Meet a Real Mormon!

I get asked that question a lot. As background information, a bishop is sort of like a pastor. However, like everyone in our church, he is a layman. We don't pay people to serve God, so he has a regular job, a family, and all that comes with it, doing this for five years or so after work and on weekends. He doesn't give the sermon each week. Anyone can be asked to speak. I've done it many times myself. The bishop is always a man for reasons I'll get into another day.

So, knowing this, do I want to be a bishop? No, of course not. I don't know any woman who would be worthy to be a bishop and who would want the job for the right reasons who actually wants the job. For that matter, I don't know any man who is worthy to be a bishop who wants the job. It's a huge amount of work without pay. What woman has time for it?

There is a position in the church called Relief Society President. The Relief Society president must be a woman and is over all the women in the congregation (which we call a ward.) She reports to the bishop, naturally, but she has a tremendous amount of discretion within the boundaries of the job. I don't want to be her, either. So if I don't even want to be over the women, why would I want to be over everyone?

Not only does the bishop oversee all the auxiliaries and the many positions it takes to run an LDS congregation, but he handles welfare needs, counseling, the youth program and more additional tasks than you can imagine, all in his "spare time."

Nope, no bishop wanna-be's here!