LDS Freedom Forum

h_p wrote: ↑February 13th, 2019, 7:27 pm It was barely tolerable before. Now, it's unbearable. I'm sure it's just my ward, and not the format in general. And I'm so sick of hearing about "ministering" like it's this brand-new, never-heard-of-before doctrine, that I want to run screaming from the building every time it comes up. If this is how I show the Lord I'm willing to serve him at all hazards by sticking around, well, let's just call it my Abrahamic test...

PressingForward wrote: ↑February 13th, 2019, 7:11 pm Elders Quorum is going great in our Ward. Great mix with the Elders and High Priests combined. High Priests are still High Priests, just members of the Elders Quorum, unless they are in the EQ presidency, Bishopric, or stake Presidency/High Council, then they are also members of the High Priest Quorum.
We have great discussions, but we really lay on the scriptures tied to what Talk we are doing that week. We have also had several times where we just have a topic, depending on how the spirit moves is.
Our biggest struggle as a Presidency and a Quorum is “Ministering”. No one wants to do a ministering interview when they haven’t done any ministering. Our Stake has several Wards reporting zero ministering interviews

justme wrote: ↑February 13th, 2019, 6:22 pm In my experience it is just so big. It is easy to get lost sitting on the back row. (I personally think that is a good thing ) Even with the large numbers it still seems that there is only a handful that participate in the discussion. However that handful seems to be fairly evenly split between Elders and Ex-High Priests.

Alaris wrote: ↑February 14th, 2019, 9:35 am

justme wrote: ↑February 13th, 2019, 6:22 pm In my experience it is just so big. It is easy to get lost sitting on the back row. (I personally think that is a good thing ) Even with the large numbers it still seems that there is only a handful that participate in the discussion. However that handful seems to be fairly evenly split between Elders and Ex-High Priests.

Go talk to your EQ Pres, Bishop or Stake President about your concerns. Perhaps it's time to add another quorum.

justme wrote: ↑February 14th, 2019, 9:38 am

Alaris wrote: ↑February 14th, 2019, 9:35 am

justme wrote: ↑February 13th, 2019, 6:22 pm In my experience it is just so big. It is easy to get lost sitting on the back row. (I personally think that is a good thing ) Even with the large numbers it still seems that there is only a handful that participate in the discussion. However that handful seems to be fairly evenly split between Elders and Ex-High Priests.

Go talk to your EQ Pres, Bishop or Stake President about your concerns. Perhaps it's time to add another quorum.

I don't talk to those guys. My personal policy is not to talk at church if I can at all help it.

justme wrote: ↑February 14th, 2019, 9:01 am

PressingForward wrote: ↑February 13th, 2019, 7:11 pm Elders Quorum is going great in our Ward. Great mix with the Elders and High Priests combined. High Priests are still High Priests, just members of the Elders Quorum, unless they are in the EQ presidency, Bishopric, or stake Presidency/High Council, then they are also members of the High Priest Quorum.
We have great discussions, but we really lay on the scriptures tied to what Talk we are doing that week. We have also had several times where we just have a topic, depending on how the spirit moves is.
Our biggest struggle as a Presidency and a Quorum is “Ministering”. No one wants to do a ministering interview when they haven’t done any ministering. Our Stake has several Wards reporting zero ministering interviews

Members of the EQ presidency are in High Priest Quorom. I doubt that. What is your reference? Our Elders Quorum president and one of the two counselors are elders not high priests.

Primary Outcast wrote: ↑February 14th, 2019, 11:20 am I wish I could go back to primary

GapperJ wrote: ↑May 10th, 2019, 9:03 am EQ President and overall it goes. We have a few that don't like when a conference talk discusses ministering. Oh well, when they do it is a talk by the brethren. Most of our talks since they come from the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve, are about those topics they discussed in General Conference. We have two great teachers that rotate and tie in the talk they are assigned to adapting it to them personally and getting others to do the same. Some weeks we have great discussion, sometimes it is just STP (Same Ten People). We have our 3 districts set up and the Quorum Secretary makes my ministering appointments and I have called two assistant secretaries to make appointments for my counselors which works good. We use them also to rotate on other items. We also instruct the members of the quorum we will meet in person twice a year (prefer each time) and then can do it via phone, messenger or similar online video method if they are traveling or pressed for time. When the secretary calls the quorum members lets them know how and stuff. We are average around 85% to 87% each quarter for meeting with the brethren. Also a point. That interview isn't just about finding out about the families. It is also finding out about each companion and how they are doing. The opportunity to pray for a family, to seek guidance together through the scriptures or a conference talk, to counsel together can provide meaning and context for the ministering interview.

My frustration is that in Utah we are instructed that the organization of the work of the Melchizedek Priesthood is not optional. My Bishop opposes the move of the Ward Mission Leader to being under my First Counselor and with the WML not being on the Ward Council except as needed. He has the WML work with the priests in our ward not on missionary work, but just on visiting members who are struggling. I have asked that the Priests and WML visit members and share ways to share the gospel with members as that came from my counselor. We have had 15 families move out of our ward and only 1 active family move in. Makes sense and gives the Priest a way to use Preach My Gospel which they attend every Sunday morning. Then the WML and the counselors in the Bishopric and others in the Ward are used to visit those struggling or having problems and the EQPresidency is ignored. It's gone to the Stake President who has talked to the Bishop and the Bishop says this is how it is until I am released in a year. As a former Bishop I find it interesting and as the EQ President frustrating. So we simply stick to Ministering Interviews, Presidency Meeting and visiting quorum members (which are really ward members) each week. We find out the information we need on our own, minister to families, follow up with them and there is a lack of coordination there. We share with the Bishop what we find but nothing back. Oh well. Still having to work on getting brothers to realize it isn't home teaching, home visits, yes, but reaching out and making lasting connections is key. I see refinement coming down the road I believe so the Bishop's can really focus on being a Common Judge, Finances & Welfare, and most important, the Youth. It may take the new set of Bishop's coming in over the next 3 years or so to really make this change.

kittycat51 wrote: ↑February 13th, 2019, 7:00 pm I love it that my son who is a perspective Elder can go and sit with his dad who was a High Priest. He doesn't feel lonely since all of his friends are away at school or on missions...he has his dad!

Robin Hood wrote: ↑May 10th, 2019, 10:18 am

kittycat51 wrote: ↑February 13th, 2019, 7:00 pm I love it that my son who is a perspective Elder can go and sit with his dad who was a High Priest. He doesn't feel lonely since all of his friends are away at school or on missions...he has his dad!

It's good when Elders have perspective.