In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we don’t have paid clergy. Everyone helps and serves. We often take turns doing responsibilities. Right now the leader of our congregation is a wonderful man whose full time job is to work at the local fire station. He donates his time without pay to help members who need help, and to keep us all organized.
A congregation is called a ward. There are lots of people in a ward, maybe 500 or so. There are organizations within the ward that are for specific groups. There is the Primary, where the little kids meet. The Young Women and Young Men where the kids that are 11 years old up to 18 meet. The women’s organization is called the Relief Society, it’s almost 180 years old. The Elders Quorum where the men meet. When we go to church after our big main meeting called Sacrament, we go to our separate rooms and learn some more about God, life and being good.
I starting wondering if I could remember all the responsibilities/callings I’ve had in my 60 years. I’m sure I’ve missed some and we don’t really serve until we’re 18+ years old, so in the last 42 years I came up with 29 Callings or responsibilities I’ve had in my life.
- Nursery-18 months-3 years old
- Missionary-I served in Texas in the 80’s for 18 months
- Sunday School-17-18 year olds
- Teaching Relief Society
- Relief Society-2nd Counselor
- Homemaking Leader-Relief Society
- Teaching Relief Society-Spiritual Living Lesson
- Teaching Relief Society-Compassionate Service Lesson
- Relief Society 1st Counselor
- Relief Society President
- Young Women-Camp Director
- Relief Society-Visiting Teaching Coordinator
- Ward Librarian
- Primary Teacher
- Relief Society-Homemaking Leader
- Primary Teacher
- Scout Leader-Wolves-8 year olds
- Assistant Camp Director
- Primary 2nd Counselor
- Young Women President
- Primary Teacher
- Relief Society Teacher
- Primary President
- Family History Consultant
- Ward Missionary
- Relief Society Teacher
- Young Women MiaMaid Adviser
- Primary Teacher
- Family History Consultant
I have always learned lessons from my callings. Some I learned more from than others. And sometimes the ones I learned the most from were because they were very hard for me.
When you get a calling, the secretary to the Bishop calls you and says, “The Bishop would like to meet with you, can you come ______,” Then you worry until you see him about what he wants. I’ll be honest, sometimes I knew what he wanted. I had already received a feeling or confirmation in my heart/mind about what was coming. Those times I didn’t worry as much, because I knew God was calling me. I knew He would help me to serve. Not that He wasn’t calling me for other callings. I believe the Bishop and his counselors pray and ask God if so and so is a good fit for this or that calling, at this time. Maybe I’ve felt it in my heart when the calling was big.
When I was just 29 years old I had just had my third child. I was in the middle of motherhood. Up to here, with the daily routines. I was very overwhelmed, but I knew I was going to be the new Relief Society President. I don’t know how to explain it, but I knew it was coming and I knew I could do it. As I met with the Bishop, I thought about all the things going on in our little home. I thought about all of the things God was asking me to do, and all of the time I would need to spend loving and caring for the sisters in our ward. As I was set apart by the Bishop and he placed his hands on my head and pronounced blessings and promises which I knew would help me, a feeling of peace came over me.
Some how I found time to visit, organize and love all of the sisters in our ward. I had chosen to quit breastfeeding my new baby a few months after he was born, and realized it was a blessing that I could just hand him over to his dad if I needed to be somewhere, or help someone. I loved serving the women in our ward and felt so blessed by their love and goodness.
A few months into my calling as Relief Society President, I was diagnosed with postpartum depression. I was pretty much maxed out. I don’t know how I did it, except to say that Father In Heaven had been helping me to complete my responsibilities. He was blessing me with some strength I didn’t even know I had. I also learned that many sisters in our ward had depression. One of the sisters said she had prayed that God would call a president that actually understands depression. I did, and the Bishop was checking on me often to see how I was doing. I would let him know that I felt like I could keep going, I knew I was being sustained by heaven and all of the sisters.
On January 1st I received a call that has forever changed me. I was called to help at the hospital and be there for the family, where a couple from our ward had just been killed by a drunk driver. They were taking their son to the hospital in the early hours of the morning with what they thought might be appendicitis. As they drove up the street they missed the turn to the hospital, and had just slowed down to make a u turn when they were broadside by a car going way too fast! The husband was killed instantly, and the wife died shortly after arriving at the hospital. She was pregnant. The son they were taking to the hospital was ok, and didn’t have appendicitis. I have never seen such sorrow and devastation. News of the tragedy went through our ward and most of us young parents thought about what would happen to our kids if we were suddenly gone. The Relief Society is usually in charge of the meal for the family after a funeral. Watching all of the family grieve was almost more that I could stand. I told the bishop maybe it was time for me to be released.
I think about this sweet couple every New Year. I feel sorrow for their loss and worry for anyone who might be out and about on that day. I am always telling family to be so careful and watch for drunk drivers. I prefer to stay home to bring in the New Year.
Callings and responsibilities can have that effect on you, changing you forever. I will never forget the lesson’s I learned, and the challenges I overcame as the young and overwhelmed Relief Society President of our ward.