Recommended reading

I am looking for a specific book… probably more so for women but I guess it can apply to all. It is to assist in learning patience when it comes to “waiting” for those holding the Priesthood to do something they said they would do. It’s one thing raising your hand to the square to sustain someone as your leader and another thing to have to bite your tongue when they don’t work at the same speed you do and you have to wait……..and wait………and wait.

We have all heard that men are given the Priesthood here on earth and not the women because women were given the powers before we came to earth. And please do not give me the name of a book called the OT or NT or BofM or D&C.. been there done that and it doesn’t work lol.

As well giving the name of a book that has thousands of pages and even more references to read 10 other books wouldn’t go over well. Nor a book written by someone who just says “you have to listen cause we said so” would not go over well.

Too big a requirements list???

28 thoughts on “Recommended reading

  1. hmmmm… don’t know what book you mean!

    oh i got yoru emails mum, i will reply as soon as these children have a LATE lunch!! well and maybe aisling is asleep and laundry folded…lol

  2. oh I don’t even know if there is such a book written.. I just thought others might know of a book that was written along those lines.. may just be a figment of my imagination and no such thing..

  3. Oh, a brief description might encourage you:

    Enjoy the Dalai Lama’s instruction for developing compassion in daily life in a coverage which draws connection between Tibetan Buddhist teachings on compassion and simple meditations about relationships.

  4. Rick, that is an interesting suggestion. I read Awaken the Buddha Within and found it very helpful in my relationship to the church and my lack of patience with people in general. It probably gave me the biggest gift of faith in a long time. So I too would recommend a good general book on Buddhism to many saints.

  5. Why not just learn patience period…whether about the Priesthood taking too long to do something or about anything else. Hate to break it to ya, but the world is full of men (and women) who take way too long by my standards to do what they say they will do.

    K.

  6. Sally,
    My first thought was to suggest you just hold the promiser’s feet to the fire, and bug them with “When can I expect it to be done?

    After all, follow-up is a principle of the priesthood.

    A serious philosophical work that deals directly with your question is “The Enchiridion” by Epictetus. He was an ancient Roman philosopher and lived in the times of Nero. He along with Roman Emporer Marcus Aurelius are key figures in “Stoic” philosophy. Epictetus was a slave for most of his life.

    You can find several free translations of “The Enchiridion” online.

    I highly recommend it. One reason is that there is much overlap with Christianity. Another is that he explained several principles in plain language that finally allowed me to understand parts of the Savior’s message that I didn’t “get” up until that time. I credit Epictetus with helping me get back to church after a long absence.

    If you like “The Enchiridion” and find yourself wanting to re-read and study it, I also highly recommend getting more than one translation, printing them out, and reading them in parallel. There are a few paragraphs where one translator picks up an important nuance that the other translater didn’t, and vice versa.

  7. OK let me rephrase my original post. I am a very patient person on most given days. I do not necessarily need to read a book ON learning HOW to be patient but more on the aspect on learning that when the Priesthood says “Because I said so” to a question I don’t have to reply “but why???” all the time. I want to understand why they work the way they do… why it shouldn’t frustrate me when an auxiliary president of a priesthood quorum gets priority over another auxiliary like Primary when positions need to be filled, how to not take things personally, and basically why Priesthood leaders do the things they do.

    If I wanted to learn more about magnifying my calling, there are tons of books out there that talk about that. (Books from the church book store I mean). If I wanted to learn more about member missionary work, there are tons out there. I am looking to see if there is one that will help me really sustain my Priesthood leaders when I raise my hand and not just for that moment.

    Does that make my original post more clear? Or worse?

  8. “why it shouldn’t frustrate me when an auxiliary president of a priesthood quorum gets priority over another auxiliary like Primary when positions need to be filled”

    I wish our ward was like that.

  9. let me rephrase once more:

    “when an auxiliary president of a priesthood quorum gets priority over another auxiliary like Primary when positions need to be filled…”

    when a president of a priesthood quorum gets priority over a non Priesthood auxiliary…

    Certainly the sustaining of our leaders is paramount and I am challenged as to why something is being done or not done in a certain way. Then speaking of those with whom we serve and work with there is the concern for performance and progress. As with raising children patience and longsuffering is a Christ-like attribute that has to be worked with.

    I just thought there was material out there (besides prayer on my knees cause been there still doing that)that I could read that would help me learn to keep my inside voice inside my head… would save on the biting down on my tongue some days.

  10. You have me completely confused. What do you mean by “an auxiliary president of a Priesthood quorum”?

  11. Oh wait…I see. You’re rephrasing so that part is taken out. OK, now I get it.

    I would suppose the Bishopric has, for some reason either inspired or personal, chosen to give it greater priority. You can ask the Bishopric about it. I don’t think they’ll bite.

