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I tried Google and then tried the search box here, but couldn’t find it. So sorry to ask this. Does anyone know what the interview questions are for 11-year-old boys turning 12 for to determine worthiness for Aaronic Priesthood and becoming a deacon? I have an 11-year-old son who thinks he would like to be a deacon when he turns 12. He is wondering what questions will be asked in the interview. My husband is not active so I need to take the lead on preparing my son for this, especially because he has the type of personality where he really is helped by knowing exactly what is going to happen ahead of time. Are they the same as the questions for the baptismal interview and/or temple recommend interview (minus the ones that apply only to adults)? Thanks much. To the best of my knowledge there are not set questions, it’s totally up to the bishop. Most probably do ask those along the lines of the baptismal or temple recommend questions as appropriate. Depending on the bishop I would not rule out him asking about porn. I couldn’t find the source, but from what I remember it is a much lighter version of the temple recommend. The toughest question for me, was “Have there been any sins or misconduct which should’ve been resolved by priesthood authority?” (or something like that). I remember racking my brain for every bad thing I had ever done. It is one of the few Church interviews that’s almost impossible to fail. I wouldn’t sweat too much on the preparation. If he knows the textbook definition of the priesthood (“The power to act in God’s name for the benifit of His children”), can bare a simple testimony, and isn’t a smoker, he should do fine. Although now might be a good time for you and your husband to go over “the Birds and the Bees”, if you haven’t already. I remember thinking “chastity” was synonymous with “chivalry” at the time.
It generally follows the temple recommend interview for youth. If you go over the temple recommend interview questions for adults and explain it will be a little different but similar, you should be fine. Also, go over the idea of answering as simply as possible, with “Yes” and “No” as much as possible.
Frankly, I would ask the Bishop what he will be asking, “So we can prepare our son as well as possible.” Doing that should take any surprises out of the equation. No guarantee, but at least it will decrease any potential issues.
I remember the primary instructors threatening us that if we did not memorize the A of F we could not graduate from primary. My biggest surprise was that Bishop did not even ask about that. Old Timer wrote:
Frankly, I would ask the Bishop what he will be asking, “So we can prepare our son as well as possible.” Doing that should take any surprises out of the equation. No guarantee, but at least it will decrease any potential issues.
This is a great idea, especially considering your husband is not active. The vast majority of bishops would be hard pressed not to comply with such a request.
dande48 wrote:Although now might be a good time for you and your husband to go over “the Birds and the Bees”, if you haven’t already.
There’s one thing my parents did right with regards to my sexual education. My dad gave me the masturbation talk (using the actual word) right before I got the priesthood and I had asked enough questions about sex up to that point to have a rudimentary understanding of what it was. My dad is still plenty prudish about the topic and is not someone I feel particularly comfortable talking about sex with, but he at least did some things right in that area.My best friend was not so lucky. His dad didn’t use the word and beat around the bush in explaining what it was. I thought
Iwas naive until we started talking to each other about sex. But yeah, the interview is pretty much just a temple recommend interview as far as I remember.
Old Timer wrote:
It generally follows the temple recommend interview for youth. If you go over the temple recommend interview questions for adults and explain it will be a little different but similar, you should be fine.Also, go over the idea of answering as simply as possible, with “Yes” and “No” as much as possible.
Frankly, I would ask the Bishop what he will be asking, “So we can prepare our son as well as possible.” Doing that should take any surprises out of the equation. No guarantee, but at least it will decrease any potential issues.
I used to do youth temple recommend interviews, and I was surprised there were no set questions. I used the TR questions as a loose guide and used judgment on the chastity question. And innocent 12 year old boy doesn’t deserve to hear about M or Porn for the first time in an interview. That was my judgment at the time with certain youth who had an incredible air of naivete about them, and were still primary age mentally, in my view.
There are no set questions, it’s entirely up to the bishop. For what it’s worth I told my children the no masturbation rule is not realistic and as long as they are discreet to not feel gugilty. if the bishop asks them about masturbation I also told them to tell him it’s between them and their parents and I’ll take it from there.
I’ve thought about that from time to time. I’ve never really been able to find a good doctrinal reason not to masturbate aside from its association with porn. I just stick with the conventional understanding that it’s bad and have my own (secular) reasons to not masturbate. If the FP/Q12 just outright stated it was bad and used the word ‘masturbation’, it would be so much simpler. But the most recent thing mentioning it publicly was For Young Men Only (1970s, I think), and it still failed to use the actual word. Sure, they still publish the pamphlet, but I’d hardly call that embracing something as fact. It’s also not mentioned in the church leadership manuals, which raises some eyebrows and explains why bishops handle it in a wide variety of ways.
Maybe this needs its own topic?
Search our archives, using the actual word. You will find other threads about it. Thank you for all these wonderful replies. I will prepare him by going over the temple recommend interview in the short term, and then when his birthday is nearer I’ll ask the bishop if he can tell us exactly what he will be asking. Thanks for that suggestion. I guess I was thinking that we couldn’t ask ahead of time. But why not? Ok. I didn’t even THINK about a masturbation question being part of it. I’m not sure my son knows what that is! I sure hope that isn’t one of the questions. I am really ok with leaving that one up to the individual to decide, with the Spirit, whether it is spiritually damaging for them or not. Sent from my ONE E1005 using Tapatalk
It shouldn’t be part of the interview, but, leadership roulette is real. The handbook says clearly that it shouldn’t be asked, without addressing the exact issue (saying nothing should be asked that might cause curiosity or experimentation) – but too many leaders don’t read it carefully and, instead, rely on what they were asked decades ago.
Here is a thread about masturbation that has over 100 comments – some of them quite funny. squarepeg wrote:
Thank you for all these wonderful replies. I will prepare him by going over the temple recommend interview in the short term, and then when his birthday is nearer I’ll ask the bishop if he can tell us exactly what he will be asking. Thanks for that suggestion. I guess I was thinking that we couldn’t ask ahead of time. But why not? Ok. I didn’t even THINK about a masturbation question being part of it. I’m not sure my son knows what that is! I sure hope that isn’t one of the questions. I am really ok with leaving that one up to the individual to decide, with the Spirit, whether it is spiritually damaging for them or not.Sent from my ONE E1005 using Tapatalk
I don’t think it would be inappropriate to share with your bishop that you’d rather he not ask about masturbation for the reasons you stated. Back in the day when I was a bishop’s counselor and we did youth TR interviews, the younger ones often didn’t know what the law of chastity is. I actually recall a deacon answering “no” to “Do you live the law of chastity?” (the bishop wanted us to ask the questions as written). After recomposing myself, I asked him if he knew what the law of chastity was, and he said he didn’t. I told him he needed to ask his Dad and moved on. Obviously there are some 12-year-olds who are far more advanced than others, but I seriously don;t believe we should be asking those questions of pre-pubescent or barely pubescent youngsters.
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