Called To Serve

[Snow]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6736500/

So here's this guy, top of his field, CEO of a very very successful Health Care Company (interestingly, but on another note, the number one integrated health care company, Intermountain Healthcare, in the country - by several measurements and measurement groups - is the progeny of the old LDS hospital system) and while he is at the top of his game/career the Church calls him on a mission.

I imagine the call went something like:

Church: Brother Johnson, we would like you to leave your extremely important and highly lucrative career and serve the Lord.

CEO: Really? Ok, let me ask my wife. I'll call you back.

next day...

CEO: Ok

Church Ok Brother Johnson. Bring plenty of white shirts.

It happens everyday in the Church... with everyday Joes, with millionaires, with billionaires (two that I know of)

Could that, does that, happen in any other church?

Church: Mr. Smythe, we would like you to resign as CEO of Zagnut International and enter the ministry.

Symthe: Got a meeting, sorry, gotta run.

[Guest curvette]

My mission president left his very "UN" lucrative career as a middle school teacher to bring his wife and five young children overseas for three years. Now THAT is a sacrifice. This guy can afford it.

[Guest JRodan]

:)

[Snow]

Originally posted by curvette@Dec 23 2004, 05:25 AM

My mission president left his very "UN" lucrative career as a middle school teacher to bring his wife and five young children overseas for three years. Now THAT is a sacrifice. This guy can afford it.

Agreed but I am still impressed that in the Church, nobody is so important that they they can't be called to lowly service and they are so committed that they accept. I do understand that other Churches have people important in the secular world that feel the need to committ but, being the egotist that I is, it seems to me that it is yet another mark that sets the Saints apart from the world.

[Guest curvette]

It's definitely peculiar. Being a mission president isn't exactly "lowly" service. It is a sacrifice for a guy like this to walk away from family and a high paying job, but there is quite a bit of prestige with this calling. Temple and mission presidents live pretty cushy lives compared to the missionaries!

[Snow]

Originally posted by curvette@Dec 23 2004, 10:10 PM

It's definitely peculiar. Being a mission president isn't exactly "lowly" service. It is a sacrifice for a guy like this to walk away from family and a high paying job, but there is quite a bit of prestige with this calling. Temple and mission presidents live pretty cushy lives compared to the missionaries!

Welfare recipients lead pretty cushy lives compared to missionaries but I guess being a Mission President is prestigious if you find prestige in low wages, long hours, little connection to the real world and 140 19-23 year olds sucking up to you.

[Guest curvette]

Originally posted by Snow@Dec 24 2004, 12:00 AM

Welfare recipients lead pretty cushy lives compared to missionaries

No kidding! I just found my old missionary journal and was looking at the pictures of our apartments and reading my feelings about the rats and cockroaches that shared our abode. (Not to mention the emotional trauma when you "Dear Jane"-ed me for the brunette!) The blessings of service are great. Either I'm filthy rich now, or I just seem filthy rich comparatively. Either way, it's a blessing! And our mission president lived in a large, posh house and had a driver, maid and cook. Of course this is necessary to run a mission, but the standard of living was pretty okay!

[Snow]

Originally posted by curvette@Dec 24 2004, 10:09 AM

(Not to mention the emotional trauma when you "Dear Jane"-ed me for the brunette!)

That's not the way I recall it. I still have a photostatic copy of the letter I sent you:

"Dearest who deviates from planarity in a smooth, continuous fashion and is also imprisoned in the faith;

Oh how I long to see you that might fall upon your neck with a holy kiss..."

And your espistle back to me:

"Kiss off missionary boy, I have a higher calling now..."

[Snow]

http://www.newutah.com/modules.php?op=modl...order=0&thold=0

[Snow]

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/g...203&newsLang=en

[Guest curvette]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....Now I'm getting it! The church is starting to call high profile, high salaried business execs as mission presidents for the the good press! Very clever.... It's all about image!

[Amillia]

Originally posted by curvette@Feb 11 2005, 10:36 PM

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....Now I'm getting it! The church is starting to call high profile, high salaried business execs as mission presidents for the the good press! Very clever.... It's all about image!

Hasn't it always been so?

[Snow]

Originally posted by curvette@Feb 11 2005, 08:36 PM

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....Now I'm getting it! The church is starting to call high profile, high salaried business execs as mission presidents for the the good press! Very clever.... It's all about image!

