Monday, August 15, 2005

How Does The Mormon Church "Really" Decide Church Callings?!!


I always believed that callings were "mystical" and "spiritual" in nature. That was what we were taught and it is still currently taught in the Morg. It is a perception that they want the members to have and believe. They tell us that we have to pray about something, basically looking for a yes or no answer, when it comes to our everyday lives. Then, when it comes to calling someone, they make it seem as if, the name just pops into there head by some magical power. They just don't tell the truth.

Their "magical" method is the very method that the Church says that we shouldn't use. They say that we shouldn't just ask God, what should we do? We are supposed to study it out in our minds, decide what to do, then pray to see if it's right. Anyway, I learned personally, on my mission, that callings and leadership positions weren't by inspiration, they were by who kissed the President's butt the most and had the most baptisms. Inspiration? I never saw any!! It wasn't a coincidence that they highest baptizers rose to the top faster than anyone else. Who cared if anyone stayed active, it was just that initial number that mattered.

I want to relate the following story that happened to a good friend of mine. He was called as the new Elders Quorum President and had to call two counselors. Well, he went home, fasted, prayed and pondered and came up with the two names the he felt God wanted him to call. Well, when he took the names to the Bishopric, they didn't like either guy for various personal reasons and said no to both.

He felt lost, he had done what he was supposed to do, right? Well, they ended up telling him who would be his counselors and he never had any more say in the matter. They already had in their minds who they wanted and it had nothing to do with God or the spirit. It was all pre-determined. I guess that they were hoping that he'd come up with the same two names. If it had been inspired, they would have taken the two the my friend recommended after truly investing the time, thought and prayer. At least he actually prayed about it which is more than the Bishopric did.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Anyway, like did you not make it as far as AP? oh sorry, I mean did you not get picked to be a Zone leader or District leader?
Like you should have baptised a few more or at least practised "pero" kissing a little better.
Sounds like some kind of sour fruit... if you ask me.

like crazy man, anyway... I will not repent before it is to late cause like anyway man, who would take up the cause? Day job not working out for you?
anyway...

Samuel the Utahnite said...

Hey, like Anon, I mean, like crazy man, anyway, like yeah dude, like what up bro? LMAO!!

I noticed that you've like left like a lot of like comments, like cool, like right on man. By the way, I was a Zone Leader over the largest zone in my mission(24 missionaries) and I planned huge mission conferences for the asshole seventies and mission president and about 150 missioaries...so, like right on or something, right? Yeah, it's just like sour grapes and shit...LOL!!

You're an idiot and who cares like what you like think anon, like man, you must be like crazy or something like a fox...like word or some shit?!! Like, I'm out!! Like anyway....

Oh yeah...do you like being in like a cult and stuff and like obeying like cult leaders and shit? Is that like really cool or like shitty? Like......

Samuel

Sarah said...

How do you know the Bishopric didn't pray about who they thought would best fit the callings as counselors? Did you ask them? Did your friend?

As a former member of the church, you know that Bishops are who members of the church go to when they are having problems, or are going through the repentence process. Perhaps (and this is just a perhaps, of course) the two names your friend had come up with were people who were not currently able to hold a calling for whatever reason - that would be something perhaps only the BISHOP would know about.

Speaking from personal experience, when Bishopric members offer advice and counsel, it is only out of love and for your benefit. If you take it in any other way (which I have done in the past) it is a matter of your pride getting in the way, and only seeing things the way you WANT to see them, as opposed to what they are.

Just something to think about....

Anonymous said...

Alma 24: 30
30 And thus we can plainly discern, that after a people have been once enlightened by the Spirit of God, and have had great knowledge of things pertaining to righteousness, and then have fallen away into sin and transgression, they become more hardened, and thus their state becomes worse than though they had never known these things.