What Should I Focus On?

“Leaders encourage members to engage in God’s work by becoming ‘true followers of … Jesus Christ’ (Moroni 7:48)” (General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 4.1). Your bishopric’s focus is to help all members of your ward prepare to make the next covenant they need on the covenant path and then keep the covenants they have made.

In President Russell M. Nelson’s first address as President of the Church, he counseled: “Your commitment to follow the Savior by making covenants with Him and then keeping those covenants will open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to men, women, and children everywhere. … The end for which each of us strives is to be endowed with power in a house of the Lord, sealed as families, faithful to covenants made in a temple that qualify us for the greatest gift of God—that of eternal life” (“As We Go Forward Together,” Ensign, Apr. 2018, 7).

Lead in the Savior’s Way

You are a disciple of Jesus Christ. Discipleship includes loving, teaching, leading, and serving others. President Henry B. Eyring taught: “You are called to represent the Savior. Your voice to testify becomes the same as His voice, your hands to lift the same as His hands” (“Rise to Your Call,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2002, 76).

Study Doctrine and Covenants 121:34–46 to help you understand how the Lord leads and how He expects His servants to lead.

The following leadership principles will help your bishopric as you seek to bless the members of your ward:

Prepare spiritually.
Minister to all of God’s children.
Teach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Preside in righteousness.
Counsel together and build unity.
Delegate responsibility and ensure accountability.
Prepare others to be leaders and teachers.
Plan meetings, lessons, and activities with clear purposes.

For more information about these principles, see General Handbook, 4.2.

Know and Minister to Each Ward Member

As you come to know and love the ward members you are called to serve, you can help them progress toward lifelong conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Prayerfully counsel together as a bishopric and with the ward council to decide who needs your time and attention. As you reach out to those you are inspired to serve, you will find that your love for ward members increases. As you pray for the gift of charity, your heart will be filled with love for the Savior and for others (see Moroni 7:46–48).

Elder Dale G. Renlund taught: “In the Church, to effectively serve others we must see them through a parent’s eyes, through Heavenly Father’s eyes. Only then can we begin to comprehend the true worth of a soul. Only then can we sense the love that Heavenly Father has for all of His children. Only then can we sense the Savior’s caring concern for them. … Only when we see through Heavenly Father’s eyes can we be filled with ‘the pure love of Christ’ [Moroni 7:47]” (“Through God’s Eyes,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 94).

You can come to know and love the ward members you serve by:

Praying for each ward member.
Getting to know each member’s interests, strengths, and challenges.
Giving special attention to the needs of new members or less-active members.
Showing love to members in ways that are suited to their needs.
Being willing to share your personal experiences and testimony of the gospel to help guide members along the covenant path.

Help Oversee the Aaronic Priesthood and Young Women

“The bishopric is the presidency of [the Aaronic] priesthood, and holds the keys or authority of the same” (Doctrine and Covenants 107:15). As a bishopric, you oversee Aaronic Priesthood quorums and Young Women classes, watching over and nurturing the young men and young women in the ward. This is your highest priority.

Members of the bishopric should seek opportunities to:

Help young men serve faithfully, advance in the priesthood, and accomplish the purpose of the Aaronic Priesthood (see General Handbook, 10.1.1).
Help young women serve faithfully and accomplish the purpose of the Young Women organization (see General Handbook, 11.1.1).
Help all youth live the standards in For the Strength of Youth.
Invite all youth to participate in the work of salvation.
Teach the youth their duties and let them act in those duties (see Doctrine and Covenants 107:99–100).

Under the direction of the bishop, help provide orientation to all newly called Aaronic Priesthood quorum presidencies and Young Women class presidencies (see “Quorum and Class Presidency Resources”). This is an important step in helping youth leaders succeed in their callings.

The bishop is the president of the priests quorum (see Doctrine and Covenants 107:87–88), and he will give you responsibility for the teachers quorum or deacons quorum. Each member of the bishopric should attend the quorum presidency meetings of the quorum for which he is responsible. For more information on the organization, purpose, and activities of Aaronic Priesthood quorums, see General Handbook, chapter 10.

The bishop will meet regularly with the Young Women president to discuss how the bishopric can support and encourage the young women in your ward.

Help the Bishop Lead the Ward

Under the direction of the bishop, minister to ward members with love and concern, helping them become true followers of Jesus Christ.

Some of your responsibilities in helping lead the ward include:

Being an example of love and leadership as you provide a welcoming and reverent environment to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ and strengthen ward members and families.
Preaching the gospel, including during Sunday meetings and classes.
Teaching doctrines and principles related to spiritual and temporal self-reliance to ward leaders and members.
Assisting with the administration of the following ordinances and blessings in the ward: the sacrament, naming and blessing of children, baptism and confirmation of eight-year-old children of record, and conferral of the Aaronic Priesthood and ordination to the offices of deacon, teacher, and priest.
Overseeing the work of ward organizations, particularly Primary and Sunday School, as assigned by the bishop. Extend callings and releases for organizations (see General Handbook, chapter 30). Share with each ward leader your vision of his or her important responsibility to minister to ward members. Make sure ward leaders have the training and resources they need to be successful.
Ministering to ward leaders with genuine friendship and service.
Helping ward leaders create opportunities where ward members can feel Heavenly Father’s love for them, feel and recognize the Spirit, and learn gospel principles.
Assisting the bishop in overseeing the work of salvation and exaltation in the ward, including temple, family history, and missionary work. Watch or read the transcript of the 2020 Temple and Family History Leadership Instruction broadcast (ChurchofJesusChrist.org) to learn more about how temple and family history work can help you minister to individuals in your ward and share the gospel.

