Friday, January 3, 2014

Callings

In the Mormon church, members are "called" by local leaders to formal positions of service--as teachers, administrators, helpers, etc. The leaders who extend the callings try to do this through the spirit, matching people with service opportunities in ways that God would approve of. 

The callings last anywhere from a few months to a few years--there is a constant coming and going in positions, usually just to give opportunity to serve in different ways. In addition, the "importance" or scope of the calling is always going up and down. For example, a man may serve five years as the leader of the local congregation, then as his next calling teach five-year-olds in the children's organization. 

This is a list of the callings I've held since I became an adult. I've written it down, not to be boastful of things I've done, but to demonstrate the many, and often repeated ways Mormons are given opportunity to serve others and their God. Being given callings doesn't make anyone special or bullet-proof; it just means you have been given formal ways to think of others.



BYU Provo, Utah  1969-1970
Priesthood leader (home teaching interviews)

Long Beach, CA  1970
Primary teacher

Munich, Germany  1970-1972
Missionary
Dependent Branch President
District Leader

Manhattan Beach, CA  1972
Sunday School teacher (Gospel Doctrine)

Centinela, CA  1973-1974
Elders Quorum instructor
Scoutmaster

BYU Provo, Utah  1974-1976
Elders Quorum Presidency
Elders Quorum President

Apia, Samoa 1977-1978
Stake Activities Committee
Ward Executive Secretary
Seventy (local missionary work)

San Diego, CA  1979-1980
Seventy
Seventy’s President/Group Leader

Dammam, Saudi Arabia 1981-1988
Sunday School teacher
Melchizedek Priesthood group leader
Primary chorister
(And others that I have forgotten)

Logan, Utah  1988-1990
Cub Scout Committee Chair

Aiken, SC  1990-1995
Assistant Scoutmaster
Young Men’s Presidency (Varsity leader)
High Priest Group Leader
Stake missionary

American Fork, UT  1995-2018
Sunday School teacher (13 year olds)
High Priests Group instructor
Sunday School teacher (Gospel doctrine)
Stake Sunday School presidency (2nd counselor)
Stake High Councilor
Ward Clerk
Bishopric (2nd counselor)
Sunday School President
Primary teacher
High Priest Group Leadership (First assistant)
Ward Choir director
High Priest group instructor
Prison volunteer (Family Home Evening teacher)

Cedar Hills, UT 2018-
Membership clerk
Single adult committee member
BYU Pathway Worldwide service missionary

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