Dad will be an ordinance worker, learning all the important ordinance jobs.
Mom may get to help in the Baptistry or assign lockers. We don't know yet.
They are very excited and happy about this.
I let my bishop know a week or so ago I am needing to be released from my calling and focus on my family. He had a very warm reply that made me feel good and loved.
I think the relief I feel at not being stuck on Sundays has made me feel less angry. I'm not upset at all about my parents call. I didn't think any rude comments about masonry. I am just peacefully happy for them. They feel like it's a pat on the back from God, and that feels nice to believe.
My parents were called as temple workers
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Thoughtful
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Re: My parents were called as temple workers
Congrats and congrats.
My in laws are temple workers and it's become their social club. They get up at 3:30 am so they can be to the temple by 4:30 am. They dress up in their Sunday best, walk out to the garage, drive to the temple, walk to the locker rooms, get changed to their whites, and then do the same routine ordinance officiating for a few hours. Then they get home, watch Judge Judy, and eat dinner at 4:30pm so they can be in bed by 7:00pm to get enough sleep so they can repeat the process.
Around town they always run into people they know from the temple. It fills their time and gives then a sense of importance and purpose.
I guess it's no different than playing tennis or golf at the country club. It's keeping them busy until their next mission.
Your parents will be blessed with the same benefits. The temple is a great social club for Mormons.
My in laws are temple workers and it's become their social club. They get up at 3:30 am so they can be to the temple by 4:30 am. They dress up in their Sunday best, walk out to the garage, drive to the temple, walk to the locker rooms, get changed to their whites, and then do the same routine ordinance officiating for a few hours. Then they get home, watch Judge Judy, and eat dinner at 4:30pm so they can be in bed by 7:00pm to get enough sleep so they can repeat the process.
Around town they always run into people they know from the temple. It fills their time and gives then a sense of importance and purpose.
I guess it's no different than playing tennis or golf at the country club. It's keeping them busy until their next mission.
Your parents will be blessed with the same benefits. The temple is a great social club for Mormons.
“It always devolves to Pantaloons. Always.” ~ Fluffy
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“Those who do not move do not notice their chains.” ~Rosa Luxemburg
“I switched baristas” ~ Lady Gaga
“Those who do not move do not notice their chains.” ~Rosa Luxemburg
Re: My parents were called as temple workers
My father is a temple recorder. After my mother passed away last year it has been a really good social group for him. He has other widows and widowers around for commiseration and understanding. He is in good enough shape and I would not want to disrupt his routine of contemplation and temple service.
Re: My parents were called as temple workers
Congrats on stepping back! And I'm glad you are at a good place with your parents new calling.
It is different than playing tennis or golf. The people playing tennis or golf don't think they are serving humanity by playing. Temple "service" is a hot button topic for me because the church tells members that not only is it good, it is better than other service. So if mormons get their service kicks by working in the temple then they may not perform other service opportunities that actually help people (not to say that they can't do both). On my mission we were told we could do 4 hours of non-proselytizing service a week, but no one did because it was looked down upon as less than trying to bring people to Christ and the church.
Ultimately for me it is less about the total amount of "valuable" service done and more about the worldview it creates/stems from. It seems so manipulative and not true, and that bothers me a lot.
But at least it keeps them off the streets and away from crack.
I just couldn't let this go. I tried, but here it is...
It is different than playing tennis or golf. The people playing tennis or golf don't think they are serving humanity by playing. Temple "service" is a hot button topic for me because the church tells members that not only is it good, it is better than other service. So if mormons get their service kicks by working in the temple then they may not perform other service opportunities that actually help people (not to say that they can't do both). On my mission we were told we could do 4 hours of non-proselytizing service a week, but no one did because it was looked down upon as less than trying to bring people to Christ and the church.
Ultimately for me it is less about the total amount of "valuable" service done and more about the worldview it creates/stems from. It seems so manipulative and not true, and that bothers me a lot.
But at least it keeps them off the streets and away from crack.
"I would write about life. Every person would be exactly as important as any other. All facts would also be given equal weightiness. Nothing would be left out. Let others bring order to chaos. I would bring chaos to order" - Kurt Vonnegut
Re: My parents were called as temple workers
One of my best friends is a temple worker and finds meaning and purpose in doing this pointless work. He is disabled and would otherwise be sitting at home watching WWF wrestling. Who am I to tell him that he is unhappy? I find meaning and purpose in similarly pointless activities like reading history and playing board games.
Always been the good kid, but I wanted to know more, and to find and test truth.
Re: My parents were called as temple workers
I'm with you on this. Everything we do is as meaningful or meaningless as we decide it is. It's not as if anything we do, profound or trivial, will last forever. Well, except maybe temple work, if it really has cosmic efficacy. I can see why someone would hold tightly to a belief that it does and would want to spend time doing it.
That said, I personally stopped working in the temple after my perspectives on matters of faith changed.
And this is unrelated, but one time when I was working as a baptismal coordinator, a woman many years my elder asked me for permission to go to the bathroom. I was so taken aback that I couldn't think of a good clever but polite response. As odd as that experience was for me, though, I guess it was no less absurd than many other attitudes people have regarding authority inside and outside religion.