Guidelines for Stake and Regional Meetings

Consistent with President Spencer W. Kimball’s admonition in the Regional Representatives Seminar 31 March 1978 to simplify programs “enough to serve our people at the level of their need” (Ensign, May 1978, p. 101), the Leadership Department has outlined a new format for the June 1979 regional meetings held Churchwide. All Regional Representatives and stake presidents have received the Regional Meeting Planning Guide, 1979, which contains all the information needed to plan and carry out the meetings.

According to the booklet, stake presidents are to consult with local priesthood and auxiliary leaders, determine their needs, and then indicate to their Regional Representative the topics that would be most appropriate and beneficial for their specific areas. Local leaders then brainstorm ways to present those ideas in regional meetings. Other local leaders will be asked to come to the regional meetings prepared to discuss problems, goals, and solutions unique to their geographical areas.

Because this year’s format is geared so specifically to local need, the June meetings will naturally vary greatly from region to region.

In a second effort to simplify, the Leadership Department has condensed several items of instruction and information, formerly necessitating multiple mailings, into one booklet entitled Stake Meetings Planning Guide and Stake Conference Schedules, 1979. Directed to stake presidents, the booklet includes “information on planning stake conferences, suggested topics and resource materials for stake leadership meetings [and] stake priesthood meetings, and stake conference schedules.” (Stake Meetings Planning Guide, introduction)