Let Every Man Learn His Duty

1. Let Every Man Learn His Duty • 99 Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence. • Doctrine and Covenants • Section107:99

2. Duties of High Priests Group Leaders for Family History Work The HPGL stands between the stake/ward leadership and the consultants. He is the central or pivotal figure. He must provide the direction, motivation and encouragement that will enable the consultants to perform their duties of assisting families in redeeming their dead. • Without his leadership and guidance the system will not function at maximum efficiency and will most likely fail in its purpose of redeeming the dead. Many will remain in spirit prison because their work is not done • Registers as a priesthood leader at: https://consultant.familysearch.org/consultant/home.do

3. HPGLs are called as Supervisors • HPGLs are key priesthood leaders who help to oversee and coordinate family history efforts in the ward. • They need to understand The Basic Program where consultants assist ward members in their family history work and that over time all members can receive help from a family history consultant. • HPGLs are not called to be consultants. They are notexpected to learn all the things that a consultant must learn to be able to assist the members. • They are called to make The Basic Program function by follow up meetings, checking on progress and encouraging the consultants in their labors.

4. Resources you will need Church Handbook 2: 5.4 Temple and Family History Work http://lds.org/handbook/handbook-2-administering-the-church/the-work-of-salvation-in-the-ward-and-stake?lang=eng#54 Administrative Guide for Family History http://lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,7778-1,00.html Family History Consultant's Guide to Temple & FH Work http://lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,8562-1,00.html (Download this one as it's not available in printed form) Member's Guide to Temple and FH Work http://lds.org * Clicking on the address link will take you to the websites

5. To Turn The Hearts • Leaders Guide to Temple and Family History Work: To Turn the Hearts • http://classic.lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,6684-1,00.html

6. Divide the list! • Home Teachers and Visiting Teachers are assigned specific families and so should Family History Consultants. • The ward list of families should be divided between the consultants so that each knows which families they are responsible for. • Otherwise they will never focuson which families to contact during the month. • The list could be divided by the HPGL or the consultants could get together and do it. • It is critical that it be done!

7. How to get the ward List • Where do you get the list? Ask the ward clerk or go to: https://lds.org/SSOSignIn/ If you don't have an lds account, you can register on this page. • After signing in it should take you to your ward directory (if not, click on Tools and Directory) where you can click on Export Households • Save the file as Excel.csv • Delete the information not needed.

8. How to divide the list Three possible ways, maybe more: • Divide it by the numbers: Ex. 200 Families and four consultants. 200/4 = 50 families each. The first 50 go to... and so on. • Divide according to those you know: Each consultant picks out names of those they would like to work with and keeps adding until they have the required number as determined above. • Assign a block of so many names to each consultant. If not enough consultants, leave the rest unassigned and then assign from this block as more consultants are called.

9. Recommends members to serve as family history consultants Each consultant can be expected to help about ten families each year according to Elder D. Todd Christofferson. Divide the number of ward families by the number of consultants and you can see how many families each consultant is expected to help. • For example: • 200 families divided by 4 consultants = 50 families. • 10 families x 4 consultants = 40 families per year. • 200 families divided by 40 per year = 5 years. • If there is only one consultant, 200 families divided by 10 per year = 20 years!

10. Consultants, Indexers & Committee • Ensures that enough consultants are called to meet the needs of the ward, including those needed to support the Family History Center. • Recommends members to serve as Indexers. • May organize a temple and family history committee in the group to promote this work. • Sets an example in doing temple & FH work.

11. Qualities of Successful FH consultants • Do not need to be an expert in FH research • Are good teachers who can work patiently and communicate well with members. • Comfortable using computers and the internet • Able to exercise good judgment and discretion when dealing with sensitive family matters. • Are willing to reach out to members of the ward to help them with their family history.

12. How long to become effective? • It can take from six months to a year for a consultant to become fully trained in their calling. • Consultants have several manuals and constantly changing family history programs to learn. • Callings should be for an extended period of time, preferably three to four years. • Consultants need regular contact and encouragement from their HPGL. • This is a major calling requiring many hours.

