In reference to the transition between President Bush to President Obama or between Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict, I read it was a "seemingless quiet transition." I have tried to remember exactly where I read it, but I can't. At the time I remember thinking, "Really?! You must not know what quiet or easy is then." I say this because the religion in which I belong has "quiet transitions." For me they are easy, for the ones who have been called I am sure they are not as easy as they appear.
Today was such a day. Today our stake presidency was changed. A stake is a large geographical area made up of 5 to 6 wards which are smaller geographical area. Each "ward" has a bishop who has 2 counselors who are essentially his helpers. The same with the stake presidency. A stake president is over the "stake" and he has 2 counselors or helpers. This is needed in part because of the tremondous responsibility places on these leaders who are not paid for there work. The counselors do what they president or bishop assigns them to do. They are spiritual leaders. For some the leading is new; for others they have had leadership positions but in different areas of responsibility. In whatever area of responsibility they are called and chosen by He who is the chief cornerstone of our religion, Jesus Christ. His mouthpiece is those whom he has chosen to speak for him and to issue such a calling.
The voting that takes place is called a "sustaining." It is a commitment that each person makes to support the leaders in whatever they are asked to do. The wonderful thing about "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" is the lack of force that is expected be it's members. We are NOT forced in our decisions; our decisions are our decisions. Those who follow and sustain do so because they are knowledgeable of the process that takes place in making these VERY important decisions.
After the sustaining of these new brethren to the stake presidency we heard from them and their wives. Each gave credit to the wife for bringing them to this point in their life. Each recognized that without them they wouldn't be where they were. A new member of the stake presidency is my former bishop.
I know him to be a wise and humble servant of the Lord. One who is willing to die for the cause of that which he believes. He has also been one whom I have looked up to because of his difficult childhood. While I won't go into details, I was very impressed today when he expressed his gratitude for his parents and what they had taught him. They taught him about work. I learned in that brief talk that though it had been difficult for him, he had been able to the part of his childhood that he had learned from and brought to this point in his life.
Many years ago as a missionary shortly after entering the missionfield I received word that my parents had seperated. After receiving the news, I talked with my mission president he gave me advice which I have never forgotten; I was to watch and learn from couples that I came across and see what I could learn from them that I could bring into my own marriage. (Which to this day has been elusive, but that's a different story for a different blog.) I have done so religiously. After learning of my former bishop's childhood, I began to watch he and his wife. I wondered how two Type A personalities could make a marriage work. I concluded that it was a lot of give and take, respect, and the determination to do what they were called to do in the church and give it 110%.
So when I hear of a seemingless quiet transition, I realized that until people have seen how quiet the transition is between a former/current Stake President or Bishop or any other area of responsibility in "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" they probably don't know what they are talking about. They haven't seen what a true quiet transition is all about and I feel sorry for them. They don't know what supporting really means.
(Scriptures to read: Deuteronomy 34:9; John 15:16; Hebrews 5:4)
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