Does the Church believe its own Schtick?

[KillerDog]

I've often heard that all callings are equal and we shouldn't pay special attention to a person's callings. "Being a home teacher is just as important as being a General Authority." I always chuckle when I hear that and recently I was reminded why. At the BYU Business school graduation, the dude conducting the graduation took the time to acknowledge every general authority in attendance and their children. I was waiting to stand up when he started going through the home teacher in attendance but he never did...

[LA Ute]

It may be true but the members don't believe it.

[byu71]

I've often heard that all callings are equal and we shouldn't pay special attention to a person's callings. "Being a home teacher is just as important as being a General Authority." I always chuckle when I hear that and recently I was reminded why. At the BYU Business school graduation, the dude conducting the graduation took the time to acknowledge every general authority in attendance and their children. I was waiting to stand up when he started going through the home teacher in attendance but he never did...

No they don't. I have a relative that was deeply dissapointed in her voluntary work in the church office buildings.

Well perhaps I should refine the comment. Maybe the church believes it, but many of those in the church don't act like the church believes it.

[TripletDaddy]

Home Teaching isn't a calling. It is an assignment. But it is often cited as the prime example of an "unimportant" calling that is on equal footing with "important" callings.

I definitely subscribe to the equality doctrine. That way, when someone asks me to do something, I can say no without hesitation because they are no more important than me or anybody else in the Church. They can do it themselves.

[I.J. Reilly]

I don't think that it matters what individuals in the church believe on this topic. I really beleive that God believes it, and that is enough for me.

Humans will always have the need to rank and evaluate each other based on outward things that they can assign importance to. God knows more.

[KillerDog]

Home Teaching isn't a calling. It is an assignment. But it is often cited as the prime example of an "unimportant" calling that is on equal footing with "important" callings.

I definitely subscribe to the equality doctrine. That way, when someone asks me to do something, I can say no without hesitation because they are no more important than me or anybody else in the Church. They can do it themselves.

That's true. My guess is the Church's attorneys don't want it to be a calling. I don't want to think about it too hard but it sounds like you would be empowering a bunch of idiots to be "agents" of the Church.

[Indy Coug]

I've often heard that all callings are equal and we shouldn't pay special attention to a person's callings. "Being a home teacher is just as important as being a General Authority." I always chuckle when I hear that and recently I was reminded why. At the BYU Business school graduation, the dude conducting the graduation took the time to acknowledge every general authority in attendance and their children. I was waiting to stand up when he started going through the home teacher in attendance but he never did...

Well, people actually know who General Authorities are. If they actually knew who you were, maybe they would point you out too.

[TripletDaddy]

That's true. My guess is the Church's attorneys don't want it to be a calling. I don't want to think about it too hard but it sounds like you would be empowering a bunch of idiots to be "agents" of the Church.

That is interesting.

Lawyers, is there a creative argument to be made for respondeat superior in the case of Home Teachers? I have heard numerous times that HTs act on behalf of or in place of the Bishop.

[wuapinmon]

My current bishop's father was head the of the Kennecott (sp?) mines during the 1950's. He was always asked to sit on the stand, even though he wasn't in any calling that would normally prompt one to sit on the stand every week.

[KillerDog]

My current bishop's father was head the of the Kennecott (sp?) mines during the 1950's. He was always asked to sit on the stand, even though he wasn't in any calling that would normally prompt one to sit on the stand every week.

That's a different but related phenomenon. All small, marginalized, religious communities revere their prominent members and assign them places of devotion.

[JohnnyLingo]

When you say "The Church," what do you mean?

[KillerDog]

When you say "The Church," what do you mean?

The majority of the membership.

[JohnnyLingo]

The majority of the membership.

I personally find it impossible to speculate on what other people think... especially when we start reaching into the minds of a few million people.

But enjoy your exercise.

[byu71]

I personally find it impossible to speculate on what other people think... especially when we start reaching into the minds of a few million people.

But enjoy your exercise.

Do you really mean that. It is easy to speculate. Harder to know if you are right, but easy to speculate especially if you are observant when you are around people.

For instance I could speculate TEX and Indy differer in their opinion about BYU's honor code from how I feel. Could be wrong, but probably not.

[DU Ute]

I've often heard that all callings are equal and we shouldn't pay special attention to a person's callings. "Being a home teacher is just as important as being a General Authority." I always chuckle when I hear that and recently I was reminded why. At the BYU Business school graduation, the dude conducting the graduation took the time to acknowledge every general authority in attendance and their children. I was waiting to stand up when he started going through the home teacher in attendance but he never did...

You're right. They should have had everyone stand up who had done their home teaching that month. I think it would count if one of your families was in attendance.