Bill Reel’s Conference Predictions

[rockpond]

1 minute ago, revelstoked said:

We almost do that in my ward.  Because of the size of the Aaronic Priesthood we combine them all on the first Sunday and rotate around the adult quorum leadership and have them teach the "Duty to God" lesson.  All other weaks I have my deacons teach.  We just went with an age based rotation so it's consistent. 

What usually ends up happening is the assigned Deacon leads a group discussion and the leaders tend to re-direct, but they've taken ownership.  Once the quorum president thought we should have a chastity lesson and he taught a lesson on pornography, all on his initiative.  It was "out of cycle" but I allowed it.  One of our Deacons regularly puts a slideshow together when it is his turn and even finds church memes to finish off his lesson. 

It was rough the first couple of weeks but the Deacons got into the groove after a while.  A friday/saturday reminder text to parents has been essential.

Good way to do it.  And yeah, “leaders tend to re-direct” is a perfect way to put it... frequently needed in our quorum. 

Like you, we’ve had some really positive experiences with youth teaching.  Sometimes I leave feeling really impressed with the YM who taught and clearly gave it some serious thought.  Other times it is clear that there was zero preparation. 

[HappyJackWagon]

32 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

While I in large measure disagree with Rongo's negativity on the curriculum, I do share your and his antipathy regarding role playing. I also hate it when the instructor says, "Take five minutes and turn to your neighbor and discuss this or that doctrinal point, then summarize your discussion for the class." I feel uncomfortable and put on the spot when this happens, so much so that on occasion I have quietly slipped out of the room when I see something like this coming.

I'm probably to blame for my own social anxiety, but I don't like having to cope with it when I've come to class to be spiritually fed.

I don't think I've ever met anyone who enjoys role playing. It's always awkward and contrived. Every work meeting/training, every church meeting/training...whatever. EVERYONE HATES ROLE PLAYING. Maybe the big announcement will be about ending the evil practice of role playing in any church setting. Until Monday, I can dream  

 

[mfbukowski]

12 minutes ago, Rain said:

This could be solved by letting patrons know that it will be changing "in 2 weeks" or so and change it on the website for those that don't go regularly.  I know it won't get everyone, but it should get most who either attend regularly or don't. 

Typically what actually happens is that people show up when they show up and then maybe they do initiatories or sealings for a while and then they know about the change.

If they announce that there are changes there would be lines around the block to get in.

Then of course in two weeks no one would attend. 

It would kind of feel like the new Star Wars movie. Once you have seen it you have seen it.

I think the idea is to  NOT have that effect.

 

Edited October 3, 2018 by mfbukowski

[rockpond]

5 minutes ago, mfbukowski said:

I have never heard an announcement about temple schedules, which change in some cases, annually or more commonly every 3 years when Temple presidencies change.

Yeah, I acknowledged in a post above (just a few minutes ago) that what I had figured was a churchwide practice may actually just be something that my stake does. 

[ksfisher]

Just now, mfbukowski said:

Typically what actually happens is that people show up when they show up and then maybe they do initiatories or ceilings for a while and then they know about the change.

I've helped clean floors and carpet in the temple before, but never been asked to do the ceiling.  

[Rain]

38 minutes ago, rockpond said:

I never do role plays.  Not a fan. 

Some members seem to think that the idea behind the Come Follow Me manuals in Aaronic Priesthood quorums is that the young men are supposed to teach. Every lesson.  I haven’t seen that anywhere.  The handbook just says that leaders are to “teach regularly”. 

We have established a pattern where the leaders and young men alternate each week.  And even when the YM teach, the leaders are jumping in to keep the lessons strong. 

But with that weekly alternating between leaders and YM, I still had a parent complain to me that he felt the YM weren’t teaching enough. Kinda surprised me. 

In our young men then we had the president of the quorum in the deacons and teachers assigning it.  In priests it was either the bishop or the 1st counselor if the bishop wasn't there.  Then they took the role of reminding people about it too.  We found there was a mix of boys and leaders like you had.

I think there are some people who just complain. Since my husband was in the YM till a couple of weeks ago I got an understanding of what was going on between the conversations between him and my son who was the teacher's president and is now the priests 1st counselor.  There was one boy that they struggled a lot to pull opinions from him before something was planned. After it was planned he would complain about i.t   If he actually had something in mind they had him be in charge of it and then usually had to pick up the pieces when he didn't do it.   One day his mom was complaining to me about what the young men were not doing in a certain instance and I just had to tell her to talk to her son about it because he was the one that in charge of it. 

