You're an adult man assigned to advise a specific Aaronic Priesthood quorum — Deacons, Teachers, or Priests. The quorum has its own president (a young man). Your job is to support him, show up consistently, and be a trustworthy adult presence in these boys' lives.
Day One
Do These Things First
Meet with the bishopric counselor over Young Men.↗ text him
Ask: Which quorum am I advising? What does he need from advisers? Are there boys in my quorum I should know about before Sunday?
Meet the quorum president. He is a young man — probably 12–17. Introduce yourself as his adviser, not his leader. Ask him what's going on in the quorum and what he needs from you.
Get the quorum roster. The ward clerk
can pull it from LCR. Know every boy's name before Sunday. A boy who hears his name from an adult he just met feels something different than a boy who is just counted in the attendance.
Know the quorum's schedule. When does the quorum meet on Sunday? When are activity nights? What's on the ward calendar for the next 4–6 weeks?
Find out about ordination timelines. The ward clerk
can flag boys approaching the age for their next ordination (12 for Deacon, 14 for Teacher, 16 for Priest). These transitions are easy to miss if nobody's watching the calendar.
Your Role
What the AP Adviser Actually Does
The 2019–2020 General Handbook placed AP quorums directly under the bishopric. You are not the quorum president — that young man is. You advise and support him.
Your quorum (Deacons ages 11–12, Teachers 13–14, or Priests 15–17) has a presidency of youth: a president, two counselors, and a secretary. These are real leadership callings, not decorative titles. Your job is to help the quorum president lead — not to lead for him. Be the experienced adult in the room who prepares him, encourages him, and helps him debrief after.
Practically: you attend Sunday quorum time, you attend weeknight activities, you follow up with boys who were absent, you coordinate with the bishopric counselor over YM, and you mentor the quorum president in how to lead his quorum.
The quorum president leads. You advise. The most common mistake new advisers make is running things themselves — planning the activity, conducting the meeting, making the calls. This robs the young men of the leadership experience the calling is designed to give them. Help the president prepare the agenda. Sit nearby while he runs the meeting. Debrief with him after. His growth is part of your success.
Weekly Rhythm
Every Week
Sunday quorum
Attend. Sit with the boys, not in the back. If the quorum president is running the meeting, support him — don't take over. Note who's absent.
Activity night
Attend your quorum's activity. Your presence signals that you take the boys seriously. An adviser who only shows up on Sundays is an adviser the boys don't fully trust.
During the week
A quick text to a boy who was absent on Sunday. A word of encouragement to the quorum president. These take 30 seconds and accumulate into trust over months.
Absences
If you'll be absent, notify the bishopric counselor in advance so a substitute can be arranged. Boys notice when an adviser disappears without explanation.
Quorum Support
Supporting the Quorum Presidency
Presidency meeting
Attend or support the quorum presidency meeting. Help the quorum president set an agenda, review what's coming up, and discuss boys who need follow-up. Keep it focused and short — these are teenagers.
Ordinations
Track ordination-eligible boys and flag them to the bishopric counselor. A boy who reaches the age for the next office and isn't advanced can feel overlooked — make sure they're not.
Sacrament prep
Deacons pass the sacrament; Teachers prepare it; Priests bless it. Know which boys are assigned which role each week and ensure they're prepared. Coordinating this with the executive secretary or bishopric is part of your work.
Boys who drift
When a boy stops coming, the adviser is often the first to notice — and the right person to make the first contact. A text from an adult male leader who noticed they were gone is more powerful than many people expect.
Mentoring the president
Check in before quorum meetings to help the president prepare. Debrief after. Ask: "How did that go? What would you do differently?" This is the developmental work the calling exists to do.
Key Contacts
Who You Work With Regularly
Bishopric Counselor (YM)
↗ text
Your direct leader for all things young men. Keep him informed about quorum dynamics, individual boys who need attention, and anything unusual. He represents the bishopric's oversight of the AP quorums.
Bishop
↗ text
Presides over all Aaronic Priesthood in the ward, including as president of the Priests Quorum. If anything involves a boy's worthiness, welfare, or a sensitive concern, the bishop needs to know.
Quorum President (Youth)
↗ text
The young man who leads your quorum. Invest in his development — he is both a boy in your care and a leader in training.
YW Adviser
↗ text
For joint activities with the Young Women. Coordination between the YM and YW advisers makes joint events actually work rather than just be scheduled.
Ward Clerk
↗ text
Roster, ordination records, membership moves. Your source of truth for who's officially in the quorum and what ordinations are on record.
Quick Notes
Operational Notes
Quorum name (Deacons/Teachers/Priests), room number, activity night, ordination dates to watch, anything worth handing off when you're released.