He Threw Out the Elders Quorum Playbook — 1 Year Later, Did It Work?

A year ago Dan Ockey did something most EQ presidents wouldn't dare. He threw out the rows, scrapped the traditional format, and rebuilt Elders Quorum from scratch — roundtables instead of rows, snacks and genuine conversation before the lesson, anonymous forms so men could share what they were actually struggling with without raising their hand in front of the quorum. We put him on the show. The episode took off. And tonight he's back with a year of results. What worked. What didn't. What surprised him. What he'd do differently. And how he's thinking about the biggest challenge yet — Elders Quorum being reduced to 25 minutes every Sunday starting in September. If you're an EQ president trying to build something real in your quorum — or a man who's watched your Elders Quorum slowly hollow out — this conversation is for you. Topics covered: — What Dan changed and why — What a year of results actually looks like — The wins, the resistance, and what he learned — How he plans to run a powerful quorum in 25 minutes — What every EQ president can steal from his model right now Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Elders Quorum Transformation 03:49 Implementing Change: Round Tables and Feedback 05:11 Concrete Changes and Results in Elders Quorum 10:04 Engaging Conversations: Surveying the Brethren 16:09 Creating a Safe Space for Honest Discussions 18:39 Real Stories of Transformation and Growth 27:52 Engaging Youth in Real Problems 29:44 The Importance of Feeling Needed 30:33 Revitalizing Elders Quorum 32:02 Measuring Engagement and Attendance 33:58 Handling Pushback in Change 35:03 Commitment to Change 36:10 Implementing the Model 38:11 Adapting to New Formats 41:29 Practical Solutions for Lessons 43:56 Maintaining Engagement with Snacks 45:49 Creating a Better Experience 47:09 Being the Change 53:41 Proven Success Across Organizations Want to build brotherhood beyond Sunday? Join For The Strength of Dads: strengthofdads.com