council meeting

My Calling as a Counselor in the Stake Relief Society Presidency

Who Do I Work With?

Stake Relief Society Presidency and Secretary

As a counselor in the stake Relief Society presidency, you work under the direction of the stake Relief Society president. You support and sustain her as you accept and prayerfully fulfill responsibilities she may delegate to you. You also seek inspiration so that you can use your unique gifts to bless the ward leaders in the Relief Society. As your presidency counsels together and seeks to follow the example of the Savior, you will gain insights and inspiration about how best to minister to one another and to those you serve. (See General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6.7.1–6.7.1.1; 9.5.)

Ward Relief Society Presidencies

Build sincere relationships with the ward Relief Society presidencies in your stake, and love them as the Savior would. As a stake Relief Society presidency, you are a resource for ward Relief Society presidencies, providing ongoing teaching, support, and encouragement. You have the opportunity to conduct stake Relief Society leadership meetings, where you instruct ward leaders in their duties and teach them leadership skills.

Stake President

Your presidency meets regularly with the stake president to counsel about stake Relief Society matters. In these meetings you discuss the needs of ward Relief Society leaders and the sisters in the stake. (See General Handbook, 9.5.)

Stake Council

Attend stake council meetings when the stake Relief Society president invites you to go in her absence.

A stake council meeting should be a revelatory experience. Elder David A. Bednar taught the following about ward council meetings, and the principle also applies to stake council meetings: “We’ve been talking about a revelatory experience with the members of the ward council. And if members of councils, if members of families, as they come together, would think in terms of ‘I’m preparing to participate in a revelatory experience with my family’ instead of going to a meeting—a revelatory experience with the members of the ward council—I think we would prepare and act much differently” (in M. Russell Ballard, in “Panel Discussion” [worldwide leadership training meeting, Nov. 2010], broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org).