One of the great blessings of being in my position is that I get to meet with individual members and find out how they are doing in their relationship with the Lord. It is a great blessing to be able to do temple reccomend interviews to determine if they are worthy to enter the Lords house.
Usually these go by quite quickly but occasionally there are things that come up that need to be corrected before I can feel comfortable allowing them into the temple. Here are just three of the experiences that have strengthened my faith:
A sister wanted to attend her daughters temple wedding, but her reccomend had recently expired. At first I thought this would be a quick renewal interview, but when it came to the question of The Word of Wisdom she asked if it was OK to drink green tea. I said absolutely not and explained to her that the tea leaves are the same as that of regular tea, but are simply picked earlier. She was quite distraught and admitted to partaking recently and said she had read somewhere that it was a healthy drink. She had actually stopped drinking coke and had replaced it with a drink that officially is against the will of our Lord! She did not feel at all worthy to enter the Lords house at that time so I felt my hands were tied. She didn't get to attend her daughters wedding ceremony in person, but was able to be a great support to her daughter all the same on that special day. I am pleased to report that she has since repented and is now a card carrying member again.
I had overheard part of a conversation that a brother was having who happened to be one of my faithful high councillors. I thought I heard him make some positive comments with regards to evolution which greatly surprised me given Joseph Fielding Smiths (and others) teaching on the subject. When it came time to renew his reccomend during the question "Do you sympathize with or agree with any group or individual who's teachings are contrary to or oppose those accepted by the church" I asked him about his thoughts on evolution. He confessed to believing that scientists had made a very good case for it. I assigned him to prayerfully read the current Old Testament institute manual along with some other articles and asked him to return in two weeks. Thankfully he felt the spirit as he read the words of our modern day prophets and I was able to sign his reccomend and allow him to continue to serve on the high council. It just goes to show that the world is ever learning but never coming to a knowledge of the truth.
I have access to home teaching reports and when a particular brother came to see me to get his reccomend renewed I knew him to be a faithful man in all things except in his priesthood home teaching duties. Usually I would not deny someone a reccomend for not fulfilling this duty but I felt strongly that I should ask him whether he felt that he was sustaining his leaders when he had not been home teaching for the past 5 months. He paused and said he would do better and felt guilty about this. Although his business takes him all over the world he felt that he could do better (given that he did get a few days at home with his family each month). I asked him to return in 2 months and report and sure enough he was able to relate to me some of his wonderful experiences. I know that the Lord guides me as I try to follow his promptings during these interviews.
27 comments:
This has to be a joke. Has to be. If it isn't, and you really micromanage and abuse your members that way, then you have completely misunderstood what it means to be a disciple of Christ.
I am a bit taken back by your comment but appreciate your question all the same. Through my years of experience I have found that the adversary works on people through small and simple things and as per the Book of Mormon "leadeth them away carefully down to hell". Satan tempts some sisters to wear a seemingly innocent second set of ear rings in their ears, others are tempted to question their leaders. This is why it is so important to have ordained priesthood leaders who are empowered with the gift of discernment to help us all along the path safely back to our father in heaven.
So someone who is a jack-a** gets ordained and all of a sudden his words are no longer nonsense but divine. Does that mean that when he gets released his words go back to being nonsense?
I agree you may be under the influence but we may have a difference of opinon what that influence is.
Such a joke. His name is a Latin play on words. What is the name of your stake, president? I bet you don't have one, and if I looked you up you wouldn't exist.
I feel nothing but a burning in my chest as I read these faithful words. Only the wicked take the truth to be hard. I think this is what all General Authorities would say (but they can't always say it because of the evil liberal media).
Thank you for having such a discerning spirit Pres. Paternoster. We are blessed by your priesthood authority and leadership skills. I am not in your stake, but I am glad there are so many sensitive and understanding men called to lead us in these latter-days.
It's so amazing to see how your counsel to repent leads people to come back in such a short period of time to tell you exactly what you wanted to hear -- that your prophecy to them is fulfilled and they have seen the error of their ways. It truly amazes me to see the changes of heart, and the correct answers that are received.
You're a friggin douche bag. If this is for real, someone needs to take this up with the area authority. Oh, and I reserve the right to kick you in the ass as you are removed from your Rameumptom. I would love to live in your stake if this is for real. I cannot tell you the fun I would have at your piousness every fast sunday. People like you make me sick!
Hey ridgeridin,
Contention is of the devil, and is not becoming of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. In addition to taking anger management classes, I would advice you to check out this important link. It might help you:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/satire
Every normal Latter-day Saint will be greatly relieved to know there is no President Paternoster currently serving as a stake president!!! You're a fraud, whoever you are, and as a previous poster said, you need professional help.
This is the saddest thing I have ever read. A mother, someone who has given a lifetime to her children who holds tightly to the promises made by "LDS leaders" and has passed on her belief to her family is refused one of the most important days of her life. One she will NEVER get back all because of a tea leaf. Well Stake president BLA-BLA, I am sure that no matter what sins you carry out, hidden behind your CALLING, you will ever miss an important date like this one. You would never let your wife miss it. You will see all your children married and sealed in the temple. Tea leaf? What about Wine? That is what they served at the last supper wasn't it? If its good enough for the Savior its good enough for all. Sister, I pray you find peace in your days and remember one thing, you didnt loose out on anything because the sealing is man made but your daughter and the love you share is God made. No one can take that precious gift away. If the LDS condemn tea they condemn wine and that means they condemn Jesus Christ. Think about that Stk Pres. If your wondering why so many people are leaving the LDS church its because they are loosing their family over garbage like this. Once the smoke clears and the illusions are faded you will shake with fear because you will be reminded of all the families you destroyed due to your false religion. Tonight I will pray for you.
