Education is a Comandment...

[DarkJedi]

My parent's bishop did this shortly after I was born. They had just gotten a new house, my dad had just gotten a new position and larger workload at work, and I had just been born. The bishop felt "inspired" to extend a very time consuming and demanding calling to my mom. She explained everything going on in their lives at the time and said that the calling would be too much to handle. The bishop said essentially, "I'm sorry, I didn't know all that before. I rescind the call from you."

I think this is more common than the general membership might think. I can think of several personal experiences as a high councilor where we were sent to extend a calling and the member explained something we just didn't know about. I think there is one main reason it doesn't happen more often and one other reason it doesn't happen sometimes. The main reason is the mindset that if the calling came from the Lord the person is going to accept it no matter what their personal issues might be at the time and thus they don't explain or are afraid to. I am personally aware of one incident where this was the case and the person just couldn't do it and when the stake president realized what was going on he asked the person why they just didn't say so in the first place (very nicely of course, but when he relayed the story to the high council he was clearly exasperated). Sometimes we are sent and told to ask specific questions relating to concerns that have been brought up in council and to not extend the call if what we heard was correct. The other lesser reason I think sometimes a call is not rescinded is pride on behalf of the leader extending the call - how they could they be wrong, they prayed about it and got an answer. Of course sometimes it's a power/authority thing as well.

I think another thing that is more common than the general membership knows is the increasing propensity of people to just flat out refuse with no reason given. People say no with or without reason a lot. I have done it myself (very recently in fact).

[Curt Sunshine]

I sing, lead music, and play the piano (and organ), so I am known as someone who can take care of musical callings.

One time, long ago, I was asked to be the Primary chorister. I told the counselor I would be mediocre, at best, since I don't have the type of creativity required to teach kids. I said I would do it, if they were desperate, but they would be getting a mediocre chorister who might not be good in the long run for the kids. I told him to talk with the Bishop and get back to me if they still wanted me to do it.

They asked someone else.

As I say often, if they ask me and I accept, they get me. I have zero guilt if they don't get what they expect.

(I also don't accept automatically. I have told leaders I would not accept a calling in Scouts, for example. I hated it and won't be part of it.)

[SilentDawning]

Leaders have used the old "This is something the Lord wants you to do" or "I feel inspired you should do...X" so many times I'm numb to it now. It's what I believe that matters. It's easy to just say the Lord wants you to do something to get you to do it. But believing that one statement can hurl you into circumstances that can be very hard to change. Sometimes it can be a calling that makes you frustrated and unhappy -- you can just quit, but that hurts your reputation in the community. And the local leaders can take their SWEET time releasing you, while everyone thinks you're still in the saddle.

They can promise blessings but as Roy pointed out, are those blessings really theirs to promise? God bestows blessings, and his rules are, as one author pointed out, mysterious.

[Kipper]

Leaders have used the old "This is something the Lord wants you to do" or "I feel inspired you should do...X" so many times I'm numb to it now. It's what I believe that matters. It's easy to just say the Lord wants you to do something to get you to do it. But believing that one statement can hurl you into circumstances that can be very hard to change. Sometimes it can be a calling that makes you frustrated and unhappy -- you can just quit, but that hurts your reputation in the community. And the local leaders can take their SWEET time releasing you, while everyone thinks you're still in the saddle.

They can promise blessings but as Roy pointed out, are those blessings really theirs to promise? God bestows blessings, and his rules are, as one author pointed out, mysterious.

And this:

... They have no accountability for the outcome. I would rather live in bad circumstances I chose willingnessly than circumstances born of bad advice from others.

I will listen to advice from anywhere but leave it to me to make my final decision. For your sake, and mine.