Temple Assignment Assignments

[creekster]

My entire bishopric was in an accident with a drunk driver while on that stretch of Bonanza heading to the temple.

I would also like to announce to the board that Dwight had Subway for lunch today. Tuna.

I like Subway's tuna sandwich. Sometimes I eat one while wearing a tie with a button down shirt.

[falafel]

I like Subway's tuna sandwich. Sometimes I eat one while wearing a tie with a button down shirt.

I can imagine you getting tuna all over that tie and not noticing.

[BlueHair]

No, they don't have a quota; however, they do schedule sealers and personnel and such that sit around with nothing to do if nobody shows up. The temple presidency has to gauge demand such that they have sealers available for when people want to do sealings but don't overschedule such that there are lots of people sitting around with nothing to do. It's also possible that Dwight's ward specifically scheduled a specific time with the temple and committed to a specific number of people. It's possible that they thought they could get enough volunteers and then panicked when it got late in the game and they realized they wouldn't meet their commitment. In other words, don't necessarily blame the temple. Dwight could just have an overzealous HP group leader, ward, or stake temple committee.

I would agree that the particulars of Dwight's case are unusual. It's unusual to do the "by assignment" method for temple sealings and it's unusual to give such short notice. To that extent I would say it exhibits poor leadership. However, I don't think making assignments in the general sense is a symptom of poor leadership. In fact, I could argue that it is a symptom of strong leadership.

My ward makes assignments for service opportunities such as welfare, meetinghouse cleaning, and temple cleaning but not for things like sealings. All the assignments are handed out at the beginning of the year and are published in the ward bulletin will in advance. It eliminates the problem of having the STPs do everything. Lamers that usually offer the excuse of "I have to work" (don't we all?) have no real excuse when they are notified 6 months in advance and so can schedule a half-day off.

Why do the sealers sit around and do nothing? Couldn't the temple president ask those sitting around doing nothing to do a session instead? Why is a sealer's time more valuable than the guy that gets assigned to go against his will?

[wuapinmon]

"on what authority do you make this assignment?"

[Portland Ute]

In my Mom's ward, in January they assign EVERYTHING for the entire year and then let people know that if they can't keep the assignment they are responsible to find someone to fill it for them.

This is for temple assignments, church cannery assignments, stake farm assignments, temple cleaning assignments, building cleaning assignments, etc. You name it, it is assigned in January.

Then they sent out reminders 3-4 weeks in advance and again the week of.


I'm OK with the concept of "assignments". It seems like otherwise you get the exact same people who have a guilty conscience and volunteer for everything and the same 75% of people who tell themselves (after signup sheets have been passed around for 3 weeks and they've been waiting to see if they are "really needed") - "Hm, all of the spots are full. Looks like they don't need me to volunteer after all."

Having been the guy who had to make phone calls in the past - let me agree with those who say it sucks.

What I always hated most was that the Bishop would say "we just need 5-6 men for this, just make a few calls - this one should be easy." Then he'd tell me he didn't want me to do it (did he not know that it often actually took me LESS time to do the "service" myself than to make dozens of calls and follow up calls to try and get someone else to do it?)

And if I ever mentioned I was having difficulty finding people to help - the Bishop would make 5 phone calls and have 4 of them accept the assignment immediately. Dang brown-nosers trying to make the Bishop think they are so much more willing and helpful than they actually are.

Not long before I was released I finally got smart. I started calling people and telling them that the Bishop had asked me to call and give them the assignment. MANY more accepted after that - made for much fewer calls. When some said "no", I'd just reply with "OK, I'll let him know". and they were less likely to decline on the following call.

I don't miss that at all. I'm also much more likely to volunteer for certain assignments.

I guess I'm surprised that people cave to this sort of manipulation. My answer is based on my desire, not who's asking me (at least within the confines of the stake power pyramid).

[BigFatMeanie]

Why do the sealers sit around and do nothing? Couldn't the temple president ask those sitting around doing nothing to do a session instead? Why is a sealer's time more valuable than the guy that gets assigned to go against his will?

Of course they could do other things. That's entirely beside the point. It was simply one possible explanation for why "assignments" were being made, which as it turns out isn't probably even valid given falafel's explanation.

[mUUser]

I just want to go to church meetings, pay my tithing and fast offering, but otherwise be left alone.

No callings. No assignments. No meetings. No scouts. No parties. No linger-longers. No get-togethers. No nothing, except the occassional volunteer service opportunity such as cleaning the building or setting up/taking down chairs. I also don't mind doing home teaching as long as I'm not required to recipricate.

Is there a place for someone like me in the church?

[Moliere]

I just want to go to church meetings, pay my tithing and fast offering, but otherwise be left alone.

No callings. No assignments. No meetings. No scouts. No parties. No linger-longers. No get-togethers. No nothing, except the occassional volunteer service opportunity such as cleaning the building or setting up/taking down chairs. I also don't mind doing home teaching as long as I'm not required to recipricate.

Is there a place for someone like me in the church?

Sounds like you are actually in the majority among active members.

FTR I despise ward activities unless they are focused on kids. We do a pretty cool Halloween party/trunk or treat, but I hate the Christmas dinner or any other "party" put on by the ward.

