What do I do when my local church leaders have made a mistake?

Question

Dear Gramps,

Now that the head of the Family History Centre had to give up her task due to grievances of her non-Mormon husband (away from home so many times), our Branch Presidency has asked me to fill in her shoes…..In this I find a dilemma in which I seek help from people who are not related to our little branch, where everybody knows everybody. I pondered my mind and every time I got the notion that this is more a matter of convenience than inspiration, even the remark made by the counselor who interviewed me “we need somebody who is familiar with the latest on computer science” made me especially stand on my toes, to put it mildly. And also they made a lot promises which cannot be fulfilled…….like new computers, internet cable connection of the Centre, etc.

You can also say: “let branch politics be branch politics and do the job, whatever…..”, but I have learned my lesson with that. So, please, give me counsel……

Anton

Answer

Dear Anton,

I have to be frank with you. In my mind, you need to repent of a suspicious and critical attitude. As I said before, you seem to demand that the local Church officials be perfect in their performance, but look at you!! You have made a covenant with the Lord when you raised your arm to the square to sustain the local authorities– to SUSTAIN them, not to criticize and tear them down. LIVE UP TO YOUR COVENANT. Your leaders are probably not any more perfect than you are, and if they ever call you to be the branch president you’ll receive a great awakening to that fact. If you think that you were called without inspiration, where do you think the Lord would have you in His organization? One of the presiding brethren of the Mormon Church remarked on one occasion about this very subject, “Even a poor plan will work if the members will get behind it!”

One more thing– The Lord will recognize and honor all the decisions made by local authorities as long as they are in office. They officially represent Him. He allows them their free agency, and he may very well, in many cases, let them make decisions on their own, without being delivered a tablet chiseled in stone. According to the scripture-

Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

 

For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward (D&C 58:27-28).

But you will answer to the Lord for your obedience to the counsel, direction and instructions that you have received from your priesthood leaders. I think it would be very well for you to seriously consider the scripture,

For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another” (3 Nephi 11:29).

Gramps