Church Callings

I've had a wide variety of callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I've served in three bishoprics, in Young Men, in Primary, Sunday School, High Priests Group, and in Stake Athletics. Of course I have been a Home Teacher through all my time in the Church since I turned 14. This blog post will only concern my callings other than Home Teaching.

My first calling was as Young Men Secretary while I was going to the University of Utah. That was in the East Mill Creek 11th Ward. I think Tom Pike was the YM President at the time. Georgia and I also served as Dance Directors in the ward at the same time. As I posted before, we started out as partners with others, and ended up serving as a couple.

Then I was called to teach a Sunday School class in that same ward. I was one of three teachers assigned to the 12 year old classes. They had one all girls class, one mixed boys and girls, and one all boys class. I had the all boys class.

My next calling came after I married Georgia. That was when we lived in Stadium Village married student housing. We were called as a couple to plan and organize an activity each month for all the couples in our building as part of an ongoing MIA (Mutual Improvement Association) program. One activity I remember was a group picnic held on the lawn in front of our building. We brought the corn on the cob. I asked my grandpa, Elmer Gale to get it for us, as he was in the produce business. I thought two ears of corn for each person would be enough. But Grandpa brought us twice that amount. And it was so good that there was no left over corn, everyone eating an average of four ears apiece.

When we moved to Rantoul, Illinois in the Air Force, I was called as Genealogy Chairman for the Rantoul Branch. I knew little about Genealogy and did little to help others at the time, but the calling piqued my interest. The only thing I remember doing in that position, was finding an article about the ancestry of President George Albert Smith, Georgia's great uncle. Their ancestry was traced back to John Alden and Priscilla Mullins of the Mayflower, and also back to the Emperor Charlemagne.

When we moved to Omaha, Nebraska, I was called as Aaronic Priesthood Youth General Secretary. That's a position that no longer exists, but was similar to being Young Men Secretary and Executive Secretary for the youth. I also worked with the Boy Scouts and was subsequently called as the Scoutmaster.

Working with the Scouts, I first went with our troop as a driver on a trip to Yellowstone National Park. The troop rented several cars and we caravan-ed to Yellowstone, around the park, then to Teton National Park, then across Wyoming to Devils Tower, Mount Rushmore and the Badlands of South Dakota. Then home to Omaha. There was an incident in Yellowstone where the Scoutmaster overdosed on some medication which caused him to hallucinate. It scared the boys pretty badly. As a result he asked to be released. I was then called to replace him.

The following two summers I organized trips to the Boundary Waters canoe area out of Ely, Minnesota. The area included lakes along the United States and Canada border. We canoed and portaged along the border for over fifty miles, going and coming. I understand that the troop has continued to take that same trip almost every year since. I also took the boys to the council summer camp each summer.

We also used the Winter Quarters Stake campground, which was at the confluence of the Platte and Elkhorn Rivers. We even bicycled from the ward building out to the campground.

After returning to Salt Lake following my Air Force service, we bought our first house in the Butler 11th Ward. I was first called as Aaronic Priesthood Adult General Secretary, a precursor to the Potential Elder program. I was able to work with one inactive brother who was a couple of years older than me, to reactivate him. He was eventually called to serve in the bishopric.

I was then called as Ward Mission Leader. That scared me because I had not previously served a mission. I did have the privilege of helping to teach a young lady whose parents were inactive members. Her baptism was held in February. When I went to fill the baptismal font, I discovered that the main water heater for the building was not working. The only way to heat the water was with a small auxiliary water heater next to the font. It took over 30 minutes to heat up 5 gallons of water. I went to some of the homes near the church and asked the ladies to heat water and bring it over. I think we got the water temperature near fifty degrees. That's really cold for a baptism. But she was baptized and was not bothered by the cold. Her only regret was that her parents would not come to her baptism.

I was then called with Georgia to work with the Blazer 11-year-old Scouts. It was great to work with Georgia in that calling. It was also very good for our own boys. Lyle and Eric were just younger and they were able to see what was necessary for success in Scouting. They then excelled in their Cub Scout work and eventually both became Eagle Scouts. Georgia was also able to help Seth become successful in Cub and Boy Scouts when we lived in Redding, California, as there was not a good Scout program there.

