NewVistas organizational principles

The NewVistas community promises sustainable prosperity for all people of the world. Its organization structure is based on 11 core principles that determine how community public servants serve. The principles aim to provide competent service delivery, non-hierarchical leadership, accountability and integrity, and fairness in all the service’s dealings with participants.

The 11 principles are roughly divided into three categories – those that define the qualifications of community public servants, those that describe the selection process, and lastly, those that define their service.

Qualifications of service

Public servants who serve in various well-defined roles are required to be conversant with the services that they will discharge. They also need to do so willingly and with passion, considering that they have to do the job for at least 3 hours a week for four years. Indeed, some presidencies, such as agency, trustee, and regulatory presidencies work on a full-time basis, without remuneration. The qualifications of service, besides overall competence for the role, are described below.

Desire to serve

Those who are called to serve must have an intrinsic and sincere desire to serve the community. Doctrines and Covenants (D&C) 4:3 says, “therefore if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work.” Desire is therefore a primary requirement and principle for anyone who intends to serve. D&C 4:5 also says that among other things, “…an eye single to the glory of God…” qualifies someone for the work.

D&C 42 was revealed after a promise given to the saints that the Lord would give them “The Law.” In verse 29, the Lord says that, “If thou lovest me thou shalt serve me and keep all my commandments.” Suitable public servants love the community, and want to help it. Their desire is also manifested in their undertaking to observe both community bylaws and the law.

Desire to serve also includes a clear understanding of the responsibility a public servant will bear. part of 1 Timothy 4:12 gives a clue of what this entails, and states, “but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

The desire to serve a community is borne out of the unshakeable belief in the community’s ability to deliver sustainable prosperity for all people. A person intending to serve must also have the spirit to “charity,” giving their hours and effort to make the community prosper, with no direct remuneration in return, apart from the satisfaction and pride of having served.

Intrinsic motivation to serve, as opposed to external rewards such as cash bonuses is a more powerful driver to serve effectively and with more commitment. Community leaders are supposed to invest their time, effort, and energy into their responsibilities, with no direct benefit but for the welfare of the community.

Learn a unique duty

There are 5,760 presidents. 1,920 presidents are organized into 480 presidencies of 4, They are responsible for policy formulation and implementation, and have offices in their district building. There are also 960 branch presidencies of 4 branch presidents each (captains). Captains have an office on apartment floor that they serve. Each of these presidents has specific and unique responsibilities, with no duplication of duties. To effectively discharge their duty, a president must be fully conversant with what is expected of them.

D&C 107:99 requires that “Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence.” Before starting their service, therefore, a president, who has already expressly indicated their desire to serve, must take effort to learn their duty.

Additionally, D&C 88:118 advises commands in part that, “seek learning even by study and also by faith.” This advice is also repeated in D&C 109:7 and reiterated in 109:14, emphasizing the importance of learning and believing in the cause.

Learning one’s duty makes them effective in what they do. This is well-captured by Elnaga et al (2013), who researched the effects of regular, structured research on employees, and found that such training was essential for ambitious organizations. It improved the productivity and quality of their output, almost always resulting in enhanced profitability.

Besides ensuring that presidents are competent enough to serve, the requirement to learn their unique duty means that they take a greater interest in their position, and also that they take ownership in their responsibilities and performance. The effort to learn their duty demonstrates that they indeed have the desire and that they understand the important responsibility bestowed on them by the community.

There is no overlap in the organizational structure in a NewVistas community. This boosts efficiency as it ensures optimal utilization of public servants’ time. In addition, there is no ambiguity in roles, which eliminates confusion and boosts accountability, since all participants know who is responsible for every service they expect from the community.

Age requirements

In NewVistas, public servants can only serve when they are between the ages of 30 and 72. The age requirement is informed by several factors. According to the Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 28:3, disciples in the Americas retired at the age of 72. In Numbers 8:24-28, Levites served between ages 30 and 50. In addition, Jesus is described in Luke 3:23 as having begun his ministry at the age of 30.

