When I was a kid (approximately 8-10 years old), I used to get up every Fast & Testimony meeting and bear my testimony. I was so obnoxious, my family told me I didn’t need to get up every month. So, I took a few months off. One day we had Ward Conference (and I still don’t really understand why we have Ward Conference, but that’s a topic for another post.) The stake presidency decided to pick certain members of the ward to come up without warning, and give a short testimony. To my surprise, he called my name. I remember looking at my parents, wondering if I really was supposed to get up and bear my testimony, and they encouraged me to do it. I remember being apprehensive about Ward Conference ever since, but I have never seen that practice in another Ward Conference.
Fast forward a couple of decades. I attended a singles ward in Salt Lake City. About every 6 weeks or so, the bishopric would not call speakers. Instead, just as my experience in Ward Conference, they would call members out of the congregation without warning, to come up and bear short testimonies. They often picked new members of the ward, or people they hadn’t heard from in a long time. I found these unrehearsed, impromptu testimonies very heartfelt and spiritual, although nearly every speaker noted how surprised they were to be called to speak.
I also remember attending a fireside one Sunday morning at the Independence Temple (owned by the Community of Christ) following the Mormon History Association meetings the weekend before. The service was narrated by Apostle Susan Skoor and BYU professor Alex Baugh in which nearly the entire service was devoted to the hymns written by WW Phelps. It was one of the most spiritual, uplifting services I have ever attended, and I am not one who usually enjoys singing. The Community of Christ leaders allowed an LDS stake choir to occupy the choir seats and sing a few hymns; Skoor and Baugh alternated in giving background for many of the familiar LDS and RLDS hymns written by Phelps, and the congregation sang both LDS and CoC versions of “We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet” among many other hymns penned by Phelps. It was a truly moving and spiritual experience.
In light of last week’s post about missionary farewells (and Pres. Hinckley’s decision NOT to have special music for them), and the strange comments from people that called such productions “entertainment”, and I wanted to put out some ideas out there for improving the spirit in our Sacrament Meetings. I think that much could be done to improve the spirituality of the meetings (and I think re-reading General Conference talks drives away the Spirit.) I haven’t had an impromptu testimony meeting since I was single, and I wondered how many of you have experienced these types of meetings, or Sacrament meetings devoted almost exclusively to music? Do you think a little variety in our meetings might help invite the Spirit? Is this something a motivated Bishop can implement, or will he be shut down by the Correlation Committee?
Wheat & Tares 
I recall a couple of occasions in which the bishopric called on people to come up and ‘bear their testimonies.’ I don’t know if they had contacted them before or if it was completely out of the blue. However, I was in disagreement of this practice. For the standard procedure is that the bishopric should be contacting people beforehand for them to come up and speak. At Fast and Testimony meeting every month, you get up and ‘bear a testimony’ if you want to, but are not required. For the fact of the matter is that there is no requirement for a member to currently have or maintain a ‘testimony’ (which is generally taken to mean an openly professed belief in a set number of core doctrines) in order for them to be able to attend. By calling people to come up impromptu, you are in essence placing undue pressure on people to profess beliefs, in order to keep up with appearances, that they may not actually have. In fact I don’t think that the correlation department actually allows bishoprics to do this, but I could be wrong.
I have to agree with Steve. As a young person I always felt like the fact that I was never called upon for any of these impromptu moments was some kind of indicator that I lacked spirituality/specialness. Today I would be horrified by such a call because the best I’d be able to do is stammer out that I am managing to keep showing up and I think people are generally good and I love my family and hope (but don’t “know” and am not certain enough to use the word “believe”) I get to be with them forever.
But more music would be good. And more variety in the music too.
