I learned in church today

[smokymountainrain]

That is a great way not to have to be the bishop. I like it.

I was thinking the same, but what if it backfired? like, what if you went to the bishop and said you'd received a revelation that you are supposed to be the new scoutmaster or EQ pres of this new HP/EQ quorum - on the off chance he actually takes you up on it, you would never forgive yourself.

[smokymountainrain]

As long as we're sharing helpful tips on how not to become a bishop, I'll remind people of a comment by a GA that the Brethren receive 2-3 letters a week from (lower case) brethren who announce that they're now retired, are financially well off, and would be willing to serve as a mission president. None of them are ever called as such. Make sure you put that on your to-do list as you approach retirement.

that's hysterical.

[Northwestcoug]

I wonder if my uncle has ever written a letter like that. He absolutely loved his mission, and has mentioned to my aunt that he’d love to be a mission president someday.

[Uncle Ted]

That's funny. Don't these guys notice that that method generally backfires?

I have probably told this before, but we were due for a new bishop and my old neighbor told me that he called the stake president and said, "I have had a revelation that I am supposed to be the next bishop." He said he couldn't believe how rude the SP was about it. He seemed genuinely baffled that the SP didn't plug him right in.

I was in a ward where a guy was absolutely convinced that he had a revelation that he was supposed to be the next bishop. He told the stake president. The interesting part was his wife completely supported her husband as having the revelation that he was supposed to be the bishop. When someone else in the ward was called to be bishop he went and told the SP that he made a mistake in a rather stern manner. Long story short, he was eventually disfellowshipped.

The guy that was called to be our bishop later was fired from his job for having porn on his work computer and released from being bishop after a few years. Thinking back now I wonder if the guy that was disfellowshipped was right (about the part that the SP made a mistake).

[Uncle Ted]

As long as we're sharing helpful tips on how not to become a bishop, I'll remind people of a comment by a GA that the Brethren receive 2-3 letters a week from (lower case) brethren who announce that they're now retired, are financially well off, and would be willing to serve as a mission president. None of them are ever called as such. Make sure you put that on your to-do list as you approach retirement.

Thanks for the tip!

[The_Tick]

We had a funny/awkward moment yesterday in the new EQ.

A little background...the old HPGL and the old EQP are running things in tandem until the new EQP is called. All of this is per the SP.

So the HPGL handles the start of class, and the EQP is going to teach the lesson.

HPGL: I know that we are moving away from HT. But until the new EQP is called, get out there and HT your families. And call us and let us know so we can report the numbers.

High Councilor: Um...we aren't doing numbers anymore. Even though we don't have full implementation, numbers are gone already.

HPGL: I would still like to know, so I can enter them into the system.

HC: That part of the system has already been removed. There is no place for you to enter numbers.

HPGL: Well that is a shame. They are wrong for doing that. We need to be accountable. Okay everyone...I still want you to call me and report your numbers, so that I don't spend all night worrying.

HC: I'll let the SP know that you aren't a fan of the new system. No one needs to call and report numbers. Those days are over. End of story.

Complete silence for about 30 seconds.

I wished I had brought some popcorn for the exchange. Lol.

[Jeff Lebowski]

We had a funny/awkward moment yesterday in the new EQ.

A little background...the old HPGL and the old EQP are running things in tandem until the new EQP is called. All of this is per the SP.

So the HPGL handles the start of class, and the EQP is going to teach the lesson.

HPGL: I know that we are moving away from HT. But until the new EQP is called, get out there and HT your families. And call us and let us know so we can report the numbers.

High Councilor: Um...we aren't doing numbers anymore. Even though we don't have full implementation, numbers are gone already.

HPGL: I would still like to know, so I can enter them into the system.

HC: That part of the system has already been removed. There is no place for you to enter numbers.

HPGL: Well that is a shame. They are wrong for doing that. We need to be accountable. Okay everyone...I still want you to call me and report your numbers, so that I don't spend all night worrying.

HC: I'll let the SP know that you aren't a fan of the new system. No one needs to call and report numbers. Those days are over. End of story.

Complete silence for about 30 seconds.

I wished I had brought some popcorn for the exchange. Lol.

Wow. That's funny.

[falafel]

We had a funny/awkward moment yesterday in the new EQ.

A little background...the old HPGL and the old EQP are running things in tandem until the new EQP is called. All of this is per the SP.

So the HPGL handles the start of class, and the EQP is going to teach the lesson.

HPGL: I know that we are moving away from HT. But until the new EQP is called, get out there and HT your families. And call us and let us know so we can report the numbers.

High Councilor: Um...we aren't doing numbers anymore. Even though we don't have full implementation, numbers are gone already.

