My Calling as a Counselor in the Young Men Presidency

What Should I Focus On?

“All Church leaders are called to help other people become ‘true followers of … Jesus Christ’ (Moroni 7:48)” (Handbook 2, 3.1). Your presidency’s focus is to help each young man in your ward increase his faith in Jesus Christ and progress along the covenant path toward receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood and making temple covenants.

In President Russell M. Nelson’s first address as President of the Church, he counseled: “Your commitment to follow the Savior by making covenants with Him and then keeping those covenants will open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to men, women, and children everywhere. … The end for which each of us strives is to be endowed with power in a house of the Lord, sealed as families, faithful to covenants made in a temple that qualify us for the greatest gift of God—that of eternal life” (“As We Go Forward Together,” Ensign or Liahona, Apr. 2018, 7).

Lead in the Savior’s Way

You are a disciple of Jesus Christ. Discipleship includes loving, teaching, leading, and serving others. President Henry B. Eyring taught: “You are called to represent the Savior. Your voice to testify becomes the same as His voice, your hands to lift the same as His hands” (“Rise to Your Call,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2002, 76).

The following leadership principles will help your Young Men presidency and the quorum leaders as you seek to bless the young men you serve:

• Prepare spiritually.

• Counsel together.

• Minister to others.

• Teach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

• Administer the organization.

For more information, see Handbook 2, 3.2.

Teach in the Savior’s Way

Every lesson and activity is an opportunity for young men to learn the truths of the gospel and how to apply those truths to their daily lives. Create a setting where the Spirit can teach. Help young men recognize the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and invite them to act on what they hear and feel.

• As a presidency, oversee efforts to improve learning and teaching in Aaronic Priesthood quorums. Review upcoming lessons and activities, and discuss how to improve gospel learning and teaching in Young Men. “Members of the ward Sunday School presidency serve as specialists in the ward’s efforts to improve learning and teaching” (Handbook 2, 12.5). Counsel with them as you seek to improve teaching in Young Men.

• Instruct and mentor quorum advisers and young men who are invited to teach a lesson or a portion of a lesson. Help them gain confidence in their ability to teach by the Spirit.

• Participate in teacher council meetings. In these meetings, teachers discuss the principles in Teaching in the Savior’s Way. At least one member of your presidency and all assistant quorum advisers should attend these meetings (see Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 3).

Know and Love Each Young Man

As you come to know and love the young men you are called to serve, you can help them progress toward lifelong conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Prayerfully counsel together as a presidency to decide who needs your time and attention. As you reach out to those you are inspired to serve, you will find that your love for each young man increases. As you pray for the gift of charity, your heart will be filled with love for the Savior and for others (see Moroni 7:46–48).

Elder Dale G. Renlund taught: “In the Church, to effectively serve others we must see them through a parent’s eyes, through Heavenly Father’s eyes. Only then can we begin to comprehend the true worth of a soul. Only then can we sense the love that Heavenly Father has for all of His children. Only then can we sense the Savior’s caring concern for them. … Only when we see through Heavenly Father’s eyes can we be filled with ‘the pure love of Christ’ [Moroni 7:47]” (“Through God’s Eyes,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 94).

You can come to know and love the young men you serve by:

• Praying for each young man.

• Getting to know each young man’s interests, strengths, and challenges.

• Giving special attention to the needs of new members or less-active members.

• Showing love to each young man in ways that are suited to his needs.

• Counseling with each young man’s parents to learn ways you can help strengthen their son and encourage him to actively participate in the quorum (see Handbook 2, 1.2.2, 1.4).

• Being willing to share your personal experiences and testimony of the gospel to help guide the young men along the covenant path.

Guide and Support Aaronic Priesthood Quorum Leaders

As a Young Men presidency, one of your most important responsibilities is to guide and support the young men serving in Aaronic Priesthood quorum presidencies. You and the other members of the Young Men presidency are quorum advisers: your role is to teach and help quorum leaders to lead and love quorum members. To help the young men lead their quorums:

• Provide regular leadership training to quorum leaders, under the direction of the bishopric.

• Give quorum leaders experiences and opportunities that will help them as future leaders.

• Teach quorum leaders how to minister in brotherly love and service.

• Help young men lead quorum meetings with dignity and in a manner that invites the Spirit. Quorum meetings should reflect the principles taught in Doctrine and Covenants 43:8–10.

• Set a righteous example for the young men to help them come unto Christ (see Handbook 2, 8.1.3).

Your bishopric has the responsibility to call young men as quorum leaders and may counsel with you regarding young men to serve in quorum presidencies.

Participate in Presidency Meetings

Participate in regular presidency meetings with the other members of the Young Men presidency and the secretary. Suggested agenda items for presidency meetings are listed below:

• Read and discuss scripture passages and instructions from Church leaders that relate to your responsibilities as Young Men leaders. Relevant sections of Handbook 2 may be helpful.

• Discuss your understanding of the three principles: be with them, connect them with heaven, and let them lead. Consider what your presidency can do to implement these principles more fully as you interact with the young men.

• Counsel together about the strengths and needs of each young man and his family. Discuss how your presidency can teach and strengthen the young men and their families.

• Identify ways to prepare and support quorum leaders as they fulfill their assignments to lead and minister to the quorum members they serve.

• Review upcoming lessons and activities that have been planned by quorum presidencies, and discuss how you can help the lessons and activities be successful. Discuss ways to improve gospel teaching and learning in Aaronic Priesthood quorums.

• Prayerfully counsel together to recommend individuals to your bishopric for callings in Young Men.

• Review counsel and assignments from the bishopric and from leadership meetings. Plan ways to follow the counsel and fulfill the assignments.

