Comments on: Calling all callings

By: Chuck

Chuck — Thu, 04 May 2017 18:55:00 +0000

Starting right after mission and marriage: Primary teacher (as a newlywed), EQ counselor, EQ instructor, YM presidency, Gospel Doctrine, back to YM presidency, SS instructor (16-17 year olds – fantastic), EQ instructor, ward clerk, GD instructor, EQ president, bishopric, primary teacher, special needs activity program/Ward Special Needs Coordinator, and currently YM advisor.

I wasn’t active during my teenage years, and didn’t understand Mormon teenagers much, so being in the YM program 15-20 years ago was extraordinarily difficult for me. Worst calling I had. Now, though, I’ve got teenagers and that makes a big difference.

Bishopric was emotional and awesome, but the best church service time-period was immediately after, and for the next five years. I was teaching primary on Sunday to classes that have one or two special needs lil guys. While I held that calling, I’d go to a Thursday night Special Needs Activity Program (SNAP) and do merit badges and Duty to God activities with special needs individuals of all different capabilities, ages 12 to 75. Utterly life-changing.

By: Augusta

Augusta — Tue, 02 May 2017 15:36:32 +0000

Currently I teach Gospel Principles in French to a small number of mostly African immigrants in our Texas ward. I’ve never really enjoyed teaching, but it’s not so bad. I really like the language aspect of it though.

Other callings in no particular order, Organist, SS Teacher 16-17, Primary a couple times, Asst. Exec Secretary, Elders quorum secretary, Gospel Doctrine teacher.

I would mostly just like to be either choir pianist or primary pianist. But all the wards I’ve lived in have been teaming with pianists and since I’m male the seem to try to reserve me for priesthood callings and let woman handle music. I was lucky to be organist for 6 months.

By: Frank Pellett

Frank Pellett — Thu, 27 Apr 2017 21:10:12 +0000

Ward clerk, asst clerk, primary teacher (2-3 times), Elders teacher, music leader, choir director.

I’ve a hard time, physically, getting through an entire block of church, much less callings, which kind of limits the options. Loved clerking, dreaded teaching. Don’t know what I’d do with a leadership position. If I was ever put in High Council, I’d make trouble requesting the women stake leaders as speaking companions, making them go last.

Scouts would be a nightmare for me. Wish I could serve with the YW.

By: KLC

KLC — Wed, 26 Apr 2017 19:29:28 +0000

I’ve been the ward executive secretary twice, once before smartphones and once after. Before smartphones I was a real gatekeeper for the bishop, just about all of his interactions with ward members went through me. Now with smartphones probably 50% of that interaction is through direct texts and emails that I’m not a part of. I see executive secretary as being a less vital calling now.

By: Rachel Whipple

Rachel Whipple — Wed, 26 Apr 2017 16:47:32 +0000

Thank you all for sharing your callings and thoughts. I love these little glimpses into what service in the church is like for other people.

By: Mortimer

Mortimer — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 18:04:01 +0000

I know this will sound heretical, but as a woman in the church, the list of potential callings one can have is rather narrow. My own mother has been in 40 years of cycling through your list over and over and over with minor differences each time. After a while it begins to feel like the movie ‘Groundhog Day’. I don’t know. I respect people who humbly go about such service for a lifetime- sometimes 60-70+ years this way. Each calling they sincerely approach with renewed vim and vigor. I think it is because they sincerely love the gospel and love the people they work with. That, dear bloggernacle friends, is a miracle, that is the often over-looked heart of Mormon life.

By: John Taber

John Taber — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 17:03:00 +0000

(And in that fifteen years I’ve worked with three stake presidents and five stake clerks.)

By: John Taber

John Taber — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 17:02:03 +0000

I’ve been stake membership clerk for almost fifteen years. One thing never changes – I might as well wear a button that says “Move records OUT!” and another one that says “Keep addresses current and neat.” It’s become much more automated over the time I’ve served, which is a bit of a relief – I have a lot less to do than I used to. The drawback is that I can’t help the clerks with MLS or LCR because I used MIS the three times I was ward membership clerk.

