Ward "Succession"

[Anddenex]

Also, sorry if I missed a comment that addressed this also, "Then the HP group because the HP group is a stake entity instead of a ward level entity. "

EQ is also a stake level entity. The bishop does not preside over the EQP, the stake president does, or the stake presidency assigned counselor or high councilman. The bishop presides over the ward.

This occurred while I was in the bishopric, and commonly the stake president will assign the HPGL or one of his assistants. EQP hold keys for the ward elder's quorum, they don't extend any further than that.

[hzdbl5]

A couple of related thoughts from a former bishop:

The pertinent item from HB2 about who presides in the absence of a bishop and his counselors has already been shared.  Beyond noting that the one presiding should sit on the stand, there is no other direction given in the handbook as to who should or should not sit on the stand.

Twice, when both of my counselors were out of town and no members of the stake presidency were going to be in attendance, I had my wife sit with me on the stand.  The option of asking the HPG leader or EQ president to join me didn’t seem appropriate as both had young children.  It didn’t seem like a good thing to pull them away from their family.  Both times I gave the stake president a heads up in advance and asked if he had any heartburn with her sitting with me.  Both times he said no.

Both of my counselors had multiple young children.  I told them that on weeks where they were not conducting, they were welcome to leave the stand following the sacrament and sit with their families.  One occasionally took me up on the opportunity; the other said his kids behaved better when he was on the stand so he would remain there.  Our current bishop has gone one step further and has asked that his counselors leave the stand to sit with their families following the sacrament if they’re not conducting.

Another question that would come up occasionally was whether the bishopric should sit on the right or left side of the rostrum.  After much fasting a prayer we decided we would sit where the pulpit controls were located.

[Vort]

2 minutes ago, Anddenex said:

Also, sorry if I missed a comment that addressed this also, "Then the HP group because the HP group is a stake entity instead of a ward level entity. "

EQ is also a stake level entity. The bishop does not preside over the EQP, the stake president does, or the stake presidency assigned counselor or high councilman. The bishop presides over the ward.

This occurred while I was in the bishopric, and commonly the stake president will assign the HPGL or one of his assistants. EQP hold keys for the ward elder's quorum, they don't extend any further than that.

To be clear:

• The high priests quorum is a stake-level organization. The high priests group is a ward-level division of the high priests quorum. The high priest group leader for any ward is called from among the membership of that ward and is assigned to do many of the local duties of the quorum president (aka the stake president).
• An elders quorum is not a stake-level entity; it is a ward-level entity. That is why each ward has its own elders quorum(s) and elders quorum president(s). The elders quorum presidents hold the keys to their respective quorum presidencies -- which by the way has nothing at all to do with presiding at sacrament meeting.
• The elders quorum presidents exercise those keys under the authority and direction of their presiding high priest, who of course is the stake president. But they also work with and take direction from the presiding high priest of the ward they are in, who of course is the bishop. Elders take direction from their presiding high priests.

So in a sense, elders quorum presidents sort of answer to two people, the stake president and the bishop. Because the elders quorum exists at the ward level, it must react to the presiding high priest of that ward -- the bishop.  But the bishop, though he presides over the ward and its Aaronic Priesthood, is not the Priesthood leader through which any Melchizedek Priesthood holder's lineal Priesthood authority runs through. That always runs through your quorum president and up the line from there. In the case of the Aaronic Priesthood holders, that goes through the bishop, who is the president of the priests quorum. In the case of Melchizedek Priesthood holders, that goes through their quorum president, who is either the stake president (for high priests) or the elders quorum president, who reports directly to the stake president. So in either case, the stake president is the lineal key-holder for the stake.

(The above paragraph represents Vort's current understanding of things, and should not be confused with any sort of official pronouncement or explanation. Consider yourselves warned.)

[Vort]

11 minutes ago, hzdbl5 said:

After much fasting a prayer we decided we would sit where the pulpit controls were located.