13. Ensures Consultants are Trained • HPGL not expected to train consultants himself. He directs them to on-line sites and provides contact information for local help. • After consultant is called and set apart, HPGL provides orientation by outlining a “Personal Training Plan”, p.21 FH Consultant's Guide, and how to register as a consultant at consultant.familysearch.org • Also provides a Checklist of Training items, p.22 FH Consultant's Guide, and contactinformation for trainers and the FH Center

14. Where Can Consultants Get Help • Other consultants in your ward or stake • Other consultants at the Family History Center • Help Center in New FamilySearch • Training and Resources section in New FS • E-mail support at support@familysearch.org • Call Support toll-free at this number: 1-866-406-1830 (date the church was organized) April 6, 1830

15. Assign Families to the Consultant • The wardlist of families should have been previously divided between the consultants. • Depending on how that list was divided, either on your own authority or in consultation with the other consultants, assign a number of families to the consultant so they will know who to contact and work with. This number will depend on how many consultants and families there are in the ward. • The consultant should work with ten of these families each year.

16. Reports and Notification • Show consultant the Progress Record form on p. 23 & 24 of Consultant's Guide to Family History so they understand the need to record and also report their activities each month. • Notify High Council Adviser, Stake FH Trainer and Family History Center of their calling as a consultant in your ward by supplying name, phone number and email address. • This will ensure that they receive both training and help in their calling

17. HPGL Duties - Meetings • Leads discussions in PEC and Ward Council meetings to suggest individuals and families that consultants could contact. • Meets regularly with consultants to provide counsel (and encouragement) and help. He assigns them to contact members suggested by the PEC and Ward Council. He reviews the consultants' success in helping members do family history. Ref: Admin Guide for FH, page 2

18. High Priests Group Leader • Meets with or contacts monthly or as regularly as possible the workers for whom they are responsible. ...consult by telephone or other media such as e-mail. • In these meetings or contacts, family history workers can report on their activities and receive counsel (and encouragement) from their leaders. Ref: Admin Guide for FH, page 3

19. High Priests Group Leader - Reports • Gives regular reports in priesthood interviews, PEC and ward council meetings. He reports on the help consultants have provided to specific individuals and families. Ref: Admin Guide for FH, page 2

20. Regular Reports • Request a regular report from family history workers on how they are fulfilling their callings and any specific assignments. • High Priests Group Leaders can then provide a report to the to the bishop and the High Council Adviser. • Regular reporting provides priesthood leaders and family history workers opportunities to counsel together and focus on progress in family history efforts. Ref Admin Guide for FH, page 3

21. How Important are Reports? • FH consultants are like missionaries who sometime labor in a hard area and day after day, as they knock on doors, they are met with rejection. • “I'm too busy right now”, “I'm not interested”, “It's already been done” (when in reality it hasn't) are some of the common excuses heard. • If this is compounded by a lack of interest or support by the HPGL, then they become discouraged and may simply stop reaching out to the ward members. • HPGLs can show interest by inquiring about their Progress Records and requesting a report. Sometimes they are making progress but because they never see it in print they fail to recognize that. They can also be motivated by seeing the success of other consultants. • If mission leaders never meet with their missionaries, how much progress will be made?

22. Will this describe your stewardship? “I haven't heard anything from my High Priests Group Leader. I don't think he even knows we exist or cares.” “ There's basically no leadership by the High Priests Group Leaders and no structure for the ward consultants--to each his own.” “It seems that we fall down in the communication between the HPGL and the consultants.” “A new consultant was called. In conversation she said that no one in her ward had talked to her about her duties or training. We had given her a start but not sure what she was to do in the ward. Consultants are going along with no direction, accountability or support... Let the individual be motivated on their own seems to be the rule.” “It would seem that the lack of priesthood support is worldwide. We have the same problem here in Australia.”

23. “Where performance is measured, performance improves. Where performance is measured and reported, The rate of improvement accelerates.” Return and Report

24. Where to obtain FREE copies • Of this program plus • Bob's Ward Family History Progress Chart with a Quarterly Report • Bob's Overview of Family History • Bob's Duties of Family History Consultants • Indexing Flyer • And more! res@ida.net Please share freely with others