Leadership for Saints: Part 65

Gaining the Most from Leadership Meetings
by Rodger Dean Duncan and Ed J. Pinegar

Challenge:

Sometimes I’m asked to attend leadership meetings that don’t seem to have anything to do with my calling. What should I do?

Opportunity:

First, you should of course attend the leadership meetings you’re asked to attend. And you should prayerfully search for ways that you can add value to the meetings—either by active participation or by silently applying to your own calling the principles taught.

Second, you might anticipate what the future could hold. If the readers of this page were standing before me, I would ask two questions: “How many of you are currently serving in a Church assignment different from your assignment of two years ago?” and “How many of you know what Church position you’ll be filling two years from today?”

A good friend of mine in the eastern part of the United States once told me how he had taken the long and tedious ride across two state lines—frequently using three or four different means of public transportation—to attend stake priesthood leadership meetings. He recalled wondering how meetings often devoted to topics such as youth leadership applied to him as a Seventies president, but nonetheless found them interesting because of his curiosity about and pleasure in the functioning of the Church. Later on, my friend George Downing was an outstanding bishop—the president of the Aaronic Priesthood in his ward—aided in that wonderful calling by insights gained long before in meetings not quite “relevant” to his assignment.

The Church is a wondrous tapestry.  We should be interested in the whole cloth, not just our little, current patch. Faithful service in our present callings is a key element in preparing for future stewardships. Only the Lord knows what opportunities may come our way in the future. Only we can prepare.

– Rodger Dean Duncan

Challenge:

The people I lead are filled with contention. How can I help resolve the situation?

Opportunity:

The couple called. “President Pinegar, there’s a major problem. Elder So and So and Elder So and So have done something that’s embarrassed everyone, and we’re really upset. We even told the bishop about it and he’s upset, too. We need to meet with you and make sure that these elders get set straight right now.”

“Is the zone leader aware of this?” I asked.

“Well, I think he heard about it yesterday. And we called him and he said he didn’t know what he was going to do. President, we want to meet with you tomorrow morning at 7:00 o’clock and get this resolved.”

I said, “Well, let’s wait a bit. Let me talk to Elder Toone. He’s the zone leader. He’s the one who’s responsible and I’m sure he can handle it.”

They retorted, “He’s just a nineteen-year-old kid. What can he do about it?”

And I said, “Let’s be patient. The Lord’s in charge and he can handle it.”

They were frustrated. Needless to say, there was concern on both sides. Elder Toone called me up and said, “President, what do I do?”

I said, “Elder Toone, let’s counsel together and pray about it, and tomorrow morning before you meet with the couple, the bishop and these elders, you call me and the Lord will tell us the things we need to do.”

That night we prayed. Elder Toone prayed. The next morning, he said, “President, what can I do?”

I said, “Elder, as you get together, first of all you have a kneeling prayer. Pray for charity for all involved and ask that kindness and the spirit of love will be in the meeting. Then after you have the kneeling prayer, suggest to the people that you’d like to share some scriptures. Read Moroni 7:45 on the qualities of charity. Then read John 13:34-35 on how when we’re disciples we will love one another. Then read Matthew 25:40, ‘Inasmuch as you’ve done it unto the least of these, my brethren, you’ve done it unto me.’”

After we’d discussed those scriptures, he said, “Okay, I’ll try, President.”

He went off to his meeting. About 9:00 o’clock that morning I received a phone call. “President, I’m so happy.”

“Elder Toone, what happened?”

“Oh, it was wonderful. I cannot believe that the Lord blesses us so much. Everyone loves each other. Everyone is doing fine and there are no problems. We just need to love each other and look at the situation from each others’ perspective so we can better understand. Oh, President, everyone feels fine. There’s no contention, and love abounds in our district.”

The Lord truly blesses us when we practice true principles in the spirit of love.          

– Ed J. Pinegar

Quotes Worth Remembering

… but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear. – D&C 38:30

That they themselves may be prepared, and that my people may be taught more perfectly, and have experience, and know more perfectly concerning their duty, and the things which I require at their hands. – D&C 105:10

Indeed, the great challenge we face as we prepare for the future is to be more spiritually enlightened. – James E. Faust

And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another. – Mosiah 18:21

And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people. – 4 Nephi 1:15

For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil. – Alma 5:40

Note: The excerpts of Leadership for Saints posted on Meridian are only a fraction of the contents of this 349-page book. To learn more about this ground-breaking book and to order copies, click here.