July 16th 2014

I was searching for some papers that my girls needed to get their drivers licenses renewed.  While I was going through these papers I found an article written by Boyd K. Packer called the Unwritten order of Things. In the talk he talks about the order of things in the church. He says one of the principles in the Church is authority does not go vertical, which of course we all know. But this is the way he put it. A Bishop who is trying to solve a problem will not get revelation by counseling with another bishop from another ward or stake to who he is related or with whom he might work in the office.  My experience has taught me that revelation comes from above, not from the side. However more experienced or older or however more spiritual someone to the side may appear to be, it is better to go up through the proper channels. The prime attribute of a good leader is to be a good follower. In a meeting with bishops, a new and struggling bishop once asked me. "How do I get people to follow me? I have called nine sisters to be President of the Primary and none have accepted.. I told him that if he had earnestly prayed and counseled with his counselors as to who should preside over the Primary, the first sister would have accepted the call. If that many sister turned down the call, something was out of order---the unwritten order.

Because there was such a good spirit in the meeting, I said to him, "Bishop , I know something else about you. You're not a good follower, are you? Aren't you the one that is always questioning what the stake president asks of his bishops?" The other bishops in the room started to chuckle and nodded their heads---he was the one.  I said, "Perhaps that is the reason your members don't follow their leader is because you don't follow yours. That is just the order of things.

Another illustration: There is an order of things as to where we go for counsel or blessings. It is simple---we go to our parents. You suppose that someone in a more prominent position will give a more inspired blessing. If we could get this one thing taught in the Church, great power would rest upon us.