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Jennie Blaser is the ninth of 11 children and has lived all over the world: Hawaii, Utah, California, Arizona, Argentina, Slovenia, and Hong Kong. She served an 18-month mission in one branch in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and speaks English, Spanish, and Slovenian. She graduated in International Finance with a minor in Spanish from Brigham Young University, returning to earn an MBA. Jennie has taught early morning Seminary, Marriage and Family Relations, Relief Society, Sunday School, and Gospel Doctrine. She has also served as a second counselor in a Young Women presidency twice and second counselor in a Relief Society presidency five times. Jennie is currently the second counselor in her stake Young Women presidency.
Dave Blaser grew up in an Air Force family and also lived all over. He served a mission in Mendoza, Argentina, graduated from BYU in Construction Management, and has worked in commercial construction management for 24 years. He is currently the executive vice president of operations for Layton Construction in Arizona. Dave has served as an elders quorum president, Young Men president, in a bishopric, and as a stake executive secretary. He currently serves as the bishop of his ward.
Jennie recently published her first book, a short novel entitled One Plus One Equals Three. She was an adrenaline junkie until her body literally stopped producing adrenaline—one of the health challenges she deals with daily. Dave runs nearly every day and has finished multiple marathons. He is a parrot-head (Jimmy Buffet fan) and a Swiftie. The Blasers live in Gilbert, Arizona, and have three children.
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Highlights
2:00 Kurt introduces Jennie and Dave and their callings.
3:20 Jennie shares how and why she got started researching the Church handbook. She has been on a journey of learning and has written a few articles about the youth programs.
6:30 Dave was a previous priesthood quorum advisor before he became bishop. He shares what he learned from the handbook and tried to apply it in his calling.
8:15 Always start with the handbook when beginning a calling.
9:20 Helping the young women have more interactions and feel comfortable with the bishop. The bishopric needs to be spending regular time with the young women.
10:40 The bishopric is not the Young Men presidency. Since Doctrine & Covenants 107 was written they have always been the presidency over the Aaronic priesthood and nothing has changed.
12:40 There are four different people that are critical to buy into the new system for the youth to make it a success. The first is the bishopric. They need to balance focus between Young Men and the Young Women programs.
16:10 The responsibilities of the bishop have changed in the past five years with the new focus on the youth. To help him focus on the youth, the Relief Society president and elders quorum president can step in and help with people that need help in their organizations.
18:30 Dave’s ward has begun support groups in the Relief Society for people struggling. It helps take some of the load off of the bishopric and allows them to do more with the youth.
19:40 Empowering the elders quorum president and Relief Society president and delegating to them. Dave shares how he does this.
20:40 When the new handbook now states that the bishop’s role is to be over both Young Men and Young Women. With the release of the Young Men presidencies it allows the young men to step up and take on more leadership and responsibility. There needs to be training done to help get this done.
26:30 Helping the young women feel more welcome, more needed, and like they have a place in the Church.
28:30 There are numerous trainings in the handbook and those trainings should happen twice a year.
31:40 The importance of the Aaronic priesthood advisor and specialist. Their role is critical and they should be present at Sunday meetings and activities to make it possible for the bishopric to also be with the young women.
32:15 Dave’s ward has a meeting inviting all the Young Men leaders: advisors, specialists, and bishopric. In this meeting they council together and make sure they are all on the same page.
34:00 What the handbook says about small wards and combining classes to give the bishopric visit the Young Women classes too
34:40 Even though the Church discontinued the Young Men presidency doesn’t mean that there are fewer adult men serving with the Aaronic priesthood. They are now advisors or specialists instead of presidency members.
35:50 Having the Young Women meet for class in the bishop’s office. It happens once a month. He doesn’t sit behind the desk but sits as part of the class.
37:10 The importance of doing the class in the bishop’s office and not just in the Young Women room. Helping the young women feel equal to the young men.
38:00 Responses that the young women gave about switching it up and having class with the bishop in his office. They got a very positive response from all the girls.
39:00 Why are we trying to do all of this with the youth? If the bishop spends all his time with the young men what message does that send to the young women? Let’s make the young women feel valued, loved, and needed.
42:00 Study the handbook. Each ward has different needs. Discuss and apply the handbook in a way that will be best for those in your ward.
42:30 Dave shares how his experience of serving has brought him to Christ. Jennie also shares how when she focuses on individuals she has been brought to Christ.
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Great episode!
I’m currently serving as a bishop and looking for more ways to connect with the young women in my ward. It’s a little different in our ward because we combine our classes with another ward in our building so it’s not really an option to have them meet in the bishop’s office, but this episode has me thinking of several ideas. Thank you!
A couple items were mentioned in the episode that stood out to me that I thought I’d comment:
1. I totally agree about the bishop’s desk in the office that it’s not just a piece of furniture. I’ve always seen the bishop’s desk as a communications tool. While I often sit in front of it or close to the members with whom I’m counseling there are times I feel it’s important to sit behind the desk so people know there is an authority associated with the calling (even to remind myself, sometimes). It’s not to intimidate but every now and then I get someone who forgets that I have authority and priesthood keys as the bishop and have to be a common judge in several key areas.
2. We need to be careful not to treat the General Handbook as another volume of scripture. While I agree that it states the church’s stance on policies it’s increasingly becoming a guidebook on many issues because church leaders want us to follow the Spirit. I listened to another LDS podcast recently with a stake president in Salt Lake City and he referenced a meeting with a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles who referred to the General Handbook as a “collection of our failures”. Now, that’s a secondary or even tertiary reference and I don’t think they’re saying anything bad about the Handbook but that in many instances the Handbook is like the warning sticker on a lawn mower or hair dryer because someone hasn’t followed the Spirit. I try to study it often and encourage my ward council to do the same. We also look at the wording, “must” is different than “should”. But the Handbook should be a guide for us and not dictate our every effort or decision. This is why it’s vital we have and listen to the Spirit in our leadership.
Just a couple thoughts that stood out to me in this episode, which was excellent.