I alternate between being bored by, horrified by, and fascinated by my ward’s testimony meetings. Since we have a very homogenous, suburban, white, Anglo, reasonably affluent ward, they are frequently dull. Yesterday, however, we had a sister testify for nearly 20 minutes about her near-death experience and her conversation with Heavenly Father, and how it later facilitated her conversion (fascinating). Sometimes someone really pulls out the stops, like the gentleman who testified a few months ago how he felt no one ever came to help or support him (horrifying). Mostly, though, it’s dull, and I restrain myself from playing cell phone solitaire only to set a good example for my kids.
My youngest daughter used to bear her testimony every month as well. Now that she’s 13, she’s going through her own first adolescent crisis of faith, and wouldn’t be caught dead up there. I’m thinking, however, that it wasn’t so much her faith that drove her as a love of the spotlight.
As to the spontaneous call-up meeting, it’s an old church tradition, and I’ve heard several viewpoints. First, I’ve met very few leaders who feel inspired to call on someone whom they know is not pretty solid. Most of the times I’ve experienced this, it’s happened in PH leadership or with newer converts, or in some other venue where you could expect someone to step up to the plate, even if not eloquently. Most leaders genuinely try to be guided by the Spirit in such things, too. That said, I don’t know that it’s getting more rare, but it seems to be less common now than it was 20 years ago.
I come from the school where if your leaders ask you to do something, you strive to just do it. The only time I can remember being horrified by was when I gave my first talk. After that, for a long time and maybe even now, it’s still a little unnerving, but I just do it, impromtu or not.
There is a fact that I stand on. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s chruch. So just do everything you can to just do it.If you are the kind who only follows the Spirit, great, than that is probably what you will end up doing anyway.
So if a person lived back in the time when the Mountain Meadows Massacre happened, would he have particiated? Well, you think about that one.
Impromptu called upon testimonies is destined to increase anxiety for introverts, so no to that one.
Lots more singing of hymns would be my choice.
“I come from the school where if your leaders ask you to do something, you strive to just do it.”
Your ‘school’ is out of line with the church’s general counsel which is to only follow the leaders when you have your own personal confirmation that what they’re saying is right. You are to obey God, not obey the leaders, or treat them as God. The LDS church leaders have to abide by standards. They’re out of line by asking people to come to the stand before a congregation and profess belief in set church doctrines on the spot. A member would be correct in calling out the bishopric for such a practice.
“So if a person lived back in the time when the Mountain Meadows Massacre happened, would he have particiated? Well, you think about that one.”
Wait, were you being sarcastic or are you really serious?
Rich: Given your recent comments, I suggest you read up on this study that shows why “nice” people are often most vulnerable in a Milgram’s experiment. When you follow orders from leaders, verily I say you have your reward. It’s easy to be nice. It’s hard to be good. http://io9.com/psychologists-find-that-nice-people-are-more-likely-to-1597267257?utm_campaign=socialflow_io9_facebook&utm_source=io9_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow
When I was an EQ president, I once concluded a meeting by asking for a volunteer to say the closing prayer. Afterwards, a visiting high council member told me not to ask for volunteers in the future, but to just pick someone (“tell him, don’t ask him”), and generally be more bold and forceful in making assignments, as an EQ president should “speak with the authority of the Lord” or some such nonsense. He was old school, a bit heavy-handed in his manner. Nevertheless, I took the advice to heart.
The next week I publicly and authoritatively called on a quorum member for a teaching assignment, but he awkwardly hemmed and hawed, and then deflected. Afterwards, he privately told me that he was in a disfellowshipped status and was not allowed to give lessons. I put this man in a very uncomfortable position, and forced him to reveal confidential information that he probably would have liked to keep private. And I felt guilty to the point of physical illness, not just in causing emotional harm to a struggling member (I never saw him at church again) but from the cog-dis of obeying the counsel of a leader that turned out to be wrong.
As a result, I always avoid putting people on the spot, or using any manipulative or coercive tactics to get church assignments filled, and I become upset when leaders try to do it to me.
