Joshua S. McClure is a husband, father of seven, and lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ. Raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he loves faith, family, and meaningful conversations. His children are his greatest joy and his greatest source of humble reminders that he’s not nearly as in control as he thinks he is. Joshua is passionate about helping people come unto Christ and loves hearing the unique ways others are finding Him in their lives. Whether teaching, serving, or simply sharing stories, he believes that every person has something valuable to teach and every journey can bring us closer to the Savior.
Enter Joshua…
Have you ever experienced something like this?
Kneeling together as a bishopric, seeking the Spirit, desiring to be led to call the right person, someone God wants, someone who needs an opportunity to serve, grow, and become.
Humbly kneeling.
Mournfully praying.
Hearts burning.
Tears dropping.
Then comes that unmistakable moment.
The Spirit whispers.
The room changes.
There is unity.
There is clarity.
There is peace.
Suddenly, everyone knows exactly who the Lord wants called.
The invitation is extended. Testimonies are shared. Joy is felt. The sustaining vote takes place. A blessing is given. And then… Immediate tension.
It is almost shocking how quickly it can happen. What began with spiritual confirmation suddenly becomes difficult. Concerns emerge. Questions surface. Feelings are hurt. Opinions are shared. Conversations happen in hallways, parking lots, and living rooms. The bishop’s office sees a steady stream of visitors. Leaders feel stretched. Relationships strain.
It can feel like poison spreading through an otherwise healthy body.
Why does this happen?
Perhaps a better question is: Why are we surprised when it happens?
The Pattern of Opposition
The scriptures repeatedly teach that whenever God moves His work forward, opposition follows.
Lehi taught his son Jacob that
“it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things” (2 Nephi 2:11).
Opposition is not evidence that the Lord is absent. Often it is evidence that He is present. Satan rarely fights against things that do not matter. He opposes what God is trying to accomplish.
Consider the experience of Moses. After receiving divine direction and authority from God, Moses immediately encountered resistance. Pharaoh’s heart hardened. The people murmured. Progress seemed impossible. Yet God’s purposes were being fulfilled.
The same pattern appears throughout the Book of Mormon. Alma and Amulek preached with power and authority, yet their ministry was followed by persecution and rejection. Captain Moroni raised the Title of Liberty and rallied faithful Saints, yet opposition increased. Nephi faithfully followed revelation to obtain the brass plates, only to encounter repeated obstacles and setbacks.
The Lord’s work has never advanced without resistance.
Perhaps one of the greatest examples comes from the Savior Himself. At His baptism, heaven opened. The Father’s voice declared,
“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).
What happened next? Immediately after that divine confirmation, Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
The pattern is remarkable.
- Confirmation.
- Calling.
- Commission.
- Opposition.
Again and again, the pattern repeats.
The Lord Is Shaping Disciples
It is easy to assume that if a decision is inspired, everyone will immediately recognize it and rejoice in it. Yet scripture teaches something different. Sometimes inspired decisions reveal the hearts of those involved. Sometimes they create opportunities for growth. Sometimes they uncover weaknesses that need healing. The Lord is not merely interested in filling callings. He is shaping disciples.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell once taught:
“Faith also includes trust in God’s timing.”
That principle becomes especially important when dealing with Church service.
Often, we see only the immediate challenges. God sees decades.
We see a new Relief Society president struggling to find her footing. God sees the woman she will become.
We see an inexperienced elders quorum president making mistakes. God sees a future stake leader.
We see awkwardness, discomfort, and growing pains. God sees refinement.
The Lord’s timing is rarely our timing.
The Lord Looks on the Heart
Samuel was sent to Jesse’s house to anoint a king. One by one, Jesse’s sons passed before him. Surely Eliab looked like the obvious choice. Yet the Lord reminded Samuel,
“for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
How often do we do the opposite? We evaluate callings based on experience, personality, popularity, age, social connections, or personal preferences.
The Lord often evaluates based on who needs growth, who is willing to serve, and who can become something greater through the assignment.
President Thomas S. Monson frequently reminded members that
“whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies.”
Notice that he did not say the Lord calls only those who are already qualified. He qualifies them after they are called. That process often requires discomfort.
Many years ago, President Henry B. Eyring taught that one of the purposes of Church service is to help us become more like Jesus Christ. The Lord is not merely assigning tasks. He is transforming people.
Sometimes the person being transformed is the one receiving the calling.
Sometimes it is the people sustaining them.
Sometimes it is both.
A Test of Discipleship
One of the greatest tests of discipleship occurs when an inspired decision conflicts with our personal expectations.
Can we trust God when we would have chosen differently?
