The Calling of a Bishop

[SoonerCoug]

Following an aggressive but eventually unsuccessful campaign to be called as our next Bishop, my uber-orthodox neighbor was called to be SS Pres. He declined on the grounds his PB specifically states he will serve in "high leadership positions". I don't who is more disappointed - him or his wife. What is up with people wanting to be Bishop?

It's evolutionary. There is a natural drive to be venerated. There are all kinds of benefits to having a good reputation. If someone is viewed as altruistic by others, then they are also more likely to receive good things (not necessarily material things) in return.

[byu71]

Following an aggressive but eventually unsuccessful campaign to be called as our next Bishop, my uber-orthodox neighbor was called to be SS Pres. He declined on the grounds his PB specifically states he will serve in "high leadership positions". I don't who is more disappointed - him or his wife. What is up with people wanting to be Bishop?

LOL, that is an awesome story.

Many are called but few are chosen or something like that.

[smokymountainrain]

Following an aggressive but eventually unsuccessful campaign to be called as our next Bishop, my uber-orthodox neighbor was called to be SS Pres. He declined on the grounds his PB specifically states he will serve in "high leadership positions". I don't who is more disappointed - him or his wife. What is up with people wanting to be Bishop?

Excellent.

[Pheidippides]

We have one of those in my ward too.

Sometimes I feel like reminding him he's not the bishop.

Auditions are about to start in mine.

[The_Douger]

Following an aggressive but eventually unsuccessful campaign to be called as our next Bishop, my uber-orthodox neighbor was called to be SS Pres. He declined on the grounds his PB specifically states he will serve in "high leadership positions". I don't who is more disappointed - him or his wife. What is up with people wanting to be Bishop?

We have one of those in my ward too.

Sometimes I feel like reminding him he's not the bishop.

[Indy Coug]

What is up with people wanting to be Bishop?

Ignorance

[Aversator]

Following an aggressive but eventually unsuccessful campaign to be called as our next Bishop, my uber-orthodox neighbor was called to be SS Pres. He declined on the grounds his PB specifically states he will serve in "high leadership positions". I don't who is more disappointed - him or his wife. What is up with people wanting to be Bishop?

[The_Douger]

Some of that is a direct product of correlation and of some Bishops micromanaging. Nothing like investing the time and energy into planning an activity, keeping leadership informed, having a disgruntled parent complain, and then have the Bishop interpret the handbook in an unexpected manner and nix the whole thing. So the next time around, people will ask the Bishop, "Is this OK? How about that?" They want to make their own decisions but feel like they are not allowed to.

I was serving in YM when the youth had an idea for a lip sync activity. The YM/YW leaders approved the songs. However, one YW didn't get her way and complained to her Mom who then went to the Bishop. He decided to review all the songs and determined that only Primary or Disney type songs should be used. Problem is that this happened after the youth had been practicing their lip snyc skits for three weeks and had to start over a week before the live performance. So the next time around, the Bishop is spending his time reading sheets of lyrics. Each quorum/group submitting three differrent songs in case there are objections. Yeah, a Bishop really needs to spend his time doing that but he created the problem.

One of the problems in my old ward was that too many people had access to the church handbook. So when they didn't agree with a decision made by a leader, they would go to the Bishop citing the handbook. Another example, I got busted by another parent for taking an 11-year son on a Deacon's campout. A Dad had pulled out at the last minute because his wife insisted they go out on a date (they still sent their deacon son on the campout). I got a panicked call from the Scoutmaster asking if I could help out and go camping; otherwise, the campout would have to be canceled. My wife was out town with our daughter and our older kids were at EFY. So I was at home with my 11-year old son and he didn't want to be at home alone. The Scoutmaster said it was OK for me to bring my Boy Scout 11-year old son on the campout with me. We packed and had a good time on the campout. Someone complained to the Bishop that an 11-year was brought on a Deacon's campout in violation of the handbook. The Scoutmaster got in trouble for allowing it and I got talked to as well. I asked what I should have done and was told I should have declined or found a place for my son to spend the night (had I been thinking more clearly I would have brought up his several sermons on the evils of sleepovers).

This story should make SoonerCoug proud. He needs to become active again because he might run out of stories someday. Serving as Scoutmaster would change all that rather quickly.

Geez, what a wet blanket.

I would have taken my son.

I also would have told them to eat crap, as I was helping them out last minute.

It's the same way I feel like telling my stake president to eat crap for not bringing the sacrament in to the foyer while I sit out there with our whiny 16 month old.

