What is the place and standing of responsibility for temple and family history in the Church? How is this work to be directed locally in our wards and stakes?
Origins and keys and authority for temple and family history work is in the Melchizedek Priesthood (D&C 84:19-20)
Keys for Priesthood authority were restored step by step
1. Aaronic Priesthood by John the Baptist, D&C 13, May 15, 1929
2. Melchizedek Priesthood by Peter, James and John, D&C 27:12 (June 1929?)
3. Higher Melchizedek Priesthood Keys by Moses, (gathering of Israel), Elias (gospel of Abraham), Elijah (sealing power) April 3, 1836 D&C
What is the focus of each of these higher level Melchizedek Priesthood keys, and how is leadership exercised at the general Church level?
Melchizedek Priesthood program leadership, oversite, and direction at general authority level, by three executive councils chaired by apostles
– Missionary Executive Council chaired by Elder Uchdorf
– Priesthood and Family Executive Council chaired by Elder Cook
– Temple and Family History Executive Council by Elder Bednar
The Missionary Executive Council functions as “the extended arm of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for missionary work,” Elder Uchtdorf said. It focuses primarily on “proclaiming the gospel and making disciples” with the help of the current full-time missionaries worldwide, he said.
The purpose of the Priesthood and Family Executive Council is “to prepare people to meet God,” Elder Cook said. “It is to perfect the Saints.” The Relief Society, Young Women, Young Men, Primary and Sunday School organizations serve in collaboration with and under the purview of the Priesthood and Family Executive Council, Elder Cook said.
“Everything pertaining to the temples — the covenants, the ordinances, the operations and family history work — is the responsibility of the Temple and Family History Executive Council,” Elder Bednar said. (From Church News article, 2021)
Let’s look at the focus of these Melchizedek Priesthood keys at the local level. How is leadership for these Melchizedek Priesthood programs to be exercised in the wards and stakes? Specifically, how does this responsibility translate to leadership assignments and responsibilities for temple and family history work the ward and stake levels?
WARD
Let’s look first at the ward level. This is where much of the action is. The ward is probably the most critical place where leadership is required in order to make a difference in the efforts and lives of members of the Church of Jesus Christ for temple and family history work.
Sometimes our authorities speak of the “Ongoing Restoration.” In the last decade or so, we have experienced some adjustments in how the how leadership for this work is to be organized. Twenty years ago when I was serving as a Bishop, I had considerable oversight and we relied on the High Priests group leadership to direct temple and family history work in the ward. In 2025, we are seeing at least three adjustments in this area.
1) The role of the ward Bishop has evolved. He is still the presiding officer for the ward and chairs the overall leadership group in the ward, the Ward Council, but is focused more upon the youth of the ward as opposed to the Melchizedek Priesthood level programs of Perfecting the Saints, Missionary Work, and Temple and Family History Work.
2) Now there is a single Melchizedek Priesthood quorum in the ward, directed by an Elders Presidency, responsible for leadership in all aspects of Melchizedek Priesthood work, including the three critical program areas covered at the General church level by the three Executive Councils.
3) The position and responsibility of the ward Relief Society leadership has also been elevated to be parallel to that of the Elders Quorum presidency for the Melchizedek Priesthood level programs.
Here is the current statement in the Church Handbook of Instructions regarding leadership responsibility in the ward for temple and family history work:
25.2.2 Elders Quorum and Relief Society Presidencies
The elders quorum and Relief Society presidencies lead the day-to-day temple and family history efforts in the ward (see 8.2.4 and 9.2.4). The elders quorum presidency leads these efforts for members of the elders quorum. The Relief Society presidency leads the efforts for members of the Relief Society. They work together to lead these efforts with the ward council, under the coordination of the bishop.
Both of these presidencies will generally divide responsibilities for the three Melchizedek Priesthood program areas, with the president focused first upon the perfecting the saints functions and one of the counselors overseeing missionary work and the other counselor temple and family history work. The elder’s counselor with the temple and family history assignment is identified also in the Handbook as the direct supervisor of a Melchizedek priesthood holder called in the ward to be temple and family history leader.
25.2.3 Ward Temple and Family History Leader
The ward temple and family history leader supports the elders quorum and Relief Society presidencies in their temple and family history responsibilities. He also has the following responsibilities:
– Coordinate temple and family history efforts with ward organization leaders, including youth quorum and class presidencies.
– Lead ward temple and family history coordination meetings (see 25.2.7).
– Attend ward council meetings when invited.
