Youth Lesson - How can I participate effectively in councils in the Church?

What did we talk about last week?

Have you learned anything in your personal gospel study that you would like to share?

Have you have any gospel conversations with friends or family that you found interesting?

Today we are going to talk about:
How can I participate effectively in councils in the Church?

The Lord’s Church is governed through councils. Under the direction of priesthood leadership, leaders counsel together for the benefit of individuals, families, and the Church. Effective councils invite full expression from all council members, who seek to be united and guided by the Holy Ghost to build the kingdom of God. Learning how revelation is received in councils can help us participate effectively in council meetings, including presidency meetings, bishopric youth committee meetings, and family councils.

What councils have the youth participated in (for example, class and quorum presidencies or the bishopric youth committee)? How well do the youth understand the purposes of councils?

Ask the youth how those worked.

In my old ward I was on the ward council for a while.

We would talk about how to help those in our ward. Our ward, not as a group of church members, but as everyone in our ward boundaries.

Without giving confidential information about things that were discussed in your counsels, are there things you would like to share about the benefits you saw when working on a counsel?

Often things we talk about in counsels are sacred, so just like other sacred things we are careful what we share. How are things in counsels sacred?

Matthew 18:20
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Have you ever heard this scripture before? What are they usually talking about when they give this scripture?

Often I have heard people talk about why we go to church, but does this apply to counsels and how?

Here's another scripture that is usually use when talking about the importance of going to church.

Moroni 6:5

5 And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls.

Think about this in the context of meeting together in counsels.

Why would it be less effective if one person made all of the decisions without counseling with others?

Even though we may be doing good things and avoiding bad things, do we still get caught up in our own way of thinking or how we think something should be done?

Have you ever had your mind on something and someone says something that really makes you think about something different?  Have you had an experience like that which you would like to share?

Counsels are like that. We bring together people that have different life experiences, which cause them to see things from a different perspective. Taking together helps us perhaps to see more.

Have your ever seen one of those pictures that are zoomed way in and it is hard to determine what the picture is? Then you zoom out a bit and the picture make more sense. When we meet in counsels it helps us is to see what we think we see another way and often it makes more sense.

In many ways the way we do teaching youth classes in the Church is a lot like a counsel. We all reason things out together through the input of all of us.

Jesus often taught by asking questions and having his students participate in thinking about issues and taking the issue or question out.

Luke 10:25-28

25 ¶And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

Is there anything you have thought about as we have talked that you would like to use when you participate in a counsel next?