Have you ever seen anything like this before? This was an intelligent, capable, humble man in his 60's with a vast TBM progeny. I thought men always rose in the ranks. It seems odd that a Councilor in the SP would be released and put in primary. Maybe he requested it. He and his wife co-taught the sunbeams together. Very sweet. And he seemed content.

My cousin's FIL had been an SP, and when he was released, he and his wife (cousin's MIL) were called to be Nursery co-leaders.

Adorable.

My old Stake President is on the activities committee and he's loving it

There is no activities committee anymore...hasn't been for 5 or 6 years.

That's interesting considering my parents are on a stake activity commitee in their ward.

There is one in my ward...but of course my ward "goes off the menu" for a lot of things...the correlation committee would be apalled

There's only so much room at the top. Just because you were successful in middle management doesn't mean you move to the executive board room, you know. So these retired old coots have to go somewhere.

More cynically, it could be that these are honest, true believers, and the higher-ups know that they can't be trusted with the REAL truth that the whole thing is a sham.

Knew a guy that was a bishop. He got released, and was positive he would be in the stake presidency. He even told me that he would be 'counseling' me in his new calling. That make me instantly dislike him.

I thought it was hilarious when he was called to the nursery. Last I knew, he was still there (8 years!). I've heard that he lost everything he had to a MLM scheme and moved back to Utah to live with his parents. He's 67.

An old school friend who was a Bishop disagreed with a new Stake Prez spending $10,000 of the donated money for the new Stake Center - to decorate his office. He told him so - and reminded him that members of the wards actually borrowed money (for which they were paying interest and going without) to donate to the Stake Building Fund - as meetings for some time had emphasized how important it was.


Well, this Bishop was out of town on Business for two weeks and was released during this time - without informing him. The new Bishop was instructed NOT to call him to anything. Nothing at all, with no explanation other than 'lets let him rest for awhile'.

The Bishop(now former) gets back and finds out he is out of a calling. Eventually he finds out about the instruction to callings of any kind.

He's still active, having moved due to business. He just doesn't learn tho he is trying to do what he believes is right by others.

to accept whatever his superior does as the new normal.


Kathleen Waters

If you're on the Stake Presidency you pretty much HAVE to go down from there in the ranks. Next rank up from Stake Presidency is Mission Presidency, and there's far fewer positions to fill, so most have to be demoted back to a lower calling.

Almost all the released stake presidents I've known have become SS teachers. And happy for the change. They get their lives back.

There must be some serious problems among the Sunbeams that require higher level priesthood juju to correct. Perhaps they aren't shining for Him each day.

Think about it... you're at the "top" of the stake/ward food-chain, so you are privy to hearing all sorts of problems and doubts that people in your congregation(s) have with the church and it's history and doctrine. So, once released, why not put you back where the brainwashing begins after-all: PRIMARY. I think that's their way of subtly getting rid of anything that actually made sense (recognizing bullsh-t doctrine) and ensuring you back into the foold, er fold.

Isn't this calling more of a downgrade!!??

My dad went from Stake President to primary teacher. Now he's involved in some kind of genealogy calling where he works with other stakes or something, so I guess he didn't stay that demoted for too long. Still, I'm glad he didn't get bumped up to area authority or something. I was worried that would happen because he's a good guy, a good speaker, and a damn good stake president. Bullet dodged?

Maybe he is happy to be rid of the extra responsibility. And I'm sure his wife is glad to have her husband by her side. Very sweet indeed.