– Help the ward council develop and implement the ward temple and family history plan (see 25.2.6).
– Instruct ward temple and family history consultants. Coordinate their efforts to help members find names of ancestors and perform temple ordinances on their behalf.
– Work with the ward mission leader and the missionaries to help those learning the gospel, new members, and returning members engage in temple and family history work (see 23.2 and 23.3).
– Where applicable, assign ward temple and family history consultants to serve in the FamilySearch Center (see 25.3.6).
There is an option described in the handbook for the elders counselor to carry this assignment himself, if approved by the Stake President, but according to the advice of a brother who is serves in the executive level of FamilySearch, this is probably an option needed in branches and small wards but not the best arrangement in large Utah wards. There may be at least two reasons why a different person than the elder’s counselor may be preferable for this position. First, the elder’s quorum presidency carries a long list of responsibilities and a counselor in that presidency will likely have several areas of assignment and concern and therefore may not have the time and energy that is needed to devote to leading temple and family history work in the ward. Secondly, having a separate temple and family history leader allows for the calling of a person with a greater amount of understanding and experience in these specialized areas.
But in the case that the elders counselor is to fill that function, he would not need a separate call, sustaining, and setting apart. His call and setting apart in the elders presidency would suffice, along with his designation for the assignment by the elder’s president. Additionally, in a ward in which this position becomes vacant, responsibility for this function would automatically fall back upon the Elders Counselor until the position is again re-filled by the ward.
In a ward where the ward Temple and Family History leader position is a separate ward calling, there is also not a need, if the position becomes vacant, for a Bishop to reconfirm this decision with the Stake President. He has already has the authority or permission to work with the elder’s and Relief Society presidencies to identify and call a replacement.
What does it take for a ward temple and family history leader to be effective?
This is not a calling that is simple or easy. Persons in this calling have the challenge of being subject to an organizational situation in which there is a considerable amount of overlapping responsibility and oversight.
For example, the person filling the ward calling of Temple and Family History Leader is selected by the Bishop with input from the elder’s and Relief Society Presidents, called by the Bishopric, sustained by the ward membership, and set apart by a member of the Bishopric. But, in the work he serves directly under a designated elders quorum counselor, is equally responsible to the elders quorum and Relief Society presidencies who in fact carry the major responsibility and assignment in a ward for temple and family history work. Also he answers to some degree to the Bishop and Ward Council, and also to the High Counselor who is the stake temple and family history leader.
This individual, therefore, has the challenge to cause things to happen while in a subordinate organizational position to several different persons. This challenge might be called “leading from beneath”.
Two challenging outcomes seem to be needed for this leader to make things happen success administratively :
1) to be able to make good temple and family history things happen in the ward, and
2) to achieve unity, that is, agreement and commitment, with all persons with oversight responsibility.
Skills needed to make temple and family history work happen:
1. Some people with highly developed family history research skills.
2. Persons with effective administrative skills that combines “making things happen” and uniting people in an environment in which many persons have some partial responsibility and oversight.
These are not always found in one person. Maybe not even needed in a single person.
This suggests the need for a strong ward-level committee with several persons, who together have these skills. Evaluating the effectiveness of a ward temple and family history effort
1. Do members of the Ward Council make temple and family history activities a priority, with their vocal support for ward temple and family history goals and their presence at ward temple and family history functions, including ward temple nights?
2. Do the presidencies of the ward Elders Quorum and Relief Society fully understand their responsibilities to provide the leadership in the ward for temple and family history activities and efforts, and do members of the ward look primarily to these organizations for this leadership? Do these presidencies provide some time in their Sunday meetings for consideration and discussion of ways in which their organization can fulfill its temple and family history leadership assignment?
3. Does the ward have a Melchizedek Priesthood brother, called, sustained, and set apart and serving actively, as temple and family history leader? (See note about the option for an Elders Quorum counselor to fill this assignment.)
4. What is the nature of the working relationships that exist in the ward between the temple and family history leader and the ward elders quorum and Relief Society presidencies? Is the ward temple and family history leader clear in his understanding that the assigned elders quorum counselor is his direct file leader, and that secondarily he also takes direction from the assigned Relief Society counselor? Are these presidencies fully united and active in their roles of directing temple and family history matters in the ward by overseeing the work of the temple and family history leader? Does the temple and family history leader receive input and direction through periodic meetings with both the elder’s and Relief Society presidencies?