[Goatnapper'96]

When I was a kid, I would get annoyed when GAs would poo poo Heavy Metal music as of the devil, but always talk about how classical music invited the spirit. My thought was, of course you feel that way, you like classical music! When I listen to classical, I want to kill somebody.

ArchieBunkeritis!

[byu71]

Joseph Smith's sacrifice has greatly benefited my family, so it's more than just a matter of your immediate family. I would dare say that a bishop can likewise impact the lives of many more than just his family.

If we're busy looking out for #1, odds are that our lives will be more like #2.

The sacrifice for you and your family and many others was truly magnanimous. For others such as mine, he would have done well to take care of his own family. I have heard though they will be taken care of anyway even if they did drop away.

[Indy Coug]

One sure bets a lot on the rewards of the next life. Does a father's absence whose children fall away somehow guarantee they shall return? Does one get to choose the 72 virgins?

Joseph Smith's sacrifice has greatly benefited my family, so it's more than just a matter of your immediate family. I would dare say that a bishop can likewise impact the lives of many more than just his family.

If we're busy looking out for #1, odds are that our lives will be more like #2.

[smokymountainrain]

One interesting thing about religiously motivated bans on certain activities: the people banning the activities never have an interest in participating in them. In other words, it's easy to ban things that you don't do anyways.

PBW's Halo party is a good example of this.

Another good example: I had a friend in my BYU student ward who had been married for a year or two. He loved football, but (stupidly) agreed to his wife's request at the outset of their marriage to not watch TV on Sundays. He was not allowed to check Internet scores either. Of course, his wife came from a background where the dudes didn't like sports, so it was an easy sacrifice for her to make. My buddy was faithful to his wife's request in the time that I knew him, although it was not easy. He also was our home teacher, and made many Sunday afternoon HT visits, with my TV "accidentally" left on.

One last thought: I am glad I did not marry a crazy person.

When I was a kid, I would get annoyed when GAs would poo poo Heavy Metal music as of the devil, but always talk about how classical music invited the spirit. My thought was, of course you feel that way, you like classical music! When I listen to classical, I want to kill somebody.

[DapperDan]

I used to think that calling an older, retired person as bishop would be better. Now I'm not sure. Younger bishops relate better to the youth and spend time building up the youth while older bishops spend their time talking about reactivating adults that don't want to be reactivated, at least that is my experience.

Also in my experience, older/retired bishops assume that everyone else has just as much time as they do so they tend to call and message you during the day and ask you to do things during the week even though they can be done just as easily during the 2nd hour of church.

And lastly, older/retired bishops have time to micromanage things, which sucks for auxiliary presidents. I'd take a younger bishop that lets the presidents run their auxiliaries on their own instead of a bishop that wants to approve every single activity or every meal you'll eat on a campout.

I think it just depends on the person. The younger bishop you describe was my dad when he was a bishop, but he was in his early 60s when he got released.

[Topper]

One interesting thing about religiously motivated bans on certain activities: the people banning the activities never have an interest in participating in them. In other words, it's easy to ban things that you don't do anyways.

PBW's Halo party is a good example of this.

Another good example: I had a friend in my BYU student ward who had been married for a year or two. He loved football, but (stupidly) agreed to his wife's request at the outset of their marriage to not watch TV on Sundays. He was not allowed to check Internet scores either. Of course, his wife came from a background where the dudes didn't like sports, so it was an easy sacrifice for her to make. My buddy was faithful to his wife's request in the time that I knew him, although it was not easy. He also was our home teacher, and made many Sunday afternoon HT visits, with my TV "accidentally" left on.

One last thought: I am glad I did not marry a crazy person.

Religious extremes in any variety are tasteless.

[San Juan Sun]

One interesting thing about religiously motivated bans on certain activities: the people banning the activities never have an interest in participating in them. In other words, it's easy to ban things that you don't do anyways.

PBW's Halo party is a good example of this.

Another good example: I had a friend in my BYU student ward who had been married for a year or two. He loved football, but (stupidly) agreed to his wife's request at the outset of their marriage to not watch TV on Sundays. He was not allowed to check Internet scores either. Of course, his wife came from a background where the dudes didn't like sports, so it was an easy sacrifice for her to make. My buddy was faithful to his wife's request in the time that I knew him, although it was not easy. He also was our home teacher, and made many Sunday afternoon HT visits, with my TV "accidentally" left on.

One last thought: I am glad I did not marry a crazy person.