them. And that comes from obedience.

Please, will you schedule only two more rehearsals with the children (plus one brief rehearsal right before the start of the general session on Sunday morning)?

Thank you for organizing this Primary choir. It will be a true blessing to our stake at conference.

Gratefully,

President Lewis

Mount Hood Stake's 2018 Self-Reliance Initiative and Direction Going Forward

18 September 2018

Bishops and Stake Leaders,

Thank you very much for your support of the Self-Reliance Initiative introduced in your ward or branch last Sunday.

The response has been wonderful as you can see by the report below from President Hansen and Brother Damion Rich, our stake Self-Reliance Specialist. We give a special thanks to them and to all on the Stake Self-Reliance Committee (including Bishop Hulet and Nancy Jones, of the Stake Relief Society presidency).

We realize there will be some attrition as busy lives crowd in, but please know how strongly we feel this emphasis will bring strength—especially spiritual strength—into the lives of the members of your ward or branch. 

You’ll remember President Nelson’s declaration in April Conference: “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting and constant influence of the Holy Ghost…I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity…” 

To this end, we feel the Self-Reliance Initiative is one of the most effective tools available to us that can have a measurable impact on the spiritual  lives of those in our stake. 

Your participation, monitoring and encouragement is greatly appreciated.

We welcome your counsel on what more we can do to give emphasis to this effort as we encourage all members to participate in a Self-Reliance group in the coming months.

Gratefully,

President Lewis

Message in support of Oregon Portland Mission's new policy about missionary dinner appointments

Dear Mount Hood Stake Members,

You have likely heard that dinner appointments will no longer be scheduled with the full-time missionaries on Mondays through Fridays.

While we will miss this blessing of feeding the missionaries on weekdays, we support very much this new direction from the Oregon Portland Mission leadership for two reasons:

1. Missionaries will now be able to make more contacts during the time (between 5:00 and 7:00 pm) when more people are at home;

2. Missionaries will be able to visit more members' homes during the evening hours to deliver a brief, faith-building message rather than spend an entire hour over dinner in only one home.

When will the missionaries eat dinner? They will prepare their own meal each day at 4:00 pm. We hope all of us will invite the missionaries to visit our homes during the evening hours and receive a brief message from them. Then we can send them home with a casserole or another dish that they can prepare easily the next afternoon or freeze for later.

By the way, the missionaries are available for lunch, but only for 30 minutes.

May we all appreciate that this sacrifice by these wonderful young elders and sisters is a way for them to express their faith in the Lord that He will help them find even more people to teach.

The missionaries are also asking the ward or branch council to schedule a fast for missionary work in each ward or branch. We strongly support this opportunity.

Please join with us in this worthy effort to help our friends and neighbors reap the joy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives.

With love and gratitude for your faithfulness,

The Stake Presidency

Announcing that the Pioneer Branch will overlap with the Walters Hill Ward in 2019

19 September 2018

Brethren,

As you’re aware, there was some discussion as to the Pioneer Branch’s preferred start time in 2019 and with which ward they would share a meeting block?

After discussing at length a variety of proposals, it’s been decided that the best alternative is for the Pioneer Branch to remain at 9:00 am and to match up with whichever ward is scheduled for that time slot.

In other words, in 2019 the Pioneer Branch will continue to meet in the Relief Society room for sacrament meeting and overlap with the Walters Hill Ward Primary, YMYW and youth Sunday School classes during the 2nd and 3rd hours. The Pioneer Branch will continue to hold their own Spanish gospel doctrine and gospel principles classes. We appreciate very much the Walters Hill Ward auxiliaries accepting the addition of new members. If the change were happening right now, there is the potential of adding 9 Primary children, 4 YW and 2 YM (not all are fully active, but attending occasionally).

As we get closer to the end of 2018, the Pioneer Branch Presidency will please coordinate with the Walters Hill Ward bishopric and ward council on the actual numbers and the names of each young person who will be going into the WH auxiliary organizations.

Thank you so much to all of you for your willingness to accommodate the Pioneer Branch as it continues to grow under the very able direction of President Ibarra and Brother Garrison.