5. Is the ward temple and family history coordinating committee fully staffed including at least one or more trained and knowledgeable family history research consultants, and also youth representatives? Does the committee meet regularly, probably monthly?
6. Is the ward temple and family history leader in regular attendance at Elder’s Quorum meetings, to provide direction and promote this work?
7. Are ward members utilizing these consultants to improve their own family history research skills? Do these consultants have training needs, and are they directed to family research training resources? Do at least some of the consultants fulfill shift assignments at the FamilySearch Center? Does the ward and its members make effective use of the FamilySearch Center resource, and especially the promoting and publicizing of training offerings?
8. Does the ward have a temple and family history plan that represents a broad consensus and commitment across the entire ward? Is the plan motivational in that it effectively promotes greater temple attendance and family history work by ward members, including children and youth? Are designated ward temple nights and sessions scheduled and well-supported by ward members, including baptismal sessions for the youth? Given the need and challenge of making temple appointments, are effective and timely advanced notices provided to ward members for scheduled temple night sessions, probably three or four weeks in advance?
9. Is there some kind of planned outreach in the ward to encourage adults in the ward who are without current recommends to prepare go to the temple? Is temple preparation training available?
STAKE
How are the stakes that are providing effective temple and family history leadership organized?
Is there a committee or coordinating group that meets with High Counselor chair (and oversight by Stake Presidency counselor), includes some persons (including sisters) with extensive family history training and experience, also Stake Relief Society counselor.
What is the major focus?
1. Training/functioning of ward temple and family history leaders and committees, also Relief Society and elders quorum leaders
Responsibility of
– Stake High Counselors assigned to oversee wards
– Stake Relief Society Presidency Counselor for temple and family history – Stake High Counselors for temple and family history
– Stake temple and family history specialists
Hold regular meetings (quarterly, monthly?) with ward temple and family history leaders
Monitor functioning of temple and family history work in each of the wards
Do the elders and Relief Society presidencies understand and exercise their temple and family history leadership responsibilities?
Is the ward temple and family history committee fully staffed?
What is the working connection between the elders and Relief Society leaders and the temple and family history leader and committee?
Does the ward temple and family history coordinating committee meet regularly (probably monthly ?
Does the ward have a workable and motivational temple and family history plan that it is following?
What are the training needs of ward temple and family history officers?
Perform needed training
Refer to FamilySearch Center for training
2. Preparing possible Stake sponsored family history fairs/events
3. Linking wards and the FamilySearch Center
Communicate stake training needs to FamilySearch Center staff
Communicate FamilySearch Center training offerings to ward leaders (regular, monthly?) to distribute to award members
Meet stake assignments for staffing the Center
The stake temple and family history leader (High Counselor) has some of the same challenges as ward temple and family history leaders, that is, how to make needed things happen in a situation in which he does not have the major direct supervision or oversight responsibility and may not possess many of the direct family history research skills.
– Be a doer and an organizer, reach out for cooperation of others who have this oversight, especially the High Counselors who supervise the ward Elders quorums and also the Stake RS counselor for TFH.
– Promote the creation of a stake temple and family history committee/coordinating group with at least a couple of consultants, well trained in family history research.
– Follow the lead of the SF East stake with monthly meetings with all adult ward committee members, with a duel focus of making things happen and training ward consultants.
FAMILYSEARCH CENTER
One stake in Church area, the Agent stake, supervises and supports our local FamilySearch Center and its leadership.
The Stake assigns a High Counselor to oversee and support the Center Director, possibly the one with the temple and family history leader assignment, and with oversight by the Stake President’s Counselor:
– Call Center leadership staff
– Maintain regular contact with the Center leadership
– Ensure that the Center has resources to fulfill its mission, that is budget, housing, technical support, equipment, and especially, sufficient consultant staff
– Identify unmet needs and prepare strategies to address these issues
– Ensure that effective communication channels exist between Center and related stakes and wards
– Obtain feedback about needs and problems regarding family history work in Center and in wards/stakes
– Develop mechanisms for all stakes and wards to receive and distribute timely information about Center training offerings
The agent Stake President will present the Center budget to the area Correlating Council (Presidents of Spanish Fork stakes), yearly or more often as needed. At this time it would probably also be useful for him to have with him his Counselor who is over temple and family history, the High Counselor who oversees the Center, and the Center Director, to make any needed introductions, to briefly communicate Center services and identify possible needs of the Center to fulfill its mission, and to ask for feedback as to ways the Center might better serve the needs of the Stakes.
No comments:
Post a Comment