Did anyone catch last month's ensign article about callings and applying the Gospel of Christ to them? It was a really good article, talked very frankly about how we in the church often tend to put experts into calllings, and how that can stagnate our lesser experienced members, if we never give them a chance to stumble, grow and learn in their calllings?
It was a really really good article... I'd love to discuss it...
--Ray
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I'm not slow; I'm special. (Don't take it personally, everyone finds me offensive. Yet somehow I manage to live with myself.)
The problem in our ward is that many people refuse to have callings. We have so many sisters that won't do callings that many of our Elders have to be primary teachers. Our elders quorum meetings on sunday are pretty empty because the elders have to fill other callings. What we need are willing warm bodies, experienced or not.
wow, I can't imagine not taking a calling. Don't people understand how much fun and growth they are? Wow...
Yeah, I really enjoyed that article. It's so true because sometimes when people get called in callings who I wouldn't think would do a good job, they are so wonderful at it! And sometimes even just a small calling gives a person a sense of purpose in coming to church and stuff. I'm a huge fan of new members getting callings as soon as possible (I'm a ward missionary). In a student ward they encourage all of us to have callings, so they even make up random ones like "Relief Society Greeter", and those girls have gotten to know so many of the girls through their calling, and even though it was cheesy at first, it's always fun to see their smiling faces as I walk into Relief Society.
I know that my calling as a Ward Missionary has been such a great blessing for me. It came just when I had the desire to go on a mission, but still had to wait about 2 years. Now, I could turn in my mission papers this week, but instead I'm getting married in July. I know that the Lord blessed me with the call of being a Ward Missionary for 18 months though...callings are so amazing. I never would have even thought of being a ward missionary and thought it was kind of silly, but when I was called, I knew it was an answer to my prayers about not only becoming more prepared for a mission, but also just being more prepared for the temple and living a righteous life. That didn't change the fact that I was petrified, and had never taught any sort of lesson before in my life, but learning to teach new member discussions has made me more confident in teaching, so when I was asked a couple days before to teach a Relief Society Lesson, I was ready and excited for it.
Yeah, I have a firm testimony that callings come from the Lord, and that we will always feel inadequate, but with His help, all is possible. I've still got the sentence structure of an engineer and don't have any sort of eloquence in teaching, but I've learned how to study better, and learn better, and how to rely on the Spirit more. All of these are lessons that I don't know how I would have learned otherwise. I guess I would, eventually, but my testimony has grown so much from my calling and I will forever be grateful for my calling as a ward missionary.
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Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.
— Oscar Wilde
My beautiful wife has been either in Primary or Sunday School our entire married life. Most of the time spent in primary was in the nursery. She doesn't miss Relief Society at all. She serves now as primary chorister and does a great job. She helps the presidency teach their gospel principles with well selected music. I think that cements the concept better into the minds of the children.
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no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing... the truth of God will go forth till it has penetrated every website, sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the great Jehovah shall say the work is done
The music is definitely the glue. I'd say it's more important than the actual sharing time/lessons.
I've been in Primary almost my whole married life too. I do kind of miss RS though. Then again...my ward's splitting this Sunday, so who knows where I'll land in the fallout.
I've mostly been in RS. When I've had those times out of RS I miss it a little. Then there's the first week back... I think, "I missed this - WHY?" I wish I was in Primary. But I'm subbing tomorrow! Yeah!
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Life is tough but it's tougher if you're stupid. -John Wayne
I'm sure the culture shock back to RS will get me too. If they ever make me in charge of anything, we're going to have wiggle songs in RS. 