Gratefully,

The Stake Presidency

Finding a time and place for the Pioneer (Spanish) Branch to meet

Presidente Ibarra,

As we discussed earlier, will you please counsel with your branch leadership as to your preferred future meeting times and places for 2019 and possibly 2020?

The options are:

1. CONTINUE AS IS FOR ONE MORE YEAR: Remain with the Damascus Ward and meet again for one more year at 9:00 am with the branch meeting in the Relief Society room, as you’re currently doing (asking the Walters Hill Ward to move to the 11:00 am time slot rather than the 9:00 am time, as they’re expecting to do in January).

2. MEET WITH WALTERS HILL: Continue the meeting rotation as scheduled and have the Pioneer Branch overlap with the Walters Hill Ward; continuing to hold sacrament meeting in the Relief Society room at 9:00 am.

3. MOVE TO ESTACADA: Move to the Estacada building and overlap with the Estacada Ward’s 2nd and 3rd hours and then hold the Pioneer Branch sacrament meeting in the chapel at 1:00 pm. (The Estacada Ward currently begins at 10:00 am each Sunday. One variation is to have the Estacada Ward meet at 9:00 am so your sacrament meeting would begin at 12:00 noon, if preferred.)

One additional option is to have the Pioneer Branch move with the Damascus Ward with the block meetings beginning at 11:00 am but it would require finding another room in the stake center for either the branch to hold sacrament meeting or for the WH Relief Society to hold their 3rd hour meeting—either would create a major challenge.

We look forward to hearing back soon as to your branch leaders’ feelings on the above…or with any additional recommendations.

Gratefully,

The Stake Presidency

Email to Richard Pedersen about on our stake's plan to encourage all adults to participate in the Self-Reliance Personal Finances course

Hello, my friend…

First, let me say your presentation was TERRIFIC! It was a great idea to bring in your missionary “reinforcements.” All of you did an outstanding job!

As to your question, I felt you explained very well as to how the Self-Reliance Initiative can work into our ministering efforts. The ongoing survey results are also extremely compelling.

One of the draw backs you’re facing is that everyone is trying to tie their program or initiative into ministering right now. For instance, at the request of the mission president, we conducted a special meeting inJune with all Ward Council members, full-time missionaries and the mission president in trying to emphasize the importance of engaging the full-time missionaries in our ministering (you’d think it would be a natural thing to use these “set apart ministers,” but they’re often overlooked). Furthermore, we tried to encourage EQ and RS presidents to assume more leadership for the ward missionary work in conjunction with the Ward Mission Leader.

The feedback from the meeting was, in short, it’s too much! "We’re still trying to get our arms around this and you’re already placing more layers onto the ministering program.”

So you’re definitely on the right track, but candidly you’re competing with a lot of other similar voices.

I wasn’t going to say anything to you until we’ve tried it, but we’re still VERY committed to Self-Reliance in our stake, even though our numbers after the first round have not been impressive. We’re rolling out a variation of the Self-Reliance Initiative next month with an emphasis to ask every adult in our stake to take the Personal Finances course.

The two documents attached will give you an overview of what we hope to do. We, of course, don’t know if it’ll work (hence I didn’t want to tell you about it until we’ve tried), but our hope is that more members in our stake will participate and catch the vision of how Self-Reliance can make a difference. 

The statistics you’ve shared with us are so compelling, like you said in our meeting, there’s absolutely nothing we’re doing in the Church right now that has generated this kind of change in the lives of people. So we’re "going for broke" to see if we can change the attitude about Self-Reliance in our stake. We hope it’s not wrong to vary the program a little (i.e. replace the devotional with a 3rd hour meeting for all adults in every ward).

We’ve already announced to bishops and ward leaders that we plan to take their 3rd hour on Sept. 16 in a special combined meeting for all adults and to please plan accordingly.

We’d appreciate you not sharing this with others until we’ve tested it.

We appreciate so much your ongoing support. We’ll keep you posted on how it plays out. And, of course, we welcome your counsel if you have any concerns.