Is that the best you have? Not judging you but don't you ever get tired of spitting out the same answers? I am going to share a smiler story about my daughters sealing to her husband in the temple. I had been sick for three years, unable to attend LDS church however I held a calling, Program Director. I was living on $261.00 a month, I was faithful and honest in my fast offerings but I didn't pay my tithing.
It was two days prior to her date and I called my bishop and requested my temple recommend be renewed for that day. The bishop told me he would get right back to me. When he called he said, "Sister Linda, you have been honest and diligent in your calling, and fast offerings but you need to pay your tithing so here is the deal, I will renew your recommend because I know this day means the world to you but the first time you skip tithing, I will ask for it back. Do we have a deal?" Little did I know, I was making a deal with the devil himself. There is no way that a man who holds an authority position in the LDS church could makes such a deal especially when the word of wisdom is on the line.
That's like saying to Jesus "hey I do believe in you but those guys will kill me if I say I do so could you turn your head and let me deny you?" I got my recommend, I was her escort but something happened in the end, after going all the way through the service they found out I wasn't given a name. Just an escort badge. It wasn't meant to be, I was in the wrong place and the Lord knew I couldn't fulfill something that wasn't true. Stake president, you seem to have the same answer for each question on this blog, you just turn them around before you push enter. I believe the appropriate term is dissecting I don't care about your sins, I don't care about the pure wine, and I don't care who made that decision, what i do care about is the time that mother lost because of Your WORD OF WISDOM. If I wasn't a good Christian woman I would tell you where you and your prophets could shove that useless, man made, false WORD OF WISDOM. Since your so good at dissecting words I'm sure you can figure out where I mean.
p.s. The next day was Sunday, I went to the Bishop's office and handed him my recommend and I said, "Here Bishop, this is one less revelation you have to remember." But I'm sure he had our deal written down somewhere so he didn't forget.
Stake president, if you read her blog again she wasn't aware that the tea leaf acted as bad tea, I take her unworthiness due to her leader putting it in her mind. She didn't just wake up that day and say, "Gosh, I think I did something wrong so I will take it upon myself and not feel worthy to attend this most important day. If you step out of your shell long enough maybe you can see what is true. It was the words spoken to her by a church leader that put her heart unworthy. You know it and I know it. Say what you want to make yourself feel better but remember it is a sin to lie even if you are lying to yourself.
Pres, First please do not use the term judge in Israel with me, you have no proof anywhere in the Bible that appointed you or anyone else in your religion to that high honor. You can not prove that point anywhere in the Bible which is the first and only book that was given to everyone, every religion. The only book that appoints you that position is the Book of mormom, which is false until proven true. Still I sit and wait for you to prove to me somewhere in the Bible that God appointed one man JS to come to earth and make 1 church be the only true church. Why cant you do this? Because it is not true, you are following a man who by the way had at least 20 wives, made that a tradition which was carried on by many other prophets after him. Wait, maybe that is why you are called Mormon's Mor-moms. Do you know what blasphemy means? To claim you are something your not in a religious aspect. Claiming you are a judge in Israel without that being a direct blessing from God is false. Just like your church. MOR-MOMs. Shame on you for judging others.
MORMONS? Polygamy? Connect the dots and you get MOR-MOMS
Stake pres, I have 3 questions I would like answered today. I have asked the same 3 in the past but you never answer them so Please, take a moment to answer them for me but remember a man in your position shall not lie.
1. If Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and many more "Prophets" after them had more than 1 wife, the correct term is polygamy, why is it no longer a practice on earth by the lds church? Now remember, I'm not a virgin to your Temple laws, I know all about the many Temple wives a man can have but can only claim them in heaven, he can only have 1 wife on earth. Hidden love, hidden rules and hidden laws, that is what I would call it but first I call it sick.
2. Where in the Holy Bible "not the book of mormon but the Bible does it read that God shall appointed one man named Joseph Smith to be born with a gift, a gift so unshakable as to bring the only true church upon this earth for everyone to join and if you don't you will not return back to Him, in fact if you don't take the Temple unto you, you will live in utter darkness. SERIOUSLY?
3.Where does it read in the Holy Bible, again not the book of mormon, does it read that God will appoint men, mormon men, to address themselves as Judges in Israel, to go around and judge others less spiritual than themselves? Do you know what Blasphemy is Stake pres? Personally, I'm not judging you but you may want to rethink this holier then thou attitude and ask God to remind you who is really in control because your following someone down a very dark path which I personally detoured from just at the right time.
I am saved, I have an unshaken relationship with Jesus Christ and I dont need to claim anything to make myself any higher than I already am. I have nothing to loose as song as I follow Him. Your looking to the wrong man for advise and spiritual guidance and that will lead you down a dark path because as we all know Blasphemy is a sin.
Dear Stk Pres, I would like you to read Scripture John 3 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
I hope and pray that you will truly read the meaning God GOD not a LDS prophet spoke these words. God does not change his mind and He does not falsify truth. He is TRUTH.
These words from GOD clearly state ETERNAL LIFE just by believing in HIS SON.
I will have eternal life because I believe in HIS words.
You need not reply to my testimony because I will not see it since this is the last time I will ever read any blog again that has to do with religion of any kind. I am giving you a gift today, I am saving your soul by not letting you take mine. God Bless
Why are people so dumb?
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