Welfare Duties of Priesthood Quorums and Groups An Orientation for New Leaders Welfare Duties of Priesthood Quorums and Groups © 2010 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved

Welfare Duties of Priesthood Quorums and Groups The purpose of this orientation is to help you: Understand the responsibilities of priesthood quorums and groups to help the poor and needy. Learn specific actions to help others.

What are some ways that priesthood quorums and groups can help the poor and needy, foster self-reliance, and provide service opportunities for the ward? High priests group and elders quorum leaders plan ways to teach principles of self-reliance and service to address welfare needs. Under the direction of the bishop, these leaders help members become self-reliant and find solutions to short-term and long-term welfare concerns. The bishop is the agent of the Lord’s storehouse and distributes the Saints’ offerings to the poor and needy. He is assisted by the elders quorum, the high priests group, and the Relief Society.

Overview: The Role of Priesthood Quorums and Groups Bishop Richard C. Edgley First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric What specific things could be done to help the needy in your ward? (See Conference Report, Apr. 2009, 53-55; or Ensign, May 2009,53 –55.)

Welfare Duties of Priesthood Quorums and Groups Teach welfare principles Assess welfare needs Help resolve temporary needs Help resolve long-term needs Coordinate welfare efforts The following slides provide additional information about these duties.

Teach Welfare Principles In their leadership or presidency meetings, high priests group and elders quorum leaders should plan ways to teach principles of self-reliance and service and to address welfare needs. Leaders should counsel together about ways to help ward members understand and follow principles of welfare.

Teach Welfare Principles Providing in the Lord’s Way: Summary of a Leader’s Guide to Welfare Use this booklet as a resource as you teach welfare principles.

Assess Welfare Needs As home teachers or other assigned persons visit families, they may identify needs. They should discuss these needs with high priests group or elders quorum leaders. These leaders can coordinate efforts with the ward council, under the direction of the bishop, to assist these families. To help in this process, the front side of the Needs and Resources Analysis form can be used, or the principles on the form can be followed. Needs and Resources Analysis form

Assess Welfare Needs A C B

C A B Assess Welfare Needs Identify the immediate needs (such as food, clothing, housing, money for medical bills, and other needs). A C B

C A B Assess Welfare Needs Identify existing resources of the needy individual, those of his or her extended family, and other resources that could help to meet the individual’s needs. Assess Welfare Needs A C B

2 1 3 C A B Assess Welfare Needs Determine what is needed for the member to become self-reliant (such as employment, education, job training, and so forth). Determine a plan to obtain needed resources to become self-reliant. Record the assignments the bishop has given family members to work to the extent of their abilities for the assistance received. 2 1 3 Click on the highlighted letters for a summary of how to use the Needs and Resources Analysis form. (Hand out copies of the form if available.) A C B

Help Resolve Temporary Needs In coordination with the bishop and the ward council, the resources of the elders quorum and the high priests group can be used to assist with short-term help where needed. For example, a quorum or group member could temporarily provide rides to a father applying for a job in town, or others might be able to repair a vehicle. What can priesthood leaders do to prepare in advance to offer this kind of assistance?

Help Resolve Long-Term Needs As priesthood leaders become aware of long-term needs, they respond compassionately to help individuals and families. They use resources available in their organizations and in the ward. They pray for guidance to know how to provide assistance. We are taught that “members are responsible for their own spiritual and temporal well-being” (Providing in the Lord’s Way: Summary of a Leader’s Guide to Welfare [2009], 1). How, then, can priesthood leaders help members resolve their long-term concerns in ways that lead to lasting change? Click to see some suggestions.

Help Resolve Long-Term Needs Some Suggestions Helping others become self-reliant includes encouraging them to: Identify current circumstances. Choose a goal. Make a plan to reach the goal. Identify available resources. Follow the plan. Those assigned by the bishop can use the Needs and Resources Analysis form or apply its principles to help members begin making plans that lead to self-reliance.

Coordinate Welfare Efforts Click to watch a video clip and then discuss the question below: What specific things can be done in your ward council to better coordinate welfare efforts?

A Case Study The Miller family has been in the ward for three years. They have been receiving financial and commodity assistance from the bishop since they moved in. John, the father, claims that he cannot work because of a back injury. He graduated from high school but doesn’t like school and doesn’t want to go back. The Millers express a desire to be self-reliant, but just don’t see how that is possible. Mary, the mother, doesn’t drive (as a result of poor vision and fear of getting in an accident), uses poor grammar, and suffers health challenges because of poor nutrition. She has no work experience and feels she needs to be at home taking care of her four children, who create discipline problems in Primary and who do poorly in school. The bishop has been helping with the family’s short-term needs for three years. He is at a loss as to what to do. Click to compare your thoughts on helping the Miller family. What can high priests group and elders quorum leaders do to help the Millers become more self-reliant?

A Case Study Some Suggestions Share principles of self-reliance, express confidence in the Millers’ ability to succeed, and build the family’s faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Help Brother Miller identify and prioritize long- and short- term needs. Coordinate with the bishop and Relief Society leaders to identify solutions for temporary assistance (for example, medical assistance for Brother Miller, or child care while Sister Miller receives an eye exam). Assign home or visiting teachers or ward welfare specialists to assist with long-term needs, such as training opportunities for Brother Miller. Help the Millers create their own self-reliance goals and plans, and assist them in identifying resources. Identify resources in the ward that can assist the family with such things as training and education. The Miller family has been in the ward for three years. They have been receiving financial and commodity assistance from the bishop since they moved in. John, the father, claims that he cannot work because of a back injury. He graduated from high school but doesn’t like school and doesn’t want to go back. The Millers express a desire to be self-reliant but just don’t see how that is possible. Mary, the mother, doesn’t drive (as a result of poor vision and fear of getting in an accident), uses poor grammar, and suffers health challenges because of poor nutrition. She has no work experience and feels she needs to be at home taking care of her four children, who create discipline problems in Primary and who do poorly in school. The bishop has been helping with the family’s short-term needs for three years. He is at a loss as to what to do. Click to compare your thoughts on helping the Miller family. What can high priests group and elders quorum leaders do to help the Millers become more self-reliant?

Summary: Helping Others President Dieter F. Uchtdorf Second Counselor in the First Presidency What does President Uchtdorf teach us about judging those in need and about how we should feel toward them? Click to review Mosiah 4:17-18 to enrich your discussion. (See Conference Report, Apr. 2010, 68–72; or Ensign, May 2010, 68–70, 75.)

Summary: Helping Others 17 Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just— 18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf Second Counselor in the First Presidency What does President Uchtdorf teach us about judging those in need and about how we should feel toward them? Click to review Mosiah 4:17-18 to enrich your discussion. (See Conference Report, Apr. 2010, 68–72; or Ensign, May 2010, 68–70, 75.)

Share personal experiences of successful welfare efforts in priesthood quorums and groups.

Welfare Duties of Priesthood Quorums and Groups This concludes this orientation, Welfare Duties of Priesthood Quorums and Groups