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I think that many of the callings in primary are more desperation callings. I don’t really feel that there is a lot of thought put into who is going to teach these nursery kids. 🙂 I did keep my calling in primary, but I did ask to teach my sons class so that I would at least see what he was being taught. So far (all 2 weeks of it) have been OK, but I don’t really think that there was much inspiration in putting me into primary.Earlier this week we were told that the Bishop wanted to meet with us (me and my husband). So yesterday afternoon we headed off to the Bishops office. We were asked to be the chairs of the youth Trek committee.
😯 I immediately said “Yes!” because I wanted to work with the youth again. My husband was a little more reserved and thinking about it. He and the Bishop started to chat and I zoned out and really got thinking about this calling.😮 I have a knee condition that will make it so that I can’t walk with these youth. I would have to be the “go set up camp” person that drives to each destination. That is fine except I am very sad that I wont be having that time with them and learning with them. I was kind of excited about the thought that maybe I would gain and learn a different perspective that would help my testimony out.
And with my shaky testimony HOW am I supposed to help these kids gain their own testimony and have an amazing experience? I have already figured that we may have to delegate the spiritual end of things to someone else on the committee since we won’t be traveling with them anyway. It kind of sounds that my husband and I will be the cooks and such since we have all the equipment and I have the knee issue anyway. I guess it will be a good thing and maybe that (the cooking and equipment) is why we were called.
My husband and I are really excited to have a calling together again.
I would love to hear if anyone has advice on the Trek since neither my husband or I have been on one. And I would like to hear opinions on callings if you think that some are given on desperation rather than inspiration.
I have no comment about the trek deal, and have no idea what it even is you’re talking about. It must be a Utah thing. As far as callings are concerned —- I am EQP with a two year expired temple recommend for god’s sake. ONE thing I do KNOW – many callings are done out of desperation. Absolutely.
It is a Utah thing since I never did it when I was a youth. So let me explain briefly. They take a your youth and divide them into “families” and for 3 days or so they get to pull a hand cart while wearing all of the typical Pioneer attire. They get to “experience” what it was like for pioneers back in the day. There is a place up in Wyoming (Martin’s Cove) that gives them the trail that the pioneers actually traveled. It is pretty costly to do that so we are going to end up just finding some other place for them to pull hand carts around.
Cwald- Trek is definitely a Utah thing. I had no idea what it was until I moved to Utah and they called me as a trail boss. For those uninitiated Trek is when all the youth in the Stake head to the Wyoming plains, dress up like pioneers and pull handcarts for a few days. Butters- I would definitely participate again. The way it was structured in our stake only the MA’s and PA’s had a lot of interaction with the kids. The rest of the support staff hung out and had a great time without the stress of trying to keep the kids from sleeping with each other.
There was definitely an attempt to manufacture spiritual experiences for the kids some worked (the woman’s pull) and some did not (blessing and burying a doll on the side of the trail, this one was really weird). I think it would be great to be in a position to influence what goes on in Trek. You could get rid off some of the weird stuff. Most of the kids were there to have a good time and hang out. It was the adults and leaders that were trying to make it spiritual. The kids I talked with brought up when they thought the adults were trying too hard.
On a side note on Trek 5 years earlier our current SP was the trail boss and they were caught in a very big rain storm. The Stake in Evanston, WY came in with buses and drove them to the Stake Center. The stake talks like this was our Martin and Willie’s handcart experience. So jump forward 5 years to our Trek and the SP during his prayer before we all get on the bus to leave brings this up and says something to the effect of “God give us your worst we can handle it”. The kids all thought he was crazy and made fun of it the entire trip. The SP got wind of the kids mocking him and during his talk at the post fireside publicly chastised those that made fun of him. It was great, one of those really uncomfortable times in church that we all look forward to to break up the staleness.
Sorry for the tangent. If you have time I would participate again. Don’t worry about the spiritual part it was easy enough for me to leave that to others. With the cooking responsibilities you will be too busy to worry about it. Think of it as a fun camping trip rather than some weird pilgrimage.
Just as an fyi: The pioneer trek is not a Utah thing. It’s done in many places in the Church. Not all callings can be inspiration it is impossible. Lets’s suppose there are 5 callings that need to be filled in a ward, but there are only two individuals that are correct for any of the callings. That leaves three calling that need to be filled anyway. Hence desperation comes into play. If you take the position that every calling is inspired you are talking about a God who spends all his time pushing buttons and pulling levers to get everyone in the universe to just happen to be in the right place at the right time. I contend the church would be better off just being honest and saying we need help with certain things and your help would be appreciated. Don’t put the guilt trip of God calling you on everything. It is just more stress and anxiety on everyone. Besides there are to many made up callings anyway.
