Visit from Counselors in the SP and Bishopric (Good ending)

[Anonymous]

So the 2nd Counselors of the Stake Presidency and Bishopric came by tonight; it went well. I said I needed to complete my temple recommend interview and the Counselor said we could finish in the kitchen. We had a good chat. He asked “How is your faith?” I told him it has been stripped down to its bedrock elements. We talked about faith of the young generation, and he mentioned that in the SL area, EIGHTY percent of singles are inactive! I shared with him that I feel God has given me the gift to share with people what they need and deal with the questions and issues and still value spirituality. He said, “We need to use you! On the Stake level. We will keep it in mind.” It was a good visit. Will be interesting to see what comes of it.

Also, today at lunch I was talking about the question of whether I could do more good outside the Church. I think it is worth facing. Thinking it through made me feel more peaceful about staying within the Church. Here is why… much of my service will be as a teacher and author, which transcends denominations. I was joking with a friend that I don’t want to “start a new religion” because I want to help people with spirituality in GENERAL. I want people to find meaning in the religions that resonate most with them. I want to improve and balance my students’ worldviews, whatever they may be. I hope to reach many people with teaching, lectures, books, etc. and all this has little to do with my identity as a Mormon. But Mormonism is my home, my faith community, my language. I love it and think it is worth staying in the relationship with this flawed community with such potential. I choose to stay, to be true to myself, and see what comes of that tension.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for sharing. I always enjoy your thoughts. I’m sure you will be a big help to many in all your diverse efforts!

[Anonymous]

This is good to read. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Maybe the singles are “active” elsewhere, but let’s not go there! 😆

I think being pressured to marry someone you’re not interested in is a no-no. That happened to me not long after I joined.

“Are you interested in any of the singles?”

“Not really.”

Then I’m getting phone calls all the time from this girl, who while pleasant enough is not my type. And when I’m getting home teaching, there’s all the stuff about marrying in the temple when the guy prays at the end.

[Anonymous]

I felt I should send a follow up email, so sent this:

Dear President ****,

I really enjoyed speaking with you when you visited my home. I have been thinking about what you said about using me on a Stake level, and that is something I think would be helpful.

It might be difficult to implement something like a “Stake Disaffection Specialist”, but I think that my experiences and training would fit me very well for such a role. I would also be happy to speak to youth or other members of the Stake about the relationship between faith and knowledge, how to maintain our faith in this internet, information-saturated era, and related topics.

Yesterday on facebook I shared the idea “Meaning transcends explanation.” I feel this is such a vital message to share in our day… facts and theories are only a google search away, but far too many, as they get lost in the details, lose the sense of meaning, purpose, and community so important to religion.

I feel so strongly about helping people maintain their relationship to God and maximizing the chance people will feel at home and fulfilled within the LDS Church. I am trying to do that in my calling in the ward Sunday School Presidency. I would also welcome the opportunity to continue this endeavor on a Stake level, should the Presidency feel that beneficial.

I submit completely to the Stake Presidency’s discernment as to how I best could serve, were you to take such an idea to the Lord. I just wanted to let you know that I remain willing.

Sincerely,

Enoch

P.S. I have cc’d President **** on this note.

And I got the following response back:

Hi,

It was good to speak with you a couple of weeks ago. Thank you for your kind offer, we will keep you in mind.

We will see what comes of it. I feel good having done what I can to help God do his job though.

[Anonymous]

Interesting.

I have thought many times of offering my services like that, but I have not really been well planted in a ward for 2 years due to economy / job / travel issues. I’ll probably offer something like that when I settle in to a ward later this year.

Definitely lets us know how it goes.

[Anonymous]

This is an interesting thread. I wonder if the SP thinks you’re nuts? Don’t take that wrong – but I really do question if many of the leadership understands “our” language, and what a faith crisis is all about. It seems to me that most active members think the only reason people go inactive or leave the church is because they don’t like the rules and just want to sin. :crazy:

Also – this concept, while a VERY good idea, is revolutionary and coming from the bottom to the top. I don’t see that kind of thinking much in the church – most of the “revelation” is coming from the top down. Also – like other stake callings, are they going to require the “Stake Disaffection Specialists” to have a TR? That would eliminate MANY of the folks who should be doing the calling to begin. Of course, that is the case with MANY callings in the church.