As I worked with the Scouts, I was called to be the Stake representative to the local Scout District. I was able to help the ward Scout leaders learn the programs and have access to the Council resources.

Then I was called as Stake Athletic Director. I had quit participating in church sports because of the poor sportsmanship exhibited by too many of the men. The Stake President told me I was called to fix the problem. I had no idea how to accomplish that. So I called together all of the Ward Athletic Directors to get ideas. As they came into the meeting, I realized that all but one of them were ones I had seen exhibiting the worst behavior. So I asked for ideas. They came up with a program that I was able to implement that accomplished the goal. Since it was their program, most of the time they were very cooperative, and it turned out great.

We then moved to Redding, California, where Georgia and I were called into the Young Men and Young Women programs, respectively. I also had the privilege for awhile of teaching the Gospel Doctrine Class in Sunday School. While teaching that class, I was challenged almost every week by a man I think of as a reluctant convert. He was a gold miner, who lived at his mine. He was somewhat antisocial, and found that the Church did not fit his desired lifestyle. But he had felt the Spirit while the missionaries were teaching him, so he could not deny that. He studied the assigned scriptures and lesson materials each week, but he was looking for something that would let him off the hook. And he was very honest about his quest for answers, so he came up with very interesting questions. Many times he would ask a question that I was totally unprepared for. I would see looks on the faces of other members of the class that either said, "I've wondered about that, myself!" or "Wow, how can you possibly answer that one?" I would pause, and suddenly the answer to his question would come into my mind. The Spirit would really help me out of the tough spots. Our Father recognized the goodness of this man and his honest quest for truth and taught him what he needed to know. Toward the end of that class, he cleaned up, sold his mine, got engaged to a good Mormon girl, and signed up for classes at Chico State University to become a school teacher.

As Young Men and Young Women leaders, we got to work with our own children. All but Hanna were involved in YM or YW sometime during the 5 years we were there.

I was called to be Second Counselor to Bishop Richard Estes, working also with Jack Reese, who was first counselor. We worked very well together, and I thoroughly enjoyed that opportunity.

We had to move back to Utah because of the loss of my job in California, and then getting work in Utah. We moved to Orem, where I was called as a counselor in the Ward Sunday School Presidency, and then as Sunday School President, and then as Stake Sunday School President. I enjoyed working in the Sunday School. I also served as a Veil Worker in the Provo, Utah Temple.

Family needs led us to move to Mesa, Arizona. I again had the chance to teach Gospel Doctrine, and later to work as Ward Mission Leader again. I think I did a much better job the second time around in each calling. Then I was called to be a counselor to Bishop Dale Foote. Walt McIver was the First Counselor. Walt lived next door to us, and Dale lived across the street from both of us. We had many informal Bishopric meetings in the middle of the street (or on one of our front lawns). It was great to work with these fine men.

Once again family needs led us to move back to Salt Lake. In the East Mill Creek 11th Ward, I again served as the Sunday School President.

We bought a house in the Salt Lake Central Stake, where I served as a counselor in the High Priests Group leadership, and then as High Priests Group Leader. I was then called as a counselor to Bishop Tyler Lamprecht, with Carter Williams as the Second Counselor.

Moving back to the East Mill Creek 11th Ward, I served as a teacher in the High Priests Group.

Moving to Palmyra, New York, I then served as Young Men Secretary, and then as a counselor in the High Priests Group. Georgia and I also served as Ordinance Workers in the Palmyra, New York Temple.

Now back in Salt Lake I am again a teacher in the High Priests Group. Georgia and I also serve together in the Family History program. We go to the Family History Center in the Stake where we are learning to help others. We also help teach Family History classes in the ward.

I have enjoyed all the opportunities I've had to serve in the Church over the years. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the most wonderful organization on earth, giving all members who are willing, the chance to do good for each other, and for others throughout the world. It also provides for all to learn how to improve their lives as they move toward the ultimate goal, which lies beyond this life, of becoming perfect.