[Moliere]

I've noticed a lack of volunteering in the church and I think SiEQ hit the nail on the head (in a pretty condescending and broad brush way, but he is very accurate). I think people are tired of serving "the church" and they want to do real acts of service. Like helping their neighbor, or feeding the hungry, or working at a shelter.

UtahDan had a good question on service a month or so ago where he asked what was considered service. I struggle sometimes to call proxy ordinances or chapel cleaning as service. It feels more like a Priesthood duty or a membership duty, which I understand can still be service, but I think the two are somewhat different. When the church starts calling something "my duty" it no longer appeals to me as service because I'm being told to do it.

This is evident in our stake where the leadership is trying to make chapel cleaning an APH duty. I'm not sure why it is only for the APH and frankly no one can figure out a way to involve the APH (other than me, who presented two good ideas that were quickly forgotten) and no one can explain to me why it's a APH duty and not a YW duty as well. I guess the YW need to focus on being virtuous more than cleaning chapels.

Anyways, I get the feeling the church membership is tired of having their time taken up my mindless duties. We'd rather serve other people than serve the church. I'd rather make brownies and take them to my neighbors than waste a day of vacation to make peanut butter at the church factory. I try not to be cynical, but it's tough sometimes. Thankfully our ward tends to have more service-type activities as opposed to mindless tasks that help the church's bottom line.

[Portland Ute]

Why the need for assignments?

We have them, but we also hear that the temples are so crowded here in Utah that they needed to build the Draper, Brigham City and Daybreak temples.

I don't quite understand...

I wonder if they are calling for assignments at the Boise temple? Probably NOT since they are building that Meridien temple. Right?

[myboynoah]

I've noticed a lack of volunteering in the church and I think SiEQ hit the nail on the head (in a pretty condescending and broad brush way, but he is very accurate). I think people are tired of serving "the church" and they want to do real acts of service. Like helping their neighbor, or feeding the hungry, or working at a shelter.

UtahDan had a good question on service a month or so ago where he asked what was considered service. I struggle sometimes to call proxy ordinances or chapel cleaning as service. It feels more like a Priesthood duty or a membership duty, which I understand can still be service, but I think the two are somewhat different. When the church starts calling something "my duty" it no longer appeals to me as service because I'm being told to do it.

This is evident in our stake where the leadership is trying to make chapel cleaning an APH duty. I'm not sure why it is only for the APH and frankly no one can figure out a way to involve the APH (other than me, who presented two good ideas that were quickly forgotten) and no one can explain to me why it's a APH duty and not a YW duty as well. I guess the YW need to focus on being virtuous more than cleaning chapels.

Anyways, I get the feeling the church membership is tired of having their time taken up my mindless duties. We'd rather serve other people than serve the church. I'd rather make brownies and take them to my neighbors than waste a day of vacation to make peanut butter at the church factory. I try not to be cynical, but it's tough sometimes. Thankfully our ward tends to have more service-type activities as opposed to mindless tasks that help the church's bottom line.

I assume the peanut butter you make at the church factory is for the church welfare system. How could making brownies for neighbors trump providing food for people in need?

[Tim]

In the wards I've been in, assignments start happening when the membership repeatedly demonstrates they will not volunteer for jack shit. It's the Tactic of Last Resort.

If no one volunteers for it, perhaps it's just not that important to them and shouldn't be done at all. If no one wants to volunteer to help people move, perhaps that means that moving isn't a service that should be offered. If no one wants to volunteer for temple work, perhaps it just isn't that important to people, and fewer sessions should be scheduled.

[Green Monstah]

There are few ways to handle this.

1. Passive-Agressive. Reply to the EQP and copy the Bishop. Delete the subject and replace it with "Unsubscribe".

2. Smart-Ass. Reply to the EQP, "Dear Brother [Douchebag], I regret to inform you that I never volunteered to do assigned temple service. Although under normal circumstances I'd be more than happy to attend, the night in question is a special day my wife and I set aside for the viewing of pornography. If you ever change the day of the week you have these temple activities, however, I'm all in.

Thanks,

Dwight"

[Rosebud]

When this program began in my ward, a member of the bishopric visited RS to tell us how things would go down. I raised my hand to balk. I was polite enough not to completely slam the idea in front of everyone, but I directly questioned some of the logistics.

After church, I found the bishopric member to apologize for putting him on the spot publicly because I knew the idea wasn't his. I mean.... it's kind of lame to publicly stand up to the messenger. He's a friend, so we had a conversation about how the power structure is playing out as pressure for increased temple work comes from church headquarters and then the SP mandates how to ensure things get done in the wards.

His job sucks.

[TripletDaddy]

I know this would require pure conjecture, but when has that ever stopped this group.

Why would SLC be calling for increased temple attendance? Is there a more pressing need to do work for the dead that did not exist before? Is the end at hand sooner than we think? are statistics showing that people are leaving the Church in greater numbers than previously, and the thought is that increased temple attendance reduces the chances of people leaving?

I'm confused by the mandate to up the frequency of temple attendance. In my mind it seems similar to asking people to eat two or three pieces of bread for sacrament, or larger cups of water.