Can we sustain someone we did not anticipate?
Can we rejoice in another person’s opportunity to grow?
Can we support imperfect leaders while recognizing our own imperfections?
King Benjamin taught:
“For behold, are we not all beggars?” (Mosiah 4:19).
That truth applies to leadership as much as anything else.
Every bishop is dependent upon grace. Every Relief Society president is dependent upon grace. Every Young Women president is dependent upon grace. Every elders quorum president is dependent upon grace. Every member is dependent upon grace.
No calling holder stands before God because of personal greatness. We all stand because of Jesus Christ.
The Lord’s Pattern: Imperfect People, Sacred Work
One of Satan’s most effective strategies is to convince us that people must be perfect before they can serve.
The Lord’s pattern is the opposite. He calls imperfect people and then perfects them through service.
Peter denied Christ. Paul persecuted Christians. Alma the Younger fought against the Church. Yet each became a powerful instrument in God’s hands.
If the Lord waited for perfection before extending opportunities to serve, no one would ever receive a calling.
President Russell M. Nelson has repeatedly taught that the Lord loves effort.
Growth is often messy. Repentance is messy. Learning is messy. Leadership development is messy. Family life is messy. Discipleship is messy.
Yet the Lord patiently works through imperfect circumstances to accomplish perfect purposes.
What Is the Lord Teaching Us?
This perspective can change how we view moments of tension after inspired decisions. Rather than asking, “Why is this happening?” perhaps we should ask, “What is the Lord teaching us through this?”
Sometimes He is teaching patience. Sometimes humility. Sometimes charity. Sometimes trust.
Moroni taught that charity is
“the pure love of Christ” (Moroni 7:47).
Charity becomes especially important when we disagree.
It is easy to love people who think exactly as we do. It is harder to love when expectations are unmet. It is harder to love when personalities clash. It is harder to love when concerns arise. Yet those moments often reveal the depth of our discipleship.
The Apostle Paul taught that charity
“suffereth long, and is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4).
Notice that long-suffering comes before many other attributes. Why? Because growth takes time. People take time. Callings take time. Trust takes time.
The Lord takes a long view of His work.
The Long View
We often measure success in weeks or months. God measures success in eternities.
A new leader may struggle for six months and become extraordinary in six years.
A difficult situation today may become a sacred testimony tomorrow.
Many members can look back on their lives and identify leaders whom they initially questioned but later came to deeply love and respect.
Time revealed what immediate impressions could not. The Lord knew what He was doing all along.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland once said:
“Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.”
The same principle applies to understanding inspired decisions.
Sometimes understanding comes quickly. Sometimes it comes years later. Sometimes we may never fully understand in mortality. But faith means trusting the Lord even before understanding arrives.
That trust is not blind. It is rooted in experience. It is rooted in remembering previous moments when God proved faithful. It is rooted in witnessing His hand over and over again.
Sacred Work
When a bishopric kneels together seeking revelation, they are not engaging in a management exercise.
They are participating in sacred work. They are seeking heavenly direction for earthly stewardship.
That does not mean every outcome will be easy. It does mean God is involved.
President Russell M. Nelson has taught that
“In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”
That influence applies to leaders and members alike. Leaders need revelation to know whom to call.
Members need revelation to know how to sustain.
Both require humility. Both require faith. Both require patience.
It Means the Lord Is at Work
Ultimately, the story is not about callings. It is about becoming like Christ. The Savior never promised a life free from tension, disappointment, or opposition. Instead, He promised peace in the midst of those experiences.
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you” (John 14:27).
That peace is available to bishoprics seeking revelation. It is available to leaders learning new responsibilities. It is available to members wrestling with questions. It is available to congregations experiencing growing pains.
The Lord’s work moves forward despite opposition. In fact, many times it moves forward because of opposition.
Difficult experiences refine faith. Challenges deepen testimony. Disappointments create opportunities to trust God more fully. And through it all, the Lord continues shaping His people.
So the next time inspiration is followed by tension, remember that this pattern is not new. It happened to prophets. It happened to apostles. It happened to ancient Saints. It happened to the Savior Himself.
The presence of opposition does not invalidate revelation. The presence of difficulty does not negate inspiration. The presence of growth pains does not mean something has gone wrong. Sometimes it means exactly the opposite. It means the Lord is at work.
And while we may not always understand His timing, His choices, or His methods, we can trust His purposes. For He sees what we cannot see. He knows what we do not know.
And He is patiently preparing all of us, leaders and members alike, for something greater than we can presently imagine.
And after all is said and done, if we endure to the end, we will have become as He is.
