Question
Gramps,
Has it become a norm that once a person reaches 55 or 60 years of age they no longer are called to any position of leadership? In my ward and stake, as well as surrounding stakes, there is not a single leadership position held by anyone older than 55 or 60. In my ward my wife and I have not been called to any position for over 8 years. We are temple worthy and are ordinance workers but no call in our ward or stake. Many others that I speak with at the temple relate the exact same experience.
Jim
Answer
Jim,
The only policies about age and potential callings in the Church are Aaronic priesthood ordinations.
I am quite concerned that you say you haven’t been in a leadership position for eight years. As you know, leadership in the Church is a matter of service. So every calling is a leadership position. If you’ve truly not had a calling for eight years, you should speak with your bishop as soon as you can. Serving one another through church callings is one of our great privileges as members of the Church. Unless you are under church discipline, you should be serving in a calling.
I suspect, however, that you are defining leadership positions much more narrowly than the Lord does. Perhaps you see leadership positions as those callings with great administrative responsibilities, such as Stake Presidents, Relief Society Presidents, or general officers of the Church.
As Elder Bednar discussed in his most recent General Conference address, the Lord values the wisdom and experience of age as we see in the general officers of the Church. Few are called into general leadership positions before the age you mentioned.
Chosen to Bear Testimony of My Name
On the local level, there are people of every age serving in every kind of position. Just last year the Deseret News ran a story about a 100-year-old woman who served as an advisor in Young Women’s.
Why has the Lord chosen younger people to serve in highly visible positions in your region of the world? I can hardly guess the will of God in this matter. But I also wouldn’t categorize it as a great mystery. Surely you can imagine many reasons why the Lord has chosen these particular people at this particular time to advance His great work.
The season of life you are in is a great one for serving the Lord. You’re already learning that as temple workers. If you are looking for additional opportunities, consider the benefits of missionary service. The Church needs senior missionaries, and the call continues to go out for more and more volunteers.
As you continue to build up the kingdom, don’t focus on where you are serving as much as on how you are serving.
God speed,
Gramps
