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I’m not too familiar with this. Our daughter needed to get one and was stressed about how it unfolded. In the interview she was asked to bear her testimony. I didn’t ask for detail, but I can pretty easily imagine that it covered what many would call the core of the gospel, which she loves and is devoted to. But the rub and what concerns her: the interviewer carefully went back and quizzed her on all restoration/Joseph Smith points and made it pretty clear that there was an expected and acceptable answer. On the one hand, that’s their prerogative? On the other hand, she felt somewhat coerced and bordering on dishonest. She just can’t say categorically that she knows this and knows that. Just wondering if this is a free-form thing that is different leader to leader, and whether your kids have had similar experiences and concerns.
Ann, can you give us more details? For example: Who was the leader conducting the interview?
What was the purpose of the interview?
As a parent you are entitled to an explanation. If not from your daughter then the leader. Who ever that is. (or is it whom?)
The most strict the endorsement interview should be is the standard temple recommend questions for youth. It is NOT a temple recommend interview, and it should be a lower standard than that. This is one more instance where our culture has conflated requirements, like making converts be practically temple worthy in order to be baptized.
Having said that, it is local leader roulette, based entirely on personality and past experience.
Old-Timer wrote:The most strict the endorsement interview should be is the standard temple recommend questions for youth. It is NOT a temple recommend interview, and it should be a lower standard than that.
This is one more instance where our culture has conflated requirements, like making converts be practically temple worthy in order to be baptized.
Having said that, it is local leader roulette, based entirely on personality and past experience.
When I was in the Bishopric, there were no standard questions for youth for TR interviews. I am not sure about ecclesiastical endorsements. But I do know this:
a) My daughter needed them for her BYU application. I will find out what questions they asked her. She had one from the BP and a member of the SP.
b) Her Seminary Teacher had to give her a reference letter. I am not sure if it was an ecclesiastical endorsement, however. But he said he had to mention her spotty Seminary attendance. She still got accepted at BYU Idaho in spite of it.
I will find out more from her when I see her next…probably in the next day or so…
SD
Minyan Man wrote:Ann, can you give us more details? For example:
Who was the leader conducting the interview?
What was the purpose of the interview?
As a parent you are entitled to an explanation. If not from your daughter then the leader. Who ever that is. (or is it whom?)
She’s older, so I’m not involved and my approach has been to “let it lie.” I know she saw a bishopric and SP member. It was for a BYU application. But if I can easily find out more, I will.
I think it has much to do with leadership roulette and in your daughter’s case it sounds like it was extreme. Three of my children have attended BYU (one all 4 years, the others interrupted by missions) and the fourth has applied and none of them have ever had a problem with the interview or questions. I recall my daughter saying something like it just being about the honor code and pretty much just being asked that – did she agree to live the honor code. FWIW, the seminary teacher’s and bishop’s recommendations are different from the ecclesiastical endorsement and are meant to be letters or reference/recommendation and only matter for admission. The ecclesiastical endorsement has to be renewed annually (but can be done by the YSA bishop at BYU/BYU-I). Nonmembers also need an ecclesiastical endorsement which they can get from the local bishop or from their own pastor.
I asked my daughter what happened in the ecclesiastical endorsement interviews…Bishop asked a couple questions about how she was doing, and then gushed about what a good person she was. SP counselor said “what would you like me to say in the endorsement?” and then asked how she was doing and built the relationship. Her seminary teacher said he would provide a reference (as asked for on the BYU application), but that he would have mention her spotty Seminary attendance. There were not structured interview questions given at all. It was as if they knew who she was, and her orientation toward the church and gospel, and saw themselves as supporting her.
So, it sounds as though leadership roulette may be at work here, for perhaps the leader who asked all the questions and wanted a testimony borne may have felt the need to be satisfied there was testimony there? I am only speculating.
I am surprised that the church, with its highly structured approach to rites of passage, access to privileges etcetera, doesn’t have a more structured approach to interviewing youth. Not that I necessarily want it, it just surprises me.
Her first interview was with a bishopric member who knew she had just completed her temple recommend interview the week before. He just touched on the honor code and basically signed off. The SP member – she said he was verykind – did the part I described above. It’s interesting to me that this came up spontaneously yesterday, so I know it’s still on her mind. She’s scrupulously honest and this didn’t sit well. She doesn’t ascribe any bad motives to the interviewer; I think she’s just wondering how this is going to work going forward.
I did mine about a year ago, it was just going through the honor code with the bishop and stake president. My bishop did emphasize one part that to him implied going above and beyond with callings, hinting at wanting me to help clean the church or something. Otherwise it was quick and not very structured. The bishop and stake officer have to go online and click whether it is recommend, recommend with limitations (or something like that) or deny. So maybe this leader didn’t know her well enough and thought he needed more details? I wouldn’t have gotten my endorsement if my leader had asked me all that stuff! 🙄
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