Sunday, April 13, 2014

New Regime

Our bishop was released today and his first counselor got bumped up to bishop.  This is the same first counselor who I had an email exchange with several months ago about his disagreement with the way I taught a Sunday School lesson.  He's actually a very good man, very dedicated to serving, but I'm not sure if he'll treat me the same way our old bishop has.

Despite me agreeing to talk about my church issues with Bishop at some future point, after our initial discussion, he never brought it up with me again.  In the meantime, I've continued as 1st Counselor in the Relief Society presidency, I've taught a lesson, I've given a talk, and I've planned a dinner and service project for the night of Women's Meeting.

Also in the meantime, I've found it more and more difficult to sit through some parts of church.  I think the hardest part for me is when people praise Joseph Smith or talk about the inaccuracies they've been taught about church history.

Oh, and course the smackdown Ordain Women got at last week's General Conference.

I had a brief chat with Bishop today after the announcement that he was released.  I gave him a big hug.  He asked me about the conversation we had awhile ago, and whether I wanted him to tell the new bishop, or if I would rather he not mention it.  He pointed out that new bishop would realize soon enough that I don't have a temple recommend. I thought about it for a second and told him that he could go ahead and tell new bishop.  Then it would be up to him if he wanted to do anything about it.  I'm still willing to serve.

At that, Bishop got a little teary-eyed and took my arm and said, "You're really needed."

As husband said to me on the drive home, "Beggars can't be choosers."  Haha.

We really are in the unique situation of being understaffed with a lot of need (well, unique if you're in Utah or anywhere out West).  Bishop and his wife were called from outside the ward so now they're leaving, and she was serving in the YW presidency.  We have 2 families that do a lot of work moving out of the ward in a couple of months with no immediate replacements in sight.  And the ward mission leader just got made 2nd counselor in the bishopric, so we need another one of those too.

Still, new bishop is very by the book (and young.  I believe he's just 30)  I could see him basically insisting that if I can't get a recommend, then I can't be in the Relief Society presidency.

At which point, I won't be serving anymore, which is why I'm still going,

I found myself today looking around the ward, wishing in a way that I could just believe.  It would make things simple.  Right now I feel like I'm in a strange limbo.  Not fully part of the ward, but not ready to leave yet.

But if I'm released, I won't really have much reason to show up every Sunday anymore.