We still have a strong culture of “never say no” to callings, assignments, impromptu testimonies, etc. And leaders take advantage of it far too often. If a leader is actually calling members to give testimonies with no advanced notice, it is probably because he did not organize the meeting very well and has extra time to fill. It is a punt.
Our Stake President calls people up out of the congregation to bear testimony in Stake Conference. Mostly new converts. I think many feel flattered and validated, but I could see someone who is introverted being horrified.
“Bishop, please understand–if I speak to the congregation now, extemporaneously, per your request; I don’t know but what you’ll be ordering me to torture and kill non-Mormons next week. So, I must regretfully decline your invitation at this time.”
Someone give me clarity. My Bishop refused to allow a couple non-member women to sing in sacrament meeting because they were non members.
A little background. These women sing with a very good and well-respected local women’s community choir. They joined a few women from our ward and sang with the primary kids for the ward Christmas party. Afterwards I was thanking them and they mentioned that they often sing “O Holy Night.” I said, we would love to have them sing in our church. They were more than willing. They are conservatively dressed women who easily look like members.I say that because the bishop should have been aware they weren’t going to show up with cleavage showing and wearing glitter.
When I approached him to ask the schedule, he wanted to know what ward they went to, because they look so conservative. I told him they weren’t members, but the stake was fasting and praying that week for missionary opportunities and this appeared to be one. He said he would be uncomfortable having them come. “You wouldn’t have a non-member speak in sacrament meeting would you?” he asked.
Is he right? I looked so stunned and it was after the ward party and there were people around I didn’t say anything. But then he went and got the Bishop’s handbook and pulled me into a room and read me this about not entertainment or something. I wanted to ask if that was why our sacrament meetings were so boring your teeth fall asleep, but I didn’t say anything.
Any thoughts.
No way am I refusing a command. I need to stay on the good ship Zion. If I obey my overlords masters leaders we’ll surely make it to safe harbor.
Hi AllieJ,
You’re a little off topic but… The Handbook counsels against having external performers in sacrament meeting. My understanding is that this is supposed to prevent the kind of “visiting musical preachers” type thing you get in many churches. There is however no prohibition against this for ward or stake social events or for firesides.
I think that this is a bone headed result of listening to the handbook. It could have been a wonderful missionary opportunity. The handbook actually gets in the way of missionary work, and should have been ignored in this situation. Note non members have a bad impression because some bishop listened to the handbook instead of the spirit.
I have been in a meeting where a departing missionary invited his non-LDS high school music teacher to come and play, and it was great! It was also a rare treat to hear guitar played in a sacrament meeting.
Scary thought to have any more testimonies than once a month F&T meeting and usual wrap ups to lessons.
We had a guy this past Sunday saying that he recently met a young woman who was a regional VP for Planned Parenthood and preceded to call her a murderer and “a Hitler.” He as the last testimony giver. My wife and I just sat there with our mouth open.
Years ago, we had Elder Gene Cook at our Stake Conference and he made the Stake President throw out the Conference agenda and just call people out of the congregation to speak for the three meetings we had.
After the Priesthood leadership meeting, the real “fear of God” was present in those at the next two meetings. But it was really wonderful to hear from folks normally not called upon to speak.
The thing that I like about an impromptu testimony is the fact that it comes from the heart. It can’t be read. So if someone wants to avoid saying “I know….” then they can bear testimony about forgiveness, charity, etc. Testimonies don’t need to include “I know the church is true.” Why not “I know charity is true,” or “I have a testimony of forgiveness” or something like that.
In the classes I teach, I have everyone (introverts included) share a presentation on a topic. I know that some people don’t like to speak in church, and I think a good bishop can avoid people he knows will drive them away, but I’d much prefer a heartfelt testimony than the boring talks we get every week.
Does anyone have any ideas to improve the Spirit in Sacrament meeting?