Participate in Bishopric Meetings

Participate in regular bishopric meetings with the other members of the bishopric, the executive secretary, and the ward clerk. Suggested agenda items for bishopric meetings are listed below:

Read and discuss scripture passages and instructions from Church leaders that relate to your responsibilities as ward leaders. Relevant sections in the General Handbook may be helpful.
Counsel together about the strengths and needs of ward members, especially the youth, and their families.
Review the status of ministering in the ward and discuss how you can minister to ward members.
Discuss upcoming ordinances, blessings, and priesthood ordinations for ward members.
Prayerfully counsel together about individuals for callings.
Plan upcoming sacrament meetings (see “Help Plan and Conduct Sacrament Meetings” below).
Review the ward calendar and upcoming activities and meetings.
Review the ward budget and expenditures.
Review counsel and assignments from the stake presidency. Plan ways to follow the counsel and fulfill the assignments.
Share and act on the impressions you receive as you counsel together as a bishopric (see Doctrine and Covenants 8:2; 121:26).

Never make a major ward decision without counseling together and having unanimous approval and support.

Help Plan and Conduct Sacrament Meetings

Sunday meetings are sacred opportunities for ward members to increase in knowledge and testimony of our Savior. The bishopric plans sacrament meetings using the guidelines in General Handbook, 29.2.1–29.2.2. As a counselor in the bishopric, you may conduct sacrament meetings, and you may preside if the bishop is absent.

The bishopric is also responsible for the use, care, and security of the meetinghouse (see General Handbook, chapter 35). You or a ward member may be assigned to assist with this work.

Participate in Ward Council and Ward Youth Council Meetings

“The Church of Jesus Christ is governed by councils at every level” (General Handbook, 4.3). As a counselor in the bishopric, you are a member of the ward council and ward youth council. You bring items before the ward council for discussion and offer input on matters presented by other ward leaders. The ward council meets regularly to discuss and plan how to support members in:

Building testimonies.
Receiving saving ordinances.
Keeping covenants.
Becoming consecrated followers of Jesus Christ.

You help plan and conduct the work of salvation and exaltation with the ward council. This includes living the gospel of Jesus Christ, caring for those in need, inviting all to receive the gospel, and uniting families for eternity (see General Handbook, chapters 16–28; see also the 2020 Temple and Family History Leadership Instruction broadcast for additional information about coordinating the work of salvation and exaltation through the ward council). Assist the ward council in understanding and responding to the needs of individuals and families in the ward. Share insights you gain through ministering to ward members to help the ward council accomplish its purpose.

The bishop may invite you to lead a ward council meeting when he is absent. However, major decisions are not made in the bishop’s absence.

The ward youth council has the same purposes and objectives as the ward council, but with a focus on youth and their families (see General Handbook, 29.2.6).

Assist the Bishop in His Responsibilities as a Common Judge

The bishop is a “common judge” in the ward (see Doctrine and Covenants 107:72–74). Prayerfully study General Handbook, chapters 31–32, to learn about conducting interviews, counseling ward members, and assisting members with repentance.

As directed by the bishop, you may:

Conduct worthiness interviews and other assigned interviews as described in General Handbook, 31.1.6.
Attend membership councils (see General Handbook, chapter 32).

Keep the following principles in mind as you interview and counsel ward members:

Interviews are excellent teaching opportunities and can be spiritual experiences. Act in such a way as to invite the Spirit to be present in every interview.
Respect confidentiality (see General Handbook, 31.3). Do not share information about serious issues with anyone else. However, if you encounter matters that need to be discussed with the bishop, explain this to the member involved and refer him or her to the bishop.

Help Oversee Ward Self-Reliance Efforts

“Caring for those who have temporal needs is part of the work of salvation and exaltation” (General Handbook, 22.0). You help the bishop oversee Church welfare work in your ward. Read General Handbook, chapter 22, to learn more about welfare work in the ward. Some of your welfare responsibilities are listed below:

Help teach ward members the law of the fast and the doctrines and principles of self-reliance.
With the help of the ward council and ministering brothers and sisters, prayerfully reach out to members who are poor and needy and help them become self-reliant. Do not wait for them to come to you, as they may be reluctant to seek help.
Protect the privacy of those who are receiving welfare assistance (see General Handbook, 22.4.5).
Assist with the ward’s efforts to prepare for and respond to emergencies.