Topics I don’t hear at church anymore…

[Anonymous]

Minyan Man wrote:

Rqatkins, I am very diplomatic when it comes to gospel topics & personal relations in my ward. We have been in the same

ward for over 50 years. We are known within the Stake as well. I have volunteered to give talks about the topics I haven’t

heard in a while. I our ward, talks are assigned based on GC talks. There is very little latitude to go off the topic assigned.

Also, my calling in the ward is Family History. I love doing the work & I get inspiration from doing it. I would love to pass it

on. In the past 5+ yrs, I can’t remember a talk in Sacrament meeting, priesthood or Sunday school that focused on FH.

I’ve talked to the Bishop, his Counselors & Elders Quorum presidency with no response. That’s fine. It’s their call.

It is frustrating sometimes.

Bishop, I understand what you’re saying.

Minyan Man- I can see why that would be frustrating. Personally I would welcome any topic suggestions and especially offers to speak !!!

If I were to assign that topic, it would be how FH work has affected your life and how it brings you (and your family) closer to Christ.

Every topic in sacrament should be an aspect of the gospel, and then how it applies to our Savior.

When I give a GC talk in association with a topic, I’m only asking that member to consider is as a reference. Maybe a quote, a story or just background inspiration for the message the spirit directs you to share.

I never want a member to just recite that talk, or not feel free to deviate from it.

I know, without doubt I received revalation on who should speak and the topics. I’m also regularly asking Ward Council advice for that as well.

If a member mentioned to them topics they wanted to hear or volunteered to speak they’d be slotted in right away.

[Anonymous]

Rqatkins wrote:

I know, without doubt I received revalation on who should speak and the topics. I’m also regularly asking Ward Council advice for that as well.

There is precedent for decisions made through church committees to be considered revelation.

[Anonymous]

Roy wrote:

Rqatkins wrote:

I know, without doubt I received revalation on who should speak and the topics. I’m also regularly asking Ward Council advice for that as well.

There is precedent for decisions made through church committees to be considered revelation.

Typically, yes. We don’t move forward on things unless we’ve prayed about it and it feels right. Often speaking to the ward council, organization leader or members that it would affect.

I hope all committees strive for this process and outcome.

[Anonymous]

One of the things that was a “final straw” for me limiting my church community contribution was when our RS presidency took back the the authority to decide which talks the sister taught on. I understand in terms of correlation it made sense and was a fully rational decision.

For a good year or so, I had avoided General Conference, scanned the talk lists put out in the blog about “this one is painful” or “this one is a keeper”, reviewed a good 8+ talks, and come up with a list of 6 talks a could teach on that I presented to the presidency.

I was able to be a good and “faithful” teacher in Relief Society because I could find the 6 talks per General Conference I could teach on and be reasonably authentic to my faithless self.

To have that access point yanked from me and have the choices be:

a) Walk away from the entire calling and the entire situation.

b) Let random sisters in charge of the problem know everything and that my testimony/faith/belief system was so tenuous (so they could yank it anyways and penalize me socially) because it rested on that level of “prideful-ness” and “accommodation (not innately granted in church culture or handbook)”.

I choose Option A. I tried parts of Option B first (and got the “who do you think you are” cultural notes because the sisters assumed “these are the ones I can teach” meant “I’m being picky, “know better then the presidency”, and prideful”). If they remember at all, they remember that “I got offended” when they retracted handbook authority of talk selection.

I thought long and hard about finding an Option C and “compromising”. The system we had of me presenting the talks I could teach on streamlined a lot of executive functioning and organizational decisions on a timeline that served both them (less worry) and me (my system of planning). I didn’t see any other option I was interested in pursuing and they didn’t want to share decision-making about the conference talks with me anymore.

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