In a ward with a high percentage of high priests when he is not getting a calling that requires it, like bishopric member. My BIL was recently made a high priest and the bishop said he'd been getting a "prompting" to do it for almost a year. Finally the SP said "then you better go ahead an do it."

The problem is, both my mom and my sister (his wife) now think he is dying or something and that is why the bishop felt it was important to get him this office at such a young age. Also, my sister has two friends who died, who were promised in their patriarchal blessing that they would serve senior missions and both died before 40. BIL has the same promise in his blessing, using the same wording as in the two people who died.

Now the fanatical TBM women in my family are freaking out and I am silently cursing the imaginary priesthood and made up patriarchal blessings for causing unnecessary stress in peoples' lives AGAIN.

Because he faithfully pays full-tithing on a really good income?

It's usually all about $$$.

Question: Does he have a high paying job? Is there a shortage of men to fill bishopric callings or higher Stake callings? If people have not become a high priest by 50 they are usually made one automatically. 40 is not unusual, especially if they are in a high paying career.

He's currently the ward clerk and working on an MA in his field. My sister says there are lots of HPs already in their ward. My sister also has an MA and works full time, doesn't make much now but is up for a promotion, w/ a huge pay raise attached.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/2010 02:27PM by CA girl.

helemon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Question: Does he have a high paying job? Is
> there a shortage of men to fill bishopric callings
> or higher Stake callings? If people have not
> become a high priest by 50 they are usually made
> one automatically. 40 is not unusual, especially
> if they are in a high paying career.

This is typically what I've seen as well.

We've had many friends called as HP before 35 (one was 29) simply because there weren't enough men to fill BP/Stake callings in the particular area of Hawaii where we lived.

I was made a HP at 40.

And when our ward split a few years before that, we had so few High Priests to fill the Bishopric opsitions that several of the Elders Quorum were made HPs, even in their early 30's.

Probably in bigger wards the HP ordination doesn't happen until late 40's or more but it is not unusual for younger people to be ordained as needed.

Suggest that he might be being made a HP so young because God wants him to be a general authority some day and needs to get him started. Maybe he'll be SP by 45, MP by 47, GA by 51, and Apostle by 60. And maybe the mission he needs to serve is as a GA. And obviously the BIL is righteous and God will protect him because he is being made a HP. Tell them to pray to help the BIL remain righteous or ya never know what might happen...

That should turn their worry in to jubilation, cause them to run to their bedrooms to pray (out of your hair), and everyone can go on with life in blissful ignorance.

My single brother was made one years ago in his 30's I think. Had something to do with being a mission leader or some such malarky. He is not rich and has never been married, didn't go on a mission either, so I don't know. I think they just needed him for a stake calling and he had to be one for that. Single men have LOTS of time to do church stuff, right?

Now he is real sick though, but I don't think that had anything to do with it then.

sounds so cultish and weird to me now. Mormons.

Which is probably the only reason that Mormons have the office of high priest.

Yeah. I'm BRAGging. And once I had a bishop who was only 25 (big mistake).

Is it normally only given if and when the man's calling requires the HP status?

Or after a certain age, is it usually given to a priesthood holder anyway if he is faithful? For example, there are a few Mormon men who simply aren't leaders, but are always at Church meetings, always willing to lend a helping hand, etc.

I can't remember ever being aware of older active-Mormon men who were *not* high priests... but I could be mistaken.

The HP role is given around the age of 40 to an active male if he hasn't received it yet.

If there's a priesthood calling at a younger age, bishopric usually, then the guy will get it then.

This all sounds typical to me.

This is one of the reasons I dont go to church any more , nor care much about it.

I am male, 55, never been in a presidency in some 20 years of church. I am still an elder and am assigned to the HPG in our ward. To say the least, I am not a HP and have ZERO in common with the rest of the guys there. I tried going, but the never felt like I belonged there, because, I dont. What really bugged me the most was, guys who moved into the ward being called to counselor and I was still there. Why go to a group where you arent valued. I feel like I am being treated like a 2nd class member or worse.

This is just one issue I have with the church, lack of inspiration in the church. Like George mentioned above, it is usually about the $$$ and little more. Who cares about life experiences, being spiritual when what you tithe is much more important.

This isnt the only reason. But one of many that have caused me to frequent this and other sites like this.

Looks like you have seen through the rubbish that is supposedly "the prompting of the spirit". We do not do this sort of thing in our mainstream churches. We do not assign jobs. We feel the inspiration should come from the individual to volunteer their service. And of course if they do not do well, then they can be relieved of the duty. I would be ticked off too and it would be a real reason to ask questions and exit if the answers just don't add up.

I was 33 when I was made a HP. a few years after the worst two years(mission) I was called as ward mission leader I was also ordained a seventy with that calling that was back when they still had 70's on the stake level and when they discontinued the 70's on the stake level I was made a High Priest.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/2010 02:24PM by wilson.

Bishop is an Aaronic Priesthood Calling.
These callings (HP) are given to men who are active temple recommend holders with supportive wives.

I was 26 when they made me a high priest. I was called to a stake high council. I thought at the time that it proved gawd's love for me and that I had a special destiny in life. I see now the real reason was that my stake president really, really liked me. The reason, too, is tragic. When I met him, he had lost a son in a car crash, and I had recently lost a young wife to sudden heart failure. We had that in common, as anyone who has lost a close loved one understands. Anyway, I said all the right (doctrinal things), and the next thing I knew I was in a high council.

The problem for me was that this put a huge amount of pressure on me to perform and to "up" my righteousness, and I think it delayed my escape from the cult by several years.

39 young for a high priest? Not too sure on that one, but for Brother Brigham to ordain 3 of his teenage sons as Apostles...that's a bit much for me.

Don't you have to...ya know... SEE JESUS to be an Apostle. Oh, wait...you just have to bear really strong testimony now... Tada!

It is all a big joke, so who cares?

I think around 40 they make you a HP anyway if you weren't made one before. 39 isn't so young to be made one. He is not special. He will not become a GA some someday. Sorry.

BTW the Dry Priests are actually even more boring than the Elders so there is nothing to gain by it. I thought that maybe their lessons were deeper or more interesting than Elders. Not.

Only difference was there was a lot more sleeping going on but that was about it.

The poor women are stuck with "sister" their whole lives.

As a multi-time ward clerk I think I know.

Your BIL knows and does his job so well that the bishop will never let him move on to something more spiritually fulfilling. For this the BP feels guilty. For someone who really really believes it is extremely frustrating to be marginalized into administrative hell, when you feel your spirit needs an opportunity to serve ecclesiastically. Year after year, ward after ward, because you pay attention to detail and do what it takes effort wise to get it done. But alas, if you are looking for inspiration and discernment you are kidding yourself.

My dad was made a high priest in the topeka Kansas City ward, and he's an known child molester, I wonder if that's a requirement now? Nothing surprises me anymore.

So he has an excuse for sleeping in church :-)

They took him aside and said that they had discovered that he had never been promoted to High Priest, and he was much older than the folks in the Elders Quorum. He said that it seemed mostly like a promotion based on age.

And when I was made a High Priest, it was because I had been called into the Bishopric. The Stake President already had his hands on my head to set me apart when someone told him I was still an Elder.

So, without any vote from the congregation or Conference, and totally unknown to any except those in the room I was ordained a HP and then set apart as councilor.

That always bugged me.