Uncomfortable Callings
The Come Follow Me reading for this week consists of sections dealing with callings extended to key people in the church. My initial thoughts consisted of the great sacrifices people made to uproot themselves and go do hard things. I do not know how these individuals reacted to the revelations or the Prophet Joseph, but I can imagine some being filled with a desire to do whatever was asked, while others reluctantly accepted.
While our modern-day callings typically don’t require selling all we have and moving to a new frontier, we still respond willingly or reluctantly. I have had both reactions, depending on whether I felt confident or inadequate to the task. Whether we like or dislike a calling has no bearing on the blessings promised to those who serve faithfully. “And behold, he that is faithful shall be made ruler over many things.” (D&C 52:13) In every case, callings stretch us and make us grow.
Most callings in the church have specific objectives, but the way we reach them is left up to us. Some callings require a tremendous amount of time and effort, and we must sacrifice much to fulfill them. Others are just a matter of showing up. Since all of us are volunteers, we may or may not be competent or possess any skills related to a particular calling. Thomas S. Monson said, “Remember that this work is not yours and mine alone. It is the Lord’s work, and when we are on the Lord’s errand, we are entitled to the Lord’s help. Remember that whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies.”
There is an old joke about why a bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is called for five years. It is said that Bishops offend about twenty percent of the members each year, so in five years he has offended everyone. I imagine that poor Bishop Edward Partridge managed that feat faster than any Bishop ever called, since he was tasked with dividing the good and properties of the early saints. His task could only be successful if the members were all-in with the ideas of consecration. This is why we need to sustain those who have such callings in the church and take our covenants to build the Kingdom of God on the earth.
So, what should we do when we are asked to do something we don’t like? I suppose that depends on whether we have faith that the Lord will sustain and bless us or not. We know, or should know, the God will do his part if we do ours. This last General Conference, we heard several messages about feeling confident in the presence of God. We could extrapolate that into having confidence in Him to help us in our callings as well. Our part of the deal is to have “virtue garnish our thoughts unceasingly”. Another way to think about it is to focus on our callings and pray for inspiration regarding them.
In my experience, every time I have put effort into a calling, it has been a blessing in the end. There have been many callings that tried my patience and been a constant struggle to maintain a good attitude towards them. Others have been a joy. In some of my callings I veered from traditional methods suggested by the church. For example, when I taught the Priest Quorum, I abandoned the lesson manual entirely and focused on preparing the young men for missions by using the book Jesus the Christ to educate them on the life and ministry of the Savior. I did not do it before consulting the Bishop, and received his blessing to do it. These Sunday messages came about because, as Ward Mission Leader, I started writing them when the COVID-19 lockdown prevented us from meeting together, and I wanted to do something to maintain contact and encourage the members to stay involved in missionary efforts. In my current calling, I needed a way to keep track of members who cannot attend Sacrament Meeting, so I built an app for my phone to make it easier for us to visit them in their rooms and deliver the Sacrament to them.
I have given these examples to demonstrate that we can be creative in our callings. In some cases in the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord gives people callings to serve and then tells them to go wherever the Spirit leads them. I think this is good advice for most callings. Unless a calling has specific protocols, such as how the Sacrament prayers are to be said, or ceremonial actions are to be performed, any inspiration we receive should be acted upon with appropriate approval from a presiding authority.
So, if you are uncomfortable with a calling or feel unqualified for it, remember that God is on your side and do the best you know how. That is all the Lord wants. I promise you that as you do that, blessings will flow.