High priest and Elder assignments

Discussions about the Leader and Clerk Resources on lds.org.
scgallafent
Church Employee
Church Employee
Posts: 3025
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2009 4:55 pm
Location: Riverton, Utah

Re: High priest and Elder assignments

#21

Post by scgallafent »

russellhltn wrote:
scgallafent wrote:The record will indicate that the elders quorum class assignment is not the default class assignment, which is expected since the default class assignment would be to the high priests group.
In the words of Andy Rooney, "That bothers me." The Handbook show no such default or preference for assigning a prospective elder. I realize that from a software standpoint you have to do something, but I don't understand the purpose of flagging the record after a choice has been made.

...

Is there in fact a preference/default that has come down that just hasn't been expressed in the current version of the Handbook?
Our instructions are to assign prospective elders to high priests groups by default. That is consistent with the First Presidency letter I referenced. Flagging the assignment simply serves to indicate the assignment is not the default assignment. They may very well have that non-default assignment for years.
russellhltn wrote:
scgallafent wrote:If a family is not assigned the home teacher, that family will be displayed in home teaching lists based on the default class assignment, which means that prospective elders and single sisters will be listed by default on the lists for the high priests group.
I predict a fair amount of grumbling from HP Groups who find the unassigned keep showing up on their lists when the family in question is assigned to the Elders. Is there a reason it's not following actual class assignments for prospective elders?
MLS did not do any separation of unassigned families based on class assignments. That has been discussed as a possible future enhancement for LCR.
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34421
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

Re: High priest and Elder assignments

#22

Post by russellhltn »

scgallafent wrote:Our instructions are to assign prospective elders to high priests groups by default. That is consistent with the First Presidency letter I referenced.
Interesting. That letter isn't in the Official Communication Library. And since it pre-dates the 2010 handbook, I'd think it would be superseded. So I guess I'll chalk this up to "preference from above, but not in Handbook".

scgallafent wrote:MLS did not do any separation of unassigned families based on class assignments.
True, but I thought there was something that assigned responsibility to a quorum. Maybe not.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
User avatar
aebrown
Community Administrator
Posts: 15153
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:48 pm
Location: Draper, Utah

Re: High priest and Elder assignments

#23

Post by aebrown »

russellhltn wrote:
scgallafent wrote:Our instructions are to assign prospective elders to high priests groups by default. That is consistent with the First Presidency letter I referenced.
Interesting. That letter isn't in the Official Communication Library. And since it pre-dates the 2010 handbook, I'd think it would be superseded. So I guess I'll chalk this up to "preference from above, but not in Handbook".
A new Handbook does not supersede all previous letters. Just before the 2006 Handbook was released, there as an official letter with an extensive list of official letters that would be superseded by the new Handbook 1 (and the Handbook 2 that was still to come in the future at that point). Since there was an explicit list of letters to be superseded, it makes no sense to assume that other letters would be superseded.
russellhltn wrote:
scgallafent wrote:MLS did not do any separation of unassigned families based on class assignments.
True, but I thought there was something that assigned responsibility to a quorum. Maybe not.
No, that was never a capability of MLS. There were discussions on this forum about how that might be a helpful feature, but that was never implemented (or even mentioned as a possibility by those in charge of MLS).
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34421
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

Re: High priest and Elder assignments

#24

Post by russellhltn »

aebrown wrote:A new Handbook does not supersede all previous letters. Just before the 2006 Handbook was released, there as an official letter with an extensive list of official letters that would be superseded by the new Handbook 1 (and the Handbook 2 that was still to come in the future at that point). Since there was an explicit list of letters to be superseded, it makes no sense to assume that other letters would be superseded.
How would you interpret the absence from the Official Communication Library? (Or am I just missing it?)
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
kisaac
Community Moderators
Posts: 1184
Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2007 6:04 am
Location: Utah, united states

Re: High priest and Elder assignments

#25

Post by kisaac »