My husband feels that just like with adults there is value in the kids learning something about failure.  He tried to be the best adviser he could, but wasn't afraid to let them at fail at it occasionally.  He wasn't afraid to help them see consequences. 

What I see with the lessons is that they can be nothing or they can really be the thing that helps the kids grow.  But in order for them to work you have to teach, help and let the kids use the Spirit in making them lessons that really work for them.  I know my son is unique in his thinking and I think that has helped the boys/leaders in the ward get our of the box with the lessons, but it may be more difficult for other wards who don't have people that naturally do that.  So I really think it is going to be a mixed bag with how well they work.   

[mfbukowski]

3 minutes ago, HappyJackWagon said:

I don't think I've ever met anyone who enjoys role playing. It's always awkward and contrived. Every work meeting/training, every church meeting/training...whatever. EVERYONE HATES ROLE PLAYING. Maybe the big announcement will be about ending the evil practice of role playing in any church setting. Until Monday, I can dream  

 

In my view it is just a time-waster for a lazy teacher who did not prepare a good lesson. You do that and move the chairs around and find partners etc etc and that's good for at least 20 minutes. And then you go around the room and get the reports and your time is gone. 

Definitely "special."

Or in Utah, "spatial" ....

Now where's that Dana Carvey gif ?

 

[mfbukowski]

7 minutes ago, rockpond said:

Yeah, I acknowledged in a post above (just a few minutes ago) that what I had figured was a churchwide practice may actually just be something that my stake does. 

That's probably because your folks actually attend the temple.

We don't have worries like that.

[bluebell]

10 minutes ago, rockpond said:

Yeah, I acknowledged in a post above (just a few minutes ago) that what I had figured was a churchwide practice may actually just be something that my stake does. 

They do announce when our neighboring temples are closed for cleaning and such over the pulpit in my ward.  I don't know if they have ever announced schedule changes though.

[bluebell]

13 minutes ago, HappyJackWagon said:

I don't think I've ever met anyone who enjoys role playing. It's always awkward and contrived. Every work meeting/training, every church meeting/training...whatever. EVERYONE HATES ROLE PLAYING. Maybe the big announcement will be about ending the evil practice of role playing in any church setting. Until Monday, I can dream  

 

I hate it.  And I hate being asked to get into groups during lessons.  But, it's a good way to use up some time and have been known to do it myself so I can't complain to much.   

[rongo]

Just now, ksfisher said:

I've helped clean floors and carpet in the temple before, but never been asked to do the ceiling.  

We had a sealing at the Snowflake temple to go to for a couple I had been working with on December 23 (I want to say it was 2010). The highway going up the Mogollon Rim from Payson was closed in Payson while we were en route due to scary, icy, snowy conditions (trucks with 4WD were actually hanging over some guard rails. Terrifying. We had a Dodge Durango, and were very happy to have 4WD, but it was scary).  Hotels in Heber at the top filled up with stranded motorists, and the stake presidents were called and asked to help house stranded motorists. Luckily, we made it through, and a member of the temple presidency insisted that my wife and I stay with them in Taylor. Neat experience!

After the sealing, he said that he would be busy at the temple until 10:30, and asked us to come back then because the presidency would be cleaning the temple. We offered to help, and he thanked us, but said that cleaning it was the special privilege of the temple presidency. He asked the president, and they agreed to let us help them vacuum the ordinance rooms, etc., so that was kind of special. No ceilings, though.  

We also got a personal tour of the temple, with explanations of many artifacts and artwork pieces (Jacob Hamblin teaching Chief Tuba, handmade Indian handicrafts, the large stained glass window that the Church bought for $500,000 from a cathedral in Boston). On our way out, the 80-something year old man dropped his keys into the icy fountain, and since I was there, I fished them out. I was soaked up to my shoulder before I reached them. Then, when we got to their home, we found that BYU had beaten Oregon St. in the bowl game. A very good night!  

 

[Rain]

4 minutes ago, bluebell said:

I hate it.  And I hate being asked to get into groups during lessons.  But, it's a good way to use up some time and have been known to do it myself so I can't complain to much.   

Small groups can be really effective when done well.  The problem only comes when not done well or used too often. But that's the case with any teaching method.  

[bluebell]

1 minute ago, Rain said:

Small groups can be really effective when done well.  The problem only comes when not done well or used too often. But that's the case with any teaching method.  

