Mark E. MenDenhall anD J. Bonner Ritchie OneCouncils Heart in Zion, and Zion One in Councils Mind he Prophet Joseph Smith held up Zion to the Latter-day Saints as a perfected and celestial organization marked by the unity of its members. We each covenant to build up Zion, that individual and communal Tcondition where everyone is of “one heart and one mind” (Moses 7:18), but often we are unsure how to go about it. How do we as individuals, who differ so much in our opinions, temperaments, and backgrounds, arrive at that kind of unity? If Zion means to be of “one heart and one mind” with others, then there must be a process for achieving it. That revealed process is the council system.1 When we understand how to use councils as the Lord does, and when we conform our souls to the principles necessary to properly counsel together, we will find the joy of Zion we so desperately seek. But even though prophets have taught and still teach the eternal principles of councils to us, we seem to miss their message. Maybe we Joseph anD Hyrum—LeaDing as One fall short because we lack experience with effective councils. Maybe we are listening less to the prophets than to our own ideas—for, unknowingly, we may often drag principles we have learned from society, business, family background, or the education system into our families and our Church callings. Until we learn how to counsel together in the Lord’s kind of council, we will not reach the Zion we ache for in our hearts. The council system was not only revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, but it was restored through him. As early as 1831, the Prophet was actively using committees to govern the Church; by 1834 he was teaching Church leaders the principles of governing by council that he had learned through revelation.2 As he was taught line upon line, precept upon precept how the Church should be organized (e.g., with quorums, bishoprics, the Relief Society), he also taught that every unit of the Church should be governed according to the council system.3 The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles govern themselves according to the principles of the council system,4 and they have desired that the council system be learned and applied at all levels of Church administration— especially within the family.5 However, as a people, the Latter- day Saints do not always fully understand and apply the principles of the council system.6 A council in the kingdom of God is both an organizational unit and a way to manage that unit.7 Councils are not merely meetings where calendars are coordinated and assignments are distributed. Councils are organized so we can learn and apply the principles of love and service; so we can plan, analyze problems, and make decisions to move forward the kingdom of God.8 In short, councils are the means by which we experience the joy of Zion. This chapter reviews the principles and processes of councils as taught by the Prophet Joseph and succeeding prophets and apostles, and it shows how Joseph and Hyrum applied these 2 One Heart anD One MinD principles. Born into a family that counseled together frequently, Joseph and Hyrum were no doubt prepared to understand the importance of the council system to the building up of the kingdom of God. The Smith family often held family councils. For example, in 1816, after three years of crop failures, they met as a family to consider relocating to New York: “We all now sat down and maturely counseled together as to what course it was best to take, and how we should proceed to business in our then destitute circumstances. It was agreed by each one of us that it was most advisable to apply all our energies together and endeavor to obtain a piece of land, as this was then a new country and land was low, being in its rude state.”9 As this Smith family council illustrates, councils are not complicated. In fact, we might be turned off by the simplicity of this solution to the problem of Zion. We should remember the warnings of holy writ not to discount powerful principles because they seem to us naive or simplistic: “Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls” (Alma 37:6–7). Councils are not necessarily large numbers of people. A council exists where at least two people are trying to determine what the Lord would have them do—thus, a married couple is a council, a parent-child relationship is a council, and a personal priesthood interview is a council.10 Joseph and Hyrum not only led and participated in formal Church councils but also applied revealed principles of councils to their personal relationship as brothers. The spirit of the council system can and should influence all communication between spouses, parents and children, friends, or members of presidencies. 3 Joseph anD Hyrum—LeaDing as One The Principles and Process of Councils People define the elements of the council system in different ways, but in this discussion we propose a council “process” of five steps or phases.11 Each step is based on an organizational principle. The degree to which we obey each principle is the degree to which the Lord will bless the council with his Spirit. The principles of spiritual perspective, sharing insights, listening, creation, and confirmation and unity can create in the councils of Zion the joy of Zion. These principles are illustrated in figure 1. The process of counseling together begins with the core principle, humility, and then from the top of the diagram, beginning with the principle of sharing insights, moves clockwise. Principle 1: Spiritual Perspective Councils do not begin when a family council convenes or when the members of a ward council bow their heads in an opening prayer. A council operates according to the Lord’s will 4 One Heart anD One MinD depending on the spiritual perspective or attitude the council members bring with them. This spiritual perspective is the glue that holds the process together; without it, the other principles would be applied inappropriately and could not produce the desired outcomes of councils: namely, revelation, unity, love, vision, Zion. We are all different by spiritual nature and mortal experience—we see and make sense of the world around us, and even the gospel, somewhat differently from each other. Each of us has spiritual and temporal strengths; there are some things we just seem to know instinctively. The dangerous trap we are all prone to fall into, however, is to assume that because we are gifted in some areas of life, our views regarding all other areas of life are valid and correct as well. To participate effectively in councils, we must realize that our individual understandings, views, and judgments are limited, and follow the admonition of the Lord: “The decisions of these quorums . are to be made in all righteousness, in holiness, and lowliness of heart, meekness and long suffering, and in faith, and virtue, and knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity” (D&C 107:30). Thus, we must enter a council with a humble spiritual perspective. As it applies to councils, humility means understanding that your own view of any situation, issue, or circumstance is incomplete. My view of what the young women of my ward need in order to progress will likely be different from yours. None of us sees the complete picture, yet we often assume that we do. Thus, we often spend our energy in meetings trying to convert other people to our point of view rather than listening to everyone’s opinions and ideas to gain a better sense of what the true picture is.12 Joseph Smith illustrated this kind of humility when he ordained Harvey Whitlock a high priest in 1831. Immediately after he was ordained, Brother Whitlock’s appearance changed, 5 Joseph anD Hyrum—LeaDing as One and he was not able to speak. Levi Hancock recorded what occurred next: “Hyrum Smith said, ‘Joseph, that is not of God.’ Joseph said, ‘Do not speak against this.’ ‘I will not believe,’ said Hyrum, ‘unless you inquire of God and he owns it.’ Joseph bowed his head and in a short time got up and commanded Satan to leave Harvey, laying his hands upon his head at the same time.”13 Joseph could have spurned this input from Hyrum or even seen it as an attack on his legitimacy as a prophet. Instead, Joseph reconsidered and then prayed about it. It turned out that Hyrum’s view was correct, and Joseph took the appropriate action. Humility is the deep realization that it is very difficult to see the big picture and that we are fooling ourselves when we think we do. President George Q. Cannon described how Latter-day Saints should approach a council with humility: If I were going to a priesthood meeting, where there were important matters to attend to, it is my duty, as a servant of God, to go to that meeting with my mind entirely free from all bias.