I don't normally post here, sometimes I respond to posts. I just had a question.

I am a nonmo, my wife is inactive/jackmo. We live in the Salt Lake Valley. The other night while my wife was at work one of her home teachers stopped by. He proceded to give me cookies and inform me that he is the new bishop. Apparently the other home teacher is the former bishop. Is it normal for the bish and former bish to do home teaching together? I would have thought that with all of his other duties the bishop would be exempt from home teaching. It kind of feels that we are becomming a project. I have lived in Utah for most of my life so I understand how being the ward project works. This just seems excessive.

It certainly sounds like you are the new ward project to me.

It could be that the two guys are friends and used their influence to help "inspire" the High Priest Group leader to assign them as Home teaching companions so that they could focus on the less active.

I've seen it happen from time to time. Hopefully they will move on soon.

It may be coincidence but it's also totally likely that these 2 have been paired up at the new Bishops direction as a reactivation dream team. Lucky you.

It's normal for a bishop to have at least 1 home teaching family assigned to him. Usually, whomever they HT will be a part member. He's hooked up w/ a former bishop because most of those High Priests are former Bishops. Anybody on the part member list will eventually be a project, especially in the valley. Everything about mormonism is excessive.

Bishops are always assigned to home teach. Often they are given less families and are given an easy home teaching companion because they are so busy with other things.

But yeah, the assignment is probably strategic.

I have attended Bishopric, Ward Council and PEC meetings for the last few years. It is common practice (in my ward at least) to identify less active or struggling members and then assign them very active and faithful members as their Home Teachers.

The thinking is that if they are being visited regularly by upstanding and faithful members, it increases the likelihood of them returning to activity.

As I type it, it sounds very creepy and manipulative. But when these things are being discussed in the meetings, it's all very matter-of-fact and nobody thinks anything of it.

TSCC makes up the rules as they go. You are perceptive to see that you have become a project. They are fishing for possible reactivation (and hopeful tithing restoration) from your wife. I'd talk with your wife first and see where she stands and then let the bishop know that as a husband you don't appreciate two men coming to your house at night, or any other time, to see your wife. If they do it again, especially at night, you will take formal action. Sounds like time for your wife to formally resign.

Sounds excessive? TSCC is hemorrhaging membership. Gotta do something.

Thanks for your input

oh btw, it was just the bishop and his wife that stopped by, and they left us cookies that looked like poo. My wife was not upset that she missed them :)

You ARE a project. Don't mistake their niceness as just being friendly neighbors. Don't let these people in your home.

Mormons always have an agenda. Their goal is to re-activate your wife and/or convert you. If they succeed in reactivating your wife, then TSCC becomes a third member of your marriage.

It's definitely their goal to bring her back and to get you baptized. That's always the goal, or at least the hope.

They LOOOOOOOVE part member/inactive families because that usually means if they can sucker the inactive back to activity, that they will get some sort of two-fer. Reactivation plus baptism for the win!

And, for sure, because they've created the Hometeaching Dream Team, they are out for blood.

Good luck!