• Review attendance records and discuss ways to encourage each young man to participate in quorum meetings and Young Men activities.

• Identify ways you can help quorum members develop brotherhood, serve together, and understand the gospel.

• Share and act on the impressions you receive as you counsel together as a presidency (see Doctrine and Covenants 8:2; 121:26).

Attend Quorum Presidency Meetings

Your presidency can help the young men in each quorum presidency develop as leaders by meeting with them regularly. Generally, the Young Men president meets with the priests quorum presidency, and the counselors meet with the teachers and deacons quorum presidencies. In these meetings you should communicate clear and loving expectations for the young men, help the young men understand their callings, teach them how to lead, and express your trust in their ability to lead.

A member of the bishopric presides over each quorum presidency meeting, and the quorum president conducts the meeting. Under the direction of the bishopric, you may help quorum presidents prepare agendas for the meetings. In these meetings, quorum presidencies may:

• Discuss ways to get to know the quorum members and minister to them with genuine friendship and simple service.

• Counsel together about which topics to discuss in Sunday quorum meetings, and consider who should teach each lesson (see “Oversee Sunday Quorum Meetings” below).

• Plan activities that will bless and strengthen the young men and bring unity to the class (see “Oversee Young Men Programs, Events, and Activities” below).

• Discuss how they, as quorum leaders, can help the young men feel and recognize the Spirit, feel Heavenly Father’s love, and learn gospel principles.

• Identify ways they can demonstrate the joy of living the gospel and following the Savior in all areas of their lives.

• Receive leadership training from a member of the bishopric or the Young Men presidency.

Help Oversee Sunday Quorum Meetings

Sunday quorum meetings are sacred opportunities for young men to increase in knowledge and testimony of our Savior. Sunday meetings follow the Come, Follow Me—For Aaronic Priesthood outlines:

1. Counsel together and share experiences (led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes).

2. Learn together (led by a leader, teacher, or quorum member; approximately 25–35 minutes).

3. Plan to act (led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes).

Young men learn doctrine from the scriptures and general conference messages, counsel about local needs, and make plans to work together to further the work of salvation.

Seek to create a safe environment for young men and their leaders. When adults are teaching young men in Church settings, at least two responsible adults should be present. Ensure that all leaders are familiar with and follow Church policies and guidelines on preventing and responding to abuse, as outlined in “Preventing and Responding to Abuse.”

For more information on Sunday meetings, see the Come, Follow Me website.

Help Oversee Young Men Programs, Events, and Activities

“Activities strengthen [young men] by giving them a sense of belonging and mutual support. Activities should help [young men] feel connected to others their age, to their leaders, and to their families. Activities should also help [young men] see how living the gospel brings ‘the joy of the saints’ (Enos 1:3)” (Handbook 2, 13.1).

Young men activities should “build young men with strong testimonies of Jesus Christ, help them magnify their priesthood duties, and prepare them to fulfill their divine roles” (ymactivities.ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Quorum leaders have the primary responsibility to plan and implement activities. You and other Young Men advisers prepare, guide, and support youth so they may succeed. Activities allow advisers to interact with youth, connect them with heaven, and let them lead. Encourage quorum leaders to involve other young men in planning so all can contribute and gain experience.

Youth and adult leaders plan activities following the guidelines in Handbook 2, 8.13  and chapter  13. See also youth.ChurchofJesusChrist.org, the annual First Presidency safety letter, and the Church’s Safety and Health website (ChurchofJesusChrist.org).

Young Men Activities

Young men activities are held on a regularly scheduled day or evening other than Sunday or Monday. Help quorum leaders plan activities that:

• Provide a variety of opportunities for the young men to serve others and develop spiritually, socially, physically, and intellectually (see Luke 2:52).

• Encourage the young men to develop sincere friendships with each other outside of Sunday meetings.

• Help the young men find ways to apply the gospel in their lives and live their covenants.

For more information about Young Men activities, see Handbook 2, 8.13.1.

Young Men Events

• Standards events: These events emphasize moral values and eternal goals. They help youth understand and commit to living gospel standards. For more information, see Handbook 2, 8.13.3, For the Strength of Youth, youth.ChurchofJesusChrist.org, and True to the Faith.

• Bishopric youth discussions: The bishopric plans and carries out bishopric youth discussions, which may be held with all the youth or with a certain age-group, and which can address specific needs as determined by the bishopric. For more information, see Handbook 2, 8.13.2.

• Multiday and overnight activities: Young men may plan and participate in overnight activities that strengthen quorum members. They may also plan and participate in at least one multiday activity per year. These activities may be planned at the ward, stake, multistake, or area level.

• Youth conference: Young men in the teacher and priest quorums and young women in the Mia Maid and Laurel classes may participate together in a youth conference. Youth conference is usually held once a year at the ward or stake level but may also be held at the multistake or area level. For more information, see Handbook 2, 13.4, and the Church’s youth conference web page (ChurchofJesusChrist.org).

• For the Strength of Youth (FSY) conference (outside the United States and Canada; worldwide by 2021): This is a multistake youth activity held under the direction of the Area Presidency. Area Seventies oversee the planning and implementation of the events. For more information, see Handbook 2, 13.3.

Participate in Ward Council and Bishopric Youth Committee Meetings as Invited

“The Lord’s Church is governed through councils” (Handbook 2, 4.1). The Young Men president may invite you to attend a ward council or bishopric youth committee meeting when he is absent. These councils meet regularly to discuss and plan how to support members in:

• Building testimonies.

• Receiving saving ordinances.

• Keeping covenants.

• Becoming consecrated followers of Jesus Christ.