On Monday, February 17, 1834, the first high council in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was formally organized. This council operated under the direction of the First Presidency of the Church: Joseph Smith, Jun., Sidney Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams. (See Doctrine and Covenants 102.)
Why was this council needed? After all, church members already sustained Joseph Smith as “a seer, a translator, a prophet, an apostle of Jesus Christ,” and “an elder of the church” (Doctrine and Covenants 21:1). The Lord had instructed them to receive his words “as if from mine own mouth” (Doctrine and Covenants 21:5), and had clearly specified that “no one shall be appointed to receive commandments and revelations in this church excepting my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., for he receiveth them even as Moses” (Doctrine and Covenants 28:2).
The comparison to Moses suggests a partial answer to the question. The children of Israel accepted him as their leader and as the spokesperson for God, but he learned early on that there wasn’t enough of him to go around. His father-in-law, Jethro, watched him meet with people to make decisions large and small and said:
The thing that thou doest is not good.
Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
Exodus 18:17-18
So one purpose for organizing a council is to share the burden of leadership and spread the work more evenly.
In 1993 and 1994, Elder M. Russell Ballard delivered a pair of general conference talks about using councils effectively. In those talks, he highlighted at least two other reasons why councils are useful for governing an organization:
- More people = more ideas. Full participation by all council members “broadens the base of experience and understanding, leading to better solutions.”
- Council members develop a shared commitment to the agreed course of action. “People who feel ownership of a problem are more willing to help find a solution, greatly improving the possibility of success.”
(See “Strength in Counsel,” October 1993 general conference; “Counseling with Our Councils,” April 1994 general conference.)
Doctrine and Covenants 102 contains detailed procedures specific to the original high council which likely do not apply to the councils we are part of. But we can learn important principles from it to guide us in our efforts to counsel together — at home, at church, at work, and in the community. Here are a few:
1. Start with a clearly-defined purpose.
The high council was appointed by revelation for the purpose of settling important difficulties which might arise in the church, which could not be settled by the church or the bishop’s council to the satisfaction of the parties.
Doctrine and Covenants 102:2
When council members have a shared purpose, it’s easier to prioritize agenda topics and to decide which ones are out of scope. Council members are also more likely to be flexible on the approach (the “how”) as long as they perceive a unified objective (the “what”).
2. Ensure that all voices are heard.
And the councilors appointed to speak before the council are to present the case, after the evidence is examined, in its true light before the council; and every man is to speak according to equity and justice.
Doctrine and Covenants 102:16
The Church Handbook encourages leaders to clearly explain the issue to be discussed but to refrain from offering an opinion until council members have had an opportunity to share their thoughts. “When a council leader shares his or her perspective too early, it can inhibit the contributions of others” (General Handbook, 4.4.3). Each council member should listen respectfully to the contributions of others and make an effort to understand their points of view on the topic.
Avoid groupthink by trying to see the topic from all angles and questioning the easy answer.
It’s particularly important to allow dissenting voices an opportunity to explain their positions. The group may be missing something if they’re not listening carefully enough, and council members are less likely to rally around a final decision if they feel they haven’t been heard. (See Doctrine and Covenants 102:20-22.)
3. Support the final decision.
After the evidences are heard, the councilors, accuser and accused have spoken, the president shall give a decision according to the understanding which he shall have of the case, and call upon the twelve councilors to sanction the same by their vote.
Doctrine and Covenants 102:19
It’s hard when one’s preferred solution doesn’t prevail, but part of serving in a council is supporting collective decisions, as announced by the council leader. As long as those decisions aren’t morally wrong, it’s important for council members to strive for unity in implementing those decisions.
4. Seek revelation.
In case of difficulty respecting doctrine or principle, if there is not a sufficiency written to make the case clear to the minds of the council, the president may inquire and obtain the mind of the Lord by revelation.
Doctrine and Covenants 102:23
Obviously, the collective wisdom of a group of humans can only extend so far. When we meet in church and family councils, we should pray that all council members will be open to inspiration. When we participate in work and community councils, we can have a prayer in our hearts. It may be necessary to seek additional guidance through dedicated prayer in between council meetings. Sometimes, as described in the passage above, the Lord won’t tell us what decision to make but will teach us principles which we can apply to make an appropriate decision.
5. Respect the boundaries of your authority.
It shall be the duty of said council to transmit, immediately, a copy of their proceedings, with a full statement of the testimony accompanying their decision, to the high council of the seat of the First Presidency of the Church.
Doctrine and Covenants 102:26
Doctrine and Covenants 102 authorizes high priests to establish similar councils in other geographic regions as needed, but those councils would also operate under the authority of the high council in Kirtland. They should promptly communicate their decisions to that group, who had the authority to overrule them.
No council operates in a vacuum. An awareness of our constraints and of the far-reaching impact of our decisions will help us avoid unwise decisions through provincial thinking.
The Liberation of the People of Limhi
King Limhi and his people were in bondage. They had tried and failed multiple times to free themselves. When a search party led by a man named Ammon arrived from their homeland of Zarahemla, they were overjoyed by the prospect of reuniting with their people, but they were still outnumbered by their captors.
How did Limhi decide what to do next? He called a very large council meeting.
And now it came to pass that Ammon and king Limhi began to consult with the people how they should deliver themselves out of bondage; and even they did cause that all the people should gather themselves together; and this they did that they might have the voice of the people concerning the matter.
Mosiah 22:1
Gideon, a trusted military leader, proposed a plan. The king agreed to the plan, the people collectively implemented it, and it worked.
What would have happened if King Limhi had tried to solve the problem on his own? Or if Gideon had failed to speak up? Or if the people had refused to support the plan? Their escape was attributable to following good principles of counseling together.
Conclusion
Today, I will follow the principles I learned from Doctrine and Covenants 102 as I work with other people. I will strive for clarity of purpose and scope, open communication, and unity in implementing collective decisions. Throughout the process, I will seek to be guided by revelation and to honor the boundaries of our authority.
Thank you for making sense of these chapters on council’s. I really struggled to get anything out of my reading and this is all very helpful.
I’m so glad to hear that this post was helpful to you. Thanks for letting me know!