Leadership Training

Feb. 2023 Stake Conference

Standards

 

Are standards necessary?

Why do we have standards?

Standards include: Conduct, appearance, speech, etc.

 

Institutions set standards to protect the integrity of the institution. Without those standards the institution would fail or evolve.

 

Every individual has unique standards influenced by their unique personalities. It is impossible to establish a set of standards that is completely agreeable to every individual. Therefore, the standard must represent the institution rather than the individual.

 

Examples of this are: the military, law enforcement, clubs, churches, schools and in our case, missionaries, BYU, Temples, etc.

 

If the institutional standards are removed, the institution fails to represent itself as such, or fails completely.

 

A good example of this is the Boy Scouts of America. Because the BSA chose to drop its standards to appease cultural, political, and social pressures the institution simply collapsed, and I might add, the church withdrew its support.

 

If the standards of dress and deportment were to be relaxed for our temples how long do you think it would take before there would be an all-out free-for-all in dress standards? How noisy would the Celestial room become? How long do you think it would take for the sisters to start attending in sleeveless dresses, or men to wear colored or short sleeve shirts?

 

If the dress standards set for missionaries were taken away how long do you think it would take before our Elders were proselyting in shorts and printed t-shirts, and our young sisters were wearing bootie shorts or short skirts to represent the Lord?

 

If the argument is made on the basis of personal and individual opinion about standards we will never come to a consensus of opinion.

 

We must keep the discussion about the institutional standards. The question then becomes, who sets those standards?

 

According to establish procedure the stake president is responsible for such standards within his stake. He is responsible for how he and his stake represent the Lord’s church to the world. His decisions and his conduct represent the revelation he receives from God on behalf of the members within his stake. This is his calling and responsibility.

 

As members of the Little Rock Arkansas Stake it is our choice whether to sustain him.

 

If the stake president decides not to uphold the will of the Lord in setting those standards and enforcing those standards as the representative of the Lord to his stake, then he is released, and another is called who will. This is a fact, and the same holds true for bishops and branch presidents and other leaders and officers throughout the church.

 

I am personally aware of two mission presidents who were released because they refused to uphold the standards of that institution. One mission president held Zone conferences on the beach with the missionaries in swimsuits enjoying the tropical waters. When called out he said that he didn't see anything wrong with it. He was released. Another mission president found it convenient is some cases to allow an Elder and a Sister to be companions. When confronted he expressed his determination to continue the practice and of course was released. I know of a BYU professor who spoke out against the brethren about the strict codes of conduct at BYU, he was fired. I personally know of a bishop released because he refused to adhere to financial standards of conduct with church funds, and a branch president who could not see why a sister could not serve as a counselor in the branch presidency. It wasn't too long ago that we received a letter concerning the use of candles and colored cloths at the sacrament table. And the list goes on and on.

 

My point is that there must be stated standards to protect the integrity of the church. It is the nature of man to push the boundaries of every standard or law.

 

If the decisions about what is appropriate were left entirely up to us, we would completely fail. We must have the will of God to survive this battle.

 

All one must do to see what would happen without God's laws or standards is to read history. The rebellion against divine standards began with the partaking of the forbidden fruit and continued with dramatic consequence when Cain murdered Able.

 

So, the argument is not whether there should be standards, but rather, what should those standards be? Who sets those standards? And under what conditions?

 

For The Strength of Youth is a guide for "Personal" choice making. As such it applies to the individual in his or her own choices as dictated by the spirit, or as the booklet says, according to the will of Jesus Christ and depends upon a personal relationship with Him.

 

Now because there is perfect union in the kingdom of heaven if we were all listening to the same spirit and obeying on the same level then we would not be having this discussion here today.

 

Precisely because of the vast spiritual differences that do exist between us there must be institutional standards to protect the integrity of the institution, to say nothing of setting an inspired example for all who belong to the institution and the world in general.

 

So, the question becomes one of sustaining the stake president, not what our individual idea about standards might be.

 

So if you are struggling with the Stake President's leadership in anything, then as we are directed to do, you are invited fast and pray to receive a witness whether to sustain him.

 

I once had an opportunity to learn how this works. There was a situation in which I disagreed with a decision being made by the stake president. I held up the proposed calling for several weeks because I just didn't feel good about going forward with it. Finally, I approached the Lord in humility and asked what I should do. The answer came very clearly to me, "Sustain the Stake President." I wasn't told that he was right or that I was right, only that I needed to sustain him and his decision. I did so and felt the witness of the Spirit that I had done the right thing and was at peace with it. I still believe that it may have been the wrong decision, but that is beside the point. We all make bad decisions. We're imperfect for heaven's sake. This was about sustaining my priesthood leader as directed by the spirit, not about who was right or wrong.

 

So, if you have concerns about the stake president's inspired standards for our youth, I again invite you to fast and pray for your own witness about sustaining him.