Two and a half years is quite a good stretch of time to serve as an elders quorum president. When I first started out, I was maintaining the status quo (e.g. focus on home teaching). After a year or so, my outlook changed, and I knew I need to focus my attention to more fundamental issues.
I have served as elders quorum president longer than the four presidents prior to me. I’ve reflected on my efforts often. My bishop seems to think I am doing swell, bang-up job. He must see something I don’t see because I don’t see any evidence that anything I’ve done in the last 2.5 years has made a difference.
Anyone who’s been a longtime reader has probably picked up on this through some of my posts. It doesn’t take much to read between the lines. In fact, it may even be more obvious than I thought.
Anyhow, while studying my scriptures tonight, I came across this scripture.
“When my brethren saw that I was about to build a ship, they began to murmur against me, saying: Our brother is a fool, for he thinketh that he can build a ship; yea, and he also thinketh that he can cross these great waters.” (1 Ne. 17:17)
The word “great” got me thinking, and my mind was shortly thereafter brought to D&C 64:33. In particular, the last line:
Out of small things proceedeth that which is great.
I decided to turn to the verse and read it in context. That’s when the first part of the verse jumped out at me.
Be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work.
That verse hit me pretty hard. It gave me some comfort.
I still don’t know if what I am doing is making a difference, but at least I have the feelng that I’m going in the right direction.
If verse 33 provided comfort, verse 34 provided encouragement:
the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.
If nothing else, I’ll try to be less self-deprecating and more optimistic. More willing I suppose would be a better phrase.
I found that my years as EQP were my happiest. Bishop’s councilor, bishop, high councilor (my current calling), were not as enjoyable. I felt I had more latitude to work individually with the brethren to further their spiritual progression.
As bishop, I felt like I was expected to put out fires that people had started in their own lives. I got absolutely no support, training or direction from my Stake President. Also, many of the ward members felt that they could run the ward better. But they couldn’t even complete their own callings.
Enjoy being EQP. It’s a great calling.
THAT’S what I have been trying to tell you. Boy, maybe next time I will say it in scripture language.
This is his second time as EQP, he enjoys working with the brethren, it’s the apathy among them that gets him.
Floyd,
I don’t know if I enjoy it. Certainly not like I enjoyed being ward clerk. But being in my fifth year (I had served as EQP for 2 years in a different ward) might have something to do with it. I don’t hate my calling. I had just felt like I wasn’t accomplishing anything.
Our bishop and stake presidency give me a lot of latitude as well. I really appreciate that. They often support any initiatives we undertake as well.
Mary,
My point was that I had no indication I was on the right track. At least now I feel I might be.
Mary Siever said: “This is his second time as EQP, he enjoys working with the brethren, it’s the apathy among them that gets him.”
Perhaps the members of the Quroum have read Kim’s comments about them and their apathy is a reflection of their feelings.
Are you doing your calling to be recognized as a “great” person and for pats on the back or because the Lord chose you to do this work? The Lord would tell you if what you were doing was wrong. In an ideal world we would all hold our favorite callings for whatever reasons those may be, but in the real world, our agenda is never on the same page as Christ’s. Many times our callings are to “set us up” for something much bigger or greater. Most times we will never know if we were on the right track till resurrection when Christ tells us how proud He is of us His loyal servants.
Yes, Kim, I know.
I didn’t realize I made comments about the members of my quorum. Do you have an example?
No. But wanting to know I am doing the right thing or making a difference is different than wanting accolades.
Pewsitter
It would be hardly likely this is the case since he has never mentioned his quorum members apathy (and it certainly isn’t all the members). It was I who mentioned their apathy in this thread.
It is interesting the assumptions you make about people or comments so regularly with no real evidence to back up your assumptions one way or another.
On a different thread you wrote
If one reads your writings over a period of time, this thought pattern becomes evident. If any of the members of your EQ have read “our thoughts” and shared your writings with the other members of the quorum, perhaps some of their apathy could be attributed to your arrogance concerning them.
Yes, I know that – however, Kim wrote:
What comes across to me is a belief that you have been chosen of God and those you rule over do not behave as you expect them to.
Whoa there, Pew Sitter and Sally, I didn’t get that Kim was looking to be told he was great or that he RULED over the EQ.
What I got was that he was reading his scriptures and the Spirit helped him hear a point that he needed to hear for his own continued growth. I, too, have had answers to prayers and even answers to unasked prayers come to me when I was being obedient in reading my scriptures regularly.
It’s normal to want to feel confirmation. Usually, we only get to hear if we are doing something wrong. If the Lord constantly told us when we were doing okay, we wouldn’t have much room to grow. We just have to continue on doing the best that we can.
But it’s really nice to hear that our small efforts can be used by the Lord to bring about something great. That’s what I heard from Kim. Not that he was great, but that his small efforts could be used by the Lord.
Pewsitter
No, you are reading a whole lot into it. That particular post was not in any way related to apathy, nor was he referring to his quorum members, and as a member of EQ himself he referred as much to himself as anyone else. The fact you refer to Kim as being arrogant makes me laugh, because he is completely the opposite of that and your continued assumptions show a lack of perception.
As EQ pres he doesn’t “rule” over anyone. Not sure how many EQ presidencies you have been in to come to the conclusion that the EQ pres “rules” over anyone.
I think the Lord did want him there. When he refers to apathy (or rather when I do) he talks about their lack of desire to lead in the home, to do their home teaching, to fulfill their callings or attend the ward (many prefer attending their parents’ wards).
I thought this was obvious, but guess not.
Your reference to this quote:
““Elders quorum is for people who are still struggling with the basics and need to learn things on a more fundamental level.â€
baffles me because it has no relation to apathy. He is talking about something completely different from the purpose of THIS post. But trust you to create a connection. I would suggest you start your own blog so you can go off on your own thought processes when you would like.
Norma
Sally doesn’t really think Kim is superior to anyone, she knows him very well. Pewsitter thinks this, but he already makes assumptions about Kim all over the place. Not sure why, but he is always going off on him and making things up.
Glad you saw what he really meant though!:)
Wow. That was harsh.
For what it’s worth, I hardly know Kim at all, but OT is in box #2 on LDSelect because I like his thoughts. I usually feel positive and encouraged by what I read here, which is more than I can say for a LOT of places I read. OT is kind of an oasis in that it doesn’t seem like people are working so hard to be clever as to be thoughtful and open.
Kim, what a great sense of encouragement that must have been for you. Oh, and listen to your wife. It’s faster.