Family Counsel

Family counsel is an essential part in strengthening the communication between the family members. It is the best way to solve family issues without causing contention or arguments between people in the family. There are five things that M. Russell Ballard says in his talk “Strength in Counsel” that are important to focus on in family counsel.

                The first is focus on fundamentals. The fundamentals are: praying, reading the scriptures, preparing lessons for family home evening then making time for it, using the Spirit as your guide in your family’s decisions. It is important that the parents of the home are using appropriate curriculum to teach their children that is safe and not questionable. Using the words of the prophets and the scriptures is always a good way to teach the children. The world is filled with conflict and contention, so your home should be a safe place for your children to learn, grow and learn of the truth of the gospel which will bring peace and joy into the home.

                Second is to focus on people. Do not only focus your family counsel meetings on organizing everyone’s plans on the calendar. Focus the time on the members of the family. Family counsels should be a place where you can trust your family to keep what you will share to themselves and not share it with friends or other extended family members. You should be able to rely on family members and tell them things you might be struggling with. Talk to the individual members of the family and see what their needs are and what their struggles are.

                Third is to promote free and open expression. Every family member should be heard equally in a family counsel. The parents should not talk any more than the children talk. Nobody should talk over another member of the family. When someone else is talking and expressing their opinions, the other members of the family should be listening to them. Every opinion should be heard, valued and considered. It is important to make enough time for a family counsel meeting to be able to do this. There should be enough time to organize schedules, talk about individual needs, what could improve in the home, and issues the family is dealing with together.

The fourth says that participation is a privilege. Each family member should go into the family counsel meeting prepared to discuss their needs and concerns. Every decision made in the family should be made together. Everyone should agree on the decision and how it will affect the family. Everyone should feel important and like they have been heard and that their concerns are valid to the other members of the family.

The fifth is to lead with love. Family counsel should not create any contention between the people in the family. It should be filled with love and concern for one another. There shouldn’t be arguing, there should be talking calmly to one another to figure things out and solve family issues. Nobody should tell another that they are wiser and older, so they should make the decision. Every person’s individual opinion should be heard and thought about and discussed. Family counsel meetings should not be a time to dread attending but enjoy going to and feeling the love between your family members. It should be a time of feeling love and concern for your parents, siblings and children.

Family counsel is a great way to strengthen a family and help them make wise decisions that everyone can be a part of. They create love, unity and trust within the family. It is important to let the Lord lead the meetings. Prayer should play a big role in making family decisions. Counsel with each other but make sure the family is also counseling with the Lord because he wants the family to succeed and will always know what is best for the family.