No doubt an inspired decision.

[Anddenex]

12 minutes ago, Vort said:

An elders quorum is not a stake-level entity; it is a ward-level entity.

I will ask two questions:

1) When an EQP and presidency are newly called and sustained where does the sustaining take place?

2) During ward conference when is the EQP and presidency sustained?

[Vort]

4 minutes ago, Anddenex said:

I will ask two questions:

1) When an EQP and presidency are newly called and sustained where does the sustaining take place?

2) During ward conference when is the EQP and presidency sustained?

Not sure I understand your point.

https://www.lds.org/handbook/handbook-2-administering-the-church/melchizedek-priesthood?lang=eng#73

7.3 Ward Melchizedek Priesthood Leadership

• 7.3.1 Bishopric
• 7.3.2 Elders Quorum Presidency and High Priests Group Leadership
• 7.3.3 Elders Quorum and High Priests Group Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries
• 7.3.4 Elders Quorum and High Priests Group Instructors

[Anddenex]

7 minutes ago, Vort said:

Not sure I understand your point.

https://www.lds.org/handbook/handbook-2-administering-the-church/melchizedek-priesthood?lang=eng#73

7.3 Ward Melchizedek Priesthood Leadership

• 7.3.1 Bishopric
• 7.3.2 Elders Quorum Presidency and High Priests Group Leadership (I added emphasis to HPGL also)
• 7.3.3 Elders Quorum and High Priests Group Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries
• 7.3.4 Elders Quorum and High Priests Group Instructors

 

Well then, I am not able to make it any clearer.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, hzdbl5 said:

Another question that would come up occasionally was whether the bishopric should sit on the right or left side of the rostrum.  After much fasting a prayer we decided we would sit where the pulpit controls were located.

A decision truly in need of receiving divine command.

[Guest]

52 minutes ago, Vort said:

Not sure I understand your point.

https://www.lds.org/handbook/handbook-2-administering-the-church/melchizedek-priesthood?lang=eng#73

7.3 Ward Melchizedek Priesthood Leadership

• 7.3.1 Bishopric
• 7.3.2 Elders Quorum Presidency and High Priests Group Leadership
• 7.3.3 Elders Quorum and High Priests Group Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries
• 7.3.4 Elders Quorum and High Priests Group Instructors

 

34 minutes ago, Anddenex said:

 

Well then, I am not able to make it any clearer.

I believe you're both right.  Your statements were not mutually exclusive.

1) Anddenex said:  Elders, as an office in the Melchizedek priesthood whose president is the Stake President.  The EQP is called by the Stake President rather than the bishop.
2) Vort said: The EQP is part of the ward council and has jurisdiction over elders who are members of a particular ward and has no jurisdiction over elders in any other ward.

Both statements are correct.  They do not conflict.

[Vort]

1 hour ago, Anddenex said:

7.3.2 Elders Quorum Presidency and High Priests Group Leadership (I added emphasis to HPGL also)

Exactly. The high priests quorum is stake-level, but the high priests group is local to each ward, as is their leadership. The high priests group leader in a ward -- and for that matter, the elders quorum president -- has no authority in that calling outside his ward.

[e-eye]

On my mission we had a small branch of about 55 people.  One Sunday we had about 15 women and a teacher for sacrament meeting.  No talks, no nothing.  My companion and I presided and conducted - we gave talks, blessed the sacrament and assigned prayers - This probably happens a lot in 3rd world countries. 

[anatess2]

19 hours ago, Vort said:

For the record, we pass first to the presiding authority, not as a way to "honor" him or some such nonsense, but because he is responsible for the administration of the sacrament and should be passed to first in case he sees some irregularity or for whatever other reason wants to redo the ordinance.

So if the bread and water are poisoned he dies first.

[Vort]

40 minutes ago, anatess2 said:

So if the bread and water are poisoned he dies first.

The bishop needs to be brave.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Vort said:

The bishop needs to be brave.

Thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.