Scott Lloyd Posted November 7, 2013 Posted November 7, 2013 (edited) Thanks for the clarification. I'm not agreeing of course, but I understand. What is the scriptural basis for saying a bishop presides over the members of his congregation rather than just the congregation? I'm pretty sure the CHI just says he presides over the "ward." Same for all the other presiding authorities for their respective organzations. Is there something in the CHI that would support the dichotomoy between presiding over people vs. presiding over organizations? And what is the bottom-line effect of this difference? What authority does a bishop have if he presides over the members of his ward rather than if he just presides over the ward? What is the practical difference? Perhaps a reductio ad absurdum can help you to see the distinction. In my ward, there is a Sunday School president. I attend the gospel doctrine class in Sunday School weekly. I rarely miss it. Nevertheless, in no wise do I regard the Sunday School president as presiding over me. I find the very thought to be absurd. His function is to see that the Sunday School runs smoothly as an auxiliary organization, to facilitate good teaching, even to teach from time to time. On the other hand the bishop of my ward has a priesthood role in presiding over me as a member of the ward. He serves as a common judge in Israel. He may issue to me callings, temple recommends, determine my worthiness in these and other areas, provide temporal assistance through the welfare plan, counsel or admonish me in deeply personal aspects of my life, etc. No, I'm not going to bother to do a scriptural exegesis on this for you. I'm relaying what I was told by one who is in a position to know, and he got it presumably from those whose ecclesiastical role is to apply the doctrines and principles of the gospel in a practical way (namely, the prophets and apostles). And I'm telling you why it makes sense to me. And as to the OP, I was not suggesting that boys should go to General Women's Meeting. I was just pointing out the issue that the Primary Presidency is only speaking to half it's group. I don't have a specific solution in mind. If I had to recommend one, I'd recommed calling a man as one of the counselors in the Primary Presidency and have him speak in the General Men's Meeting. Get more men into primary. I have only learned in the last few days that this change will take place. I don't presume to know what the goal or intent of it is. But maybe it's not a matter of providing a setting for the general Primary presidency to "speak to ... its group" whether half or whole. Maybe they just want to have mothers and daughters together in a such a setting for whatever may be accomplished therein. Maybe something comparable is coming down the pike for fathers and their younger as well as teenage sons. Who knows? Edited November 7, 2013 by Scott Lloyd
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