Hmmm? I don’t know – It almost sounds like their response is a polite way of blowing you off – and I just can’t imagine them doing this. Us “moderates” and unorthodox members are a threat to so many in the church, especially the leadership and the fundamentalists who are in charge in most cases, that it would really surprise me if they gave you “authority” at the stake level, let alone the ward level.

I hope I am wrong.

Anyway – I think it is a great idea, and I like your approach to “staying.” It is similar to how I feel. Keep us updated.

[Anonymous]

I think it sounds like a great idea, Enoch. I often think that if I can get past my conflicted feelings that I could be of some service in that area. An adventuresome stake leader might be willing to try something like that, but I doubt there’s much more chance of it succeeding long term than there is of there being a stake mild barley drink specialist.

[Anonymous]

I felt I should do my part… you are right though, I should have avoided the “Stake Disaffection Specialist” terminology at all. I said it was problematic, but I should have framed it in a way that could go over as is.

I feel that my wording is helpful, that if revelation is going to be bottom to top, this is how to do it… say “it is my feeling I could help here, so could you pray about it and it will be up to you and the Lord?”

That strikes a good balance of initiative but also respecting the order of revelation/priesthood etc.

I also wrote my EQP and told him to pray about me visiting a specific family I know is struggling.

[Anonymous]

That was a brave email to follow-up with.

[Anonymous]

Enoch wrote:

I also wrote my EQP and told him to pray about me visiting a specific family I know is struggling.

I think this is VERY appropriate — and if the EQP is has any kind of brain he will jump all over this suggestion.

[Anonymous]

Enoch wrote:

I felt I should do my part… you are right though, I should have avoided the “Stake Disaffection Specialist” terminology at all. I said it was problematic, but I should have framed it in a way that could go over as is.

I feel that my wording is helpful, that if revelation is going to be bottom to top, this is how to do it… say “it is my feeling I could help here, so could you pray about it and it will be up to you and the Lord?”

That strikes a good balance of initiative but also respecting the order of revelation/priesthood etc.

I also wrote my EQP and told him to pray about me visiting a specific family I know is struggling.

I don’t know? I think it is GREAT. I’m just not opimistic that stake leadership folks in general will buy into the concept. I like the term as well – sounds much better than “inactive specialist.” But that is the culture lingo that they understand.

Maybe you should have stated it as, “the StayLDS Specialists” or the “New Order Mormon Specialists” or the “Fowler Stage 4 Mormon Specialists.” 💡

[Anonymous]

Fwiw, that’s one of the roles I think my former Stake President had in mind when he thanked me for my “unique contributions” before I moved and was released from the High Council. It’s also something I think my current Stake President is coming to understand about me – that I am very aware of the members who get overlooked often and those who react differently to some messages than the stereotypical members.

A leadership group in which I once served was talking about receiving God’s image in our countenance, and I mentioned that we have to be careful when dealing with topics like that to be aware of members who struggle with depression or deep self-doubt – that they often hear such messages and use them to internalize further what they see as their own failures. I said we have to teach the ideal, but we have to be careful to try to do so in a way that isn’t damaging to some people. The initial reaction was one of surprise and slight confusion, but it was neat to see the lights of understanding go on in most of their faces.

[Anonymous]

This reminds me of my friend’s tongue-in-cheek name for the Apostate Witch hunt Committee… he calls it “For the Happiness of the Saints” committee because the real name sounds so innocuous (real name was “Strenthening the Members Committee)

[Anonymous]

cwald wrote:

“Fowler Stage 4 Mormon Specialists.” 💡

I sustain cwald as Fowler Stage 4 Mormon Specialist. 🙂

[Author]

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