“Roles,” Children and Youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: An Introductory Guide for Parents and Leaders (2019)
“Roles”
Roles
Home and Parents
What is my role?
Be a righteous example to your children. Teach them how to grow in all areas of their lives. Find ways to help them learn the joy of keeping covenants, discovering new talents, and doing hard things. Help your family grow closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and live the gospel in daily life.
What do I do?
Let your children know how much you love them. Be involved in their lives. Prayerfully identify their individual needs and plan gospel study and activities to address those needs. Regularly share your testimony with them. Talk with leaders about how they can help support your children.
Where do I start?
Continue to talk with and listen to your children. Pray about how you can support them. Help them discover and begin working on areas of learning they are interested in. Start or continue family prayer, gospel study, service opportunities, and activities to help your children grow.
Primary Leaders and Teachers
What is my role?
Love and strengthen children. Assist parents in helping children feel Heavenly Father’s love for them, understand the gospel of Jesus Christ, feel and recognize the influence of the Holy Ghost, and prepare to make and keep sacred covenants.
What do I do?
Ensure that Primary classes and singing time help children feel the Spirit, increase in faith, and feel the joy of the gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives. With the areas of growth suggested in Luke 2:52 as a guide, plan fun and engaging service and activities that build testimonies, strengthen families, and foster unity and personal growth.
Where do I start?
Get to know the children and their families, and minister to their needs. As a Primary presidency, prayerfully ask how you can help your teachers, music leaders, and activity leaders help children follow the Savior.
Young Women Leaders
What is my role?
Assist parents and the bishopric in guiding and inspiring young women to understand their identity as daughters of God, prepare for temple covenants, and fulfill their divine purposes. Guide class presidencies as they lead, minister to, and serve the members of their classes.
What do I do?
Set an example as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Guide the class presidencies as they prayerfully plan and help teach lessons from Come, Follow Me—For Young Women. Encourage them to lead in planning and carrying out service and activities that will help young women to grow in all areas of their lives. Offer additional support to young women who need it.
Where do I start?
Get to know the young women individually. Talk with the young women, their parents, and the bishopric about how you can support the young women’s growth. Pray to know how you can help your class presidencies succeed in their callings.
Aaronic Priesthood Leaders
What is my role?
Assist parents and the bishopric in preparing young men for ordination to priesthood offices, temple covenants, missions, and divine roles. Inspire them to understand their purpose and identity as sons of God. Guide quorum presidencies as they lead, minister to, and serve the members of their quorums and as they officiate in the ordinance of the sacrament.
What do I do?
Set an example as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Guide the quorum presidencies as they exercise their keys, officiate in the ordinance of the sacrament, and prayerfully plan and help teach lessons from Come, Follow Me—For Young Men. Help them plan and carry out service and activities that will help the young men grow in all areas of their lives. Let them lead. Offer additional support to young men who need it.
Where do I start?
Spend time with the young men. Get to know and love them individually. Talk with the bishopric, the young men, and their parents to determine how you can support them as they grow to become more like the Savior. Pray to know how you can help your quorum presidencies exercise their keys and succeed in their callings.
Sunday School Teachers
What is my role?
Strive to help youth come unto Christ by learning and following His doctrine. Teach youth to understand, share, and live the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What do I do?
Set an example as a disciple of Jesus Christ, and help youth build their faith. Encourage them to study the scriptures at home—individually and with their families. Help them prepare and teach doctrinal principles. Invite them to apply what they are learning to their personal development.
Where do I start?
Strive to teach as the Savior did. Get to know the youth individually. Pray to know how you can help them grow to become more like the Savior. Strengthen class members and their parents in efforts to learn and teach the gospel at church and in their homes.
The Bishopric and Quorum and Class Presidencies
What is their role?
The bishopric is the presidency of the Aaronic Priesthood in the ward and is responsible for the young women and young men. Aaronic Priesthood quorum presidencies function with keys conferred when quorum presidents are set apart. Young Women class presidencies function under priesthood authority after they are set apart by a member of the bishopric.
What do they do?
Presidencies should strive to be true disciples of Jesus Christ as they help each member of the quorum or class feel loved and discover the joy of living the gospel. Under the direction of the bishopric, quorum presidencies lead Aaronic Priesthood holders as they officiate in the ordinance of the sacrament. Both quorum and class presidencies lead in gathering Israel on both sides of the veil and in caring for those in need.
Where do they start?
Presidencies learn their duties from the Lord and from their leaders. They pray for quorum or class members and get to know their needs. They support them in becoming disciples of Jesus Christ. They counsel together about which lessons, activities, and service will bless and strengthen the youth and bring unity to their quorums or classes.