Did you ever stop to think that when a person is introduced to a LDS church congregation re. his/her new calling, that raising your hand to sustain them means you are agreeing to accept any job they ask you to do?

That's why (before I quit going to church completely), I never raised my hand to sustain someone in their new office.

Note: This takes courage, as everyone around you is likely to notice this, and wonder what is wrong with the person they are asking you to raise your hand to sustain.

The only response you may get, is to be told you can report your reason why you didn't sustain the person, after the meeting.

Someone took them into the hall and put on the pressure and threatened them. Then the "vote" for sustaining was redone to get 100%.

Cheryl Wrote:
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> Someone took them into the hall and put on the
> pressure and threatened them. Then the "vote" for
> sustaining was redone to get 100%.

I never experienced that, but it doesn't surprise me at all.

You have "free agency" in mormonism, as long as your "free agency" leads you to do exactly what they want you to do. Then you don't have it.

It turns out the LDS leaders have changed that belief. There are no longer references to "free agency." The belief has now changed to "moral agency," and I think they went back in time and purged references to "free agency," replacing them with "moral agency." Now they can say, "See? We've never taught that. You're quite mistaken."

I've seen this one time when I was younger and still living at home. One older man raised his hand as high as he could when asked if anyone is opposed. It was during the priesthood opening exercises and the meeting was suspended while the bishop asked the opposing man to step out into the hall. They were out there for what seemed like a very long time and when they returned the vote was taken again and this time all were in favor. I later asked my Dad what it was about and he told me to mind my own business.

Threatening??? in church??....that could have been interesting. I'm 6'4" and 3XL....wish they'd have threatened me back in the day. I can think of one pf my bishops unworthy of my support.

who turned out to be a flake and thoroughly undependable

My DH had worked with this guy in another calling, and said it was a cold day in Hell when the guy bothered to show up at all. He was often rude if confronted.

But the guy had money, see, and was tight with the bishop. When he was called and sustained to office, my DH raised his hand AGAINST sustaining (so did I, but you know what a female's vote is worth).

After the meeting, he was called into what was reported to be a rather acrimonious meeting with the bishop (I wasn't allowed to attend). He laid out the evidence as to why he would not sustain the guy - mainly because he hadn't done the job he was sustained to do the last time - and the bishop told DH that if he failed to sustain this guy, here and now in the bishop's office, he would be disfellowshipped.

And that's exactly how it went down.

I saw it happen in my home ward once. I was probably 12 or 13. I don't remember who was being sustained or for what. But, three older men in the ward not only raised their hands in opposition, they stood up! There was an audible gasp from the congregation as the bishop had them all go into his office while we all gossiped in the chapel. My dad thought it might have to do with some business deal that they'd all been involved with that went sour or something.

I do not remember if they came back in or what happened but it sure seemed to take everyone by surprise.

We were priests on the stand to prepare and administer the sacrament. One of my friends had a vendetta against one of the counselors in the BP. Whenever the prick was conducting ward business and called for a sustaining vote, my friend would sustain with his middle finger clearly visible. This went on for months; almost a year. Finally, one of the advisers to the Priest Quorum caught on. He asked him why he was flipping everybody off.

My friend replied, "Just a football injury. It affects my hand when I am asked to raise it over my head."

I remember. When I first joined, I had no idea who the person being sustained was, or what it was for. Everyone raised their hand , half assed, all looking bored. I just raised my hand too .

I always raise my hand to do so.

Gordon B. Hinkley was asked on TV whether he was a prophet or not. His answer was "the church members sustain me as such". He couldn't even admit publicly that he claims to be a prophet (coward). That alone is a good reason to never sustain the prophet. He isn't even a good human being.

azsteve Wrote:
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> Gordon B. Hinkley was asked on TV whether he was a
> prophet or not. His answer was "the church members
> sustain me as such". He couldn't even admit
> publicly that he claims to be a prophet (coward).
> That alone is a good reason to never sustain the
> prophet. He isn't even a good human being.

The answer that I heard him give was "I am sustained as such"
Also when asked "Do you get your power from God" he replied "I get my power from the men and women who sustain me."
Make of it what you will!!

Yep! close enough. Either way, same meaning.

I never raise a hand to "sustain" someone unless I know their qualifications and in reality willing to support them in that position.

Better yet, after resigning, I am never present when they ask that rediculous question.