Appoint among yourselves a teacher, and let not all be spokesmen at once; but let one speak at a time and let all listen unto his sayings, that when all have spoken that all may be edified of all, and that every man may have an equal privilege.
I mention family councils because of our consistent emphasis on family unity and family solidarity, by encouraging parents to hold family councils, we imitate in our homes the heavenly pattern.
I propose that my counselors and fellow Presidents in the First Presidency shall share with me in the responsibility of every act which I shall perform in this capacity. I do not propose to take the reins in my own hands to do as I please; but I propose to do as my brethren and I agree upon and as the Spirit of the Lord manifests to us. I have always held, and do hold, and trust I always shall hold, that it is wrong for one man to exercise all the authority and power of presidency in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I dare not assume such a responsibility, and I will not, so long as I can have men like these to stand by and counsel with me in the labors we have to perform and in doing all those things that shall tend to the peace, advancement and happiness of the people of God and the building up of Zion.
I was given the reminder that what happens before and after the council is actually as important as what happens in the council.
Family councils have always been needed. They are, in fact, eternal.
Until now, however, I have never talked in general conference about the most basic and fundamental—and perhaps the most important—of all councils: the family council. Family councils have always been needed. They are, in fact, eternal.
As I conceive it, the genius of our Church government is government through councils. … Hardly a day passes but that I see the wisdom, God’s wisdom, in creating councils: to govern his Kingdom. In the spirit under which we labor, men can get together with seemingly divergent views and far different backgrounds, and under the operation of that spirit, by counseling together, they can arrive at an accord.
Under the leadership of the president of the church we meet in council to determine the direction of the church and what are called in the world, the policies of the church. Some of those things called policies are doctrine, some of them are practices, some of them are temporary directions like the age of missionary service. But they come out of council.
Individually we will often make mistakes. In councils we rarely make mistakes.