The underlying eternal simple truth that I wish to emphasize and elaborate upon in this blog post is based on this:
God is a God of Order
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A COUNCIL IN HEAVEN
In the beginning, God created the heaven and the Earth (Gen. 1:1); this we mean to understand within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is that Heavenly Father headed the organization of the world. We learn from modern-day revelation in the Church called "The Doctrine and Covenants", that Heavenly Father did not create the world entirely by Himself, rather He employed help from others, including Jehovah, who was the premortal Jesus Christ. Jehovah is often called "the God of the Old Testament" for self-evident reasons, but this was the same Jesus Christ, the Great "I AM". (Exo. 3:14; John 8:58)
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." (John 1:1-3)
Further scriptural revelation confirms that what is commonly called "The Creation" was more like "An Organization":
"And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell." (Abr. 3:24)
We should note from this scripture that Christ wasn't alone in this endeavor. The book of Genesis clearly says "God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Gen. 1:26). And as the scripture above says and if you look into the context of the verse, we learn that there were many spirits (or as the scriptures say "Intelligences") who were with Heavenly Father and Jehovah (Abr. 3:22-23). Continuing in the same book of scripture, we read:
"And the Gods said among themselves: On the seventh time we will end our work, which we have counseled; and we will rest on the seventh time from all our work which we have counseled. And the Gods concluded upon the seventh time, because that on the seventh time they would rest from all their works which they (the Gods) counseled among themselves to form; and sanctified it. And thus were their decisions at the time that they counseled among themselves to form the heavens and the earth." (Abr. 5:2-3)
It is irrefutable that more than one being was involved in carrying out the creation of the world, and this may have included you and me! You see, we needed a place in order to progress and become even as Heavenly Father. In order to do this, we needed a physical body and had some learning and experiences to go through. We lived in Heavenly Father's presence as spirits, literally spirit children of Him with the potential to become like Him (See "Eternal Life: As He Is"). And so, Heavenly Father presented a Plan of Happiness and Salvation to help us achieve our eternal potential.
This plan was presented to us for consideration. And so, another great truth:
There was a Great Council in Heaven
At this council, it was explained that we would have challenges as well as opportunities for blessings, that we would have to walk by faith, and that we would retain our ability to choose right from wrong. A Savior would be prepared to help us return to Heavenly Father's presence. Jesus Christ was chosen to be that savior. We rejoiced at this prospect and accepted this plan.
What a profound insight! What other religion claims such a course of events that kickstarted all of existence and resulted to our present-day as that which was revealed to the prophet Joseph Smith:
“At the first organization in heaven we were all present and saw the Savior chosen and appointed and the plan of salvation made, and we sanctioned it.”
But there was another plan, proposed by Lucifer, who sought to take away our freedom to choose which would have destroyed the plan's purpose, and who sought to take upon Himself all the glory of the Father. Everyone who has ever lived chose Heavenly Father's plan and chose to follow Jesus Christ. But there were some, the third part of all the spirits in fact, which rejected the plan and rebelled against Heavenly Father, siding with Lucifer (See "Return of the King -- Part 1"). There was a "War in Heaven":
“The contention in heaven was—Jesus said there would be certain souls that would not be saved; and the devil said he would save them all, and laid his plans before the grand council, who gave their vote in favor of Jesus Christ. So the devil rose up in rebellion against God, and was cast down, with all who put up their heads for him.”
And so, even from before the creation of the Earth, the government of God's kingdom has always operated through councils. As God's kingdom upon the Earth, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints also operates through councils of all kinds.
GENERAL CHURCH COUNCILS
Councils help us seek the Lord’s will in unity and faith. Councils function in all levels of the Church, including general, area, stake, ward, quorum, and other leadership councils (See "Church Organization").
The purpose of Church councils is to seek and obtain divine revelation. Church councils are an environment where we can receive inspiration to make decisions, better serve individuals and families, and plan and coordinate the work of the Church.
Councils operate differently in the Church than they do in other decision-making bodies. They are not governed by majority rule or best practice, and the leader does not make decisions on his or her own. When a question or need is brought to the council for consideration, “council members are encouraged to speak honestly, both from their personal experience and from their positions as organization leaders” (Handbook 2: Administering the Church, 4.6.1). After carefully defining the question or need, those participating in the council consider instruction by Church leaders and what the Lord has taught in scripture. They also consider what resources might best answer the question or meet the need.
Councils bring together the insight of people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. These differences strengthen the council, and everyone should feel safe to express his or her opinion in a spirit of love and kindness. Such expression is essential to the purpose of councils, so leaders should establish a climate in which every person is heard and every opinion valued. As council members listen, humbly consider others’ feelings, and seek to know Heavenly Father’s will, a spirit of inspiration and unity can prevail (see Doctrine and Covenants 107:27–31).