By setting these age limits, the community intends to have presidents who are mature, yet with the necessary experience and capacity to work well. People above 30, who already have successful businesses, have the necessary maturity and experience to deliver on their responsibilities. They also have the vitality and energy needed to work in these roles in addition, in many instances, to their businesses, while their relatively young age makes it easier for them to adapt to change and embrace new ideas.

The upper age limit – 72 ensures that there is no stagnation, with the transition from one generation to the next being easily enforced. No president overstays their position, on account of superior performance, influence, or societal norms that may favor older people.

the role that public servants play can be compared to that of judges, who are strictly bound by the law, but still need to adjudicate matters and actively pursue scholarship. Many judges only reach the higher echelons of their profession later in life. they however need to sustain the vigor needed to deal with a dynamic legal environment, including scholarly work, changing laws, and new schools of thought. In many US states, the mandatory retirement age is 70. in the UK, the age was in 2021 raised from 70 to 75. in both countries, this suggests that early to mid 70s is the right age to leave active duty, while still on a high.

Serving for too long may make leaders entrenched in their position, with negative effects on both themselves and the community. Failure to hand over the baton to the next generation makes it harder for the community to adapt, bringing stagnation and disaffection among those either looking for a change or with a desire to serve.

At the same time, serving for too long may make office holders less adaptable to change, to take on other roles in life. This affects their quality of life.

Selection and replacement process

The selection and replacement of public servants is designed to ensure that those selected have the support of the people they are meant to serve. Through the process, many are called, or have the necessary qualifications to serve, but only a few them are eventually chosen to serve. Public servants are not selected expressly by other public servants, or by participants. Instead, they are selected through a process that utilizes data, and in the end, providence. This helps ensure that public servants are not beholden to specific individuals, a fertile ground for corruption and abuse of office, but to the community. The following principles guide the selection and replacement process.

Sustained and set apart by those they serve

Public servants’ can only serve comfortably in office when they know that their term is legitimized by the support of the people they serve. As D&C 20:65 notes, “No person is to be ordained to any office in this church, where there is a regularly organized branch of the same, without the vote of that church.” The vote, besides showing support for the office bearer, ensures that the selection process is transparent and that people can question their servant when the need arises.

Presidents are sustained in office by their peers. It further enforces the fact that presidents are answerable to participants who are the building blocks of the community. They are likelier to be more committed to the people they serve and discharge their responsibilities with integrity.

To be sustained, a public servant must receive at least 50% of the vote of the limited partners they are to serve. For instance, a village president must receive at least 50% support from limited partners who are members of that village. If for some reason, participants need to remove a president, they can do so through a vote, initiated by any limited partner, and approved by the relevant trustee presidency. Thereafter, the motion for removal is put to a vote, needing 70% of limited partners to back it so that the president can be removed from office.

Many are called, few are chosen

With the criteria outlined above, many limited partners will have the desire to serve, learn their duty, and be of the right age. However, this does not mean that they will be considered for service. Serving in the community comes with great pride and personal satisfaction. It also demands that the office bearer discharge their duties with humility and with utmost fidelity to the community.

D&C 121:34, which states that, in the context of church or community leadership, that, “Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?.”The statement aims to show that while many are ready to serve, only a few are suitable for the time, duty, and circumstances that require their service. Those who eventually qualify to serve have taken enough time to work on their personal development, becoming not just limited partners, but successful business owners. They are not only required to belong to a community but be role models and community leaders in their own right, enabling them to garner the support of the people they intend to serve, and the personal capacity to excel in their offices.

The selection process goes through numerous candidates who are in many cases, equally skilled regarding the vacant position. However, through providence and the wishes of presidencies and participants, only a few are eventually chosen to become public servants.  

Selection process using providence

Community public servants are selected through a process that considers their suitability, as well as providence. During the process, the presidency where a vacancy has arisen carefully scrutinizes names of candidates that are generated by a data-intensive automated system. The system considers not only ability and desire, but the unique abilities of each candidate, and their weaknesses.

