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Why do we congratulate people who are given callings?


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43 minutes ago, MustardSeed said:

It looks to my small mind as though culturally we subconsciously see callings as promotions or at least validations, thus the congrats.  

 

I usually give condolences if called to a Bishopric, having served there. But, all Church callings, are calling to servitude, not power over others. 

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Simplest Answer: Title and prestige

Likely Answer: assumptions that being called to a position indicate that you are ¨worthy¨ of that position (rather than another view that you are not worthy or ready for it but that you are going to grow from it (because you have growing to do))

Specifically, for bishops its all of the above. LDS leadership is not going to put someone (and their family) in a bishop position who they do not respect and find capable. The position will try men´s souls though, so, if God did direct it, I´m sure part of the plan recognizes that you are not ready for it and that you will grow.


On a side note: this is an instance evidencing how men´s ecclesiastical integrity is not tempted solely by money, but by titles and prestige and admiration and standing in a community, as I have mentioned elsewhere.

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1 hour ago, MustardSeed said:

It looks to my small mind as though culturally we subconsciously see callings as promotions or at least validations, thus the congrats.  

I don’t remember congratulating a person recently on their calling. My last friend was  called to primary president and my response was “ooohhhhhhh, i’m sure you can do it”.... mainly because she was staring at a pic of our good sized primary like someone told they needed to scale a cliff for the first time. 

The closest to a congrats for a calling is when I know the person well enough to know that the calling is likely a really good fit for their talents, I’m excited for the experiences they will have (usually temple worker calls because I absolutely loved being a temple worker), or that i knew they really enjoy that sort of calling. 

I’ve never thought of it as a prestige thing. 

 

With luv,

BD

Edited by BlueDreams
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I usually say I look forward to working with you if I will actually be working with them, if not then not. There are some folks though that need to be taken down a notch and so, for fun, I just ask them what are they doing now in the Church😈 as if I wasn't listening to when they said their calling 15 times in their 10 minute talk

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3 hours ago, MustardSeed said:

It looks to my small mind as though culturally we subconsciously see callings as promotions or at least validations, thus the congrats.  

 

I think it is just having something positive to say about it...but that may be because I find small talk/passing time of day/chit chat hard.

Edited by Calm
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3 hours ago, MustardSeed said:

It looks to my small mind as though culturally we subconsciously see callings as promotions or at least validations, thus the congrats.  

 

(With a nod to the Nehor) Because we are glad that it is them and not us.

Glenn

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So what else are you going to say? 
Good luck?
I will pray for you?
My condolences?

Most of these other things sound a little negative. Congratulations is just a cliche expression that is good for any occasion. It's easy and short.
 



 

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4 hours ago, MustardSeed said:

It looks to my small mind as though culturally we subconsciously see callings as promotions or at least validations, thus the congrats.  

And to mine it looks like a substitute for not knowing (or not having thought much about) what else to say but still wanting to convey confidence and encouragement :)

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17 minutes ago, bluebell said:

For me it's just an easy way to tell someone that i'm happy they were called and support them.  

I think that’s most everyone’s intention, to be fair.  But I think it overall originates in pride in being called worthy.  It’s my opinion only. I’m positive not everyone gets their ego needs met through church but I think it happens more than some of us like to admit- I include myself in that opinion. 

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15 minutes ago, MustardSeed said:

I think that’s most everyone’s intention, to be fair.  But I think it overall originates in pride in being called worthy.  It’s my opinion only. I’m positive not everyone gets their ego needs met through church but I think it happens more than some of us like to admit- I include myself in that opinion. 

I think Mosiah 3 might offer some insight into this:

19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father. [We are all subject to the kind of pride you mention, for example, but can change]

20 And moreover, I say unto you, that the time shall come when the knowledge of a Savior shall spread throughout every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. [This is one purpose of callings: to spread the knowledge of our Savior, which is an antidote to the natural man].

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In some countries/cultures the opposite can happen upon release from a ' higher level calling ' . The person's ego is stroked  and his status is raised in the community and when released it is a great letdown. They then resist being called to a mere clerk or primary position. 

