I actually had fun in cub scouts today.

(Shhhh. Don’t tell anyone.)

Generally that is what I have seen, but it’s possible there is leadership that may choose to do things differently. We recently got a new stake presidency and I loved how the general authorities who came were very open about the process. They do interview all the potential candidates before they call the stake president. They then invite to him to choose his counselors through prayer and inspiration. They did mention that if he were to choose someone other than how they were inspired they would invite him to pray again about it.

As for being set apart again, I really don’t know. My husband served in our bishopric and he said he would guess they would set the counselors apart again, but he doesn’t know for sure either.

Tonya–yay! I’m glad you found me. I’m extremely glad you love the Segullah blog. I remember when there used to be just one member of the bishopric asking you to serve–why do they have to gang up on us? It’s like they know when it’s going to be a tough sell. And I heard camp was great last year. This year sounds like a great time too–I’ll be sending warm thoughts your way, though. Brrrr!

The calling I still hate to this day is “Visiting Teacher”. That is my evil, unfaithful side talking. I absolutely hate everything, EVERYTHING, about visiting teaching. Every time I say it, I feel like a bad person. I’ve been trying to convine the Relief Society President to just let me visit teach my Young Women leaders. I’m with them all of the time, I can tell you anything you want to know about their lives. I am okay, they are okay, we are still alive, please don’t make me visit teach! Not that she makes me of course, but still, it’s the “need to do”, “ought to do” that I really hate to do.

I too was taught to always say yes, but I think if I didn’t feel good about something after praying about it (which was not the case with this one) I would go back to the bishopric to discuss it further. But I did recently witness an instance when a friend was given a calling for which there were extenuating circumstances (not worthiness issues, but family and social issues) and it was rescinded after the explanation was made. I learned something from observing it happen.

Hardest calling? Co-Activities chair with my husband in a young married ward.

Favorite calling? Young Women (even though I had 24 Beehives and an often-absent partner), Co Ward Newsletter Editor with one of my best friends, Compassionate Service Leader (another story for another day) and Activity Day Leader with another good friend.

One of the things I have noticed is that who you work with can make the best calling seem a burden or the hardest calling seem a joy.

I cried nearly every day for a week. I prayed about it, I pondered it, I did everything you’re “supposed” to do, but I never got an answer. It didn’t feel right to say yes, but it didn’t feel right to say no either. I finally decided to just accept it and make the best of it. One month later, they divided our ward. We were part of the new ward, and they put me in as Primary Secretary. (Hallelujah! Something I was good at!) It was my favorite calling ever. I cried when we had to move not long after that, but then I got the same calling in our new (now current) ward. (I had that calling for about 5 years total.)

I came away from the chorister experience feeling like I had participated in a test of the Emergency Calling System. Kind of like those annoying tests they do on the public TV stations. “BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP…This is a test of the Emergency Calling System. This is only a test. If this had been an actual calling, you would have been given specific instruction to accept the calling…etc.” But I also realized that it was okay to say “no” if it felt like the right thing to do.

My husband always asks if the bishop (or stake president, as the case may be) has actually prayed about giving him whatever calling they are extending at the time, and he will ask what the answer was. The first time he did this, I nearly died of embarrassment. I was taught to never question stuff like that. But I soon realized the wisdom in the question. If the Lord truly wants you there, you have the right to know it.