When and how did elders quorum become a group of 20/30 somethings and high priests group become a group of everyone else?
I was having my first PPI as elders quorum president with my bishop last night, and we were discussing all the older members of our ward who are assigned to elders quorum in the computer. They are not active and hold the priesthood office of elder, so the computer assigns them to our quorum. The oldest is 92.
At first, we discussed how some of them need to be assigned to the high priests, such as those in their 80s and 90s. As we started to get toward those in their 40s and 50s, however, things started to become less clear cut.
So we chatted some more about it. At the end we had determined that the tendency to send older brethren to high priests group based on age has developed some problems. It destroys quorum unity, it makes it difficult to staff quorum positions, it removes training opportunities for new home teachers, etc.
We concluded that we would leave things as they are now (all those brethren remaining in elders quorum) and that the bishop would discuss it in bishopric meeting and PEC.
After the meeting, I gained a different perspective on the two groups. I really think that high priests group should be reserved for past bishopric members, high councilmen, stake presidency members, etc and for those who have spiritually matured. Elders quorum is for people who are still struggling with the basics and need to learn things on a more fundamental level.
If the Relief Society is not split based on age, why should the Melchizedek Priesthood quorums be?
9 comments:
Excellent point! I'd love to see our Elders Quorum strengthened by the addition of some of the more mature Elders that are currently attending the High Priests Group. Unfortunately, in my current ward, that would mean the end of a viable home teaching High Priests Group. Maybe we should just consolidate into a Melchizedek Priesthood Group as some smaller units do.
I'm all for the joined Melkizekek Priesthood group. Interestingly, this last year or so, the Stake has put the hammer down: No more graduating to be a high priest. Back in the day, when you got a certian age, they would kick you out of the EQ and ordain you. No longer. The do give older elders an option to attend with the HPs if they want.
In our stake, all prospective elders (with the possible exception of those still young enough to go on missions) were recently assigned to the High Priests quorum. We were told this was done on instruction from Salt Lake.
When I was EQ president, my position was that nobody should be made a High Priest unless they were being called to a position that required that office. My wishes were generally respected in that regard (to the dismay of some of the older brethren).
I tend to agree with pate's suggestion that we have a single MP group at the ward level. Bishoprics, Stake Presidencies, and High Councilors would be the only men not under the jurisdiction of the group's presidency.
"In our stake, all prospective elders (with the possible exception of those still young enough to go on missions) were recently assigned to the High Priests quorum. We were told this was done on instruction from Salt Lake."
Actually, the instruction was that prospective elders were to be home taught by high priests. They would still be assigned as home teaching companions (where appropriate) with elders and would attend elders quorum on Sundays.
gee you know I have been a member of this church almost 27 years and it still amazes me that to this date this is NOT the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.. at least not the same one that was originally started...a church that is ONE with each other.. ONE that follows the SAME rules and policies for ALL. Your dad was told 4 months ago that because he is now over 50 he has to go to HP. He has never been a Bishop or held a Stake position where he had to be a HP and yet because of his age he gets sent there. And yet on the other hand there is another male who also is in HP that is in his mid 30th's has a young family, has also never held a position of being in the Stake or Bishopric and yet here he is in HP!!
Last week we had the family of one of our previous sister missionaries here visiting from SLC and they all came for dinner. He is almost 60 and is still in EQ. We had been talking about this same thing and he said in his ward they keep men in EQ if there aren't enough priesthood holders to get all the HT done!!! Our HT here just got changed last month. We now have an inactive Elder home teaching us with his 12 year old son as his regular companion. Last year we had an Elder with his 8 year old son home teaching us.
Explain to me again how we are a unified church with one set of rules for all members cause I seem to be missing that concept
Age, except in rare situations, is not a criterion for determining which quorum a priesthood holder attends. Those members who have been ordained an elder should attend the elders’ quorum. Those members who have been ordained a high priest should attend the high priests’ group. It is fairly straight forward. The question is which quorum should a seventy attend?
Roger
I myself am 31 and was asked by the Bishop to begin attending HP this coming Sunday. I am unsure of why this is. Is it perhaps because the Bishop is planning on calling me to a stake position that would require me to be a HP? Has anyone heard of this occuring? Naturally, I am happy in either quorum, and love the brethren in both...just curious as I am now the youngest man in HP in my Ward (and feeling slightly out of place)! Granted, I live in a very old area, and most of the members are fairly elderly. I'm sure they will all be wondering what on earth I'm doing there as well!
Wow. I'm the same age as you Jesse, and somehow I doubt I'll ever be asked to attend high priests group any time soon.
Quite interesting.
I wonder if others have gone through the same thing.
why has noone pointed out that the requirements are already clearly pointed out in scripture? Advancement should be based on neither merit nor calling requirements nor age nor maturity. It should be based on the presiding authority's perception that an elder meets the requirements in Alma 13.
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