 

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3 hours ago, Joshua Valentine said:

Simplest Answer: Title and prestige

Title - works for other positions besides bishop

3 hours ago, Joshua Valentine said:

Likely Answer: assumptions that being called to a position indicate that you are ¨worthy¨ of that position (rather than another view that you are not worthy or ready for it but that you are going to grow from it (because you have growing to do))

No indication of A) men or B) men called to be bishops or leadership  positions

3 hours ago, Joshua Valentine said:

Specifically, for bishops its all of the above. LDS leadership is not going to put someone (and their family) in a bishop position who they do not respect and find capable. The position will try men´s souls though, so, if God did direct it, I´m sure part of the plan recognizes that you are not ready for it and that you will grow.

Here I finally bring up bishops and specify that I am (no assuming) with the intro ¨Specifically...¨. I make no claim to addressing all leadership position (and thus assuming men only).

3 hours ago, Joshua Valentine said:

On a side note: this is an instance evidencing how men´s ecclesiastical integrity is not tempted solely by money, but by titles and prestige and admiration and standing in a community, as I have mentioned elsewhere.

This is continuing from the previous statement particularly dealing with bishops - who are men - and all those who are responsible for doctrinal integrity (could be argued that women are involved somewhere in the communication of such, but it originates with men).

3 hours ago, BlueDreams said:

Curious: why do you assume that the only people being congratulated for calling are A) men and B) men called to be bishops or leadership positions? I would likely congratulate my husband if he was given a primary teacher calling because he loved subbing for the sunbeams class so much. I have never heard that described as a prestigious calling. 

1. I think the above shows that it is more curious why you thought I was assuming such. I only brought up bishops and men at that end, and did so because they seem likely candidates to be congratulated and because they were specifically brought up by the comment immediately preceding mine.

2. You congratulating your husband because he loves subbing seems an explanation in itself. You know he loves it, so you congratulate him on his good fortune/blessing.  While this is a reason to congratulate someone it is very specific and does not deal with why congratulations may be given generally to those given callings (of all types), which is what I was addressing with my first two points.

3 hours ago, BlueDreams said:

The OP didn’t say anything about what callings are being congratulated and the assumptions following seem overly pessimistic. I’m sure there are leadership callings that end up feeling validated about their accomplishments or whatever else. But i’ve worked with several bishops due to the nature of my profession and not once had a bishop who I felt was going on a power trip in their head. Not that it can’t happen, but as a blanket statement/explanation for simple congratulations, this doesn’t appear to work from my perspective.

 

with luv,

BD

1. As above, I brought up bishops because of the comment previous to mine and because it exemplified my first two general points while naturally allowing the side note.

2. I´m not totally sure what exactly you mean about the overly pessimistic assumptions. But I was not giving a full treatise on all the possible reasons for congratulations. No comments here attempt to do such, so it could be said that anyone´s comment is overly whatever in what they choose to treat and not treat.

3. I suspect you could only be referring to: ¨not tempted solely by money, but by titles and prestige and admiration and standing in a community, as I have mentioned elsewhere.¨ However, I get nowhere near mentioning ¨a power trip¨ of any kind. Also, if this is the statement you are referring to in this last part of your comment, it is a side-note for a reason. I am referring (as I tried to make clear with the mention of money - perhaps I should have said ¨filthy lucre¨) to the LDS official prejudice against Christian/paid ministers and justification for a confidence in its leadership (unpaid ministry). It is something I have brought up elsewhere and, here, mainly for those who interacted with me then. I apologize for the lack of clarity.

4. Toward that idea in the side note, place in the community can certainly be a non-monetary source of temptation that could lead to leaders compromising on what they teach in order to keep/increase their place in the community.

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I've always congratulated people for being released from callings that require a bunch of energy.  Our last Stake President is very short, but when they released him, he looked taller, like he was floating on air after shrugging off his heavy burdens.  I said "Why hello there, random brother of no particular stewardship or importance!"  He looked very happy.

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4 hours ago, ERMD said:

Could it be as simple as just being nice?

Don’t be ridiculous. It clearly shows we  are a bunch of scheming social and political animals one upping each other to move up from 2nd counselor to the Assistant Hymnbook coordinator to 1st counselor to the assistant Hymnbook coordinator.

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