The automated system responsible for this constantly updates the lists of potential candidates and informs them to ensure they are ready when it is time. In case there are not enough candidates, the system alerts the relevant presidency, so that a campaign is started to encourage more people to come forward ahead of time.

The 4 members of a presidency each select a name based not on their personal biases, but on professional opinion – rather than resorting to emotions and unprofessional persuasions, the presidents rely entirely on data, evidence, training, and experience. Presidents should be conversant in handling the relevant data to makke a good choice, a indicated in D&C 109:7 which advises them to, “… seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom, seek learning even by study and also by faith.”

The four names are whittled down to two through discussions among presidents on who are the best two candidates. A die is then cast by the president being replaced. The practice of casting the die is reminiscent of the practice of the early church when selecting apostles, where lots were cast to choose a new apostle between Barabbas and Mathias, with the lot falling on Mathias (Acts 1:26).

Depending on providence to make the choice means that the successful candidate is not beholden to a specific person who chose them, but to a higher calling, the whole community, just as Mathias would have felt he owed his position to God, rather than an individual apostle. The successful candidate also knows that it is not only their attributes or qualifications that have earned them the position, but to higher guidance, encouraging them to be humble and responsible in their service.

Service

The third of principles focus on how public servants discharge their duties once they have been confirmed in their office. A president is required to perform a specific set of unique duties, which ensures there is no overlap. Each president has a specific office in a specific building, which is either full time or part-time. They serve without remuneration or allowances for their work. They serve for a nonrenewable four-year term, starting at the birthday of the person they replace, and terminating on their birthday.

Standing in a unique place

D&C 84:109-110 states, “Therefore, let every man stand in his own office, and labor in his calling; and let not the head say unto the feet it hath no need of the feet; for without the feet how shall the body be able to stand? Also the body hath need of every member, that all may be edified together, that the system may be kept perfect.”

The statement intends to ensure that every person who has been selected to serve the community has a well-defined set of responsibilities that they will fulfill in his own office. Public servants will “labor in (their) own calling, meaning that they will work only in the office for which they were selected. They will also work in their specialty so that they only do what they are good at.

The second part of the verse implies that public servants are to stand in their own office and labor in their calling to keep the system perfect. This will, in other words, create a balance and harmony in the way the system, made up of several parts that are the 1440 presidencies, works.

Division of labor has been highlighted by management scholars and economists including Adam Smith and Henri Fayol as critical in raising efficiency by giving people clearly designated roles. In the community, this takes on a different, more important dimension. There is no command structure in the community public service, since, instead of a hierarchical structure, the community utilizes a matrix system, where presidents have clear roles with no seniority. Knowing exactly what to do at all times is therefore essential.

Specific office within the House of the Lord

Each president in a NewVistas community has an office within the district building specifically designated for them. It is an echo of D&C 84:109-110 quoted above, which says that every president has their own office from which they serve. D&C 124 describes the presence of offices for all officials.

The Offices, in the “house of the Lord (district building),”would be for presidents and counsellors of the teachers, deacons, stake presidents, helps for governments. They would use these offices for the work of the ministry and the perfecting of the saints (D&C 124:142-143).

D&C 124:145 describes the offices, “And that ye should prepare rooms for all these offices in my house when you build it unto my name, saith the Lord your God.”

These offices are in buildings that are built in a specific way. D&C 88:119-120 states, “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;That your incomings may be in the name of the Lord; that your outgoings may be in the name of the Lord; that all your salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with uplifted hands unto the Most High.” This describes buildings that will be dedicated to serving the community and will contain public servants’ offices.

Besides the order that specific offices create for public servants and the participants who visit them, this aspect of the organizational structure provides leaders with a physical space they can comfortably work from, deeply connecting presidents with their roles, and heightening a sense of purpose and focus in their work.

During quarterly conferences, presidents have a specific seat that is meant only for them. This further reinforces the principle, while making it easy to organize and run conferences with each president knowing not only their seat but also their role at the conference.

Even branch presidencies, who do not have offices in the district buildings, but in their apartment buildings, have specific offices dedicated to their work. They do not attend the quarterly conference, but they are instrumental in its success by advising participants to follow proceedings online with them.