Gratefully,

Crismon

Clarifying the summer camp funding policy with our Stake Finance Clerkr

Brother (Name),

Thank you for how well you watch over the Lord’s funds coming and going in our stake. You’re amazing in how you carefully watch every dime, for which we are most grateful.

Pr Christiansen and I had a little visit today about the matter you raised with me: do we or don’t we charge full price to YW from other stakes who want to attend our Stake YW Camp?

As I pondered this after our visit, there are two factors that I feel are very important to me:

1) I truly don’t believe we’ll have a flood of girls wanting to attend our camp. While, to us, the subsidized $50 fee is a bargain, to families and even the YW it’s really not a bargain (probably why I’ve never had any parent in our stake express to me their thanks for our summer camp subsidies over the years). I believe it’s because other stakes hold fundraisers so in the end their YW Camp doesn’t cost families anything. So our $50 fee really won’t be very attractive. In the case of the Carpenter girls I believe they simply wanted to be with their close friends in the WH Ward.

2) These are the Lord’s funds and we want to bless as many of His covenant children (members) wherever we can as long as we have sufficient funds. The Lord has blessed us with a miracle of ongoing surpluses in the stake and wards, I believe because of our policy to eliminate fundraising as taught by the Brethren. 

So I’d like us to subsidize ALL YW who attend the Stake YW Camp—members, past stake members and even non-members, as our policy currently stands. 

We’ll look to you to alert us if our funds become dangerously low and we need to alter the policy. But for now, would you please “charge” the wards $50 per girl regardless.

Thanks again for all you do to watch over these sacred funds with such care.

Crismon

No stake subsidies for summer camps in 2019 beyond the stake Trek

Bishops and Branch Presidents,

As we announced earlier, the Trek next summer (July 23-27, 2019) will be the only summer camp experience the stake will subsidize in 2019. There will not be a Stake YW Camp. In 2019. 

Our hope is that there will be no cost to families for the 2019 Stake Trek.

However, it doesn’t mean wards or branches can’t hold your own youth summer camps or attend a BSA camp, if you choose to do so.

As you can see below, the Cascade Council is providing a number of Scout Camp opportunities designed specifically for LDS troops (boys only). They’re even offering a financial incentive for us to sign up before Sept. 1 of this year.

As soon as we finalize the budgeting for the 2019 Stake Trek (hopefully by September), we will notify you of the extra funding you should receive in 2019. Hopefully it means your quarterly budget allocation in 2019 will be closer to a 65-35% or even 70-30% ward-stake split because of the stake summer camp subsidy savings to be realized in 2019.

If you choose to provide additional summer camp experiences in 2019—i.e. BSA camp, high adventure, maybe even an abbreviated YW Camp-type experience in addition to the stake trek—we strongly encourage you to use some or all of the additional funding you receive in 2019 to subsidize the cost families pay. You decide how much the subsidy will be. 

We remind you that our stake policy does not allow for any fundraising led by stake or ward leaders. It is the responsibility of parents to teach their children how to earn or raise money.

Feel no obligation to provide any additional summer camp opportunities for your youth in 2019. We feel the trek experience will be adequate for all youth 12-18 years of age. We are also mindful of the time and resources the trek will place on youth leaders.

If you have any questions, feel free to respond privately to this email.

Gratefully,

The Stake Presidency

P.S. As a recap, we remind you that there will be NO stake subsidies for summer camps in 2019 as those funds will be needed to (1) cover the cost of the stake Trek and (2) share with wards to provide a subsidy for additional ward youth summer activities, if you choose. If you choose not to hold an additional ward summer camp experience, then you the extra funds will roll into your ward budget.

LETTER FROM THE BSA CASCADE COUNCIL:

All,

The council is making a full-court press to get all local Troops to attend one of our council camps this next summer.  Since we anticipate the camps filling up, Matt Devore asked that I please get word to all of the LDS units to give them an opportunity to sign up for their choice of summer camp before the reservations fill up.

Couple Considerations:

1.  2018 Rates.  All reservations made before the 1st of September will be at 2018 rates.

