The Calling Merri-go-Round


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I never assumed an offense was present with regard to the "calling" business. Besides if someone is going to put out a blanket statement like that we should be expected to know the source.

With my calling I was at the hump, I had just finished telling a Stake leader that we were at the crest and once we got the mission over it then I was done. The Lord gave me a 4 year plan, I knew I was done in 2010 when I was called in 2007. I was lucky that God gave me a clear set of goals to achieve. I managed most of them. If it was not for that long range vision I would have burned out a long time ago trying to deal with the petty and annoying little stuff that members should have known better.

I don't envy you yours, working with Investigators and New Converts is much easier then dealing with Home Teaching or Welfare Issues!

AS for the clerk issue I felt it was not spiritual, then I got frustrated, took the online training prayed for three days and then Heavenly Father tied it all together for me. A Bishopric is in place for a particular period of time and to do specific things then they are done. They are temporary. A Ward can live past a bad Bishop. The Clerks role is continual, from the moment a Ward is formed until it dies each clerk is to carry out the same tasks. It is the check against the Bishoprics to insure the Lord's church stays the course no matter what a Bishopric might do. The Clerk looks after the long term welfare of the church unit. And if you think about it clerks are to keep records. What is the book of Mormon but a group of records someone kept. Was Mormon, Alma etc Clerks in the Lords eyes? haha.

Don't worry about your next calling it will come in good time. As for the progression I understand what you mean, I am going from being a leader to a councilor back in the Auxiliary I was a councilor in before WML. I warned the President it will take time for my mind to shift out of a leadership gear.

Good luck and keep the faith.

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  • 8 years later...
On 8/7/2008 at 8:35 AM, Over43 said:

Anyone besides me on the calling merri-go-round? I go from primary to teaching Elder's quorum on a regular basis. I switch back and forth. About six months ago I got called to primary again after having been teaching Elder's quorum (again). During the "interview" the bishopric member asked how I felt about the calling, I gave him the honest answer: I teach school 5 days a week. The last thing I want to do is spend two hours on Sunday teaching and sitting with more kids. I was sent back to Elder's quorum where I am teaching.

I guess it is what it is.

O43

I am very uncomfortable with the ubiquitous policy, both in and out of the church, of working the highly accomplished members of the group until they drop, in an attempt to make the organization run smoothly. The "weak and simple", of course, remain so.

Elder Packer's personal secretary told me that she had often heard him express similar feelings. I have read numerous of his sermons over the years wherein he recounted calling on the less accomplished people to give talks - with remarkable results.

I have had the same experiences callings, talks, and assignments to new and less-active members, and even non-members, as I'm sure you have.  So I'm puzzled.

On LDS.org, 3 Sept 2018, there was an article published that says, "the perfecting of the Church as an organization was not the Lord’s primary purpose."   (The True Church: “For the Perfecting of the Saints”, Elder J. Devn Cornish, General Authority Seventy)

President Eyring has made that point, too. The quote I wish I could find may be in his 2017 talk,   
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/10/the-lord-leads-his-church?lang=eng

I wish our accomplished choir director would be given 2 or 3 willing, inexperienced assistant choir directors to train and mentor. A friend and I were Sunday School Superintentants before we were old enough to drive legally. The weak and simple can be called upon, for sure.

Recently I heard someone in WC say, "We are not just trying to create callings."  That astounds me. I don't understand that attitude at all, in light of President Hinkley's oft quoted trilogy of needs - which other apostles have expanded to include all members. How can we grow to and staff another ward without developing the talents and skills of our weak and simple members through callings? A faithful, ex-bishop of our ward has often called for 2 teachers in every class (at least a mentor and an understudy.)
My discomfort likewise arises when I hear frequent pulpit calls for volunteers. This is not the way laid out for us in our Handbooks. There is no mention of volunteers at all that I know of in HB2 - except for 2 instances, both of which are referring to non-members. Members, I think, are to be called upon by assignment, as a rule. I have found the Saints, and many, many people who are not members or are inactive members, to be happy to give honest service when asked face-to-face, even on the spot. If a plan, like our recent HPG leader's simple member sign-up sheets, allows them to tell us where they are generally available on a weekly, morning, afternoon, evening basis over the next weeks or months or "until further notice", many who can not commit to a regular calling do respond favorably, and faithfully.
I am consecrated to sustain my leaders. Like our ward, I love and appreciate the bishopric, and our other leaders, teachers, etc. I know they fervently seek inspiration. I love to serve, but I am very uncomfortable leaving willing, less proficient people unused. To me, that seems like a dis-service - both to them and to my Father in heaven. In addition, I cannot generally sustain pulpit calls for volunteers. My intent is not to avoid service, but to serve in a way that builds people toward exaltation, eternal life, as our leaders have unitedly urged in their training about Ministering in 2018.

Ministering – The objective is Eternal Lifeg.doc

Edited by Jonathan CV
several clarifications. Sorry for not doing this before initial submission.
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19 hours ago, Jonathan CV said:

I am very uncomfortable with the ubiquitous policy, both in and out of the church, of working the highly accomplished members of the group until they drop, in an attempt to make the organization run smoothly. The "weak and simple", of course, remain so.

Elder Packer's personal secretary told me that she had often heard him express similar feelings. I have read numerous of his sermons over the years wherein he recounted calling on the less accomplished people to give talks - with remarkable results.

I have had the same experiences callings, talks, and assignments to new and less-active members, and even non-members, as I'm sure you have.  So I'm puzzled.

I have no such experience.

In any case, what do you mean by "less accomplished"?  And what do you mean by "weak and simple"?  How do you even make such a judgment?  We had a guy in our bishopric who was a janitor.  Is this what you mean by "less accomplished"?  The guy teaching nursery at the same time he was in the bishopric was the owner of the company he janitored in, is that who you considered "more accomplished"?  Or are you talking about the guy that is currently serving in our nursery who used to be in the Stake High Council?  Is he "more accomplished"?  How about the guy who is currently serving as our Young Men President who is a convert of less than 5 years?  Is he "less accomplished"?

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