These are of course suggestions. A bishop can’t “ban” these things, but can teach true principles, over and over, and make the will of God clear, and hope that the saints heed.
Sections:
Food
Callings
Sacrament Meeting
Testimony Meeting
Dress
Cry Repentance
Missionary Work
FOOD:
Wheat bread for sacrament
Carrot baggies as treats for kids after church instead of toxic junk candies
No junk food & candy at youth activities and church classes
Remind members before church socials to focus on the word of wisdom in what they serve, such as avoiding meat, and focusing on grain fruit and vegetable.
CALLINGS:
Fill all callings immediately.
Don’t use the same people over and over to fill key callings. Let others, even inactives, have an opportunity. If someone is failing at a calling (ie. Not showing up to church, doing nothing), release them without delay after confronting them on the matter.
Avoid calling the young men “the priesthood,” they bare it, they aren’t it.
SACRAMENT MEETING:
No reading talks (no one read their talk). Say it from your heart. Refer to notes here and there, but show us that this is in your heart, not just something you’re doing because you were told to.
Invite all to sit close to the front. Once President Packer asked a BYU congregation to please move closer to the front. Time passed and no one did. He stood up and said, “I can teach you nothing.” And walked out.
Don’t feel a need to stick to a rigid schedule for sacrament meeting.
Don’t assign speaking topics, let the spirit guide.
Bishops and their counselors should frequently preach, not just on fast Sundays. If they feel a topic needs to be addressed, they should do so themselves rather than assigning it to someone.
No kids (under 8) giving talks at sacrament meeting, it’s the wrong setting; have them do so in primary.
TESTIMONY MEETING:
No “thankimonies”. Train them regularly on this. The purpose is to witness of revealed truth.
Children under 8 have no need to get up and say what their parents are whispering in their ears, and it doesn’t edify the body of Christ.
Call on people to bear testimony, can in advance or in the spot.
Limit the frequency of the people baring testimony to about once every 3 months max.
If more women than men bare testimony, call on the men by name. Elder Bednar promised growth of wards if the men will bare testimony.
Warn members don’t say “I would be ungrateful if I didn’t bare my testimony today” etc. That may be true but you can’t say that, it makes others uncomfortable, and can be overbearing. It suggests that everyone who didn’t get up is ungrateful, and that isn’t true. Even if it is true of some people, we don’t need to point that out.
DRESS:
Beg the sisters to not wear tight form fitting dresses to church, read them quotes against such. Also monitor the dress standards at church activities, namely ones that take place at the church. The youth leaders should act in the place of a parent. If there is a repeating issue with someone and modesty, that person should be approached about the issue.
CRY REPENTANCE:
Invite members to live higher standards. Religion these days is too comfortable.
MISSIONARY WORK:
Assign members to make specific invitations to specific families.
Get a report of ministry assignments, and chastise the body and the individual if no efforts are being made.