2.  LDS Camp/Youth Conference.  We have one LDS stake that is considering taking over one of our camps the week of June 24 - 29 for a combination Scout Camp with Young Women, Youth Conference activities and a dance on the following weekend.  If any of you are interested in participating in this Scout Camp/Youth Conference opportunity, please let me know right away.

Summer 2019 Camp Availability Schedule:

Boy only and LDS Weeks:

- June 30-July 6, Camp Pioneer

- July 7-13, Camp Meriwether

- July 15-20, Camp Pioneer (Monday Start)

- July 21-27, Camp Meriwether (Monday Start)

- July 28-Aug 3, Camp Baldwin

- Aug 5-10, Camp Baldwin (Monday Start)

- Aug 11-17, Camp Pioneer

LDS units are always welcome to come up to camp on Monday and there are additional weeks in the schedule that have plenty of room at this point for an entire stake reservation.  We have several stakes that are camping as a group in 2019 to take advantage of leadership depth and to run stake activities and AP firesides, etc.  Please contact Todd McDonald at the Scout Office directly if you would like to put together a special stake program during one of the 2019 camp weeks.

Please let me know if you have any specific questions I can get answers for.

Thank you!

Spencer B. Young

503-964-4085

Update on ward-branch financing in 2018-19

Dear Bishops and Branch Presidents,

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we have transitioned this year to a new approach to finances.

For years wards and branches in our stake have received a set amount of money decided by the stake president; usually based on the ward’s size in relation to other units in the stake.

Leaders liked it because you could count on, even budget, a set income each quarter. The downside was that over time the amount a unit received often failed to reflect changes in size and sacrament meeting attendance.

As you know, the Church allocates a generous budget allowance to each stake based on sacrament meeting attendance. The stake then allocates the funds to cover the stake and ward budgets.

This year we are transitioning quarterly allocations from an arbitrary amount, set by the stake president, to an allocation ratio that more closely reflects the dynamics of sacrament meeting attendance in each ward.

Currently 60% of the funds we receive are distributed among the wards and branches, and 40% is retained by the stake That 40% includes the $15-$19K that is earmarked to subsidize summer camp fees to accomplish two major objectives: 

(1) reduce the financial burden on families in hopes they’ll encourage their children to take advantage of these wonderful, testimony-strengthening summer camp experiences; and... 

(2) avoid fundraising as encouraged in the Handbook (why? the purpose of the Church and leaders is to teach the gospel, not teach youth how to raise money—a responsibility that rests with parents).

By following that direction, we have seen a miracle in our stake. We have been able to reduce the cost of summer camps to $50 per youth ($100 for the expensive Boy Scout camps) to all families in our stake. And we’ve even been able to extend that same benefit to non-members. At the same time, every ward and branch continues to have a surplus at the end of the year. It’s a miracle not unlike the widow of Zarephath!

The transition this year from an arbitrary budget amount to an allocation that reflects sacrament meeting attendance in your ward or branch is the next step in aligning our finances with the Brethren’s guidance. However, it affects your ability to budget far in advance.

We will send you in a subsequent, personal email a spreadsheet created by Stake Clerk Bud Koch in conjunction with Stake Finance Clerk Steve Lowder for your ward or branch showing you what your “final” budget allocation looks like for 2018 as compared to the funds you received in 2017. We are able to give you final totals for 2018 because the allocation is based on sacrament meeting attendance in your ward or branch of the previous two quarters.

In other words, your 3Q budget allocation (i.e. income) is based on attendance that you reported on your Quarterly Report for 1Q. and Your 4Q budget allocation is based on your 2Q average attendance.

We favor this form of allocating budget funds for several reasons: 

(1) it allows you to control your own “financial destiny” so to speak rather than be at the discretion of the stake president; 

(2) it provides more transparency in how funds are allocated (“we’re all in this together”); and, most importantly...

(3) it constantly reminds all of us of the importance of preparing spiritually uplifting sacrament meeting programs and adds another layer of focus in our ministering efforts to fellowship new investigators, retain new converts and reach out to less-actives.

