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Mormon Church Politics

In my mind the structure of the Church is perfect and if we keep it simple (and I believe that is how the Lord wants it) then things would run smoothly, but the people within the Church seek to make things so hard to do at times... here is an example and it is partly a rant:

After my mission I helped as a CES co-ordinator while in the District Presidency. During those times I often asked if I could get a loan to help in furthering my education and was told that I could only get help if I was going to study a vocational trade - plumbing, electrician, etc. I did not want to do this, because I wanted a degree so I started paying for it on my own at great sacrifice. In the mean time, members that did not serve a mission, graduate from CES or were very active got loans for university level education! I questioned this and never got an answer. With the recent addition of PEF loans I thought I would try again (two years ago) - I want to study psychology - and I was told that I could not get a loan again. All of this in the space of many years (like a decade or so) now just yesterday one of the local reps for CES calls my wife to say they have to coupons and I should be repaying my loan! What? What loan? Now they are saying that I have to pay for a loan I never got! Grrrrr.

Here is another example, and believe me I have many of these... If it is hot and you need a fan in the Church you have to place an order after getting two invoices, wait for approval from the area office, then get the check, go and buy it... This process takes weeks - sometimes months - in the mean time the people are hot!

Sometimes we go home teaching and find a member who has no food, I do not even bother to talk to the Branch President because it would take two weeks before they got anything! We just go get stuff from our storage and give them the same day. The normal process would be having to pin down the BP then he speaks to the Counselors and then the RS president. Then if they have time they meet to discuss it... Blah, blah, blah...

All these additives to me frustrate the purpose of the work... Which to help the members move ahead and prosper towards Zion.

What are your thoughts and/or experiences?

Politics Church Mormon

That's a hard one. Is a lot of this based on cultural things?

When we have had to have help from the Church (welfare) it has been very quick, usually within a couple of days. I have been downsized 4 times from various jobs. The last time, it took me 8 months to get a full-time job. I was able to get enough part-time work to get us by most of the time, but we did receive some food.

As for the loans, I don't know anything about them. I don't have a really comfortable feeling about the PEF. I know of some members who have created a microloan program for entrepreneurs in the Phillipines that seems to be highly successful, and many of these same members are helping young Filipinos to get through college, because the PEF is so bureucratic and possibly political.

Mormon Church Politics Studies Doctrine Mormon

A lot of it is... and when you talk about it they look at you strangely because they are used to dragging their feet. Most members here are first generation as well, so they really do not know what the Church is like when running in full operation so they think that the current state of affairs is normal.

Politics Church Mormon

Yes, has a lot to do with cultural thing BUT has a lot to do with members in general. Most of them go to Church for the wrong reasons (welfare, socializing, etc). Last Fast and Testimony Sunday I was very upset, of ALL the testimonies there, NONE of them focus on the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they focus in everything else, stories, but nothing about the Lord! It is very frustrating when you feel the need to be uplifted and then I have to come to the forum and feel uplifted by you all, even though it makes me happy I think is very sad at the same time.

Regards to Church policies, I think the Church do not operate anything different from any business and I think they miss a lot of things because of it, but also the leaders have become so burocratic in the process that to help the needy and afflicated doesn't seem like a priority anymore. (the priority is to fill whatever form, get a meeting, get the approval, etc) Now I know the house of the Lord must be a house of order but there are circumnstances when common sense must be applied. If you know somebody needs food right away, are you going to make them feel a form or have a meeting!??? you can do that later! come on!. It makes me very sad and angry at the same time, because I see people sufferening.
But as I said before has a lot to do with the members. I will never forget when I ask the home teacher of a less active sister that I used to visit teach to please give her a blessing because she was in a LOT of pain (this sister had cancer and was in bed). I did my best to explain the situation and the pain this sister was going through. This Priesthood holder did not visit the sister the same day because he was 'too busy working', even though I understand his schedule, could he knowing the situation assigned somebody else than to wait to the next day?. This sister had pass away having only one or two visits from their home teachers, even though they knew she was suffering from a deadly dicease. It makes me sick, sorry if I was carried away with the subject, I just wanted to show that yes Church policies sometimes are odd, but the leaders could do so much better in order to speed up things.

Politics Church Mormon

Definately a problem caused by the fact that we have a lay ministry. I know in our Ward if assistance is needed, it doesn't require a Bishopric meeting. It might involve the member discussing their need with the Bishop or maybe the RS president, but the decision to give assistance is immediate.

Mormon Church Politics

I still waiting for my Temple Recommend interview and still not getting through . I don't know if this is part of Church politics but I find procrastination is way too common these days in the Church! what's going on?.

Mormon Church Politics

LDS, I wouldn't wait. I would go the one of the counselors in the hallway and tell them you need to see them now. Then tell them why. Insist. Of course if you are talking about a district signature (similar to stake) I guess that can be a bit trickier. But, maybe call the executive secretary for the district and insist that an appointment be made immediately.

Probably this doesn't take as high a priority in Trinidad because there is not Temple nearby so they figure it does no harm if your recommend expires. I don't agree with this though.