Power and Councils (week 12)

This weeks reading was about who should be the boss in the family and holding a council.

In a article Who Is the Boss? Power Relationships in Families by Richard B. Miller, PhD

Director of the School of Family Life Brigham Young University said, “In healthy,

well-functioning families, there is a clear hierarchy between parents and children.

Parents are the “executive committee” and the “board of directors” of a family.

As with any other leadership position, parents should not be harsh, domineering,

or dictatorial, but they are the leaders of the family, and the children need to follow

that leadership.” He also said, "It is important that parents work together in 

their leadership in the family. Sometimes a parent forms a coalition with 

a child against the other parent. Although usually unspoken, a parent 

undermines the other parent." 

Then in talking about councils Miller said, "Healthy marriages consist of an 

equal partnership between a husband and a wife. Many marital problems have 

as their root cause an unequal relationship or struggles over who has control in 

the relationship." Then in another article Counseling with Our Councils M. Russell

Ballard added “Even though men and women are equal before God in their eternal

opportunities, they do have different duties in His eternal plan—and yet these

differing roles and duties are equally significant...To His sons He gave the

priesthood and the responsibilities of fatherhood, and to His daughters He gave

the responsibilities of motherhood, each with its attendant functions.” This makes the

perfect combo to be able to work together as husband and wife.

It is not just the husbands job to make all the decisions for the family just because

they have the priesthood. "Priesthood is about service, not servitude; compassion,

not compulsion; caring, not control. Those who think otherwise are operating outside t

he parameters of their authority and are gravely mistaken." (Ballard)