These monthly meetings, held under the direction of ward Relief Society leaders, are used to identify local needs and counsel together about how to meet those needs, according to questions and answers document released with the First Presidency letter.
“We want to extend the power that exists in counseling together—not just to the ward councils and presidencies but also into the Relief Societies and quorums of the Church,” explained Elder Curtis.
“When we counsel together, we discover ways to lift and strengthen each other that also build unity,” said Sister Bingham. “What a blessing it is for each of us to participate in God’s work, to become instruments for good in such a natural way!”
Possible topics for first-Sunday councils include how to improve communication with family members, serve in the community, and mentor youth in the ward or branch. In subsequent meetings, the quorum, group, or Relief Society follows up on impressions and actions.
“I am excited and thrilled with this new program. I feel that it is for our time today,” said Norma Joyner, a ward Relief Society president in Savannah, Georgia, who participated in a pilot of the new materials along with members from 12 stakes in Utah, Mexico, California, and Georgia. “I know that we will be more involved in choosing the subject matter and talks that will most benefit our sisters in the ward. It's an exciting time to be a member of the Church with all the new programs to help us grow in the gospel and be good stewards to each other, our families, and our communities.”
Marc Oslund, an elders quorum president from American Fork, Utah, who also participated in the pilot, said using the new curriculum helped increase the unity of the quorum and the relevancy of the lessons. “We now sit in a circle, and each week feels like a council. We are getting more engagement and more application to daily lives than I have experienced in elders quorum ever before. … Because we are always responding to needs and to current concerns of the quorum members, the Holy Ghost is present in more abundance.”
Please join us this Sunday for a new experience in Relief Society.
