In PH meeting, Pres Nelson, and Elders Christofferson and Rasband are announcing a big priesthood quorum change.
The high priest quorum now consists of active stake presidencies, high councils, bishoprics and patriarchs. The stake president is president of this quorum.
All other brethren will be in one Elders/Melchizedek PH Quorum. Stake presidents will call new presidencies as soon as it is convenient.
This will bless the members by strengthening one another with their experience, talents and skills.
No more PEC meetings. All will work within the Ward Council. Where needed, a bishop can call a special meeting with only those needed, to handle sensitive issues.
We came back from a girls night and I flipped on the coveragenjust as President Holmes sat down. Heard the whole announcement made by President Nelson and explained by others.
Wow! Very, very cool. One can see how excited everyone is.
What a great change!
Wow. Talk about hitting the ground running.
As an “old elder”, I’ve seen more than one guy who I expect will be helped immeasurably by getting rid of the age gap that has come to calcify the quorums. I’m super-stoked to see this work.
Shout out too to President Nelson’s closing remarks, which were pretty barnburning in their own right.
Official notice
https://www.lds.org/church/news/first-presidency-announces-restructuring-of-melchizedek-priesthood-quorums?lang=eng&_r=1&cid=TW_3_31_18_GC_PH
I was amazed (and heartened) by President Nelson’s actions, demeanor , motivations, corrections and tone.
Truly there is a prophet is Israel.
This is literally the first time in 18 years I have not been bored out of my mind in priesthood meeting.
My husband might say that you haven’t had the right attitude about Priesthood Meeting… 🙂 But my darling is the man who was still unmarried at age 36 and hadn’t let the culture make him crazy, always looking to the good side of the various statements and trusting in his own intention to marry once he found the right mate.
I look forward to the Women’s session in October 2018. I wouldn’t be surprised if that meeting contains similarly astounding shifts in policy and practice. Nothing so drastic as measures some have called for, but shifts that are consistent with making women more obviously the equal children of God they already are.
Meg,
I have no doubt that there are some mormons who are willing to diagnose someone else’s supposed failings based on their limited understanding of another, including mind-reading as evidence. However, that is one reason pH meeting was boring. I prefer when people stay in the realm of actual fact and experience rather than extrapolation…
What is so invigorating about president Nelson is that he recognizes the need to embrace the vitality of youth and they millennials even while holding to the form requirements of the Gospel.
President Nelson pulled no punches last, want willing to let doctrine slide to make people feel better about themselves. He is reframing the discussion away from “how will the church change to keep millennials” to “how can the church revitalize millennials so that they can faithfully serve,”
This is amazing. He is embracing millennials, while emphasizing keeping the faith.
PS, I also loved Bonnie oscarsons talk about engaging young women. It portends well
…
Meg,
With the end of PEC, it means more power in the Ward Council. That means greater power and consideration to the women. I think this priesthood change may be better felt by the sisters than the brethren.
Dieter Uchtdorf spoke in the previous 20 priesthood sessions in a row. How anybody could be bored out of their mind while listening to him speak is beyond me.
The change seems to make ward priesthood meetings for men more analogous to ward Relief Society meetings where all adult women, regardless of age or past callings are taught and serve together. In review I can see how disruptive it would be to women if a separate meeting were held for those who had served in a Relief Society or Primary presidency at some time in the past. All but one of my daughters would qualify, but the one who has not yet so far been called would struggle with her feelings of inadequacy as she sat with mostly very young women each Sunday. Although I have held leadership positions in civic and cultural organizations, I only served for a short time as a Relief Society secretary. For years I struggled with the feeling that God didn’t trust me with authority. If the structure of Relief Society reinforced this folly I wonder if I would have summoned the energy to encourage a large family each Sunday. Some women are called to leadership repeatedly. Others, equally faithful and willing, serve as teachers or support but seldom if ever are called to executive positions. I now smile ruefully at my trial of pride and recognize that when my patriarchal blessing said I would be a leader among my sex in my community it did not mean I would have callings in church leadership.
I know a number of faithful, humble, intelligent, capable men who have only become High Priests as they reached the age when they became anomalies in Elders Quorum instead of being called to leadership.
Hi BCC Conscience,
All of us make assessments of data that streams past us. But I may be misreading your comments. Perhaps you weren’t talking about my comment when you wrote of “mormons who are willing to diagnose someone else’s supposed failings based on their limited understanding of another, including mind-reading as evidence…. I prefer when people stay in the realm of actual fact and experience rather than extrapolation…”
But seriously, my husband is particularly willing to see the good in every situation, slow to anger, and a man that I don’t believe has ever made an enemy. This was a trial, in fact, when we were sending out wedding announcements. Which man among you actually still has contact information for the hundreds of friends they wish to tell of their good news when they are in their mid-thirties?
I am grateful to God for telling such a man that “the time has come for you to propose to Meg.” Heaven knows I’ve needed the gentleness and love and sanity of such a man. Heaven also knows my children needed the gentleness and love and sanity of such a father.
As to priesthood meetings, my husband never found them boring. But he is often tired, and so perhaps was sleeping through the boring parts.
BCC Conscience, this is Millenial Star, not BCC. We are, generally, people who are striving to follow the words of the Prophets, people who believe that God leads the church through revelation and inspiration, people who are usually put off by the cynicism and mockery that we find on BCC. The fact that you find Priesthood Mtg. boring does not endear you to us here, nor do we find it clever and a sign that you are “woke”. It seems that you might not understand that so I decided it might be helpful to let you know.
Minjar Lee,
Thank you for your judgemental remarks.
I forgive you.
And thank you, BCC conscience, for your judgement in return. Isn’t passive aggression great?
Meg,
If you husband wants to comment on my comment, please send him a link. Otherwise, let’s leave him out of it?
My original comment was 100% truthful and authentic. I’m not trying to be woke ( whatever that means), nor minjae, am I on the side of bcc. The moniker is a joke because I often disagree with everything they say ( hence conscience — rather than , say, cheerleader). Just because someone is bored doesn’t mean they lack faith, meg and minjae. But as I’ve said, I’ll forgive those judgmental comments.
For, minjae, I also believe the prophets lead through Revelation, and would suggest that your assumption that I don’t believe that reflects on your character, not my own. Nor Minjae, do you speak on behalf of m*. Your behavior is certainly part of the odious judgmental Mormonism that I despise, but God allows us all to be immature, so again, I forgive you for that statement.
Now on to discussions about the wonders of Revelation regarding ministry instead of home teaching… And getting ym involved. That is awesome.
I reiterate my original statement… Truly there is a prophet in Israel.
Man, you are really good at the passive aggression. And virtue signalling seems to be another talent. Well done.
No more bickering on these posts, please. Focus on the OP.
I’m thinking at least one of the GAs encouraged loving our neighbor, which applies here at MStar.