AllieJ – I think that was probably just how your bishop interpreted the handbook. In my parents’ ward, they had a shortage of organists at one point, so a talented non-member who lived in the ward boundaries filled in often. I’ve been in wards where non-members gave beautiful musical numbers. The direction in the handbook is to avoid things like show-choir concerts in sacrament meeting (which happened quite often when I was in a show-choir in middle school and high school).
As to the OP, a few years back we lived in an area where there was a theme of stake and ward leaders speaking “by the spirit” without prepared talks (likely inspired by some visiting general authority). If I remember right, there seemed to be more meetings where people were called up from the congregation. The trend passed, though. Some leaders were able to pull off the “by the spirit” sermons, and some not so much. I don’t believe that it necessarily increased the spiritual level of the meetings. Often it just led to rambling and random musings.
Most bishops have lived in wards awhile and are aware of members who are terrified of public speaking. I doubt they would make the mistake of picking those members to give impromptu testimonies. Other commenters have made a good point that bishops are not always aware of personal faith struggles, though.
personally I would prefer impromptu church meetings so much more than what we actually get; I can pick out the CES guys from our stake high council with my eyes closed and then I try to guess how many times they’ve given this “talk” to have it memorized to have all the inflections of voice so precise to play on your emotions.
it’s either that or general conference replays.
my husband objected to my stereotyping of the CES voice, but I told him it just shows a lack authenticity that grates like fingernails on a chalkboard.
on the other hand I’m aware of a strong contingent that sees extemporaneous askings as abusing the power of the bishop [sigh] they won’t speak at all in public without a month’s notice.
I don’t know what the answer is. I wish we could have trained clergy giving sermons of how to understand the scriptures better when we understand greek or hebrew, etc. That is the church I would make sure I was in the front row for.
I don’t know if the contingent that hates spontaneous talks is coming from a place of desiring more advance inspiration, or if they’re normal people who would rather contemplate death than contemplate public speaking.
Me, I like to speak to crowds, but I recognize that it’s a form of mental illness. 😉
I just listened to this podcast last night
http://mormonmatters.org/2014/12/03/260-introversion-and-the-mormon-experience/
and they mention that it is estimated 30% to 50% of people are introverts (not the same as being shy). One thing that introverts don’t like is not being prepared. I am an introvert, but not extreme. I think if I were called on something like this I would mention as part of my testimony that I know calling up people out of the blue can cause sacrament meeting attendance numbers down.
The thought of having a music only sacrament meeting sounds great!
You Guys:
First of all – just do what they say. I’ll get to the Mountain Meadows part. You may not agree. You may have a better way. You may have the way God would have the Bishop do if he would listen to the Spirit, if he could recognize it, but he won’t because he smokes and drinks (like cigarettes and whiskey,OK). This is a situation I would call highly unlikely but I’m trying to find a reason for you not to obey or support him and I can’t do it. What are you trying to say that God would say to you? “Don’t you support that Bishop because he smokes and drinks!”? You sound like you would talk like that. No, I don’t think God would have a person, with those hang ups, called to be a Bishop, but what he (the Bishop) decides is really none of my business (and please don’t turn into Mr. or Mrs. Lawyer on that one). I can see reporting the cigarettes and whiskey to the Stake President but, after that, life goes on. When you are called to give a talk, give the best one the ward has ever heard. When you teach, be the best teacher your ward has ever had, even though they, probably, won’t even realize it. Never mind the complaining. Just do it.
Now for Mountain Meadows. Here’s the scoop. You’ll do what it right. Why? Because you follow the Spirit. I suspect you also follow it in all the stuff I mentioned in the first paragraph. I just think a little less belly aching is in order. Tough it out!
Rich says, You’ll do what it right. Why? Because you follow the Spirit.
Every one of the men who shot unarmed people at Mountain Meadows managed to convince himself that he was “doing what was right.” They had time to think about it, too; they knew what they were going out there to do.
That’s why comments like yours, and to a certain extent people like you, are dangerous to the future of the Lord’s work.