I have no doubt that this true.  My issue is that i'm an introvert and I don't want to talk to other people during the lesson. I also don't want to be asked to share something if I haven't volunteered to do so.  I can, and it doesn't give me anxiety or anything, but I truly hate doing it.  Hate isn't probably a strong enough word.  

[hope_for_things]

36 minutes ago, HappyJackWagon said:

There's certainly a risk to raising expectations. 1- either the expectations aren't met  2- expectations for this conference are met which then also raises the expectation for future conferences

My worry is that something more extreme will happen, that church leaders will proclaim certain ideas are revelation or certain behaviors are heresy.  Maybe something along the lines of McKonkie's infamous seven deadly heresies talk. 

The heightened atmosphere and the boldness of the President have me both excited and nervous.  

[bluebell]

22 minutes ago, ksfisher said:

I've helped clean floors and carpet in the temple before, but never been asked to do the ceiling.  

When our stake cleans the temple, you can literally be asked to clean anything, from the molding on the walls, to the front offices, to the bathrooms, to the crystal pieces in the chandeliers.  It's an anything goes kind of thing.

[rongo]

2 minutes ago, bluebell said:

I have no doubt that this true.  My issue is that i'm an introvert and I don't want to talk to other people during the lesson. I also don't want to be asked to share something if I haven't volunteered to do so.  I can, and it doesn't give me anxiety or anything, but I truly hate doing it.  Hate isn't probably a strong enough word.  

I think this is how most people (even extroverts) feel about it. We're nice, and we "do it" when asked (which is more and more in most settings, isn't it?), but we hate it. 

I got pretty tired of it in the MTC, too  . . . 

[ksfisher]

8 minutes ago, bluebell said:

When our stake cleans the temple, you can literally be asked to clean anything, from the molding on the walls, to the front offices, to the bathrooms, to the crystal pieces in the chandeliers.  It's an anything goes kind of thing.

Years ago I had a part time job on the cleaning staff for the Salt Lake temple.  I've never had anything like the job satisfaction I have there before or after. 

[cinepro]

17 hours ago, rockpond said:

Bill Reel released a new episode of his Mormon Discussions Podcast yesterday (10/1/18) that gives six predictions for general conference. 

1. Lowering the age for sisters to serve missions (to 18) and allowing them for serve for 24 months. 

2. The two-hour block. 

3.  Removing the one year waiting period between a civil marriage and a temple sealing. 

4.  Changing the “requirement” of wearing garments to only when you are doing temple work. 

5.  Creation of a short endowment ceremony, under an hour, that cuts out the video segments. 

6.  Long term (5 year) closure of the Salt Lake Temple for major renovations.  Reel specifically put forward this one as a test of his source.  He said that the source that gave him the above items said that the SL Temple closure was discussed in the same meetings as the other items above. 

He isn’t necessarily saying that all six items will happen in this conference, just that they are all being discussed among the Brethren.  

My biggest problem with the list is that #3 doesn't need to be "announced" since most members probably aren't aware or don't care, and #4 and #5 would never be "announced" in Conference in a million years.

#3 is especially problematic because they only announce stuff in Conference that might be considered good news.  And making a policy change that might encourage people to get married civilly before getting sealed would not be a "good" thing from the leaders' perspective.

And #4 won't happen because they just redid the pattern for women's garments.  No way they would go through all that time and money just a few months before making that announcement.

#5 would never be announced because so many of the people in Conference are teenagers and children and adults who have no idea what the endowment ceremony is, or how long it is.  It would raise way more questions (and possibly initiate disastrous Google searches).  No way the Church is going there in Conference. 

Edited October 3, 2018 by cinepro

[Rain]

19 minutes ago, bluebell said:

I have no doubt that this true.  My issue is that i'm an introvert and I don't want to talk to other people during the lesson. I also don't want to be asked to share something if I haven't volunteered to do so.  I can, and it doesn't give me anxiety or anything, but I truly hate doing it.  Hate isn't probably a strong enough word.  

Yes, I understand that. 

There are people who love doing it though and hate lecture style teaching. 

I was going to link to the chapter in  "Teaching No Great Call" of "Teaching with Variety", but I get this message, "We're sorry, but the page you're looking for was not found."  Then I was going to quip something about the church not wanting variety any more 😄, but all of the chapters have that message!

[rockpond]

2 minutes ago, cinepro said:

My biggest problem with the list is that #3 doesn't need to be "announced" since most members probably aren't aware or don't care, and #4 and #5 would never be "announced" in Conference in a million years.