HPGL: I would still like to know, so I can enter them into the system.

HC: That part of the system has already been removed. There is no place for you to enter numbers.

HPGL: Well that is a shame. They are wrong for doing that. We need to be accountable. Okay everyone...I still want you to call me and report your numbers, so that I don't spend all night worrying.

HC: I'll let the SP know that you aren't a fan of the new system. No one needs to call and report numbers. Those days are over. End of story.

Complete silence for about 30 seconds.

I wished I had brought some popcorn for the exchange. Lol.

That's awesome. I would call him and report my numbers anyway, just to fan the flames a bit.

[Green Monstah]

We had 2nd Counselor in SP in our third hour, and he hammered out all the dos and don'ts of ministering, and it started to sound a lot like HT'ing.

What bothered me most was his emphasis on reporting "issues" to EQP/RS/Bishopric. I think this can potentially diminish trust, and I'd hope the idea of being a minister to a family means that we hitch our yoke to their wagons and help them bear their burdens together.

One of the guys (he auditioned during F&T meeting) asked for permission to report on families he isn't assigned if he has the opportunity to minister to them during the quarter. The SP'y said, "the only numbers we report are number of PPIs per quarter, so it won't matter." The b'ric hopeful said, "I'd still like your permission to report those visits to the EQP."

[creekster]

This is one of those times where I am amazed at some fo the stuff you guys deal with in your stakes/wards. In our stake all the old EQP and HPGL were released and new EQPs were called and sustained by the end of Sunday. In our ward we met together without incident. No one even referenced reporting visits. The new EQP said to continue ministering the same families that you had previously been assigned to HT but that all assignments were being reviewed and would almost certainly be changed to some degree as the new program was implemented. It seemed pretty easy.

[myboynoah]

We had a funny/awkward moment yesterday in the new EQ.

A little background...the old HPGL and the old EQP are running things in tandem until the new EQP is called. All of this is per the SP.

So the HPGL handles the start of class, and the EQP is going to teach the lesson.

HPGL: I know that we are moving away from HT. But until the new EQP is called, get out there and HT your families. And call us and let us know so we can report the numbers.

High Councilor: Um...we aren't doing numbers anymore. Even though we don't have full implementation, numbers are gone already.

HPGL: I would still like to know, so I can enter them into the system.

HC: That part of the system has already been removed. There is no place for you to enter numbers.

HPGL: Well that is a shame. They are wrong for doing that. We need to be accountable. Okay everyone...I still want you to call me and report your numbers, so that I don't spend all night worrying.

HC: I'll let the SP know that you aren't a fan of the new system. No one needs to call and report numbers. Those days are over. End of story.

Complete silence for about 30 seconds.

I wished I had brought some popcorn for the exchange. Lol.

Just awesome, Tick.

[smokymountainrain]

tick, that story is so great.

[The_Tick]

It was fun to watch.

I think it is a microcosm of the Church as a whole though. (In my mind...not insinuating that it actually is or that someone else might not see it differently.)

It's one of the reasons that we are so slow to change. I am not a huge fan of change, but I do okay. People older than I am are even less resistant to change (typically). Younger aged folks are much better at fluidity.

It takes time for even the smallest changes to work.

[DrumNFeather]

Ours was a bit of a mixed bag. Started off on the wrong foot by trying to put us all in one big circle, in a room that couldn't remotely accommodate that. Then the former HPGL asked if there were any questions, or if anything needed to be clarified. Nobody spoke up. I leaned over to my buddy and said "don't worry, only 35 more minutes of this." So as it goes on, folks finally start speaking up and trying to define what ministering will be, and like Tick's group, there were quite a few that said that a monthly visit should still be our aim...most of us quietly said to the person next to us..."nope, we're the texters quorum now!"

We have one guy in the group that is on the younger side that is always angling for more responsibility at church, and always seeking to find ways that the quorum can grow closer together. He made a few direct comments about ministering "opportunities" he was aware of...at which point, I texted several people in the room and said "I'm brother so and so, and I want your vote!"

The kicker was towards the end of the class when one of the HP in the room said: "If the priesthood quorums of the church functioned the way they are supposed to, there would be no need for any other auxiliaries in the church, including the women's organization." My wife who is by no means a feminist nearly blew a gasket when I told her that.

As an aside, I quoted Aerosmith in my gospel doctrine lesson..."Life's a journey, not a destination." That it is brother Tyler, that it is...

[grapevine]

Heard twice that Satan invented fast food. One was quoting someone at Stake Conference of family member in Priesthood meeting and someone else quoted it in Ss talking of families not eating together. Interesting things people invent in church.