El Consejo Familiar
Anytime there is a decision to be made in our marriage, whether it's big or small, Spencer and I come together and discuss our options. We view the pros and cons, and with bigger decisions, seek revelation from the Lord through fasting and praying. In Doctrine and Covenants 107:27 it reads, "And every decision made by either of these quorums must be by the unanimous voice of the same; that is, every member in each quorum must be agreed to its decisions of the same power or validity one with the other." While Spencer and I are not a part of the Quorum of the Presidency or the Quorum of the Twelve, we strive to follow their example by coming together as one in our decisions and plans.
Family Councils
Elder and Sister Ballard are strong believers in the importance of family councils and the positive impact it has in the home. The following are highlights from this Q&A that can benefit families of all shapes and sizes ("Family Councils," 2003):
The Need for Family Councils
"There has never been a time when the world was in greater need of the strength and security that are best sown and cultivated in the deep, fertile soil of family love. The family is under heavy attack from antagonists bent on extinguishing this powerful source of light in a darkening world. Successful families have a wide assortment of tools, and one of the most useful tools is the family council."
The Definition of a Family Council
"Whenever there are two or more members of a family together and a discussion is going on, that is a council! Family councils can be held in one-on-one talks between a parent and a child or among parents and several children. When a husband and wife talk to each other, they are holding a family council."
*See the end of this post for the different types of family councils needed to include children
"I think of the traditional definition that says a family council is a time when a father and mother sit down and go through a list of dos and don’ts with their children. I was never able to make it work that way. I found that when the list came out, it turned the children off. So I tried bringing up a specific problem—such as the garden needs weeding—and then simply asked the family, 'What can we do about it? What are your ideas?'
A council is when parents let their children help solve the problem. And when everyone agrees to a solution, everyone will have ownership of the problem. If I tell the family, 'You go out and pull the weeds,' there may be complaining or hurt feelings. But if I can help them to feel, 'We all decided this,' then the family council is truly working. Before you know it, family members will be organizing themselves, saying, 'You do this and I’ll do that.' That’s the power of a council."
My Goals
After studying about the importance of family councils, I feel a greater need to implement it more in my marriage. Spencer and I will have impromptu family councils, when it is needed, but I think having weekly and planned family councils would be beneficial in our marriage. I really want to implement this quote by Elder Rulon G. Craven that was in the book "Counseling With Our Councils" by Elder M. Russell Ballard:
Here's a chart of the various family councils that happen within the family unit:
Family Councils
Elder and Sister Ballard are strong believers in the importance of family councils and the positive impact it has in the home. The following are highlights from this Q&A that can benefit families of all shapes and sizes ("Family Councils," 2003):
The Need for Family Councils
"There has never been a time when the world was in greater need of the strength and security that are best sown and cultivated in the deep, fertile soil of family love. The family is under heavy attack from antagonists bent on extinguishing this powerful source of light in a darkening world. Successful families have a wide assortment of tools, and one of the most useful tools is the family council."
The Definition of a Family Council
"Whenever there are two or more members of a family together and a discussion is going on, that is a council! Family councils can be held in one-on-one talks between a parent and a child or among parents and several children. When a husband and wife talk to each other, they are holding a family council."
*See the end of this post for the different types of family councils needed to include children
"I think of the traditional definition that says a family council is a time when a father and mother sit down and go through a list of dos and don’ts with their children. I was never able to make it work that way. I found that when the list came out, it turned the children off. So I tried bringing up a specific problem—such as the garden needs weeding—and then simply asked the family, 'What can we do about it? What are your ideas?'
A council is when parents let their children help solve the problem. And when everyone agrees to a solution, everyone will have ownership of the problem. If I tell the family, 'You go out and pull the weeds,' there may be complaining or hurt feelings. But if I can help them to feel, 'We all decided this,' then the family council is truly working. Before you know it, family members will be organizing themselves, saying, 'You do this and I’ll do that.' That’s the power of a council."
My Goals
After studying about the importance of family councils, I feel a greater need to implement it more in my marriage. Spencer and I will have impromptu family councils, when it is needed, but I think having weekly and planned family councils would be beneficial in our marriage. I really want to implement this quote by Elder Rulon G. Craven that was in the book "Counseling With Our Councils" by Elder M. Russell Ballard:
The agenda is distributed to each member of the Twelve the night before the meeting so that they have an opportunity to read, ponder, and consider each item in preparation for the meeting. When they meet together they usually express love and concern for one another. [During] an opening prayer…a request is made for the Spirit to be in the meeting (2012, p. 47).
I know these principles will benefit my family now and in the future.
Here's a chart of the various family councils that happen within the family unit:
References
Ballard, M. R. (2012). Counseling with our councils: Learning to minister together in the Church and in the family. Deseret Book.
Family councils: A conversation with Elder and Sister Ballard. (2003, June). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2003/06/family-councils-a-conversation-with-elder-and-sister-ballard?lang=eng
Comments
Post a Comment