Family Councils And Family Mission Plans: More Hastening

[DragonLancer]

So, in our Stake Conference yesterday, a letter from the First Presidency was read, about the fact that the Church now wants us to form Family Councils in immediate families (kind of like Ward Councils) for major decisions in families.  And to go along with that, they want us to form family mission plans.  I am not good for relaying details of things that I hear for the first time, so I'm wondering if the letter from the first presidency that was read has been posted online so I can read it again, and if anybody else has seen it yet.  There is a lot about this that I don't understand exactly yet, and I was left walking away with a number of questions about it.  I was kind of left with the questions about how this is supposed to be implemented.  I'm wondering if they are going to leave it to the Stake Presidents and Bishops to give direction to families about the actual implementation details of this stuff.  Does anybody have anything else they know about this?

[Buckeye]

I'm not sure, but my stake will be part of a regional stake conference in April with instruction coming from SLC. Maybe we'll hear something then. Or maybe in April conference.

 

In my own family, the presiding leadership (wife and me) have discussed calling a family council to amend the PotF hanging in our living room to better reflect the roles parents provide - specifically, that both father and mother have the roles to preside, provide, protect, and nurture. We're thinking of doing this as an addedum rather than a red-line.

 

Edit to add: of course, the revision would only be applicable to the Buckeye family, where we have presiding authority. We have no pretension to speak for other families or the church.

Edited March 16, 2015 by Buckeye

[ksfisher]

In my own family, the presiding leadership (wife and me) have discussed calling a family council to amend the PotF hanging in our living room to better reflect the roles parents provide - specifically, that both father and mother have the roles to preside, provide, protect, and nurture. We're thinking of doing this as an addedum rather than a red-line.

 

 

 

Perhaps you could improve some of the scriptures as well while you're at it.

[Duncan]

never heard of it

[The Nehor]

I am tired of hastening. I want to take a nap.

[toon]

So, in our Stake Conference yesterday, a letter from the First Presidency was read, about the fact that the Church now wants us to form Family Councils in immediate families (kind of like Ward Councils) for major decisions in families.  And to go along with that, they want us to form family mission plans.  I am not good for relaying details of things that I hear for the first time, so I'm wondering if the letter from the first presidency that was read has been posted online so I can read it again, and if anybody else has seen it yet.  There is a lot about this that I don't understand exactly yet, and I was left walking away with a number of questions about it.  I was kind of left with the questions about how this is supposed to be implemented.  I'm wondering if they are going to leave it to the Stake Presidents and Bishops to give direction to families about the actual implementation details of this stuff.  Does anybody have anything else they know about this?

 

My understanding is that there has been a recognition that there are parts of the day when no meetings have been scheduled, usually when we're at home with our familiies, and that the Church sees this time as prime real estate for more meetings.

 

This is to fulfill the 14th Article of Faith, that "[w]e believe in meetings-all that have been scheduled, all that now are scheduled, and we believe that there yet will be many more great and important meetings. We have endured many meetings and hope to be able to endure all meetings. If there is a meeting, we seek after it."

Edited March 16, 2015 by toon

[DragonLancer]

My understanding is that there has been a recognition that there are parts of the day when no meetings have been scheduled, usually when we're at home with our familiies, and that the Church sees this time as prime real estate for more meetings.

 

This is to fulfill the 14th Article of Faith, that "[w]e believe in meetings-all that have been scheduled, all that now are scheduled, and we believe that there yet will be many more great and important meetings. We have endured many meetings and hope to be able to endure all meetings. If there is a meeting, we seek after it."

 

LOL.  Thanks you guys for the light entertainment from the responses.  Just wondering if anybody has actually heard anything about this besides me.  Thanks.

[Buckeye]

Perhaps you could improve some of the scriptures as well while you're at it.