Do you get paid extra for being a cynic? Maybe they are calling high-powered execs for more utilitarian purposes, like their the ones that get things done.

[Jenda]

Nah. I'll go with Curvette's assessment.

[Guest curvette]

Originally posted by Snow+Feb 11 2005, 10:45 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Snow @ Feb 11 2005, 10:45 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin--curvette@Feb 11 2005, 08:36 PM

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....Now I'm getting it!  The church is starting to call high profile, high salaried business execs as mission presidents for the the good press!  Very clever....  It's all about image!

Do you get paid extra for being a cynic? Maybe they are calling high-powered execs for more utilitarian purposes, like their the ones that get things done.

Yeah, you're right. It takes announcements to the world that includes their salary in order to get things done. Very astute observation my love!

[Guest curvette]

Originally posted by Amillia+Feb 11 2005, 10:41 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Amillia @ Feb 11 2005, 10:41 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin--curvette@Feb 11 2005, 10:36 PM

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....Now I'm getting it!  The church is starting to call high profile, high salaried business execs as mission presidents for the the good press!  Very clever....  It's all about image!

Hasn't it always been so?

I don't think so. The mission presidents of my peers mostly include professional educators or church employees.

[Cal]

Originally posted by curvette+Feb 12 2005, 10:35 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (curvette @ Feb 12 2005, 10:35 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Originally posted by -Amillia@Feb 11 2005, 10:41 PM

<!--QuoteBegin--curvette@Feb 11 2005, 10:36 PM

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....Now I'm getting it!  The church is starting to call high profile, high salaried business execs as mission presidents for the the good press!  Very clever....  It's all about image!

Hasn't it always been so?

I don't think so. The mission presidents of my peers mostly include professional educators or church employees.

How about this one: The church calls an elderly couple on a mission, which they have to pay for out of their pension and savings. They go on two or three of these missions, and by the time they are 80, have virtually nothing left in the savings, as it was used up on the missions. Now they are both incapacitated, and instead of being able to use their savings to get along, their 3 kids, who have very large families and don't make that much money themselves (after deducting 10% every month) are left with the cost of supporting them in a rest home.

They ask the church to help support them, but the church says the family must do it.

Maybe now I see why they pick rich execs!

[Guest curvette]

Originally posted by Cal@Feb 12 2005, 11:00 AM

How about this one:  The church calls an elderly couple on a mission, which they have to pay for out of their pension and savings. They go on two or three of these missions, and by the time they are 80, have virtually nothing left in the savings, as it was used up on the missions. Now they are both incapacitated, and instead of being able to use their savings to get along, their 3 kids, who have very large families and don't make that much money themselves (after deducting 10% every month) are left with the cost of supporting them in a rest home.

They ask the church to help support them, but the church says the family must do it.

Maybe now I see why they pick rich execs!

Is this a real scenario that you know of or a hypothetical one? This seems sort of financially irresponsible of the couple. Unless the church actually promised them support or required a financial statement from them before they issued the call and then issued it anyway.

[Cal]

Originally posted by curvette+Feb 12 2005, 11:04 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (curvette @ Feb 12 2005, 11:04 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin--Cal@Feb 12 2005, 11:00 AM

How about this one:  The church calls an elderly couple on a mission, which they have to pay for out of their pension and savings. They go on two or three of these missions, and by the time they are 80, have virtually nothing left in the savings, as it was used up on the missions. Now they are both incapacitated, and instead of being able to use their savings to get along, their 3 kids, who have very large families and don't make that much money themselves (after deducting 10% every month) are left with the cost of supporting them in a rest home.

They ask the church to help support them, but the church says the family must do it.

Maybe now I see why they pick rich execs!

Is this a real scenario that you know of or a hypothetical one? This seems sort of financially irresponsible of the couple. Unless the church actually promised them support or required a financial statement from them before they issued the call and then issued it anyway.

Absolutely. I know that exact situation. And it is about to happen to another couple I know.

[Guest curvette]

Originally posted by Cal+Feb 12 2005, 11:09 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Cal @ Feb 12 2005, 11:09 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Originally posted by -curvette@Feb 12 2005, 11:04 AM

<!--QuoteBegin--Cal@Feb 12 2005, 11:00 AM

How about this one:  The church calls an elderly couple on a mission, which they have to pay for out of their pension and savings. They go on two or three of these missions, and by the time they are 80, have virtually nothing left in the savings, as it was used up on the missions. Now they are both incapacitated, and instead of being able to use their savings to get along, their 3 kids, who have very large families and don't make that much money themselves (after deducting 10% every month) are left with the cost of supporting them in a rest home.

