y s a   l e a d e r s

True gospel leadership is to lead as the Master led: by diligently ministering one-on-one, with faith and prayer, having an eye single to the glory of God. The leaders of tomorrow must be taught the principles of good leadership—of Christ-like leadership—today. Brother Robert L. Backman outlines the need for building up good leaders in YSA wards:

“The Church leadership of the future will be built upon the foundation that is laid today. If you are denied opportunities to test your own strength, then the leadership foundation will be weak and unready. Equally as serious, however, is thrusting unprepared youth leaders into situations in which they fail because the demands of that situation exceed their experience and capacity. Discouragement and doubt will result. The balance between enough responsibility and too much calls for fasting, prayer, and diligent service by youth and adult leadership as they labor together to build the kingdom.”

The average young single adult’s schedule is centered primarily around one person: themselves. However that center can shift more towards the Lord when young single adults can easily find meaningful service and leadership opportunities in their own ward. YSA ward leaders can help build better leaders by:

• Providing adequate chances and experiences for leadership
• Emphasizing the principles of losing one's self, of reflexively thinking of others, of lifting up hands that hang down, of compassionate service, etc.
• Allowing ward members to assume responsibilities that they have unnecessarily placed on their own backs
• Holding ward members accountable for their work
• Fostering a positive and nurturing environment for learning how to lead

Though initially the task of preparing so many young adults to become strong leaders can be, at the very least, overwhelming, bishops and counselors will find as they give more and more members the confidence and tools they need to lead soon the ward will be effectively running itself—as ward members deepen their discipleship, they will bring fellow ward members along with them.

Utilizing a ward’s greatest resource

In his book, Counseling With Our Councils, Elder M. Russell Ballard wrote, “When stake presidents and bishops allow the priesthood and auxiliary leaders whom the Lord has called to serve with them to become part of a problem-solving team, wonderful things begin to happen. Their participation broadens the base of experience and understanding, leading to better solutions.”

As discussed elsewhere on this site, it is imperative for young adults to feel needed in their ward. By issuing them a calling within days, not weeks, upon entering the ward, they will instantly feel included. Consequently they will immediately start building leadership skills.

YSA Service Councils address a central question that some bishops have: “How do I find a calling for every member?” By assigning each ward member to a council, and many ward members to the leadership positions of Chairperson and Co-chair, suddenly finding or “creating” a calling is no longer a problem. This frees leaders to focus on one-on-one ministering, thereby teaching the principle by example. The specific attributes of councils also foster this, because their small size encourages leaders to genuinely know their flock. Here are some other positive results other leaders have witnessed:

• Members felt a responsibility to be in their meetings
• In many cases people who did not think of themselves as a leader did so for the first time in their lives
• They became willing to attend additional meetings where their input and effort was recognized
• Leaders built confidence that they took with them into other aspects of their lives
• Many sisters, for the first time, had a positive experience in a ward leadership position
• Members had more opportunities to work with other leaders and watch their example
• Members gained a better understanding of church leadership callings

With YSA Service Councils functioning, not only is every ward member receiving a chance to work in the ward and become a better leader, but the Bishop, the ward’s leader, has more time to focus on interviewing and ministering so he can meet the needs of the ward members. Truly, by utilizing the talents of every ward member, the ward as a whole can draw closer to the Lord.