I had called to the RS presidency on September 8, 2019. Two months into my calling I was called to the position of second counselor. By the time 2020 had started we were told that we would need to call a few sisters for a humanitarian committee though we did not have the final details of how it would be handled – activities would be held every other month by the activities committee and we would do service projects the other months and the humanitarian committee would provide the details.
Sisters were called and set apart. The last four were set apart on March 8, 2020. The committee never met in person. No events were planned. We were told that Church would no longer operate in person. President Nelson had given that instruction before the stay-at-home order had been given. We did not return to Church until ten months later. Meanwhile, many sisters from both committees have been given other callings. Our humanitarian committee is pretty much dissolved. We have not returned to activities among any organization except for the youth who have been meeting since December I think.
Last week we returned to the two meeting schedule on Sunday. We don’t know how our activities will fit in at this time or if we will go forward with the humanitarian committee. Perhaps the only purpose for our calling them was so that when the pandemic first went into effect they were able to make masks to meet the needs of those that didn’t have.
I
remember admiring those that had been called to serve the young women in the
last ward I had attended while living in Salt Lake. We lived in a largely geriatric populated
ward (Over 75% of all members were over the age of 70) and did not have many
active youth. In fact, I remembered only
one boy being present on Sunday –
though I think the girls may have gotten a bigger turn out for the Wednesday
night activity than did the boys.
Sundays were sparse. And yet, the
presidency diligently planned their lessons and showed up to the classroom just
in case.
There
were a few weeks that they had the opportunity to teach visitors or the new
move-ins that we had for only a few months.
They loved their girls and rallied around those who were less
active. I don’t
know how much they got out of their calling or if they questioned it –
but it made a great impression on me.
It’s
not our place to question why the Lord would give one a calling when surely
there seems to be another who is more qualified or provide a calling that might
be viewed as worthless. No calling is
worthless. Each is needed no matter what
the position. I know some wards have
struggled at fulfilling all the necessary callings while other wards seem to
make up callings. They are all
inspired. Oh, sure –
there have been some called out of desperation rather than inspiration –
but that doesn’t make it less important. How blessed each of us is that we do have the
opportunity to serve. Even if it may
seem pointless at times or if it is for such a short time that you wonder what
the purpose was. There is a
purpose. I think it’s
something each of us still need to learn.
