On another site I follow they are talking about changes coming for this conference. One change is the doing away with the First Presidencies message in the Ensign. Another change and I think this may be correct is they will no longer have home teachers or visiting teachers but "Ministering Brothers and Ministering Sisters." Why I think this might be true is that when I was in Colorado Springs we had a lot of ministering programs in the Church. That was what they were called. The Bishop here in the ward I attend or visit (depends on how I feel what it is!!!) has made many references to ministering to members and non-members.

So the comments on the site indicate this may be what the big change will be. I think the Church has been testing this for the past year or two. People will be called "Ministering this or that" and will be assigned people to minister to.

This makes sense if you have been following my posts on councils being used on the first Sunday of each month. The HP group leader has used the term "minister" many times in talking about what we need to do.

Here is my objections. When I first attended the temple in 1967, we had a minister in the presentation. He was not the good guy. As a matter of fact ministers of any religion were not good people. So why are we now going the route of "ministering?"

My second objection. Ministering means I am putting myself into someone elses life like I have some sort of authority. Now I do respect ministers of other religions. Most have studied hard at college. Most know their scriptures plus most know theology. I know little at all about any of that so why would I want a title ministering this or that. I have enough trouble ministering to the needs in my life.

My third objection is it sounds too main stream. I thought when I grew up that the Mormon religion was "different." If the Church goes this route it means they are becoming the same as everyone else.

I think the reason they are going to go this route is as follows.

1. Only so many people want Christianity. The field is saturated. So you have a market and you want a share of that market. The best way to get the market is to offer a product similar to your competitors. Its about the LDS church trying to get the larger share of the saturated market. Means more money.

2. The LDS Church wants to use a common terminology that people are familiar with. People who have experience in other Churches understand the word ministery. Now when they talk to LDS people they have a common connection.

3. It's going to make the members feel real important being called a Ministering whatever. Never mind they have clue as to how to do that.

4. Now we have a new prophet, new revelation and a new direction. The church must be true.

5. How is an inactive person or even a member going to turn down anything from a Ministering whatever without feeling guilty?

Personally I would refuse to do anything where I am called a ministering this or that. I want to be known as SEcular Priest.

One last thing.

Our youth in this stake anyways are no longer doing "proxy" work in the temple. They are being told that the person they are going through was alive and is alive on the othe side and that the name on the slip is a real person. They are being taught they are doing the work of a real person, not just doing work as a proxy. Talk about a mind "!!!!!" whatever.

Our leaders have now switched from saying "Brothers and sisters" to "Sisters and Brothers." Anyone want to quess why? So if I listen very closely I see a change in everything the Church is doing.

Can't have new revelation without pilot programs, beta testing and focus groups.

Sounds to me like it's nothing more than a name change. I bet the program remains identical.

The only difference will be that instead of, "Did you do your HT/VT this month?" it will be, "Did you do your ministering this month?" Same pressure to get 100%, same lists of people. Just a flailing company changing the packaging and calling the product "new & improved."

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"Our leaders have now switched from saying 'Brothers and sisters' to 'Sisters and Brothers.'"

No, no, no. It was *always* "sisters and brothers." You just weren't paying attention all those decades. <sarc>

Same programs, different name.

Big big whoop.

New revelation?? Bullcrap

Most Mormons are too busy making a living, providing for kids and a stay-at-home wife, to take on "ministering" to other families.

This program, whatever they call it, will not work.

Elyse Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Most Mormons are too busy making a living,
> providing for kids and a stay-at-home wife, to
> take on "ministering" to other families.
>
> This program, whatever they call it, will not
> work.


Not to mention, they are already over-burdened with callings and helping to clean ward buildings.

What an uncreative, uninspired "change"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/2018 03:55PM by angela.

The Morg seems to be giving the women an illusion of power. Many of the ministering SAHMs will have been missionaries. Interesting that this change came after the women were allowed to go at 19. The Morg knows that women are the glue that hold the programs together.

Topper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Morg seems to be giving the women an illusion
> of power. Many of the ministering SAHMs will have
> been missionaries. Interesting that this change
> came after the women were allowed to go at 19. The
> Morg knows that women are the glue that hold the
> programs together.

This. I used to hear, 'People think that women don't hold the priesthood, but they actually do, it's just not in a way that people think!' and other gobbly-gook. 'People think women are second class citizens in the church, but we learned today that isn't true at all!'

There is also a rumor that the members who are "ministering" will visit as married couples. I guess we will see. As for now, it sounds like the same program with a different label.

I would like to be part of a new pilot program entitled, “Ministering Boners.” Anyone want to give me a hand?

BYU Boner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I would like to be part of a new pilot program
> entitled, “Ministering Boners.” Anyone want to
> give me a hand?

Clap clap clap

Ha ha

No thanks. You've got your own hands. Use whichever one you want. Both give better results. Yet it, you might like it.

M@t

Ministering bother, more like.

You shall be called a ministering bother.

minister isn't a profession or calling; it means to serve.

The fact that protestant churches call their pastors "ministers" notwithsatning.

When I was a TBM single-working-mother-sole-financial-supporter-of-my-children-home-owner-and-head-of-my-household, I would not have taken kindly to someone barging into my life as a "minister" over me.

All this would have meant, is even more obnoxious, sanctimonious, arrogant "authority" to bully me and my children.

The Mormons always tried to make our little family feel inferior, because we "did not have the priesthood in our home," and had never been temple-sealed. We were told that we needed home teachers more than ever, and we needed them to offer REAL prayers in our home. I felt like an idiot, kneeling around the coffee table, in intimate prayer to my Jesus, with strangers who had nothing to do with my family, and who were there only because they had been arbitrarily assigned to us, and were ordered to fill a quota.

I agree with Secular Priest, that the title of "minister" must be earned! Just like Mormon bishops, these men have no special training at all, no certification, and certainly no connection with God, whatsoever.

I think it's an insult to Christian ministers! Oh, the Mormon arrogance never ends. (Also, it never fails to disgust me.)

No one knows better than I and my children, what decisions to make and how to run our lives. We have educated mentors to give us advice. We are doing very well without the fakery of Mormonism, thank you very much.

Synonymous is right! "Can't have new revelation without pilot programs, beta testing and focus groups." This is how LDS, Inc operates. LOL!

Here's another perspective on this rethinking of HT-VT teaming.

Back in the 1990s, a plethora of HP home-teachers came a calling. Every single HP brought their "bubbly wives" or their better halves. That seemed to make the visits more social and less formal. I have no idea if this was a common practice outside of my ward, but it came to the attention to higher ups and it was strongly looked down upon. There were direct re-educating from the pulpit that HT was to be only done with TWO priesthood holders. It was reiterated over and over that a PH alone or with his wife would not cut it. The rationale was that the power of the PH would only work in pairs.

So guess what happened after the word got out about "proper home-teaching?" The stats went from about 75% for HP to about 35%. The elders went from 55% to about 25%. (I know these stats firsthand; I was serving as the ward clerk. I had to face the bishop over declining numbers.)