Mormon Mentality - Thoughts and Asides by Peculiar People

By Devyn S.

Jan. 17th, 2007 at 9:30 pm

Most Mormons have had the opportunity to serve in numerous callings during their lives. I have had a variety of callings at both the ward and stake level and currently serve as Sunday School President. This is arguably one of the easier callings in a ward – particularly a ward with one youth SS class, Gospel Doctrine, and Gospel Essentials – three classes with excellent teachers. On Sunday, when I was having my PPI with the Counselor in the Bishopric, I started thinking about my favorite calling (note – my current calling is not my favorite calling). I think it would be a toss-up between Young Men’s, Gospel Doctrine Teacher, and Nursery Assistant. I have a hard time picking just one. I loved Young Men’s because of the opportunity to work with very excited teens who are just beginning their exciting journeys toward adulthood, in addition, the activities we did were a lot of fun. Gospel Doctrine forced me to learn the scriptures and history of the Old Testament in a way I had never done so before. Finally, Nursery Assistant was just fun – I did not learn much in the way of the Gospel, but I had a lot of fun and it was a way to get some child time (we had no kids at the time) without having a child. So three different callings are my favorite for three very different reasons. What was your favorite calling and why?

1. Amira

Wed, Jan. 17 @ 11:49pm

My favorite callings have been anything I’ve been able to do with my husband. We’ve taught Gospel Essentials, Temple Preparation, and now Primary together. Teaching Temple Preparation would probably have been my favorite calling whether I’d done it on my own or with my husband.

2. JrL

Thu, Jan. 18 @ 10:15am

Favorite? Really, wherever I happen to be at the moment. But if I have to answer … early morning seminary teacher (though also the hardest, most-work calling — oops, appointment — I’ve had). Well, except for my long-term substitute role as Primary chorister.

If being Sunday School pres is one of the easiest callings in your ward, you must have a great librarian, amazing teachers, and great counselors. I’ve never been in a ward with all that.

3. Tanya Spackman

Thu, Jan. 18 @ 12:18pm

My favorite is with the Young Women. I was a Mia Maids teacher until a couple months ago, and I loved it. Now I’m the YW secretary, and I love it, too. It’s a pretty easy calling, but I still get to interact with the teenagers, and I think they’re a lot of fun.

4. annegb

Thu, Jan. 18 @ 12:19pm

What a fun topic. I will tell what callings I hated: Homemaking counselor in Relief Society, Visiting teaching superviser, Ward Librarian, anything to do with young womens and merry miss leader (I so wanted to slap those girls).
Because: 1. too much work 2. I’m always mad at somebody who doesn’t do their visiting teaching 2. too much work 3. too much work 4. those girls were meaner than heck to each other and so vacuous

Callings I loved: Sunbeam teacher, Education counselor in Relief Society, teaching the teenagers in Sunday School.

Because: 1. what’s cuter than a sunbeam showing you their new panties or ow-ies? 2. the easiest part of the rs presidency, fun without all the work 3. not much work and you can really talk to them about life.

I like a calling where you don’t have to do anything and have lots of fun.

5. Jared

Thu, Jan. 18 @ 12:37pm

YM/Scouts- a favorite, getting a chance to pass the sacrament- also a favorite (not so much a calling, but still a favorite)

I was surprised but I also really enjoyed the cub scouts. We had the wolves and the bears.

6. Devyn S.

Thu, Jan. 18 @ 12:51pm

JrL – yes we have some great teachers and a good librarian and a small ward so it is easy to be SS president.

all – it seems that callings that involve teaching are a favorite or hanging out with kids/youth. I notice no one said “being Bishop or Relief Society President”… Small wonder though – those are tough demanding callings.

7. Matt W.

Thu, Jan. 18 @ 1:46pm

I liked being a missionary. I liked being executive secretary. I like being a home teacher.

8. BTD Greg

Thu, Jan. 18 @ 1:50pm

I’d have to say that Gospel Doctrine teacher and nursery assistant were two of my favorites as well. (At one point, I think I held both of these simultaneously, workig in the nursery third hour. Those were good times.) I’ve also been Sunday School President, but that was in a student ward, and I got to teach, so that was cool. I was financial clerk once, and enjoyed that well enough, but I’m not sure that’s the most appropriate calling for me, given my difficulties with arithmetic and accounting.

