Family Councils

"There is no problem in the family... that cannot be solved if we look for solutions in the Lord's way by counseling -- really counseling -- with each other."

I've always thought of family councils as kind of silly. We didn't have a pattern of doing them regularly in my home growing up and I didn't see the importance. It was difficult enough to get the whole family together for a prayer and a couple scriptures let alone a whole council. Even the word “council” sounds so formal and off putting as a child. As I've gotten older, however, I've been able to expand my knowledge through church resources and see the powerful benefits through observing families on my mission and others in my life. I've seen the immeasurable positive affect family councils can have on the individual members of the family and the whole unit.

Councils have been a part of the gospel of Jesus Christ from the beginning. While we don’t remember it, we were all present in the great council in heaven. And although we hold councils at virtually all levels of the Church –general authorities, local presiding, stake and district, ward and branch, presidencies, and disciplinary—M Russell Ballard wrote “the basic council of the Church is the family council.” (M Russell Ballard, Counseling with Our Councils, pg 164)

He also gives examples of what a family council might look like and some of the advantages they offer.

Counseling within our families offers a safe and structured place to address issues that might have plagued them for much longer if not addressed. Having good communication within your family can bring light and meaning to struggles and give voice to each individual member. Once you can identify the problem, you can have open discussion about it and allow the spirit to touch your hearts and lead you to a solution. Our Heavenly Father wants us to find joy within our families and will give us aid when we provide the opportunity for it.

The structure of councils in the home can vary as well. In the handout below, it gives us an outline of how we might go about different types of family council. Each family is different and should form councils with direction from the spirit. That is when we will find the greatest strength and knowledge. But we shouldn’t only have this opportunity for open communication when we are having problems. We can use our time gathered as a family to strengthen ties and bond with those we love so dearly. We can have fun, learn, and grow together during these valuable councils.

“There never was a time when the world was in greater need of the strength and security that is best sown and cultivated within the deep, fertile soil of familial love.” A strong family was never meant to come without hard work. It requires a significant, conscious effort to raise a righteous family centered on the teachings of Jesus Christ. I hope you will look at the different styles of family councils and implement them into your home in a way that fits with your personalities and life style. In doing so, you will allow for greater blessings in your life and family.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/shared/english/blogs/family-councils-cheat-sheet.pdf?lang=eng

Counseling with Our Councils: Learning to minister together in the church and in the family. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book. 2003.)