I’m also a temple worker – that has a fixed time commitment, but I’ve learned a lot. Maybe more than I wanted to about how the temple operates.

I was just called as an elders’ quorum instructor. That I enjoy, and it’s only once a month.

The hard part right now is finding time for home teaching.

By: Clark Goble

Clark Goble — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 15:03:04 +0000

Clerk is the only calling I’d put up with EQ, Bishop, SP or RSP. No break as you say. While I’ll admit to getting tired at times of hyperactive 9 year olds in scouts, compared to many callings I have it easy.

By: Daniel T

Daniel T — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 13:48:08 +0000

Ward Clerk never gets a break, hey? Everyone else released and still plodding along wresting MLS into submission.
I’m currently clerk for my ward (no assistants or anything) and it has been the most eye opening calling I’ve had. The amount of time and energy the Bishop spends herd his flock was, until this calling, largely transparent to me. I might grown about 7am Bishopric meetings, but then I realise he is home maybe two or three nights a week, so it’s not all that bad.
When I took the calling though, I asked the SP how long he thought I might be in it. He paused for a moment and then said, “Well ward clerks usually last at least two bishops, and around here we keep our bishops in the job for at least 5 years!” Two down, eight to go!

By: Ben S

Ben S — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 04:56:43 +0000

This made me realize the vast majority of my callings have been teaching. In no particular order, and sometimes simultaneously:
Temple worker, Gospel Doctrine teacher, Temple Prep teacher, Institute teacher, Seminary teacher, SS President (doing teacher training in particular and substituting), Asst. Ward Clerk (the main clerk was devastated to learn I only had 3 months before, but we went with it anyway), and now Asst. Ward Mission Leader.

By: Jason

Jason — Sun, 23 Apr 2017 21:55:43 +0000

Favorite: Interim Institute teacher. Weekly classes were hour twenty minutes, so I had a solid hour to teach. Also, the pace was slow, so we could spend alot of time diving into the OT. Great group of college students and young urban professionals. Also, a priori I knew it was only a semester, so it was time-bound.

Least Favorite: Varsity Coach. I was a Scout Master (SM) on the East coast for 5 years–loved it. Upon moving to the BoM belt, I became a Varsity Coach (Mormon SM for only 14-15 yr olds). Culture was a clash for me and my methods were not effective in new culture. Lack of support from parents, kids, and bishopric led me to resign after 1 year.

Anxious Time: After being SM, I didn’t have a calling for 6 months. In that “time off”, I was nervous that I’d be called anytime I knew a position was coming available. I didn’t realize that there is safety in already having a calling–especially when you are new to the position.

By: Old Man

Old Man — Sat, 22 Apr 2017 19:17:29 +0000

What about the callings that your Priesthood leader does not call you to? I know that there are hierarchies of callings, and that the ward has to be staffed. But 9x out of ten, the most vital callings are never made and largely unsung. Rachel alludes to this, but I think most of us can acknowledge that the most important work we do, in the home, church and community, is largely outside of any formal calling.

By: Chet

Chet — Sat, 22 Apr 2017 15:55:17 +0000

I am the owner of the previous comment.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 22 Apr 2017 15:53:17 +0000

Rachel I agree with your remarks about delegation and half-baked commitment. This post evokes a lot of thoughts for me and I think our approach to lay service is quite interesting. It says a lot that usually a bishopric member or clerk has to do a final check of the diaper pails when the building is locked up on Sunday afternoon.

I’m not a high priest but I’ve done about everything else (13 years outside Utah) except teach Primary which means yes I am a pianist/organist. I’ve moved about every three years but have still been able to predict most of my callings. Most recently (and blissfully) I was an Elders Quorum instructor (in Utah) and taught once a month.

Gospel Doctrine teacher when I was 30 years old; how would I now do it differently at age 46?

Ward Mission leader: could also be called ward diplomat or ambassador

Young Men (multiple times, President once): burns me out pretty quickly. Had to chastise my 2nd counselor when he would not let deacons pass the Sacrament if they were not seated when the meeting began (see Matthew 20). The Bishop sided with me, perhaps because his son was in this group.