They ask the church to help support them, but the church says the family must do it.

Maybe now I see why they pick rich execs!

Is this a real scenario that you know of or a hypothetical one? This seems sort of financially irresponsible of the couple. Unless the church actually promised them support or required a financial statement from them before they issued the call and then issued it anyway.

Absolutely. I know that exact situation. And it is about to happen to another couple I know.

Well I don't think that calling rich mission presidents is the answer to this problems. Mission Presidents are supported by the church during their service. It's the little guy that seems to be suffering. I still think that couples should have the sense to not spend all their savings on missionary service. That seems a little irresponsible on their part.

[Snow]

Originally posted by curvette+Feb 12 2005, 09:33 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (curvette @ Feb 12 2005, 09:33 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Originally posted by -Snow@Feb 11 2005, 10:45 PM

<!--QuoteBegin--curvette@Feb 11 2005, 08:36 PM

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....Now I'm getting it!  The church is starting to call high profile, high salaried business execs as mission presidents for the the good press!  Very clever....  It's all about image!

Do you get paid extra for being a cynic? Maybe they are calling high-powered execs for more utilitarian purposes, like their the ones that get things done.

Yeah, you're right. It takes announcements to the world that includes their salary in order to get things done. Very astute observation my love!

Let me get this straight. You think that the Church contacted the Associated Press and told them how much the CEO of a Colorado hospital made and told them to print it and the AP followed the Church's instruction?

Man - the cynic business must pay good these days dearest.

[pushka]

Can anyone explain this whole business to me...seems that there are contradictory things going on here...according to Curvette the church supports these people during their calling, according to Cal they don't?

What is the 'norm' here????

[Guest curvette]

Originally posted by pushka@Feb 12 2005, 03:04 PM

Can anyone explain this whole business to me...seems that there are contradictory things going on here...according to Curvette the church supports these people during their calling, according to Cal they don't?

What is the 'norm' here????

Each mission has lots and lots of missionaries (single young men and women, and older, retired couples), but only one mission President (with his family.) The mission president's living expenses are paid for by the church. The missionaries pay their own way or have a sponsor.

[Guest curvette]

Originally posted by Snow@Feb 12 2005, 02:46 PM

Let me get this straight. You think that the Church contacted the Associated Press and told them how much the CEO of a Colorado hospital made and told them to print it and the AP followed the Church's instruction?

Man - the cynic business must pay good these days dearest.

Well how the heck else would the press get a hold of this info? No newspaper called me when I got my mission call--I had to go to them (and then they refused to print it!) Obviously it wasn't the prophet himself, but some church PR person "leaked" the story.

[Amillia]

Originally posted by curvette+Feb 12 2005, 12:37 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (curvette @ Feb 12 2005, 12:37 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Originally posted by -Cal@Feb 12 2005, 11:09 AM

Originally posted by -curvette@Feb 12 2005, 11:04 AM

<!--QuoteBegin--Cal@Feb 12 2005, 11:00 AM

How about this one:  The church calls an elderly couple on a mission, which they have to pay for out of their pension and savings. They go on two or three of these missions, and by the time they are 80, have virtually nothing left in the savings, as it was used up on the missions. Now they are both incapacitated, and instead of being able to use their savings to get along, their 3 kids, who have very large families and don't make that much money themselves (after deducting 10% every month) are left with the cost of supporting them in a rest home.

They ask the church to help support them, but the church says the family must do it.

Maybe now I see why they pick rich execs!

Is this a real scenario that you know of or a hypothetical one? This seems sort of financially irresponsible of the couple. Unless the church actually promised them support or required a financial statement from them before they issued the call and then issued it anyway.

Absolutely. I know that exact situation. And it is about to happen to another couple I know.

Well I don't think that calling rich mission presidents is the answer to this problems. Mission Presidents are supported by the church during their service. It's the little guy that seems to be suffering. I still think that couples should have the sense to not spend all their savings on missionary service. That seems a little irresponsible on their part.

My uncle was a mission pres and he didn't get taken care of. He was a big oil man and paid for everything but the Mission home where he lived for three years, which was owned by the church. They may have been given a car owned by the church as well. But food, clothing, and day to day expenses including gasing the cars was all out of his pocket.