The LDS leadership bribe.

[MikeWaters]

big difference between "bishop" and "bishopric". Night and day. A counselor has about 10% of the stress of a bishop.

[jay santos]

[QUOTE=Faith]

Originally Posted by Robin

Last night Faith got a call from a good friend of ours. The woman is LDS, and the hubby is not. He is a drinker and an agnostic to the core. The friend tells Faith that they were called in to speak to the Stake Pres., who tells the man, "I have received word from God that you are supposed to be the Bishop of your local ward." He replied, "I drink and I am agnostic, so no thank you."

Let me correct Robin's version of the story a bit. My friend DID call me last night. I don't think that her husband is agnostic, although he drinks. He grew up VERY catholic, doesn't practice now, but he DOES pray with his family, so I think that he does feel like he has some sort of relationship with God. He is a great person and he has always been supportive of his wife's activity in the church, they have even had missionaries over on numerous occasions, and he would debate religion with them in a goodnatured way. Anyhow, my friend told me that the stake secretary hunted her down and told her that the Stake President requested to meet with her and her husband. When the came to the appointment the Stake President said that he was not one to beat around the bush, and that he felt that my friend's husband needed to be in the Ward Bishopric. He said that he obviously knew that he was not a member, and that they would have to go through the appropriate steps, but that he felt inspired to call him to this position. My friend's husband said he would have to think about it for a few days. He ended up rejecting the call. I wanted to ask my friend about more details and about her husband's feelings about the entire situation, but her family was in the middle of a road trip when she called me.

That's like promising Brady he can play offense. Happens all the time.

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Secret to avoiding a calling,

be absent once a month, don't wear ties, do your hometeaching but don't report it, sit in the back, don't attend functions, make sarcastic remarks, and stay fit, avoiding all appearances of the Priesthood gut and butt.

This backfired for me, as I spent the next 7 years in YM on a stake or ward level.

I still think threatening and following through with inactivity works best.

[il Padrino Ute]

[QUOTE=jay santos]

Originally Posted by Faith

That's like promising Brady he can play offense. Happens all the time.

And if you ask Brady now, he'll tell you is is perfectly happy playing linebacker.

Sometimes, those in charge actually know best, eh?

[Robin]

Thanks Faith.

I stand corrected, and confess that I have an ear that tends to hear the 'more interesting' story. I'll try to listen better.

Cheers,

R.

[Jeff Lebowski]

[quote=Faith]

Originally Posted by Robin

Last night Faith got a call from a good friend of ours. The woman is LDS, and the hubby is not. He is a drinker and an agnostic to the core. The friend tells Faith that they were called in to speak to the Stake Pres., who tells the man, "I have received word from God that you are supposed to be the Bishop of your local ward." He replied, "I drink and I am agnostic, so no thank you."

Let me correct Robin's version of the story a bit. My friend DID call me last night. I don't think that her husband is agnostic, although he drinks. He grew up VERY catholic, doesn't practice now, but he DOES pray with his family, so I think that he does feel like he has some sort of relationship with God. He is a great person and he has always been supportive of his wife's activity in the church, they have even had missionaries over on numerous occasions, and he would debate religion with them in a goodnatured way. Anyhow, my friend told me that the stake secretary hunted her down and told her that the Stake President requested to meet with her and her husband. When the came to the appointment the Stake President said that he was not one to beat around the bush, and that he felt that my friend's husband needed to be in the Ward Bishopric. He said that he obviously knew that he was not a member, and that they would have to go through the appropriate steps, but that he felt inspired to call him to this position. My friend's husband said he would have to think about it for a few days. He ended up rejecting the call. I wanted to ask my friend about more details and about her husband's feelings about the entire situation, but her family was in the middle of a road trip when she called me.

Hey Faith,

Feel free to browse through the threads here and correct any other factual errors your husband has posted.

Thanks in advance.

(Sorry, Robin. Couldn't resist).

[Robin]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

Hey Faith,

Feel free to browse through the threads here and correct any other factual errors your husband has posted.

Thanks in advance.

(Sorry, Robin. Couldn't resist).

For what it is worth, I think the guy IS agnostic.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by Robin

For what it is worth, I think the guy IS agnostic.

you mean, operates on faith and doesn't have a perfect knowledge or understanding, yet still lets belief influence his thoughts and actions?

color it however you want. usually you end up coloring yourself. your bias shines through your post.

[myboynoah]

Originally Posted by Robin

For what it is worth, I think the guy IS agnostic.

As Mike suggests, that is one revealing statement.

Anyway, all but Faith are three steps away from the origninal conversation, one between people we don't know and under circumstances with which we are unfamiliar.

Back to your original point, it appears that this practice is not uncommon in The Church. I remember a similar thing happening in my ward growing up. I don't know that I would call it a bribe, especially when it concerns serving in a Bishopric. It sounds more like being asked to personally atone for past transgressions. At least I know I'd wonder what I'd done to deservce such a "bribe."

[SeattleUte]

Hades! It's not a bribe. Callings suck. You even have Waters lecturing apostates that they are selfish and narcissistic because the LDS Church is a worthy vehicle for service even if you don't believe in the dogma. Per Waters, the noble thing to do is stick it out life long because service is the thing, no matter how excrutiatingly banal. Callings recipients are martyrs, not bribees.