From the stake perspective, it allows us to set goals on how to more effectively utilize these sacred funds to bless members and move forward the Work of Salvation. We believe funds are best spent at the ward/branch level, not at the stake level. So it gives us an incentive to find ways to move more funds to you.

For instance, our first goal is to review the stake budget and, if possible, move the allocation from a 60% (ward) to 40% (stake) ratio to a 65% (ward) - 35% (stake) ratio in 2019. Our long-term goal is to ultimately reach a 70% (ward) - 30% (stake) ratio and still provide summer camp subsidies.

A couple of factors may help this happen: 

(1) the stake trek will replace most, if not all, summer camp subsidies next year (though we still must save about $10K in 2018 to fully fund the trek); 

(2) the elimination of the expensive Boy Scout camps in 2020 will reduce the amount of total stake subsidy for summer camps.

We will also “sharpen our pencil” on the number and cost of stake activities and programs in hopes we can free up more funds for the wards and branches,

Above all, we want you to know how grateful we are for your willingness to adapt through the years to the financing policies. Your faithfulness and careful use of Church funds has literally worked a miracle in our stake.

With deep admiration and appreciation,

The Stake Presidency

P.S. We will send you two subsequent emails—one with the spreadsheet showing your total allocation for 2018 and how it compares to last year; the second will contain an explanation on how your ward or branch leaders can subsidize some summer camps in 2019, if you choose, since the stake will not be subsidizing any summer camps next summer because most funds will be used in support of the Stake YMYW Trek in 2019.

In response to my counselors' concerns of inviting ward auxiliary leaders to an upcoming Stake Missionary Training meetings

Steven,

I'm sorry this continues to be painful for you.

I'll try to answer your questions. But it begs another question: Why do we have this wonderful Priests-Laurels High Adventure? It's not in the Handbook. It's because you have felt impressed there's a need to bless and bond these older youth so they'll "hang together" in their commitment to live the gospel going forward and become the examples for the upcoming youth. 

Not everything is going to be "by the book." In fact, none of the announcements in April Conference were "by the book." 

I hope we don't get ahead of the Brethren or "take unto ourselves" how to implement the vision the Brethren are giving us. But I also don't think they expect us to wait for them to dictate and direct precisely how to implement their ministering and missionary vision. They give us as a stake presidency a lot of latitude, in my opinion, and expect us to seek revelation and guidance on how to implement their vision in our stake.

What this is about is how do we lighten the load on bishops, as encouraged by Elder Holland (and apparently the Brethren because I don't think they would have posted that video on the ministering website without a consensus)? 

Can we do something now or do we wait until the new Handbook comes out? I feel they've given us enough direction to move forward. But only if we're unified. And obviously I have failed in developing a consensus in our presidency.

So let's keep discussing. I have not invited any of the auxiliary leaders to the trainings in August and September. So we have some time.

1) You're right, as far as I know there's no SPC (Stake President's Coordinating) meeting in the Handbook. Frankly, I "inherited" it from the previous stake presidency. I believe all stakes have this meeting. I'm confident it's an extension of Handbook 2: 5.1.9 directing stake presidents to meet and coordinate regularly with the mission president. Where a stake is also a zone (as we are), it was a natural outgrowth that the stake president would meet monthly (they generate a monthly report) with the zone leaders (an extension of the MP) and district leaders. 

The monthly Stake Missionary Training is the monthly training of WML, which also is NOT in the Handbook, but welcomed by the bishops (as long as they don't have to attend :) as it continues to give ongoing training to their WML (a role of the stake to inspire and train, not dictate on how it's to be done). So, as you suggested, we blended the two meetings and tried to give it higher priority (because of our dismal missionary performance) by having the stake presidency direct the training along with the assigned HC--maybe not unlike your P-L High Adventure; a way to give added focus to an area of need.

The SPC that used to be part of the presidency meeting still happens. James and I meet immediately following the Missionary Training meeting with the ZL's and DL's to review the Zone Leader's monthly report, which I send to bishops with comments trying to find those positives to congratulate and thank the bishops.

Because you have expressed a distaste for the Saturday morning meetings, I have not invited you two to attend that 45-min SPC meeting so as not to rub salt into the wound. You are certainly welcome to attend anytime.