 

Actually yes. But again, we only have authority for our family. As an example, when we come to racism taught in the BOM or the killing of innocents taught in the OT, we correct those teachings for our children and say that that those scriptures are wrong. As the children mature, we help them understand the context of those statements and to show charity to people who lived in different times and, indeed, upon whose shoulders we stand in being able to make better choices.

Edited March 16, 2015 by Buckeye

[The Nehor]

At that day there shall be many who shall say, Lord, we set up many meetings in thy name and planned many things in thy service and spent much time in tedium. And Jesus will say, Depart from me ye accursed. I will not have you pollute heaven with boredom. And there was weeping and wailing and gnashing of meeting agendas.

[Buckeye]

At that day there shall be many who shall say, Lord, we set up many meetings in thy name and planned many things in thy service and spent much time in tedium. And Jesus will say, Depart from me ye accursed. I will not have you pollute heaven with boredom. And there was weeping and wailing and gnashing of meeting agendas.

 

Nice. I'm bookmarking this for my next priesthood leadership meeting.

[toon]

LOL.  Thanks you guys for the light entertainment from the responses.  Just wondering if anybody has actually heard anything about this besides me.  Thanks.

 

 

Nothing was read in our ward yesterday, but it wasn't stake conference either.

 

Family councils are not really anything new.  The Church has been talking about them in one form or another for a while.  If you google "family council lds," you'll get quite a few links to Church resources on family councils.

 

I believe they are a good recommendation for a forum for the family to discuss issues.  The format, formality, and timing will vary from family to family.I know some familys hold them regularly.  In our family, it's sporadic and for special occasions.  For example, at the start of each school year, we'll meet, discuss the upcoming year, what everyone's goal is, what we can do jointly to help each other reach goals, commit some of these things to writing, and then finish with blessings.  When we were asked by a relative to take in a foster child, we met to discuss, pray, and make a joint decision.  We also have less formal meetings from time to time.

[pogi]

So, in our Stake Conference yesterday, a letter from the First Presidency was read, about the fact that the Church now wants us to form Family Councils in immediate families (kind of like Ward Councils) for major decisions in families.  And to go along with that, they want us to form family mission plans.  I am not good for relaying details of things that I hear for the first time, so I'm wondering if the letter from the first presidency that was read has been posted online so I can read it again, and if anybody else has seen it yet.  There is a lot about this that I don't understand exactly yet, and I was left walking away with a number of questions about it.  I was kind of left with the questions about how this is supposed to be implemented.  I'm wondering if they are going to leave it to the Stake Presidents and Bishops to give direction to families about the actual implementation details of this stuff.  Does anybody have anything else they know about this?

 

We actually had Elder Ballard (who wrote the book on councils) attend our Saturday and Sunday stake conference this weekend.  Saturday night was all about councils - ward and family.  He didn't mention mission plans. 

[rockpond]

So, in our Stake Conference yesterday, a letter from the First Presidency was read, about the fact that the Church now wants us to form Family Councils in immediate families (kind of like Ward Councils) for major decisions in families.  And to go along with that, they want us to form family mission plans.  I am not good for relaying details of things that I hear for the first time, so I'm wondering if the letter from the first presidency that was read has been posted online so I can read it again, and if anybody else has seen it yet.  There is a lot about this that I don't understand exactly yet, and I was left walking away with a number of questions about it.  I was kind of left with the questions about how this is supposed to be implemented.  I'm wondering if they are going to leave it to the Stake Presidents and Bishops to give direction to families about the actual implementation details of this stuff.  Does anybody have anything else they know about this?

 

I have not heard of this... but, we have not had our stake conference yet.

 

My wife and I council about decisions on a weekly if not daily basis.  We bring our children (who are young) into those discussions as appropriate.  If we need to call it a "Family Council" that's fine.  Maybe I need to hear/read the letter because this isn't making a lot of sense to me.

 

Regarding the family mission plan, we've been encouraged by our local leaders and mission to have a family mission plan for years.  Ours has gone through a number of revisions.

