We have Family Home Evening on Sundays. I try to teach a meaningful lesson each week. Last night the lesson was on Church Disciplinary Councils. After a discussion at home, I went with my family to the stake building to participate in an actual council.
The notice from the stake mentions "the spiritual demise of [me] and [my] family." My wife prayed about this and was of the strongest of convictions that the family needed to be at the council. I agreed with her. Therefore, my children were all there to silently observe. The stake leaders were afforded the opportunity to reclaim my children as they dealt with the charge that publishing a book constitutes "apostasy" requiring discipline.
We spent an hour in the hallway, outside the High Council room, discussing the stake president's refusal to allow my children to attend. My wife was welcome, my children were not. My wife explained that she had made it a subject of prayer, and in answer to prayer wanted them to be there. The stake president refused. He said it would be "a circus" to permit it. My children, all in Sunday dress, each explained they were only there to observe and there would be nothing disruptive from them.
I explained my fear that if anything happened behind closed doors, my children could always entertain doubts about the content of the council and charges raised. I told the stake presidency (the councilors came out and joined us in the hallway) that there are always rumors and those who will insist that a council was "really" about something else; immorality, dishonesty, or some serious moral transgression. The stake president clarified it was only about a book. I said I was worthy of a Temple Recommend, and he agreed. It was only about a book.
We talked for an hour in the hallway and ended with me bearing my testimony to the children, pointing to President Hunt and telling them (my children) that I sustained him, pointing to my Bishop and telling them I sustained him.
The door to the High Council room was open. I assume they overheard the discussion. It was a little after 8:00 when we left.
I think it was a good Home Evening. When we returned home we had a lively discussion about the scriptures and revelation. It ended with a peanut butter pie.
