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I just got the news that I will be out of a job at the end of the month. I’ve known it was probably coming, so it’s not a complete surprise. I’ve actually been sending out resumes for over a year, off and on, with no success. It’s been really depressing, and I don’t have much hope of finding anything in my field quickly enough. So I posted on Facebook that I’m looking, and a friend says he has a job opening at his work. This friend happens to be my father-in-law’s boss, and they both work for the church’s family history department. The job looks like something I would enjoy and do well at. I’ve always gotten along with my father-in-law really well, and with my friend’s plug I might stand a really good chance of getting the job.
The problem, of course, is that you have to be considered temple worthy to work for the church. I clarified with my father-in-law that it doesn’t require a temple recommend, you just have to be temple worthy. Not sure how they determine that in practice. Anyone have experience with this?
I feel kind of crazy for even considering it, but I’m willing to go through a lot to keep feeding my family, and I’m feeling really desperate.
I wouldn’t lie, but certainly if I could answer those recommend questions correctly (thereby making me temple worthy) I’d go for it. FWIW, despite my doubts and questions I can answer those questions correctly except the one about church attendance, many thanks to my brothers and sisters here. I have gone through an extended period of unemployment and underemployment, and if what I needed to do was become temple worthy, I’d try to do it. I wouldn’t lie, either. I just don’t know if they are going to give me a full temple recommend interview, or how they might define “temple worthiness” otherwise. I can obey all the rules. But I’m not sure I can say I believe right now. I suppose they could ask to see your recommend, but since you don’t have one I doubt they’d actually ask the questions. You’d probably just need to assure them that you are temple worthy. Having the relative there who likes you may be of help. If he would agree and you think it appropriate, you could always use your bishop as a reference and he could also vouch for your worthiness. Things might have changed in the 20+ years since I’ve been there, but BYU had the temple worthy requirement for employment. At that time I think that meant if you were LDS you had an valid, active recommend and that if you weren’t LDS you could answer yes to the commandment questions in the temple recommend interview (chastity, WoW, honesty, etc). There is something else you might want to consider. My ex wife worked at the church office building back in the day and said they had an expression, “church broke”. It meant you could work for the church and be around GA’s and not lose your testimony. That may not apply but as I said, something to consider. GB, My mother was one of Pres. McKay’s secretaries while my dad served his mission. I never heard that phrase, but she came away from that job absolutely loving the First Presidency. Old-Timer wrote:GB, My mother was one of Pres. McKay’s secretaries while my dad served his mission. I never heard that phrase, but she came away from that job absolutely loving the First Presidency.
Tangent alert:
Your Dad went on a mission while married with his wife staying back home? Are you a bit longer in the tooth than I imagine Ray?
mackay11 wrote:Old-Timer wrote:GB, My mother was one of Pres. McKay’s secretaries while my dad served his mission. I never heard that phrase, but she came away from that job absolutely loving the First Presidency.
Tangent alert:
Your Dad went on a mission while married with his wife staying back home? Are you a bit longer in the tooth than I imagine Ray?
I try to play Ray’s part in dissecting reading mackay11. He didn’t say they were married….
I think that what they might do to determine temple worthiness is contact your bishop. If you are asked to provide your bishop’s name at some point during the process, that’s probably why. On another note: my grandfather went on a six month mission after he was married and had a few children. This was probably back in the late 30s early 40s (war era). (He told me he did NOT enjoy it.)
Old-Timer wrote:GB, My mother was one of Pres. McKay’s secretaries while my dad served his mission. I never heard that phrase, but she came away from that job absolutely loving the First Presidency.
I would expect that from association from those men. What I’m referring to is dealing with the business of the church with with the functionaries and bureauocracy (?sp) and with some of the GAs that supervise. I was speaking recently with a church employee who had tried yearly to get one of her part time employees tuition assistance for her children to a church school. She worked part time for two different church entities and totaled about 30 hours per week but the request was denied because the person making the decision said that they were separate organizations and her time with each weren’t additive. Then obamacare care came and she assumed she’d be able to get insurance but was told that she could not work more than 28 hours per week. The kicker is that now she was told that her employment was under a single entity and not two different ones. Just like the Godfather. Nothing personal, just business.
GB, given the wording of your comment, I thought mine was agreeing with yours – that someone can work for the Church and not lose their testimony (I assume even though there are aspects of running the organization that would surprise some people). mackay11, my father served for two years in the military, and when he got home my mom told him she would marry him only if he served a mission – so he did. (That is NOT an endorsement of that stance in all cases, just to make that clear.) She worked at the COB while he served.
I’d be careful. How do you feel about things like SSM? Sexism? Whitewashing of church history? There are some really great people working there, but there are also some bureaucratic types who dislike nonconforming opinions. GBSmith wrote:There is something else you might want to consider. My ex wife worked at the church office building back in the day and said they had an expression, “church broke”. It meant you could work for the church and be around GA’s and not lose your testimony.
hawkgrrrl wrote:I’d be careful. How do you feel about things like SSM? Sexism? Whitewashing of church history? There are some really great people working there, but there are also some bureaucratic types who dislike nonconforming opinions.
I’m pretty easygoing about all that. I’m a live and let live kind of guy. I don’t mind people having their opinions and expressing them, and I’m not easily offended. I think I could stay under the conservative radar easily enough. My father-in-law is as conservative as they come, and we’ve been good friends for a long time. If someone tries to pin me to the wall and starts asking direct, pointed questions, I might get myself into trouble, though.
Old-Timer wrote:GB, given the wording of your comment, I thought mine was agreeing with yours – that someone can work for the Church and not lose their testimony (I assume even though there are aspects of running the organization that would surprise some people).
mackay11, my father served for two years in the military, and when he got home my mom told him she would marry him only if he served a mission – so he did. (That is NOT an endorsement of that stance in all cases, just to make that clear.) She worked at the COB while he served.
Ray, we agree. Someone going to work for the church needs to be aware that the business and running of the church can get confused with the spiritual side of things.
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