I never claimed inspiration when I issued a calling – except in cases where I believed I had been inspired, and those did occur. Generally, I simply said something like, “We would like to talk with you about being _______________.” Likewise, I have heard FAR more leaders say, “We would like to extend this calling to you,” than, “The Lord would like you to serve in this calling.” I’ve heard the latter only rarely. I know there are leaders who phrase the extension of callings that way, and I think they generally believe it, but I believe my own approach happens more often than claiming all callings are the result of revelation.
We’re here in Colorado…and the Trek is done here as well (well…we take the youth up to Wyoming to Martin’s Cove). My daughters have had great experiences with it, and love their “Ma’s” and “Pa’s” who they bond with during the time. Even now, when we have stake events and they see their leaders, they rush up and hug them. That is one of the great things about working with youth…they really can be open and bond with you when they sense you care about them and take time to show it. They starve for that sometimes.
I have been in a bishopric, and seen inspiration work to call the right person at the right time. Mostly, callings come out of a need for the ward and a leader considering how to help keep different ward members engaged, and sometimes in that process inspiration flashes…many times it is administrative, IMO.
If you feel excited about working with the youth…I say you go with that, and not focus on doctrinal things, but just on the service and love of being with youth (that are also not focusing on doctrinal things). Your unique spirit and personality might be exactly what some of them need. That’s my opinion.
Quote:There was definitely an attempt to manufacture spiritual experiences for the kids some worked (the woman’s pull) and some did not (blessing and burying a doll on the side of the trail, this one was really weird). I think it would be great to be in a position to influence what goes on in Trek. You could get rid off some of the weird stuff. Most of the kids were there to have a good time and hang out. It was the adults and leaders that were trying to make it spiritual. The kids I talked with brought up when they thought the adults were trying too hard.
I agree, We do trecks in Texas also, they are a blast! Some of the Adults try too hard when all they have to do is be there and the “Spiritual” expierences take care of themselves. I probably had as much or more fun than the kids.Quote:The SP during his prayer before we all get on the bus to leave brings this up and says something to the effect of “God give us your worst we can handle it”. The kids all thought he was crazy and made fun of it the entire trip. The SP got wind of the kids mocking him and during his talk at the post fireside publicly chastised those that made fun of him. It was great, one of those really uncomfortable times in church that we all look forward to to break up the staleness.
Priceless…f4h1
cwald wrote:As far as callings are concerned —- I am EQP with a two year expired temple recommend for god’s sake. ONE thing I do KNOW – many callings are done out of desperation. Absolutely.
cwald, IMO, calling you to EQP may have been the best call your bishop ever made!f4h1
Can also confirm that Trek is done outside the Mormon Corridor. Seen it done in GA and in VA/MD/DC areas. I think it just takes adults/leaders in the Stake who want to do it bad enough to make it happen. What is it? It’s Mormon’s acting out our mythological pioneer narrative. Lots of groups do this. I think it gives kids a chance to connect to that heritage. The most recent one in GA though, they toned down the prairie dress and bonnet aspect because it was going on while the FLDS were in the news daily (wearing prairie dresses and bonnets).
I am starting to think that people like US are actually the some of the best people to have at these events to express a diversity of
typesof testimony. Butters, I know you feel like you can’t instill a certain type of traditional testimony / indoctrination. But how much more powerful it is to express your own form, which is just as valid, and perhaps even more authentic to the 19th century pioneer spirit! I have great hopes for youth to see that testimonies don’t all have to be cookie-cutter copies of all the same cliche’ statements. I would love to participate in one of these someday. I grew up in Utah but our stake never did the treks until after I graduated high school. My younger brother and sister went and still remember it as one of their best experiences in YW/YM. I think it would be a good way for teens to connect with the past and feel a part of some sort of heritage. I do want to do this calling. I really wish that I could be the “Ma” out there on the trail. I talked with my husband and he is pretty against me doing the walking so I think that I will just be the “base camp” person. But at least I get to go. Thanks Brian. You are right. The youth do need to know that not all testimonies are the standard that you hear in testimony meeting.
It will be fun and I am really looking forward to it.
🙂 Inspiration or desperation? Let me suggest one more possibility: Perspiration.
🙂 I find that when you let go of the idea that all calls are inspired, you gain freedom. Just like when you let go of the idea the Church has to be perfect and the only true organization on the face of the earth to commit to. As a result — you start having realistic expectations about what it should be capable of doing. I recommend this only for those who are not humming along happily in Stage 3 of Fowler’s stages, however. But if you’re doubting and feeling angst over aspects of the Church, thenaccepting that all calls are NOT inspired can be liberating for some people. LIberating because you can say “No” without feeling you’re offending God or kicking against the pricks.
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