2) There are occasions, as you know, where we train the stake auxiliaries. As you pointed out, our annual Stake Auxiliary Training meeting. Also in 5.1.9 (Handbook 2) it says "With the stake president's approval, he (the assigned HC) may train ward leaders and ward missionaries." 

Where we are dealing with a paradigm shift of this magnitude--of reducing the age-old burden on bishops--I felt strongly that the stake presidency needs to give focused attention to this. We can train bishops, but some will be reluctant to hand over those "burdens" they've come to love and "own" (making them feel indispensible; a feeling we all enjoy). I have felt we need to give some initial direction to this so (1) we're all on the same page, (2) so everyone (including any reluctant bishops) understand what is expected, and (3) to help ward councils understand their role in making this happen.

As we ask ward councils to take on more of the "Melchizedek Priesthood" responsibilities (as Elder Holland described it), then the presidency of the MP (us) should give the direction, in my opinion, as to the expectations of those ward councils. That is why I'm recommending we use the Stake Missionary Training as one more forum to help ward council members understand their heightened role and our expectations.

3) The intent is not to have any of the auxiliaries be invited to this meeting again...UNLESS, as we get down the road, we observe  that a ward council is not engaged in assuming oversight to missionary work in the ward (removing that from the bishop's shoulders). Then we'll need to decide if we give individual training to that ward or bring them all back again. 

But for now it's a one-time thing as a follow-up to our June 14 training with ward councils.

4) Of course, leaders' attitude and morale is huge. I assume there was some pushback from EQ and RS presidents when they were initially invited to our meeting. Did you get that same pushback after the meeting? If not, then I trust they felt it was worth their time. If you did, please share it with me as that should be considered a factor in inviting auxiliaries to the Aug 11 and Sept 8 training meetings.

5) For sure we can use those meetings held in the fall for this...and will. As you've shared, the stake role is to train. And as you know better than all of us, with your educational background, training is ongoing and must be continued and repeated often. We will use those meetings to review again...and again...how the ward council can lift the load from the bishops so he and his counselors can (and will) focus on the weighty matter of families and youth.

6) I don't know if we've given them enough time to make the changes. I doubt it. But this is an evolution. It may take years to see the changes to fully happen. It's up to us if it's going to take months, years or decades in our stake. Let's not wait for it to happen "organically" when we're directed by a new handbook. 

I feel our role as a stake presidency is to give leadership as to how these changes will be made and how quickly.

If I'm moving too fast and too dictatorial, then I apologize. I really do want you both on board with what I feel we are to do. Being unified is paramount and I'll back down if you and Paul feel strongly that I'm taking our stake in the wrong direction.

Crismon

In response to concerns about my inviting ward council members to attend the monthly Stake Missionary Training meeting

Paul and Steven,

Thank you for expressing your feelings and offering your counsel. I want you to know I've listened and have given it serious consideration (conducted a debate in my own mind).

Steven, I realize the Saturday meeting is a sticking point for you. And I'm sorry. I wish there was a better alternative. I remind us that this meeting is replacing a meeting that took an hour out of presidency meetings once a month and, in my opinion, wasn't very productive. It was an OK reporting meeting, but nothing we said or directed went anywhere.

I realize there's a possibility that maybe the training we're giving now isn't going anywhere either, but at least more people involved in missionary work are hearing us and maybe causing them to consider a better way. Hopefully something is sticking, though the attached document shows, as a stake, we are really faltering again (along with 2016) in the number of baptisms (we're headed for another under-20 performance for the year). I fully understand that the number of baptisms is not an indication as to whether we are or are not a good stake, but we at least need to try and keep a focus on missionary work in some way if we want things to change.

As for the Saturday meeting, I'm not sure what else to do. We've learned in the past that WML just won't come on a Sunday morning and we constantly run the risk of competing with an early ward council meeting. I believe one of the great values of this one-hour-a-month meeting is it puts WML and full-time missionaries in the same room where they are directed by the stake presidency. Hopefully everyone comes out of the room inspired to be a little more diligent in their calling just because they see the stake presidency concerned enough to meet with them and train them every month.