 

Funny side note:  A friend of mine, kept his family mission plan posted on the refrigerator in his kitchen.  One day one of his friends was visiting, saw it, and noticed their own name on the plan.  It was awkward but my friend explained their family goal to share the gospel with them.

 

We keep our mission plan saved in electronic form.  

[Calm]

Along with family council, family mission plans have been taught before:

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2007/08/how-to-be-a-great-member-missionary?lang=eng

[Scott Lloyd]

My understanding is that there has been a recognition that there are parts of the day when no meetings have been scheduled, usually when we're at home with our familiies, and that the Church sees this time as prime real estate for more meetings.

 

This is to fulfill the 14th Article of Faith, that "[w]e believe in meetings-all that have been scheduled, all that now are scheduled, and we believe that there yet will be many more great and important meetings. We have endured many meetings and hope to be able to endure all meetings. If there is a meeting, we seek after it."

Some who, like me, are old enough to remember that when the consolidated meeting schedule was implemented (the three-hour, uninterrupted block of time resulting in substantially less of it spent at the meetinghouse on the Sabbath), what was anticipated was that the rest of the day not be spent languishing, watching football on television, shopping, attending entertainment events, etc., but rather, spending time with one's family in spiritually oriented pursuits such as engaging in family scripture and gospel study and, yes, the convening of family councils.

 

I've not yet heard of the initiative described in the OP, but, like a lot of other things in the Church, it strikes me as a reiteration and re-emphasis of what we have heard before -- much like the 1965 initiative pertaining to family home evening was in actuality a re-emphasis of what had been initiated 50 years previously.

 

I suppose we'll keep being instructed in these things until we get it right -- or until we can "do many things of our own free will and choice and bring to pass much righteousness."

Edited March 16, 2015 by Scott Lloyd

[cinepro]

Nothing like this was mentioned in our Stake Conference yesterday.  We did have one speaker who was an actor entertain us with his Sean Connery impersonation, and then wonder how the Spanish translators were going to "translate" that part of his talk.

 

Our Stake President also closed his remarks with the story of the song "Amazing Grace".  And then the Stake Choir sang an amazing rendition of Amazing Grace!  It was the first time I've heard it in Church.

[Buckeye]

Nothing like this was mentioned in our Stake Conference yesterday.  We did have one speaker who was an actor entertain us with his Sean Connery impersonation, and then wonder how the Spanish translators were going to "translate" that part of his talk.

 

Our Stake President also closed his remarks with the story of the song "Amazing Grace".  And then the Stake Choir sang an amazing rendition of Amazing Grace!  It was the first time I've heard it in Church.

 

Go to the Hyde Park Ward on the south side of Chicago (Elder Oak's old stomping ground). They sing amazing grace all the time.

 

On my mission in California I was once translating for an english high counselor in a spanish ward. He decided to re-write "the night before christmas" by substituting the most complicated and archane word he could find for each word in the original poem. So the first line began something like "Twas the even before Christ's Mass, and throughout yon domicile." To this day I have no idea what point he was trying to make. I gave up translating by the third line and made up my own sermon to the ward: "the missionaries are your friends ... feed the missionaries ... invite each family in your neighborhood to hear the missionaries ... tonight!"

[Yirgacheffe]

 

Funny side note:  A friend of mine, kept his family mission plan posted on the refrigerator in his kitchen.  One day one of his friends was visiting, saw it, and noticed their own name on the plan.  It was awkward but my friend explained their family goal to share the gospel with them.

 

 

That would cool my friendship toward the person, from that time forward all invitations would be suspect.

[Tacenda]

Along with family council, family mission plans have been taught before:

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2007/08/how-to-be-a-great-member-missionary?lang=eng

I've heard of these before and believe families sometimes tie them in with FHE. Once after a RS lesson where the teacher introduced having a family mission statement, I then introduced it to my family and failed at getting it off the ground.