Describing councils, the Prophet Joseph Smith said that each person should:
“Speak in his turn, and in his place, … that there may be perfect order in all things, and that every man, before he makes an objection to any item that is [brought] before them, for their consideration, should be sure that they can throw light upon the subject, rather than spread darkness, and that his objection be founded in righteousness, which may be done by applying ourselves closely to study the mind and will of the Lord, whose Spirit always makes manifest, and demonstrates to the understanding of all, who are in possession of his Spirit”.
Church councils are most successful when all involved set aside personal preferences and seek to know the will of the Lord—when they follow Alma’s admonition: “Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good” (Alma 37:37).
The leader of the council does not decide how to resolve a question until he or she has heard the discussion. The leader “encourages discussion without dominating it” and “asks questions and may ask particular council members for their suggestions.” The leader “listens carefully before making a decision. These discussions should foster a spirit of inspiration” (Handbook 2, 4.6.1). After counseling with the group, the leader, following the inspiration of the Spirit, may make a decision or propose a course of action for the council to consider.
When considering sensitive needs or questions, council members are cautious not to discuss personal details. Some matters are best left for confidential conversations with leaders.
Councils seek to be unified in their decisions (see Matthew 18:19; Doctrine and Covenants 42:3; 107:27). “If council members have strongly unsettled feelings about an important decision, the [leader] may wait for another council meeting to consider the matter further and seek spiritual confirmation and unity.” After the leader makes a decision, “council members should support it in a spirit of unity and harmony” (Handbook 2, 4.6.1).
DIVERSE CHURCH COUNCILS
The section above is a general guideline for how councils within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints operate. However, it would take far too long to go into depth describing the multitude of different kinds of councils within the different bodies of the church. But to give you a rough idea, I invite you to take into consideration the magnitude of the Church Organization. At the head of the church is Jesus Christ, then the prophet and his counselors, then the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, then you have the different general officers of the church, and the hundreds of different Area Seventies who travel the world and who then oversee Mission Presidents and Stake Presidents and all their counselors, and then you have Bishops and their counselors who oversee Stakes and Ward and Districts and Branches, and within those are local individuals who serve in a variety of callings including leadership, teaching, and serving positions (See "Prophets and Callings") and you have each of the hundreds of individual Missions worldwide each with on average a couple of hundred missionaries each their own missionary leadership system (See "Mission Administration"). I've said it before that there is always something to do or contribute in the Church. In one way or another, we all interact and interweave one another, purposefully. We are strongest when we are united and with as many things to do and with as many people as we have, there HAS to be an order to things. That is where councils come into play.
MY EXPERIENCE IN WARD COUNCILS
Having grown up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I had the opportunity to participate in Ward Councils ever since I was a youth. Since then, as with everything else, these Councils have been adjusted so now there is both a "Ward Council Meeting" and well as a "Ward Youth Council Meeting". These meetings were held about once a month. When I was 14 or 15 years old, I served as the Teacher's Quorum President of my Ward (See "Church Organization"). This meant that while I had the calling of "Teacher's Quorum President" once a month I would participate in a meeting with my Bishop, and other leaders of the different organizations of my ward which included the Sunday School, Elders Quorum, Relief Society, Young Women, and Young Men; as mentioned, now the youth have their own monthly meeting.
Each meeting always began and ended with a prayer asking for the spirit to edify us in addressing the needs of our respective organizations. As you would imagine a council meeting to be, we had an agenda wherein each organization followed up on recent progress and addressed any new information that might be relevant to the other organizations in attendance. This was also an opportunity to address the needs of the individuals in the organization, to seek counsel, and to set goals, and propose plans for improvement. In my experience as a youth, I never had a bad experience in a Ward Council Meeting.
When I was a missionary, we participated in Ward Council Meetings regularly in whichever Ward our mission area pertained to (See "Mission Administration"). The purpose of our participation was to report on our progress with individuals we were teaching who were making progress towards baptism. Whenever possible, a Ward Mission Leader would provide an additional link between the missionaries and the Ward, and would also be in attendance, but we weren't always so fortunate. Seeing as the individuals would become members of the Ward once they were baptized and confirmed members of the Church, it was important that the Ward Leaders be informed so they could extend a hand of fellowship and offer any additional support that the new member of the Church would benefit from (See "Baptism by Immersion" and "Confirmation").
As a missionary, I participated in many Ward Councils in different places, and all in all, I regret to say that they were not as productive as I would hope them to be (in my personal experience). I do not infer that upon any other Ward Council, because I know there are good ones too. Most of the time, what was being discussed in the Ward Council wasn't pertinent to us as missionaries; rather, it was information that was most pertinent to the Bishop and the individual whose turn it was to speak but no one else. It was information that the two of them could have discussed on their own, rather than in a council.