Steven, if you feel there's a better alternative to the when and where of this meeting, I welcome your suggestions.

As for the question of whether or not to invite ward leaders to this meeting...

I feel so strongly about it mostly because I feel the Lord blessed us with a productive meeting on June 14. Ward leaders in great numbers heard the message that, as part of the new ministering initiative, the ward council is to reduce the load of the bishop by taking on more responsibility. Knowing that (1) missionary work, (2) temple and FH and (3) teaching the gospel are three of the five elements of the Work of Salvation, they're not just going to go away. In short, someone has to increase their load in order to reduce the load on bishops.

In other words, we need ward councils to know that the reduce and simplify right now applies to helping bishops reduce and simplify so they can focus on the very matter that must weigh on prophets tremendously today--families and youth. The rest of us may not get the same "luxury" right now. It may mean more discussions outside of meetings, more training and, at times, more meetings for the ward council to learn their new duties. As ward councils begin to feel and respond to the increase in responsibility, hopefully they, too, will find ways to reduce and simplify their load. I believe most wards have already reduced their frequency of ward council meetings from three or four a month to two.

It breaks my heart to hear an EQ president is "buried" on a Saturday with so many demands from his calling. It should raise a flag to us, as the stake presidency, that we need to improve our training on delegation.

In the meantime, as you can see, despite your wonderful and appreciated counsel, I feel we need to bring all ward council members into our Stake Missionary Training meeting at least once to help them better understand how they—arm-in-arm with these outstanding FT missionaries, WML and ward missionaries—can move forward this vital aspect of the Work of Salvation in their callings and organizations.

I wish we could feel confident the High Councilors will train and teach this adequately. But where we consistently have a 2-5 HC missing in every meeting, the water just doesn't get to the end of the row. I feel the Brethren have given us a sense of urgency in changing the multi-generational traditions of home teaching, the role of ward councils, the bishop-directs-all, etc. That's why I am asking that we temporarily expand the missionary training.

Paul, I felt your concern about the ward YMYW leaders coming out of (or maybe still into) youth activities that makes an August training not the best timing. As a consequence, I plan to invite the ward SS and Primary presidents (or a counselor) to attend the Aug. 11 training. We will invite the ward YMYW presidents (or a counselor) to attend the Sept. 8 training.

Paul, will you please plan to set the tone for the training with a message at the beginning of the meeting on Aug 11 on the why and how SS and Primary presidencies can utilize the ward missionary force, including FT missionaries, to further the Work of Salvation in their callings and organizations.

Steven, will you please plan to do the same for the training on Sept 8 with the ward YMYW leaders.

My apologies for unloading so much. Hopefully it's an indication that I took your counsel seriously and weighed it heavily to make sure that I wasn't just doing "my thing" and that I felt a true confidence the Lord is behind our efforts.

Thanks for your patience and your support,

Crismon

Parents to prepare children for the temple

Bishops and Branch Presidents,

This is the "season" when we typically have a few more young people submitting recommendations to serve missions.

Once they receive a mission call, as you know, they are eligible--even encouraged--to go to the temple and receive their endowments...and, if there's time before reporting, to serve in the temple.

Will you please remember the message taught at our last Stake Priesthood meeting: we look to the parents to bring their children to the door of the bishop and to declare their son or daughter is prepared to make sacred covenants in the temple (in the spirit of Exodus 40:12).

In short, it's the parents' responsibility to prepare their "new adult" children to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood (sons), be endowed in the temple and serve a full-time mission--not the ward or branch responsibility. Of course, for new adult members of the church (or youth without gospel support from parents), ward leaders are to step in and prepare them for the temple. 

But where parents are endowed and hold a current temple, please hold them responsible for conducting the Temple Preparation course with their son or daughter. This is simply one more way to help parents appreciate anew their responsibility in teaching their children (from their earliest years) the gospel and preparing each to make and keep sacred covenants with God.