1historian wrote:Ok that is what we were doing wrong then. I was clicking the edit button on the line with their name from the household tab, which was only pulling up HP companionships. When I went to the companionship tab I was able to add them to an existing companionship in the Elders Quorum.
Programmers, I think this is going to be a big confusion going forward...
lajackson
Community Moderators
Posts: 11460
Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:27 pm
Location: US

Re: High priest and Elder assignments

#26

Post by lajackson »

russellhltn wrote:How would you interpret the absence from the Official Communication Library? (Or am I just missing it?)
I would interpret it as that they did not go back and add earlier letters to the OCL that were published before the OCL was born. And there are a few other items that never made it into the OCL.
dfchamplain
Member
Posts: 100
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2011 7:27 pm
Location: Shawnee, KS, USA

Re: High priest and Elder assignments

#27

Post by dfchamplain »

scgallafent wrote: Prospective elders are assigned to the high priests group by default. The bishop should determine whether a prospective elder is best served by being assigned to the elders quorum or high priests group. For more details on this, refer to Handbook 2 section 7.6.1 and the First Presidency letter dated 3 November 2004 regarding responsibility for prospective elders.
I have read Handbook 2, section 7.6.1, but do not see any reference that indicates PE are assigned by default to the HPG. That section of the handbook states "Responsibility for Prospective Elders. Quorum and group leaders have the responsibility to help prospective elders prepare to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood. The bishop counsels with quorum and group leaders and each prospective elder to determine whether the prospective elder should meet with the elders quorum or the high priests group for instruction and activities. The bishop considers the relationships the prospective elder may have with the elders or high priests in the ward and the age and needs of the prospective elder". (emphasis added).

I see no reason why prospective elders are assigned to the HPG on a default basis unless the letter that you reference supersedes the handbook. On that note, it appears as though I do not have access to the First Presidency letter dated 3 November 2004 thru https://letters.lds.org/letters as the earliest letter I can see is dated 19 April 2005.
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34421
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

Re: High priest and Elder assignments

#28

Post by russellhltn »

dfchamplain wrote:I have read Handbook 2, section 7.6.1, but do not see any reference that indicates PE are assigned by default to the HPG.
I agree with you, but want to point back to the response already given:
scgallafent wrote:Our instructions are to assign prospective elders to high priests groups by default. That is consistent with the First Presidency letter I referenced.
While not explicitly stated, "our instructions" tends to come from the Priesthood Department. It would be nice to see that information spelled out in the Handbook. Maybe next edition.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
dfchamplain
Member
Posts: 100
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2011 7:27 pm
Location: Shawnee, KS, USA

Re: High priest and Elder assignments

#29

Post by dfchamplain »

scgallafent wrote:If a family is not assigned the home teacher, that family will be displayed in home teaching lists based on the default class assignment, which means that prospective elders and single sisters will be listed by default on the lists for the high priests group.
One of the numbers that my Stake President has me report on a monthly basis is the number of families that are assigned to the EQ, but not assigned to be home taught. With single sisters and prospective elders being defaulted to the HPG, I now have to work with the HPG leader to make the assignment changes as:

1. The families that are un-assigned show up by default under the HPG and not the EQ. This makes it difficult to assign. I now understand how to do this from LCR, but the method may not be as efficient as I think it could be.
2. That information did not make it from MLS to LCR.

It just will take some extra time to "clean up" this transition. I hope that in the future I can see all the un-assigned families regardless of where they may actually be assigned too. That is how it worked in MLS.
lajackson
Community Moderators
Posts: 11460
Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:27 pm
Location: US

Re: High priest and Elder assignments

#30

Post by lajackson »

dfchamplain wrote:I see no reason why prospective elders are assigned to the HPG on a default basis unless the letter that you reference supersedes the handbook.
The letter does not supersede the Handbook. It provides additional detail, along with a default assignment until the bishop and his priesthood leaders make their decision. This is very similar to an adult being assigned to the Gospel Doctrine class by default, and then ward leaders determining that the person is a new member who should attend Gospel Essentials for a while.

The Handbook did not replace the letter, so the letter continues to provide guidance in an area where the Handbook does not provide more specifics. I agree it would be nice if the letter were more readily available.
Post Reply

Return to “Leader and Clerk Resources”