Priesthood leadership responsibilities don't disappear when you leave elders quorum or the moment after you ordain a deacon. In fact, the majority of your priesthood duties may not even revolve around Church meetings at all.
President Spencer W. Kimball addressed priesthood leaders when he said, "Our commitment to home-centered gospel living should become the clear message of every priesthood and auxiliary program, reducing, when necessary, some of the optional activities that may detract from proper focus on the family and the home" (Ensign, May 1978, 101). Here are a few ways you can use your priesthood in the home and around your family members as you provide, preside, and protect. Provide Get as much education as possible. Providing for your family may start long before you have even considered getting married or having children. Once you've gained the degree(s) necessary for your field, find an honest job that allows you to make enough money to provide for your needs. However, don't overdo it. Don't get caught working sixty-plus hours a week if it keeps you away from spending time with your wife and kids. Live within your income and put money aside for savings. Obtain one year's supply of food, water, clothing, and fuel. Maintain the food storage by rotating supplies over time. Pay tithing and fast offerings. Work together with your wife to budget family resources and pay bills. Teach your children to work, whether they have part-time jobs or help fold the laundry. Teaching them to have a good work ethic while they're young will be highly influential in their adult lives. Preside Be a patriarch in the home. As the head of the family, you are the one your wife and children will look to for guidance and support. Work together as parents to establish family rules and discipline. Stay united in your parenting techniques. Create a home where the Spirit can dwell. This means getting rid of distracting, worldly things and replacing them with uplifting items that remind your family of the gospel. Maybe you could hang a picture of Christ near the door to remind family members who they represent as they leave the house each day. Set an example for your children. Children are imitative creatures and follow almost everything their parents do. Put them on the right course and be a role model when it comes to being polite and avoiding profanity. Lead family home evening, family prayer, scripture study, and family councils on a regular basis. Hold formal interviews with your children monthly. These interviews aren't meant to be an interrogation; rather, they provide time for you and your children to discuss their personal growth and worthiness in a comfortable setting. Protect Be present in your children's social, educational, and spiritual activities and responsibilities. This will show your support for them in the various aspects of their lives. Teach your children to make wise choices regarding the media and friendships. Create a strong, physical shelter and make necessary repairs to keep your family safe from weather or other intrusions. Protect your children from immorality by encouraging them to wear modest clothing and warning them about the dangers of breaking the law of chastity. Follow the prophet and encourage your family to do likewise. Be aware of where your children are, who they are with, and what they are doing. Take measures to physically secure your home, whether that means having deadbolt locks, a security system, or motion-sensor lights. Discuss emergency plans with your family in regards to fires, tornados, hurricanes, floods, or earthquakes. Counsel to Fathers In his talk, "To the Fathers in Israel" (Ensign, November 1987, 48), President Ezra Taft Benson suggested ten specific ways that fathers could provide spiritual leadership to their children. He advised dads to: 1. Give father's blessings to your children. Baptize and confirm your children. Ordain your sons to the priesthood. These will become spiritual highlights in the lives of your children. 2. Personally direct family prayers, daily scripture reading, and weekly family home evenings. Your personal involvement will show your children how important these activities really are. 3. Whenever possible, attend Church meetings together as a family. Family worship under your leadership is vital to your children's spiritual welfare. 4. Go on daddy-daughter dates and fatherson outings with your children. As a family, go on campouts and picnics, to ball games and recitals, to school programs, and so forth. Having Dad there makes all the difference. 5. Build traditions of family vacations and outings. These memories will be cherished by your children. 6. Have regular one-on-one visits with your children. Let them talk about whatever is on their minds. Teach them gospel principles. Teach them true values. Tell them you love them. Personal time with your children tells them where Dad puts his priorities. 7. Teach your children to work, and show them the value of working toward a worthy goal. Establishing mission funds and education funds for your children shows them what Dad considers to be important. 8. Encourage good music and art and literature in your homes. Homes that have a spirit of refinement and beauty will bless the lives of your children forever. 9. As distances allow, regularly attend the temple with your wife. Your children will then better understand the importance of temple marriage and temple vows and the eternal family unit. 10. Allow your children to see your joy and satisfaction in service to the Church. This can become contagious, so they, too, will want to serve in the Church and will love the kingdom.