Ballard - Strength in Counsel - October 1993

Elder Ballard for the next couple talks is going to discuss the councils that we have in the church.  He wrote a great book after these talks that helps lead and guide us through creating effective councils within the church.  He first shares that we need to have councils that are open discussions where people feel free to express themselves.

• All councils in the Church should encourage free and open discussion by conferring with one another and striving to have clear, concise communication. Councils should discuss objectives and concerns, with mutual understanding being the ultimate goal. Stake and ward councils are ideal settings for leaders of all organizations to converse together and strengthen one another. The primary focus of stake and ward council meetings should be coordinating activities and stewardship, not calendaring. In these meetings, priesthood and auxiliary leaders should review together their responsibilities and find ways for Church programs to help members live the gospel in the home. Today, individuals and families need wise and inspired help from the Church to combat the evils of the world.

He speaks about the need to be inclusive with the women's organizations.  Great advice and direction can be found by listening to the women of the church and the women within our families.

• Brethren, please be sure you are seeking the vital input of the sisters in your council meetings. Encourage all council members to share their suggestions and ideas about how the stake or ward can be more effective in proclaiming the gospel, perfecting the Saints, and redeeming the dead. Ideally, all members of any Church or any family council should share their concerns and should suggest solutions based on gospel principles. I believe the Church and our families would be strengthened if stake presidents and bishops would use their council meetings for finding answers to questions on how to improve sacrament meetings; how to improve reverence; how to focus on children; how to strengthen youth; how to help singles, including single parents; how to teach and fellowship investigators and new members; how to improve gospel teaching; and many similar issues.
  

He talks about the need for unity and when divisive issues arise, we need to support the inspiration of the council leader and support their righteous directions.  We are never alone in our quest for eternal life and the council members should give hope and support to the people they have stewardship over.

• When we act in a united effort, we create spiritual synergism which is increased effectiveness or achievement as a result of combined action or cooperation, the result of which is greater than the sum of the individual parts.
  
• God never intended that His children should stand alone. Children have parents, and parents have the Church, with the scriptures, living prophets and Apostles, and the Holy Ghost, to help them understand proper principles and act upon those principles in fulfilling their parental responsibilities.
  

Elder Ballard concludes with 5 things we need to consider when meeting as a ward caouncil.

• First, focus on fundamentals.
  • Those who teach must make sure the doctrine remains pure and that it is taught. Teach by the Spirit, using the scriptures and the approved curriculum.
    
• Second, focus on people.
  • Rather than reciting a litany of organizational plans and reports, spend most of the time in council meetings reviewing the needs of individual members.
    
• Third, promote free and open expression.
  • Leaders and parents should establish a climate that is conducive to openness, where every person is important and every opinion valued.
    
• Fourth, participation is a privilege.
  • With that privilege comes responsibility—responsibility to work within the parameters of the organization, to be prepared, to share, to advocate vigorously the position you believe to be right.
    
• Fifth, lead with love.
  • Leadership based on love brings incredible power. It is real, and it generates lasting results in the lives of our Father’s children.
    

With these ideas guiding the councils of the church, the spirit will be present to help lead and guide us to focus on the people that are in need of God's love and support.  I have thought over the past couple months that we spend a lot of time focusing on the activities that will bring us together or the classes that need to be taught to help strengthen the ward members.  Sometimes we get caught up in these discussions instead of spending time talking about helping individuals that are in need of spiritual help.   Sure, these things are important but the council needs to get the to individual level and help determine what can be done to lead the individual people to Christ.