#3 is especially problematic because they only announce stuff in Conference that might be considered good news.  And making a policy change that might encourage people to get married civilly before getting sealed would not be a "good" thing from the leaders' perspective.

Totally agree.

2 minutes ago, cinepro said:

And #4 won't happen because they just redid the pattern for women's garments.  No way they would go through all that time and money just a few months before making that announcement.

Good point (the women's garment change has not been noted on this thread yet, to my recollection).  I believe the consensus here on the thread is that #4 is not a possibility.

3 minutes ago, cinepro said:

#5 would never be announced because so many of the people in Conference are teenagers and children and adults who have no idea what the endowment ceremony is, or how long it is.  It would raise way more questions (and possibly initiate disastrous Google searches).  No way the Church is going there in Conference. 

Yep... I think most here seem to agree that temple changes wouldn't be announced in conference.

So, I think from Reel's list we are basically left with just #1 and #2 as the only possible Gen Con announcements.  Possibly #6 but nobody seems to think it could be THAT long.  And, from reading the comments, I think that most here only feel that the 2-hour block is the only one with any likelihood of happening (not that all think it will happen).  Participants can please correct me if I'm wrong, but that's how I am reading the thread.

That means Reel's list boils down to what most were already speculating.  Now... if some of these outlandish ones do occur (either as a conference announcement or not) than we might have to admit that Reel has got a source with some amount of credibility.  I'm thinking particularly of the garment wearing change or the 5 year SL Temple closure as those are not really common speculations that we've heard elsewhere.

[rongo]

9 minutes ago, rockpond said:

That means Reel's list boils down to what most were already speculating.  Now... if some of these outlandish ones do occur (either as a conference announcement or not) than we might have to admit that Reel has got a source with some amount of credibility. 

Oh, the humanity, if that's true! A mole with access to meetings like that feeding Reel? Perish the thought!  

As was already pointed out, he similarly claimed to have a highly-placed mole who said that the Nov 2015 policy was going to be quickly reversed, so his track record of claiming deep moles is not good. 

At what point do his people stop responding to wolf cries? Problems of a podcaster in the short attention span era!

[ksfisher]

10 minutes ago, rockpond said:

Totally agree.

Good point (the women's garment change has not been noted on this thread yet, to my recollection).  I believe the consensus here on the thread is that #4 is not a possibility.

Yep... I think most here seem to agree that temple changes wouldn't be announced in conference.

So, I think from Reel's list we are basically left with just #1 and #2 as the only possible Gen Con announcements.  Possibly #6 but nobody seems to think it could be THAT long.  And, from reading the comments, I think that most here only feel that the 2-hour block is the only one with any likelihood of happening (not that all think it will happen).  Participants can please correct me if I'm wrong, but that's how I am reading the thread.

That means Reel's list boils down to what most were already speculating.  Now... if some of these outlandish ones do occur (either as a conference announcement or not) than we might have to admit that Reel has got a source with some amount of credibility.  I'm thinking particularly of the garment wearing change or the 5 year SL Temple closure as those are not really common speculations that we've heard elsewhere.

So I'm left wondering why Reel would make such an announcement.  Stirring the pot?  Trying to stay relevant?  Trying to wag the dog?  Can't figure it out.  I hope it's not just making mischief.

[cinepro]

I will say that based on the comments I've heard in the halls at Church, the 2-hour-block rumor has gotten spread far and wide and a lot of people like the idea.  So if it isn't happening, President Nelson needs to stand up in the Saturday Morning session and say "Hey, just so you all know, we're not going to a 2-hour block." 

Otherwise you could have a lot of very disappointed people on Sunday afternoon.

[mfbukowski]

1 hour ago, ksfisher said:

I've helped clean floors and carpet in the temple before, but never been asked to do the ceiling.  

LOL! Voice to text again! 

I eventually caught it and edited it...

[Rain]

3 hours ago, cinepro said:

I will say that based on the comments I've heard in the halls at Church, the 2-hour-block rumor has gotten spread far and wide and a lot of people like the idea.  So if it isn't happening, President Nelson needs to stand up in the Saturday Morning session and say "Hey, just so you all know, we're not going to a 2-hour block." 

Otherwise you could have a lot of very disappointed people on Sunday afternoon.

I've thought it would be funny if he shared the meme that is going around.

Edited October 3, 2018 by Rain