When our children were growing up we made an effort to have, at least, a monthly family council. It was during these meetings that we went over the schedule, we went over assignments for Family Home Evening, we taught about tithing and other principles and doctrines. On occasion, that was really the only time that we all were together during the week. But there is one council, I think, my husband and I could have used more to our advantage and that is the couple council or the “executive session” as Dr. Richard B. Miller calls it in his 2008 address, “Who is the Boss? Power Relationships in Families”. 
The idea of councils is not new. Joseph Smith, when organizing the first high council of the Church, described his actions, “I then declared the council organized according to the ancient order, and also according to the mind of the Lord” (p. 40). Councils were even used when organizing the heavens and the earth as found in the Pearl of Great Price in Abraham 5: 3 “And the Gods concluded upon the seventh time, because that on the seventh time they would rest from their works which they (the Gods) counseled among themselves to form; and sanctified it. And thus were their decisions at the time that they counseled among themselves to form the heavens and the earth.”
Elder M. Russell Ballard explains, “I don’t know that it is possible for any organization to succeed in the Church…without adopting the genius of our Church government. What is that? As I conceive it, the genius of our Church government is government through councils” (p. 44). The saying goes, two heads are better than one, and councils are a great way to take advantage of those two or more heads. One idea of councils that particularly impressed me was a statement by Elder Rulon G. Craven, former executive secretary to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He says, “I have noticed that each of the Brethren is not so much concerned with expressing his own point of view as he is with listening to the point of view of others and striving to create a proper climate in the Council meetings. They are sensitive to one another’s thoughts and rarely interrupt one another during their conversations. During discussion they do not push their own ideas but try to determine from the discussion what would be best for the kingdom” (p.47). Of course, this is description is in relation to general Church matters. Yet the same principles or concepts could be applied to any family council.
With Mom and Dad at the helm, families can council where everyone is heard from, all ideas are appreciated, without ridicule, and an agreement is reached that leaves everyone happy. I know that we missed the mark on some of the points made in Elder Craven’s description, yet I feel everyone did get a voice in many of our decisions, especially when planning vacations. The kids came up with some of the best ideas, such as when our oldest graduated from high school she suggested that we go to Washington D.C. That was a great trip. Not only did we tour Washington D.C. but we also got to visit with my family in Pennsylvania and the Sacred Grove and Palmyra in New York. I would not have been able to plan that on my own, so glad we listened to the kids and their ideas. That is what I feel is the best part of the wisdom of councils. 
The Thompson Family in New York City
Ballard, M. Russell. (1997). Counseling with Our Councils, Salt Lake City, UT. Deseret Book.
Miller, Richard B. Ph.D. “Who is the Boss? Power Relationships in Families.” BYU Conference on Family Life, Brigham Young University, March 28, 2009.