  12. sigh………… lol I do ask him.. thats where I get the “because I said so” type of thing.. that was what started this original message.. .wanting to find something that I could read so that I might understand when I get told that I can just gently smile and say “oh of course ” :-)

  13. If your need is to develop meek patience, maybe the experience is what you need more than a book. :)

  14. no I already stated that in #8.. I want to learn why the Priesthood do what they do… I do not need to learn patience… I want to understand when they say cause I said so is because they really can’t tell me or they dont want to tell me… there is a difference..

    and after 27 years of leadership positions how much more experience do you think I need to develop this meek patience?

  15. No, I just thought that was one of the things you were seeking.

    As for reading material, I don’t know. Maybe scan some of President Packer’s talks from General Conferences.

  16. The reason you did not get an explanaton you wanted and didn’t like it was very simple. Sally. There is a short story in the Old testament that illustrates the principle. A man reached out to “Steady the Ark” and was killed instantly.

    Your leaders have the obligtion and responsibility of both presiding and answering to God for how they Preside. You do not have that authority and show by your attitude that you have minimal understanding of how the Kingdom on Earth actually works. This is not a democracy, it is God’s Church – not yours. You don’t vote on who goes first. We don’t take turns in anything.

    You obviously have never had to preside and make major decisions that will affect the Eternal lives of hundreds of people. Your job is to make the need known and let God do his part.

    I have been counsellor in Branch presidencie and Executive Secretary to District Presidents and Bishops and various priesthood quorums fr 20 years and every time we ran across somebody with attitudes like you have expressed – or formenting dissension – as you are doing, we saw someone who was literllay or technically active but on their way to inactivty at least or, most commonly, open hostility.

    What you say you want is humility and understanding but this format to create, feed and nurture what is in essence rebellion, won’t get you there.

    If you have a problem with your Bishop, you can go to him and openly deal with it. The person you may want for a job may be having problems you know nothing about and maybe you need to do some more praying. You also have a Stake President.

    Your problems should be private between you and your presiding officers. When you open up a forum and complain publically, you have already committed the sin of open rebellion. It is called sedition. This is hw Satan works and it is where you are headed. When you have a problem you seek help from those you chose to sustain and you can only get help from them. You can only create trouble for yourself and others with this forum.

  17. Robert

    You dont’ know my mother in law very well if you think she is “headed into the direction of sedition”. It continues to amaze me how people brand other people, decide their fate or their state of mind and heart just by some words stated on a blog. She asked a question, that’s it. She supports her leaders, has a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and works very HARD in her calling to serve the children and to sustain her leaders.

    She does preside, she is the Primary president. You have obviously never been in a primary presidency if you don’t realise how frustrating it can be to find and keep people in the callings, to help the children be taught the gospel in the primary forum. Walk a few miles in her shoes, then you can jump on her back.

    And she is NOT on her way to inactivity, so dont’ jump to conclusions. You have no idea about her life, what she has done and what she has learned or who she is. Don’t start making assumptions you know nothing about.

  18. This might be a good reminder:

    D&C 121
    37 That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.
    38 Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God.
    39 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
    40 Hence many are called, but few are chosen.
    41 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;
    42 By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—
    43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;

  19. Sally,
    If you want to understand the “because I said so” thing, I still recommend you read “The Enchiridion” by Epictetus. Here’s a translation by Higginson
    and one by Carter.

  20. Robert

    I read your post to me very early this morning but waited to answer it. It was ironic that you posted that I was immature and obviously not in a position of leadership but on the verge of rebellion after I had literally spent the entire night in prayer and most of it on my knees.

    I even woke my husband up at 1am to give a Priesthood blessing so that I might be better able to sustain my leaders locally and in general. This feeling of needing to be more humble and better able to understand the inner workings of the Priesthood came from a lot of soul searching.

    Have I ever been in the Bishopric or Branch Presidencies like you state you have? No obviously not. But I have served many many years in leadership positions in both ward and Stake levels dealing with hundreds and hundreds of souls.

    You do not need the Priesthood to deal with members. You only need to want to serve Christ the best you can.

    You stated “Your leaders have the obligtion and responsibility of both presiding and answering to God for how they Preside. You do not have that authority and show by your attitude that you have minimal understanding of how the Kingdom on Earth actually works”./… I too have the obligation and responsibility of answering to God for how I preside over my stewardship. I do have that authority and as such my Bishop has me sitting on his side during all ward council meetings to show that he supports all the women leaders in our ward and that their opinions matter.

    As for creating trouble for others in this forum, I have no control over that whatsoever.. you and others are just words on my screen… you are not even a real person to me.

    I never posted my original comment to publicly dissent my Bishopric.. I posted it looking for assitance to a book that might possibly be out there that would assist me in my calling and to be a better server to my Priesthood leaders and to Christ.

    If by doing so this is making me go to hell.. then heaven helps us all who are trying to better ourselves.

    Oh and by the way Robert…. you obviously as Mary (my great defender of rights) stated know nothing about me and yet you felt the need to hang me without a judge or jury… it must be very very lonely at the top of the humility pile all by yourself.

    Next time you go after someone for wanting the name of a book I suggest you pick on someone your own size… I deal with children in Primary all the time… nothing fazes me.

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