If you were to ask me about the worst Ward Council I ever attended, I know which one is at the very top of the list. I was brand new to the Ward and didn't know anyone in the room except for the other missionaries and the Bishop who I'd been introduced to a couple of hours earlier. I can tell you right now that the Holy Ghost was just not present. It wasn't so much a council as it was a group of frustrated individuals spouting their complaints and requests to the poor sleep-deprived Bishop who did his best to address their concerns. And let me be clear, these were not particularly crucial concerns. They were petty. There was no counseling in that council. The one that is still engrained into my memory is the woman who was fiercely insistent that another set of keys to the building be made for her. She went on and on for what seemed like forever ranting about her having to borrow a set of keys and the struggles of organizing events on time without her own set of keys. The bishop said that he would do what he could to get keys made in a timely matter. Nevertheless, she wasn't satisfied. She complained over and over and that was it. There was one guy sitting next to me who keep looking at his watch and clearly had no interest in his helping anyone but himself. And that was it. I think we probably spent a whole hour in that Ward Council and all I remember anyone talking about was getting a key made. Even though I was one of the youngest people in the room, I couldn't believe apart from the bishop who was doing his best, I was by far more mature than any of the other adults.
Councils don't have to be this way! Councils can be not only productive but also enjoyable and magnificent! The key is to invite the spirit of the Lord into the meeting and in so doing, seeking the Lord's will and being determined to carry it out to the best of our ability. We are not in charge. This is the Church of Jesus Christ and He is in charge. We would do well to forget ourselves a bit more and to put others ahead of ourselves more. When we are striving to serve others in a Christ-like way, we will be made equal to the task and the Lord will bless us for our righteous endeavors. The Councils that the Lord has revealed are not supposed to be patterned after those of the world. They are divine and have existed since the foundation of the World. When all is said and done, I am sure that there will be councils in the hereafter.
FAMILY COUNCILS
I'd hate to state the obvious, but there are other kinds of councils that go beyond membership in an organization. But one which is easily overlooked is the importance of counseling within the family. The family is the basic unit of the church but it's the most important. Families are essential to Heavenly Father's plan. And eternal marriage is at the heart of it all. In a day and age where the sanctity of marriage is underappreciated, and divorce and infidelity are ever-increasing, it is of the utmost importance that we do all within our power to fortify the relationships within the family unit. This can be achieved through frequent kind and open communication. Our relationships are strengthened when we take a greater interest in the lives of our loved ones and seek to help them.
Following this eternal pattern, families can use councils to set goals, resolve challenges, discuss finances, make plans, support and strengthen each other, bear testimony, build unity, and pray for each other. Family councils are most successful when the Lord is invited through prayer to be a part of them.
Family councils may be held whenever needed. Some families may decide to hold their councils on a regular schedule, while others may hold them as needed. Sometimes, parents may want to hold a family council on the Sabbath.
Family councils often involve the whole family but could also consist of only the mother and father, both parents and one child, or one parent and one child. Councils can take place in any setting that allows for effective discussion, even outside of the home.
Respect for the opinions and feelings of others is essential to the success of family councils (see Family Guidebook [2006], 10). Parents lead in a family council, but they often listen much more than they speak. They help all family members participate with love, respect, kindness, and patience. When family councils are filled with Christlike love and guided by the Lord’s Spirit, they help protect family members from the evils of the world.
RETURN AND REPORT
Concerning the topic of "following up", I could take this blog post in a million directions, there is so much that could be said. It might even warrant its own post at some point! But I thought it appropriate to at least make mention of it here since the entire purpose of councils is to seek inspiration, make a plan, and then carry it out. But if a follow-up isn't made, how can anyone know if things worked out like they were supposed to or if further action is needed? Reporting on results is part of the plan and how we measure progression. Therefore, I firmly believe that following up and following through is significant.
There is a principle which is sometimes called "Return and Report". This principle can be seen in action everywhere. It also goes hand-in-hand with personal accountability. One day, on that Judgement Day, we will all return and report to the Lord all that we have done with our lives. We will give a report of our deeds, as well as our thoughts and words.
Applying this idea, I also see some additional symbolism in the ordinance of the sacrament which is already rich with symbolism (See "Sabbath Day Observance", "Great Sacrifice", and "Obedience: A Sign of Love"). The sacrament trays of broken bread and individual cups of water begin on the sacrament table. Then they are blessed by Aaronic Priesthood holders (See "Priesthood") who remain at the table. After the blessing on each the bread and the water is said, they hand off the sacrament trays to other Aaronic Priesthood holders who then administer the sacrament to the congregation. Those at the table attentively make sure that everyone who wants to partake of the sacrament has been given the opportunity. When they are satisfied, they stand up which signals those with the trays to approach the sacrament table. They then hand back the sacrament trays.
And so, if you have the spirit and can see what I am alluding to here, in the "handing off of" and "administering of a sacred priesthood ordinance", and even the table itself, I see a parallel between the sacrament and other "church-related things" which exemplify the principle of "Return and Report". Might we see a similar ceremony elsewhere?
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