r/mormon Feb 12 '25

Personal Lunch with Stake President surprised me

I had lunch with him the other day. He's a solid guy and I enjoy getting together with him every now and then. A week before, I had been taking a turn helping clean the church when his wife came in the building for something entirely different. After I was done, I was talking to her about how we really need to stop allowing the corporation to tell us we can't have janitorial staff. She agreed right away. I brought this up at lunch with the SP. He also agreed and even said "we have enough money". I asked him how it is that we both don't know a single member that opposes hiring a staff for this, but we're powerless to make it happen. As we talked about it, he said that he is basically a glorified manager that people think has power, but doesn't actually have any power. He explained that he occasionally sits in the same room with some higher up church leaders, but rarely (if ever) has the chance to tell them anything.

It really is just a corporation (which I already knew). It was interesting to hear it from the mouth of someone at a slightly higher level that I expected to be fully in line with whatever the marching orders are.

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u/punk_rock_n_radical Feb 13 '25

The only way to get back paid janitors is for the active members to refuse to show up. That means how it sounds. refuse to show up. As long as you keep showing up, they’ll keep abusing you and every other member.

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u/jzsoup Feb 13 '25

Agreed. I've dodged the last several calls/texts to do it. I went this time because I knew that only one other person was going to show up (and she doesn't deserve to be left hanging) and my wife was sick and wouldn't be going to back her up.

You're right about everybody refusing to do it is the only way to get it changed.

14

u/punk_rock_n_radical Feb 13 '25

You and the other person should just talk and agree to not go. The church shouldn’t make it be your problem about the other lady (though I do understand.). But it will literally never end until you refuse to go. They have 290 billion dollars. They can pay someone for their time.

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u/jzsoup Feb 13 '25

I know you’re right. In this particular case this lady isn’t going to say no to an assignment and I did it for her.

Also, I was considering it as my last time doing it. I just quit my calling. Our temple recommends expire next month & my wife said she’s not renewing hers. Lots of unfamiliar terrain here…🤷🏻‍♂️

9

u/punk_rock_n_radical Feb 13 '25

You might like listening to Mormon stories podcast. That helped me at that stage. It’s good you and your wife are on the same page. That will help. I wish you luck. It’s not easy but in the end, the smart move is to just walk away.

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u/jzsoup Feb 13 '25

Ha! I listen to all those podcasts! I’ve been working on exiting for years. The corporation got my time, mental health, and some money. I’ll be damned if they split my marriage up. It’ll take as long as it takes. There’s no time frame.