9. Gilgamesh

Thu, Jan. 18 @ 2:03pm

Counselor in a single’s ward bishopric. No auxiliaries to worry about, each member there wanted to be there. Not a lot of meetings, but the opportunity to be part of the priesthood devlopment meetings with GA’s etc…

Second favorite – primary pianist with my wife in the presidency.

10. Matt W.

Thu, Jan. 18 @ 2:36pm

Oh, and husband and father!

11. Devyn S.

Thu, Jan. 18 @ 3:02pm

Matt W. – are husband and father technically a calling? I don’t think so, although I do love those roles.

12. Matt W.

Thu, Jan. 18 @ 3:12pm

Devyn,

Steven Covey defined them as such, noting that father or mother is even one calling per child. It’s not doctrinal, but for me it keeps thing in perspective. Covey used it to negotiate with a Stake RS president asking his wife to do something, saying she was busy with her other 8 callings…

13. Devyn S.

Thu, Jan. 18 @ 4:10pm

Matt W. – That is an interesting way to view it. However, it would presume that those who are not married or who can’t have children can’t hold that calling, which does not seem right to me.

14. Matt W.

Thu, Jan. 18 @ 4:42pm

People who are not married can get married, and people who can’t have children can adopt. Besides, if Sheri Dew can expand the meaning of Motherhood, I think we can expand Father, Son, Spouse, etc, to be callings. I know a man who felt his calling was to be a doctor. Of course, none of the above callings are extended by a bishop, stake president, or other ecclesiastical leader, unless you consider God himself an ecclesiastical leader and consider such callings as Father, Mother, etc. from him. If not, I guess “missionary” isn’t a calling because no one in those criteria called me to be a missionary either. (Unless you consider that SWK blanket called every male for ever in his statement back in the day, but that’s another topic altogether.)

15. Kevin Barney

Thu, Jan. 18 @ 5:24pm

GD teacher was definitely my fave. I’ve had that calling in three different wards, and I’ve subbed numerous times. But I’ve learned from experience that I can only do it for 2-1/2 years before I totally burn out, and I really need to be released at that point. I overprepare my lessons, which means I always learn a lot but it also means you reach a point where you just finish one lesson and then can’t believe you have to start working on the next one.

I liked SS Pres., too, which was pretty much an autopilot calling. And I also liked being membership clerk, cause I could just do my thing and people left me alone. EQP and YMP were too much work and too many meetings.

16. Steven

Thu, Jan. 18 @ 9:30pm

Devyn #6 – By far my favorite calling was Bishop.

From the day I was called till three years later (a singles ward) when I was released I strongly felt the spirit guide me as I worked with the members of my ward. Over those three years there were times when I was doing better spiritually than others, however, the Lord did not guide me any less (concerning the ward) when I was in a spiritual funk as when I was on a high. I had the distinct feeling that the Lord was guiding me despite my spiritual state. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity.

It was also tough, especially on my family. I was gone from them more than I, and they, would have liked and I always felt as if I was not doing enough.

My worst calling was as YM pres right after I was married 10 years ago. I had no idea what I was doing, it was an international ward with a small youth program and I had no help. I was horrible. Oddly enough last Sunday I was just called as our ward YM president. Hopefully I’ll redeem myself.

17. DKL

Thu, Jan. 18 @ 10:36pm

Young Mens. Hands down. That’s where all the action is. (And yeah, I know it makes people cringe to think of me as a role model for youth.)

18. Devyn S.

Fri, Jan. 19 @ 8:49am

#14 – Matt W – I would consider God an ecclesiatical leader so fair enough on those being “callings”. I think that Sherri Dew has been marvelous for helping us members realize there are all types in the Church besides married people.

#16 Steven – It seems that I was mistaken on the Bishop one. It seems people’s favorite callings involve either great spiritual boosts (e.g., Bishop), working with children/youth, or low key callings. I think the least favorite calling for me would be ward clerk – boring as can be (at least to me).

DKL – you a role model… Hmmm… Did you have Rush Limbaugh as required listening? I think you would be a great role model and could bring a nice perspective to their lives.