Thank you,

President Lewis

An appeal to expose members to the new Church history being offered online and in the Ensign

Bishops and Branch Presidents (especially President Westover),

Recently I visited with a member of the YSA branch who is trying to decide if he should serve a mission—something he’s wanted to do since Primary. I asked him what has caused him to wonder. He mentioned that only recently he learned that Joseph Smith used a seer stone in a hat while translating some of the Book of Mormon. His concern seemed not so much about the oddity of that method, but he asked with a challenging voice, “Why didn’t someone tell me about this before?!"

I tried to answer the best I could, but it reminded me of how important it is that we are as forthcoming as we can about all that is known (not speculated on or misrepresented) about early Church history.

The Church has been especially forthcoming, as of late, to be very transparent with everything it has in historical documents and scholarly research about Church history through the Gospel Topics Essays and the new 4-volume Church history titled “Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days.”

An excellent video overview of this new book can be found in the LDS Media Library: https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2017-11-0100-a-new-history-for-the-church?lang=eng

You may have noticed that the Church has been publishing in the Ensign magazine the chapters of this book as they are completed. Written in a narrative (or storybook) style, they are easy to read and are brimming with fascinating details that will be new to most members. Chapter 5 of Volume 1 is published in the July edition.

I encourage you to find a way to share this information with members of your ward or branch so they’ll take the time to read these extremely interesting accounts of  early Church history either in the printed magazines or online. Previous editions of the Ensign contain chapters 1-4. Or you can read the entire first five chapters on the Church website.

Let’s help the members of our stake become familiar with the historically sound and approved version of Church history so they’re not surprised or swayed by those who would use spurious accounts and details to weaken testimony.

Gratefully,

President Lewis

Appeal to the First Presidency for a boundary exception

TO: First Presidency

Dear Brethren,

Please find attached a boundary exception request from (Name), 64-year-old widow in the Damascus Ward and a lifelong member of the Church.

Her husband passed away last summer. Soon thereafter she moved to another home to distance herself from the memories. As you can see, she did so with the full intent and assumption she would remain in the Damascus Ward. She claims she was surprised to discover she was in the neighboring Walters Hill Ward, also in our stake. 

I personally don’t believe this was truly an innocent mistake (she could have easily checked with her bishop or looked online to determine the ward before making an offer). Still, we felt deep sympathy for her and allowed her to remain in the Damascus Ward for an additional 10 months, rather than the usual 3 months. We even explored justification to request a boundary change to accommodate her. 

Finally, last week, I felt it was needed and appropriate to approach her about attending the ward where she now resides. We tried to teach her about the blessings that come from obedience and encouraged the new ward leaders to reach out to her.

Still, she insisted on appealing to the First Presidency (letter attached).

While I feel badly it has come to this, I know there is a special place in the Lord’s heart for widows. And if, after being encouraged by her priesthood leaders to receive the blessings of obedience, she still insists on making an appeal to the First Presidency then I don’t feel we should “force” the issue. Therefore I support a boundary exception for her.

We will accept your decision gladly. Thank you for giving this your consideration.

Crismon Lewis
President, Mount Hood Oregon Stake
503-667-5843 h
503-914-8689 m

Request for notification of suicide attempts in our stake

7 June 2018

Bishops and Branch Presidents…

During our break-out session on Tuesday evening I expressed my deep concern about two recent suicide attempts by YW (both very young, ages 12-14) in our stake.

Later Bishop Hulet suggested there may have been other such attempts in the past in our stake.

Brethren, will you please share with me information on all other attempts that you’re aware of and in the future? You don’t have to give me names, but would you please tell me (1) when they occurred, (2) the age of the person, (3) what was the outcome, and (4) how is it being addressed?

I ask you to please notify me whenever you’re aware of a suicide attempt in your congregation. For three reasons:

1. To determine if we have a trend or, if by chance, they are related;

2. To consider additional training or resources that we can share with you and parents, if needed;

3. To consider involving President Christiansen. As you know, he is a school counselor and is trained in these types of incidents. Let’s take advantage of his professional training and do all that we can to prevent and/or address suicide especially among our youth.

I look forward to hearing from you immediately if you’re aware of any suicide attempts in the past or current concerns.

Thank you,

President Lewis