MRKH

I also don’t like the idea that President G.’s approach (which I think has merit) absolves God of responsibility. I don’t think we can claim that God can give someone authority to make decisions that have the stamp of divine approval and then wash his hands of bad decisions made by that person. Rather, I think God is willing to work together with all of us, flawed as we are, and deal with the consequences, together with us.

Finally, I think the idea that authority equals inspiration can be a pragmatically useful one. After all, why are claims to inspiration important? It seems that it is precisely because the claim of inspiration makes a decision more authoritative. We are already equating the two to some extent, so this seems to fit. Of course, bad authoritative decisions call into question how completely the two should be equated, but in my experience, the assumption works most of the time, as Norbert implies in comment #4.

When he was the 1st Councilor in the Stake Presidency quite a few years ago, the SP moved out of state with a new job assignment. This man was the logical choice to replace him, but it was made clear to him that he would not be chosen – that the Lord was grateful for his service, but that he was done with his stake service at that time. He prayed earnestly to know whom the Lord would choose to make up the new presidency and received very clear impressions for all three.

He told us he kept his impressions to himself, sharing only the names in his own interview, and after the visiting GA spoke with everyone and got their recommendations the new presidency was exactly whom he had suggested. He told us he needed that type of confirmation at that point in his life, since it was so hard for him to let go of his calling.

I said, “well, hell, then put in Sister Jones.”

She laughed and said, “No, I don’t want her.” The woman is a menace to our ward, but she does have a recommend.

Later, after we weren’t speaking, she put in the name of the woman I’d originally suggested and she is kicking butt in that calling.

That’s sort of how it works in our ward, everybody takes me on a walk and we discuss it. LOL

It usually goes, “who do you think would be good for . . .?”

And somebody throws out a name. And somebody else says, “no, her husband won’t let her do it.”

“Darn. She’d be awesome. Who else?”

They throw out a couple of names. Maybe one is needed in the young womens where she’s already serving. Maybe another is having health problems. Then, “hey, what about so and so?”

Everybody, “hey, I didn’t think of her. She’d be great! Let’s give her name to the bishop.”

I don’t see a lot of inspiration. Nor desperation. Just people knowing people, for the most part. Although our Relief Society secretary at the moment is serving reluctantly and churlishly and scantly because she didn’t even want the calling, she hates Relief Society and she’s gone all the time. The president acknowledges she just did it to activate her.

That just sucks, I think.

Personally, I go for my friends who I know I can count on. Were I in a higher calling, like prophet or something, I’d pray about it more.

A deific CYA policy seems to go against everything that would make it worthwhile to be part of God’s church.

God: “Sure it’s my organization, but don’t hold me responsible anything that happens in it. I outsourced the decision making process.”

The free agency aspect is a good one, but is the ability to exercise free agency in a way that absolves God of responsibility really any better than what the Unitarians (or whoever else) have to offer?

I gave a talk once where I mentioned how hard it is for me to remember to pray vocally and read scriptures on a daily basis, and, given my calling at the time, it got some surprised reactions. I know some of the areas where I still fall flat on my face, but I also prefer the pain of frequent falls to the relaxation of being face down on the pavement.