In this episode we meet again with member of North Star, a non-profit organization that is a faith-affirming resource for Latter-day Saints addressing sexual orientation or gender identity, and who desire to live in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the doctrines and values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
On March 17-19, North Star is having a conference in Provo, Utah. A portion of that conference will be dedicated to helping Church leaders understand this delicate subject. We hope this episode gives you a clear understanding of why all leaders should attend this fantastic conference.
This is a review of an episode recorded last April 2015. I am posting this here so that it can be reviewed by the podcast audience prior to the release of Part 2 and Part 3 which will be posted in a few days.
To read and review the original see here: https://leadingsaints.org/how-to-support-gay-members-in-your-lds-ward/
We hear it all the time in sacrament meeting; the invitation, coming from the lectern, to “stand after your name is read.” This means members of your ward are getting a calling. Most callings that are extended to us require no leadership responsibilities.
Recently I had lunch with a friend. This wasn’t just a friend but also a past bishopric counselor of mine. At the time of our lunch I had recently been released as bishop and he had recently been called as bishop in a different ward. These scenarios led to a discussion about leadership vacuums.
Imagine if you sat on the board of directors for a large Fortune 500 company that needed to find a new CEO to improve the dismal progress of the company. You are not allowed to conduct any formal interviews. You can only choose from people that live in a specific geographical neighborhood (about 350 people). To top it off, you have to make your decision in only 2 weeks.
Thomas Wirthlin McConkie may have the most “Mormon” name in all of Zion. 🙂 That doesn’t mean his story is a typical Mormon story. Thomas has recently released a helpful book called Navigating Mormon Faith Crisis: A Simple Development Map. This would be an excellent read for a leader in the Church who is seeking further understanding of those in the midst of a faith crisis. You can also find helpful resources at MormonStages.com.
President Harry S. Truman had a small wooden sign on his desk that stated “THE BUCK STOPS HERE”. His desk displayed this sign throughout his administration. It’s a good motto — a motto all leaders should follow. Many interpret this motto not only as a reason to take responsibility of all things that happen in your jurisdiction, but to also hold a death grip on all details. Delegation becomes impossible. Oversight is required. The leader maintains control. This interpretation is the birth of a micro-manager—and nobody likes a micro-manager.
Most of us reading this website have meetings, lots and lots of meetings. Sometimes meetings to plan a meeting. Over my 20+ years in LDS Church leadership, I have spent 100’s of hours sitting in meetings. The first thing I’d mention is meetings are necessary; however, meetings aren’t the gospel.
Calling management can be a distracting task for a presidency that is striving to connected individually with members of their ward. It’s an administrative task that must be done while also giving special thought to whom should fill which calling.
Tyler Howe is principal of the Neil Armstrong Academy in West Valley City, Utah. He graduated from BYU in Elementary Education and then later went on to earn a masters degree at Southern Utah University. He is a strong latter-day saint and has years of experience educating young children. He was recently recognized as the recipient of the Granite School District Excel Award for his outstanding success as an elementary school principal.