No hierarchy or seniority

NewVistas organizational principles are designed to eliminate the appearance of hierarchy or seniority. While some presidents work together to fulfill shared community goals, they do so on a collaborative basis, instead of one party having supervisory authority over another.

In every presidency, all members are equal, regardless of how long they have served in the position in comparison to other members of the presidency. Every month, each president has an opportunity to preside over one week, and clerk (write minutes) another week. This further strengthens the principle of non-hierarchical structure, both symbolically and in practice.

The lack of seniority was in display during Jesus’ ministry, where he taught his disciples to abandon status, hierarchy, and power. In Mark 10:43-44, where he teaches that, “… whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. In John 13:14 – 17, where, shortly before his crucificion, he washed his disciples’ feet, teaching them that, “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”

In the founding minutes of the Twelve Apostles, Oliver Cowdery reported that there was no seniority in presiding. In addition, taking minutes or recording the proceeding of minutes, which was stressed in these meetings as being of utmost importance, was to be done in turns, such that over time, every person would have the opportunity to preside and clerk. This emphasized that initially, there was no hierarchy in the church amongst presidents. 

The lack of hierarchy in the early leadership is further attested to by the way the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was initially organised, showing that there was no seniority amongst apostles.

Serving without purse or scrip

Presidents serve without any direct or indirect financial reward for their services. Just as Jesus taught his disciples in Matthew 10:9-10 that there were to, “Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.” They are to derive their reward from the honor of serving the community in such offices and therefore do not pursue service with the promise of financial reward.

A powerful example of serving without purse or scrip, to benefit the people, is found in the Book of Mormon. King Benjamin is quoted in 1 Mosiah 2:12 saying, “… I have been suffered to spend my days in your service, even up to this time, and have not sought gold nor silver nor any manner of riches of you. He adds, in 1 Mosiah 2:14 that, “… I, myself, have labored with mine own hands that I might serve you, and that ye should not be laden with taxes, and that there should nothing come upon you which was grievous to be borne—and of all these things which I have spoken, ye yourselves are witnesses this day.”

Presidents who serve without any financial motivation, as volunteer leadership, show that they are inspired by service to the community. Without financial reward, the chances of nepotism, corruption, and conflict of interest are significantly diminished. As Elton Mayo explained, people are less motivated by financial reward, and more by social and psychological aspects of their responsibilities.

Four – year terms with staggered replacement

Presidents are replaced every four years. They cease to hold office on the fourth birthday since they assumed office. This way, each president has at least 4 years in office. For instance, if an outgoing president celebrates their birthday on February 1, this is the day on which they will be replaced. The incoming president, who celebrates their birthday on June 1, will serve from February 1, but their four-year term will commence on June 1, and expire after 4 years on June 1.

Regularly replacing presidents ensures that they are continually revitalized. The replacement follows a simple format, so that every person knows exactly when they will vacate office, and in the process, ensuring an orderly transfer of responsibilities when the time comes. At the same time, however, 4 years is long enough to prevent the frequent change that would create instability and disrupt continuity, as Alexander Hamilton noted in the Federalist Papers.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says that “To everything, there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Community service is dynamic, changing as generations come up, as new economic and social realities rise, among other things. It will serve the community well if it always has the right leadership, enabling it to adapt to the times.

over a four year period, 5,760 president positions vacated and replaced. this is besides area seventy and world area presidencies, whose terms are also 4 years long. this creates a vast number of opportunities, for people, so that even if they are called, and not chosen now, there are numerous opportunities for them over time. Additionally, if they are not chosen for the position they intended to occupy, there are other positions constantly opening up.

Conclusion

NewVistas organizational principles are meant to enable the community reach its ideals of sustainable prosperity for all people everywhere. They focus on the role that community public servants play to achieve this, by powering a system which is works optimally, eliminates hierarchy, and ably supports participants’ businesses and social lives. Public servants, by following these principles, are role models for participants on how community life can be.