My dad wasn't your typical PH, he just tried to make my mom happy, she was the stalwart one. And I never remember a father's blessing or healing blessing, missed out on that special experience. Though if memory serves, he blessed/baptized/confirmed me. I say this because I remember my friend's dad would have interviews with her, much like her bishop would. This seemed kind of weird to me when she mentioned it was like that, it shouldn't be so formal IMHO. To me, if family council is like that, it would rub me the wrong way. But it's all how one is raised I guess.

Edited March 16, 2015 by Tacenda

[Okrahomer]

Yes, I've heard of these before and believe families sometimes tie them in with FHE. My dad wasn't your typical PH. He more or less tried to make my mom happy, she was the stalwart one. Never remember a father's blessings or healing blessing, missed out on that special experience. Though if memory serves he blessed/baptized/confirmed me. My friend's dad would have interviews with her, much like her bishop would. This seemed kind of weird when she mentioned it was like that since it is with your own father, it shouldn't be so formal, IMHO. But she said that it was pretty formal. So to me, family council like that would rub me the wrong way. But it's all how one is raised I guess.

 

We held a "family council" twice a day nearly every single day when I was growing up--it was also known as Breakfast and Dinner.

[DragonLancer]

After some of these responses, it makes me wonder at this point if my Stake is being used in a "pilot program" with this type of thing.

Edited March 16, 2015 by DragonLancer

[DragonLancer]

Nothing was read in our ward yesterday, but it wasn't stake conference either.

 

Family councils are not really anything new.  The Church has been talking about them in one form or another for a while.  If you google "family council lds," you'll get quite a few links to Church resources on family councils.

 

I believe they are a good recommendation for a forum for the family to discuss issues.  The format, formality, and timing will vary from family to family.I know some familys hold them regularly.  In our family, it's sporadic and for special occasions.  For example, at the start of each school year, we'll meet, discuss the upcoming year, what everyone's goal is, what we can do jointly to help each other reach goals, commit some of these things to writing, and then finish with blessings.  When we were asked by a relative to take in a foster child, we met to discuss, pray, and make a joint decision.  We also have less formal meetings from time to time.

 

Well, I think what I am saying is not that the idea is new for the councils, but the idea of having them often like how family home evenings are done weekly, and using these councils in conjunction with some kind of "family mission" with a plan in place for organized family missionary work is a new thing, where you are actively trying to get your kids to think of ways to do missionary work, and doing the return and report thing with your kids and so forth, as if you are some kind of mission president or something.  To me, that is new.

[bluebell]

That would cool my friendship toward the person, from that time forward all invitations would be suspect.

 

Because knowing they wanted to share something that's very important to them with you would be offensive?

[Yirgacheffe]

Because knowing they wanted to share something that's very important to them with you would be offensive?

No but that I am a project on a list, something that should be changed is.

[Ahab]

So, in our Stake Conference yesterday, a letter from the First Presidency was read, about the fact that the Church now wants us to form Family Councils in immediate families (kind of like Ward Councils) for major decisions in families. And to go along with that, they want us to form family mission plans. I am not good for relaying details of things that I hear for the first time, so I'm wondering if the letter from the first presidency that was read has been posted online so I can read it again, and if anybody else has seen it yet. There is a lot about this that I don't understand exactly yet, and I was left walking away with a number of questions about it. I was kind of left with the questions about how this is supposed to be implemented. I'm wondering if they are going to leave it to the Stake Presidents and Bishops to give direction to families about the actual implementation details of this stuff. Does anybody have anything else they know about this?

The main idea is the suggestion that immediate family members should consider themselves to be members of a Family Council, composed of their immediate family members, and that as members of that council they should counsel with each other about what to do when faced with major decisions. Details about where to meet and exactly when to meet would be up to each Family Council.

It's basically the type of Family Council I envision that we were all part of before we came here to live as mortals. Our parents presided over all of their children who would be coming here and we all discussed things together. Some of our grandparents may have also been in attendance, I think, but our more immediate parents were the ones who presided over all of their immediate children. Might as well start our own Family Councils now while we are here.