FOREORDINATION
In January 1996, I was called and ordained Bishop
of the Flowell Ward. That was a
challenging but rewarding time of service in my life and the lives of my
family. A little over two years later in
April 1998 I was called and set apart as Second Counselor in the Stake
Presidency in the Fillmore Utah Stake and released as acting Bishop. Nine years later, in April 2007, I was
released from the Stake Presidency.
I must say my time as Bishop was enjoyable. I knew the trials and needs of my ward
members and fought the fight with them to overcome those issues. It was an intimate and sacred relationship
with people. I loved working with the
youth. Here again this calling to
minister in that close relationship was pleasant and fun. During this time I extended countless calls
and releases of assignments to members of the Ward.
I really loved serving in the Stake Presidency
although the calling is much more administrative than serving as Bishop. We had 8 Wards in the Stake plus a Branch at
the County Prison and a Spanish Group.
When you think about 16 Melchizedek Priesthood units (High Priest Groups
and Elders Quorum Presidencies), 8 Bishoprics, the High Council and all the
Stake Auxiliary Presidencies and other Stake callings, you realize the large
number of people to call and set apart and release during the normal rotations
of callings. We also had ward conferences almost every month, Stake Priesthood
meeting twice a year, Stake Conference twice a year and quarterly Stake auxiliary
leadership meetings. I spoke frequently
and became acquainted with almost every member of the stake. During that time I extended many calls and
releases of assignments to members of the Stake.
After my release from the Stake Presidency in
2007, I was called and released as a Primary Teacher for 6 year olds, then a
few years as the Young Men President and finally a year as the Sunday School
Gospel Doctrine instructor. On 10 February
2012 at 2:30 pm, President Henry B. Eyring called us to serve as President of
the Belgium Netherlands Mission. This
call also has a release attached to it.
I have learned something about church callings
which are every bit applicable to callings or assignments for missionaries here
in the Mission. Callings, just like
transfers, come from the Lord. He may
not appear in vision to the ecclesiastical leader and tell him who to call and
what to do. I doubt he ever works that
way. But, he is in charge as the leader
considers the circumstances, does his best to make good decisions, struggles, prays
about it, makes adjustments and finally feels good about the assignments and
persons involved. At the end of the day,
things always miraculously work out right and for a purpose. There are no accidents. The Lord looks at the heart not the outward
appearances (1 Sam. 16:7) and callings are not a function of earning them,
deserving them, campaigning for them or taking turns according to seniority.
Every call in the church has attached to it a
future release. The timing of the
release is usually not known when the call is given. Essentially, a period of time is allowed for
service and work. If you use your time
wisely and do your best, your inevitable release will come with no regrets. But when it is over it is over and it is time,
in the Lord’s calendar, for someone else to step up.
All callings in the LDS Church are lateral moves. There is no ladder to climb. The most important job in the Church or on a
mission is the job you currently are assigned.
While you hold a calling, nobody else in the church or the mission can
do that assignment for you because you have the responsibility not them. I did not view my Primary Teacher position
any less important than my service in the Stake Presidency. The most important thing about callings is to
do your assignment well. When you excel
at your job, the Lord will move you to other interesting and challenging
positions over time through the inspired calls from your ecclesiastical leader. This is also a true principle in business or in
any walk of life.
I refer to key leadership calls made to
individuals who are unworthy, have not excelled or proven themselves in other
callings or just need something to get them going in the church, a “Project
Call.” Project Calls in my experience
seldom work out. If people do not make
things happen in their current job, why should one expect them to instantly
become productive in a different assignment?
We believe, as members of the church, that we were
foreordained in the preexistence to perform our called labors on earth. However, be careful with this thought, we were
chosen in the sense to fulfill a mission on earth and to perform our labor. We are not chosen to relax, think well of
ourselves or to boast. It is not just a birthright, but a birthright of work. Experiences of the apostle Paul teaches this
principle.
Saul had left Jerusalem to capture Christians in
Damascus and return them bound to Jerusalem for punishment. He could see but
was blind to the truth when he left Jerusalem.
On the road to Damascus, Christ appeared and reprimanded him. As instructed he “arose from the earth” and
was taken to Damascus, now blind but also seeing the truth. An angel told Ananias that “he is a chosen
vessel unto me” Paul had been chosen long before he was on the road to
Damascus.
8 And
Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but
they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9 And
he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink…
15 But
the Lord said unto [Ananias], Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto
me, to bear my name before
the Gentiles,
and kings,
and the children of Israel: (Acts 9:8-9, 15)
Joseph Smith taught, “Every man who has a
calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very
purpose in the Grand Council of heaven before the world was.” (Joseph Smith,
Teachings, p. 365). In fact, there
appears to be a divine calendar on which the Lord works the sequence and order
of every one of His Father’s children.
26 And
hath made of one blood all nations of
men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before
appointed, and
the bounds of
their habitation;
27 That they should seek the
Lord, if haply
they might feel
after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: (Acts 17: 26-27)
Alma taught that every person who holds the
Melchizedek Priesthood was foreordained to hold that Priesthood in the
pre-existence. We were prepared
according to Alma by the Lord, “from eternity to all eternity, according to his
foreknowledge of all things.” (Alma 13:
3-9) Christ himself was chosen and foreordained
for his ministry. (1 Peter 1:20) The Book
of Mormon prophets foresaw: Joseph Smith (2 Nephi 3:6), John the Beloved,
Columbus, the founding fathers of America, and many others. (1 Nephi 13:12,18) People who are foreordained to perform a work
on the earth are given the opportunity to serve and to measure up to their
potential. Church leaders were called
and foreordained because God knew their capability based on their acts in the
preexistence. (Abr. 3:22-23) However, free
agency is completely adhered to. No one
is predestined to do anything. One
cannot doubt that Paul, with his free agency, put forth the effort to attain
what he did once he was placed in his foreordained position on the road to
Damascus.
Calls and assignments in the Mission and in life
come and go, but your only concern should be to excel at whatever your
assignment is at the moment. But, the
question remains before you as a missionary, have you risen from the
earth? You have or will be sometime
confronted by the Lord on your own road to Damascus. You must rise from the earth and write your
own book of acts since you are also a chosen vessel unto the Lord. You are chosen to perform a labor. I applaud your efforts here to attain what
you are capable of doing.
President Robinson
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