At the end of sacrament meeting last Sunday, the visiting stake president took a minute to tell us that we’d all likely want to be there the next Sunday because there was going to be an exciting change in the ward. It was obvious that a new bishopric was what he was talking about. He then encouraged us to have a fun week of speculation. And it was fun, as rumors flew wildly and with abandon. This place seems to do rumors quite well, as the rumored councilors were correct. The bishop, however, was a surprise (the fact that his parents and sister were in Sunday school kind of gave it away about an hour early, though, but that’s it).
Thus today the old bishopric was released and the new bishopric was called. The outgoing and incoming bishoprics all shared their testimonies in sacrament meeting. The new bishop told of his surprise at how it came that he knew who his councilors were to be. He considered each man in the ward and thought of what they could each offer in that role. He didn’t immediately dismiss anyone. And then as he knelt to pray, seeking who the Lord wanted in those callings, he found that for all but two names he received a distinct, “Not at this time.†He had no feelings one way or another as far as readiness or worthiness of each man, just, “Not at this time.†But for two men he received, “Yes, this is his time.â€
At the end of sacrament meeting (the last meeting in our ward), anyone who was interested was invited to stay for the ordination and settings apart. About half of the ward stayed, and the stake president said he’d never seen that large a percentage of the ward stay. First the bishop was ordained and set apart, and then his councilors and the clerks were set apart. There was, of course, no grand ceremony or pomp. The blessings were simple. And yet the Spirit was there, and what was happening was real and right.