We’ve all had it happen. The phone rings and it is the secretary of either the Bishop or the Stake President is asking if they can meet with you. You know a calling is going to to be extended to serve in the church. We may hope for either a lowly station (my dream calling is in Nursery, Nap time, singing time, and snack time? YES PLEASE!) or we make hope or fear for a calling into leadership. At the end of the day, everyone in the church will have opportunities to serve. But the way we think about and approach callings in many wards needs to have a paradigm shift. Here are three paradigm shifts we need to have about callings in the church.
1st. Always Accept Callings.
Growing up I was under the impression this was just standard practice in the church to accept callings. After all, there have been dozens of talks from general authorities saying that Latter-day Saint’s do not reject callings, but I have learned that many still do. In my sisters’ ward it was so bad that the Bishop stood up and declared: “Brothers and Sisters, we have had 20 people turn down the call to serve in the nursery. If we do not have people to accept this calling, we will simply dissolve the nursery and send the kids to Sunday school with their parents.”
No calling is beneath us, or over us. Every calling should be accepted as if it was extended by the Lord himself, after all, He has declared “whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.” (D&C 1:38). It should also be recognized that we covenanted to serve the Lord and build up His kingdom when we were baptized and when the Bishop extends a call it is not asking “Do you want to do this.” He is asking “Are you going to keep your covenants?” That being said, there is nothing wrong with letting your Bishop/Stake President know of information that might be helpful. IE Past callings/if you are feeling burned out. At a minimum, he will be able to sustain you better in your calling by knowing your concerns.
“No calling is beneath us. Every calling provides an opportunity to serve and to grow.”
Dieter F. Uchtdorf
2nd. Realize There Are No ‘Ladders’ In The Church.
For many, especially missionaries, callings and leadership become a ladder to climb. They see callings like District Leader, Elders Quorum President or Relief Society President as promotions. And therefore they view being released from a leadership position as a demotion or a punishment. There are no ladders in the church. One does not climb a calling ladder up to being a Bishop, Stake President, or Apostle.
One should not covet or seek or aspire to callings, one should simply magnify our baptismal covenant to serve wherever the Lord wants or needs us to be. This includes serving missions in areas that are “less desirable.” I loved the attitude of Elder Uchtdorf when he was released from the First Presidency, he was 100% ok with it. Because he understood it was not a ladder. It reminds me of when President Thomas S. Monson quoted a poem by Meade MacGuire in general conference on this topic:
“‘Father, where shall I work today?’
And my love flowed warm and free.
Then he pointed out a tiny spot
And said, ‘Tend that for me.’
I answered quickly, ‘Oh no, not that!
Why, no one would ever see,
No matter how well my work was done.
Not that little place for me.’
And the word he spoke, it was not stern;
He answered me tenderly:
‘Ah, little one, search that heart of thine;
Art thou working for them or for me?
‘Nazareth was a little place,
And so was Galilee.’”
I think President Gordon B. Hinckley put it perfectly when he said: “Your obligation is as serious in your sphere of responsibility as is my obligation in my sphere. No calling in this church is small or of little consequence.”
3rd. Learn To Magnify Every Call.
Now that we have established that the Lord expects us to accept any calling we are given the question is, what do you do when you get a calling that honestly is underwhelming? Simple, magnify it! For the consequences of not magnifying are made clear by John Taylor when he said: If you do not magnify your calling, God will hold you responsible for those you might have saved, had you done your duty.”
One of my favorite stories I heard was on my mission where a sister was given the calling of being the sacrament bread coordinator. One might feel like this is a pathetic excuse for a calling and choose to become apathetic. But this dear sister did not. She approached it as if the Lord Himself had asked her to be in charge of the bread for the sacrament. She decided she would make homemade bread every weekend so that the sacrament bread would always be fresh. And she even experimented with recipes and found one that was amazing, she held this calling for years.
I have met greeters who got a name tag and welcomed everyone by name every Sunday. And I have met Home Teaching District Leaders who would visit every family the companionship under him did not visit each month. What can we learn from these examples? It does not matter what if our as the Bishop or greeter, as the sacrament bread coordinator or the relief society president, each of us can magnify our callings.
Ilda Spurgeon
Friday 10th of July 2020
Thank you for the reminder. Several years ago I was serving in the Stake Primary Presidency. It was a calling that I loved. After a year and a half, I was released when the President's husband was called as Bishop. I was surprised and sincerely felt like I had so much more to offer, that I was not done yet. Needless to say, I was not placed in the new Presidency and was called as a Nursery worker in my home ward. It was a difficult transition. I was so used to being out and about all over the stake meeting new people and serving openly (where at the time I didn't realize) where people could "see" me. To go from that to Nursery was a shock to me system and for a while, sadly, I felt like it was a demotion. My pride got in the way. Eventually, I decided to pick up my pride, humble myself, and get to work. I learned what worked with each of the children and I allowed the Lord to help me find my place in His vineyard. I served in that calling for a year and a half and when it was time to be released, I would find myself sneaking back into Nursery during Sunday School to be with these children that I had grown to love so much. Five years and another round in Nursery again later, I found myself being asked to teach Pre-K at the local elementary school. I was allowed to seek alternative certification because that was not what my degree was in. I was hired, though, because I had "previous experience" in teaching Nursery. When I was released in 2011, I had no idea that my nursery calling would be the key to the financial help that my family needed in the future. I had no idea of the love that I would still have for all my kiddos all these years later. Now as I serve in the Nursery for the third time, I am so grateful for the Lord's foresight and lessons that have humbled me and taught me that He indeed knows best.
Norma J W Pellett
Wednesday 18th of December 2019
Dear Sister MW, I hope and pray that by now, you have both talked to your stake president and gotten the support you both need. I hope the new formats for the Aaronic Priesthood have lifted some of his burdens. Don't be afraid to ask for blessings to help you both have some peace. The Lord knows your circumstances and He loves you and your family. The Stake President is there to support you. Use him. I understand the desire to move to get release, but do try the Stake President first. You are in my prayers.
Norma J W Pellett
Wednesday 18th of December 2019
When I was in a Primary Presidency, I got clear inspiration that a certain person was to be extended a call to serve in Primary. Later, the Bishop got back to us that he had withdrawn the calling. I was devastated. The inspiration had been so clear, or had it? I did a lot more praying and the Spirit let me know that the person had needed to talk to the Bishop and let him know what was going on. Sometimes, a calling may be the only thing that someone with problems goes into the Bishop's office for. Letting the Bishop know what's going on in your life before you accept is okay. Then, you can both pray about it.
Trudi
Tuesday 2nd of April 2019
My calling as primary president got me thru cancer treatments. It was working with the children and seeing their smiling faces each week that did it. I was sure that my Bishop would release me when he new I had cancer but he was a wise Bishop and knew what I needed.
Rodney Ross
Monday 1st of April 2019
I have turned down a few callings. When I was a bishop, our ward was great about accepting callings, but I understood at times there are circumstances that would prevent a person from accepting a calling. I believe it is unfair to issue a blanket statement, "Never turn down a calling." But such action should be rare and a matter fo circumstance not preference. When I was young, I used to say "I'll accept an calling except...." Later, when I was called to the "except" callings, I had a great time serving and thoroughly enjoyed myself, much to my surprise.
Jeremy
Tuesday 2nd of April 2019
Honestly, I do not agree, you may provide additional info to the Bishop and he may withdraw the calling, but my mother's health was declining massively and we all thought she did not have long left. My dad assumed she would die within a year. My mom was then called to be the primary president, she accepted the calling and while being set apart was blessed with health and recovery. She served faithfully and now enjoys the best health she has had in a decade.