you really haven't. The other evening, my DH was telling me that back in the day, when he was in the Elder's Quorum Presidency, they had had a meeting with the bishopric on a Sunday morning. There was, and still is, a particularly ambitious man in the "ward" that was chomping at the bit to become bishop. He always looked down his nose at not only us, but many others. A change was in the air, and candidates were going to be considered over the coming weeks. My DH found out that Mr. Ambition had gone over to the SP's house, and talked with the SP and actually told the SP that he wanted to be the next bishop and to put his name at the top of the consideration list! He didn't make it, not even for secretary or ward clerk. Probably a silly question, but have any of you known ladder climbers like him?

yeah, one time we even had a talk about it in stake conference. They said it was a sure way to never become bishop. Thankfully, the church hates it when you actually believe you should be the bishop. And they're right. The best bishop is the one who least expected it. The worst would be the guy who wanted it, the guy who is the biggest asshole.

So the best bishop would be a eleven year old black single woman? :)

"Hey Mom--the new bishop's a lesbian!"

Well, probably that person would be better than some adult, pink, male, priesthood-holder bishops that I've heard about....

Maybe that guy was playing a game. I can't think of a more sure way to not become Bishop then to go to the stake president and say " I am the most qualified candidate to become Bishop so you should make me Bishop"

I mean seriously? My understanding is that this isn't even a position you're supposed to advocate for in any way. My dad told me they interview several people, but I can't remember if that was for stake president or for Bishop. God knows he's been interviewed like a dozen times since he's been in so many bishoprics.

How the wealthy white people who always get called to the prestigious Church jobs don't get sick of it is beyond me. My dad has been either a bishop or a counselor for like 14 years in a row. It's a job that takes between 15 to 30 hours of your week, on top of your REAL job, and takes up your whole Sunday, usually at least eight hours. Whatever sense of Pride or self-fulfillment that one might get out of doing that kind of thing does not seem to compensate for the amount of work and nonsense you have to put up with.


And he's only in his fifties, so he can reasonably expect to have to do this or other callings, possibly be in a stake presidency, for another 20 years! At some point I would say no, but he never will.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/2017 01:57PM by midwestanon.

I wonder if he really wanted the position or if this was a clever strategy to not be called. Kind of like trying to get out of jury duty.

Oh its not uncommon to have social climbers lobbying for the job...wetting their pants as it were...member few years ago a guy finally made bishop and the family acted like his calling and election was made sure...once the parades over the grind sets in and only an idiot or a real saint would want the dam job...but there is a segment of society that just loves meddling in peoples bizness and being the big kahuna...probly like this guy...i read that for stake pres interviews they select the top ten tithe payers in the stake...seems that way here... but im sure there are exceptions...friend told me bishop is as high as you can go if you didnt serve a mission...hes the guy that would make a good stake pres...but didnt serve a mission...silly silly rules that cobtrol that discernment...its like the holy spook needs all the help it can get from string pullers...and as was mentioned usually the worst person for the job is the one wetting his pants over it

bishop being the highest a person can go if they didn't go on a mission? What about Monson, Eyring, Ucdorf? Maybe this is a new custom I'm not familiar with....

Ever read the book "Animal Farm" by George Orwell?


All pigs are created equal, but some pigs are better than other pigs...

A different set of rules apply for Mormon Royalty, than applies to all the rest of us peons.

Some of them who become bishop are as big of jerks as this guy was/is.

LOL.

I remember as a kid before I left home that my Parents had a conversation about a certain man who didn't make Bishop when it came time for a change. They said that he had campaigned hard, but didn't make it this time, maybe next time.

One of my mission presidents was a bank vice president in civilian life. He ran the mission like a corporation and encouraged back-stabbing self promotion for elders to advance to senior comp, district leader, zone leader, Assistant to the President. There were some really obnoxious guys contending for AP. One AP actually married the mission president's daughter upon returning. Ended up with nice executive job in bank. Imagine that.

Some time ago I was an adult leader on a high adventure. A bishopric change was in the works. Not one of us adults wanted it but we were pretty sure one of the guys was at the top of the short list. Someone said "you know they look for the kindest, most spiritual, and compassionate person on the ward ... and then they call her husband" and then all looked at him. He just put his head in his hands with a please don't let it be so. Yes, 2 weeks later he was called. Great guy. The 'climbers' were not there as they of course had more important matters than being on a high adventure with there kids.

We always said people like that were"running for bishop.".

Oh yes. A couple even got their prized position. One of them is in the Steak Presidency today. In large part my disaffection with the church is due to the ladder climbers. If their behavior hadn't made the corporate aspect so obvious I would still be stuck at pay/pray/obey.

Ladder climbing is the essence of the politico-religious complex.