Posted by:
steve benson
(
)
Date: February 03, 2015 04:15PM
Question (posted 11 September 2008):
"I was once laughed at in an Institute lesson when I asked about the Prophet having a temple recommend interview. I was fairly new in the Church at the time. So, many many years later, my question is, at what point in Church leadership does the temple recommend interview stop and what do GA's carry to show proof of who they are when entering a temple? I know you won't laugh at me here, just give me a simple answer. Thank you!"
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Some of the responses:
--"I recall Elder Paul H. Dunn telling a joke about presenting his special G.A. temple recommend at the Salt Lake temple. Apparently it was a permanent plastic thing with 'Authorized To Perform All Ordinances' on it. The inexperienced temple worker told him the temple didn't take credit cards."
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--"I also recall that Paul H Dunn story too. I met Paul H Dunn once, I was so excited about it!"
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--"Since they are Church members, I have to think their needs would be the same as everyone else's. If an apostle showed up & discovered he had forgotten his recommend, I hope temple workers would not be either so star-struck or so intimidated that they would just wave him in. And if a temple worker did that, I hope the apostle would gently admonish him about his duty. Does the President of the Church go to his own bishop for his interview? And do his HTs ask him if he is doing his HT, keeping his TR current, & doing his best to attend & participate in his Church meetings & callings? (Smile) Also, since bishops are first in the hierarchy, who interviews them? I'm guessing their counselors, but am not sure. Also, since bishops are first in the hierarchy, who interviews them? I'm guessing their counselors, but am not sure That at least I know the answer to. The bishop interviews himself and signs the recommend twice, once as the member and once as the bishop. No, really. I know of bishops who have been called into stake presidencies, who were not replaced at once as bishops (it takes time), and who signed all three lines. I suspect it's discouraged but the recommend is still valid."
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--"Does the President of the Church go to his own bishop for his interview? I don't know about the prophet specifically. DH's coworker used to be President Monson's bishop when he was an apostle. I just had Rex ask him if President Monson came to him for temple recommend interviews. He said no, but he did come in for tithing settlement. He didn't know if there was anyone else who signs for and interviews President Monson. He said, for his own recommend, that his counselor would interview him and sign on the line where the bishop is supposed to sign. (This was about 7-8 years ago?) Then he said, 'What you should ask is about mission presidents.' When he was a mission president he signed all three lines on his recommend because there was no one else to sign there."
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--"He didn't know if there was anyone else who signs for and interviews President Monson. Maybe Jesus? (Don't Know)."
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--"General Authorities have recommends issued for the rest of their life, signed by the First Presidency. The ones I saw were gold. I don't know if they get a new one when the Prophet dies."
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--"I've always understood that there were three witnesses who sign our recommends: the bishop, stake president (or their counselors), & ourselves, plus the unseen witnesses--the members of the Godhead. So I guess in those cases, the divine witnesses override any need for additional human witnesses."
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--"Add me to the I don't know list. But the idea about a special line about authorized to do all ordinances makes sense. At some point, they must be interviewed like all others- not to be repeating negative things, but there was the GA who was excommunicated. So, that shows they do review people,etc. About ht: after Pres Hinckley died, I recall reading something that talked about how his HT once arrived at his home (during a dinner I think) and interviewed him to find out how he was doing in his family prayer,etc. In another example, I THINK about Pres Hinckley as well, the ht stated Pres Hinckley had written the message but Pres HInckley wanted to know what the ht thought about it,etc. (don't recall if this was the same HT)"
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--"I want to see the signature on his [Monson's] recommend."
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--"GAs still have tithing settlement with the Bishop of their geographical ward. I assume that they also have TR interviews with their geographical Bishop and Stake President."
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--"When they are called, General Authorities and their wives are issued a temple recommend signed by the First Presidency. It's laminated and has no expiration unless there's a new First Presidency or they are released as a GA. While serving as General Authorities they don't go to their bishops or stake presidents for TR interviews."
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--"Huh. Learn something new every day. I thought it was just the case for the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, not all General Authorities. And I thought they never expired, even if there was a change in the First Presidency. So, when President Hinckley passed away, did all the General Authorities Temple recommends expire? If so, did the Twelve (actually 14) need to be issued new ones before they could go to the temple to meet to set apart a new First Presidency? What about the General Authorities stationed in far away lands. Do they all have to come back to Salt Lake to get new recommends? That doesn't make sense to me. Hopefully none of them had a wedding they had to officiate at or attend the days following President Hinckley's death. That could be embarrassing. Interesting."
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--"I imagine there's a grace period after the First Presidency changes for the new recommends. Maybe they're good for six months, to allow the First Presidency time to interview all the Authorities. I would imagine that interviewing all the new Authorities would be a wonderful (if somewhat burdensome) opportunity."
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--"The old ones remained valid until the GA received the new one. Those away from SLC get them by mail. And they have the bar code like us commoners."
("Another Temple Recommend Question," at:
http://www.nauvoo.com/ubb/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi)
*****
This observation about GAs receiving temple recommends, as related by a former Mormon bishop who resigned from the Church Education System as a release-time seminary teacher and who plans to eventually leave the LDS Church:
"[My bishop] concluded this segment of [my and my wife's temple recommend] grilling with 'I cannot renew your temple recommend because worthiness requires that you attend YOUR OWN HOME WARD.' I had just been released as a bishop a year-and-a-half earlier. I remembered nothing in the Handbook suggesting that that aspect of meeting attendance should be given the disproportionate emphasis he had just given it. By that standard, worthy members who travel a lot with their jobs or even General Authorities would not qualify for a temple recommend. He seemed bent on convicting us. I was taken back. It was a little surreal."
("SHOOTING THE MESSENGER," by Ken Clark, at:
http://www.exmormon.org/whylft149.htm)
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2015 04:36PM by steve benson.