Elder M. Russell Ballard taught, “[G]reat things are brought about and burdens are lightened through the efforts of many hands 'anxiously engaged in a good cause' (D&C 58:27). Imagine what the millions of Latter-day Saints could accomplish in the world if we functioned like a beehive in our focused, concentrated commitment to the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
One of the greatest things about the Church is that everyone, if possible, is given an opportunity to serve by their leaders. We all have a part to play in the function of the Church and the spreading of the gospel. Sometimes callings are prominent and praised for their difficulty, but there are many more callings that are often overlooked and deserving of just as much praise. After our last blog about some underappreciated callings, we asked you which callings you feel deserve to be highlights, and here are a few more examples.
Activity Day leaders--These women plan two activities a month for girls 8 to 11 years old. It's a great way to help girls transition from Primary to Young Women, and it also helps them develop life skills at an early age. Under the supervision of Activity Day leaders, these young girls make crafts, give service, and learn through spiritual activities. Since Activity Days is only for girls in a specific age range, this calling is often overlooked and unthanked.
Building coordinators--Individuals called to be building coordinators have the responsibility of scheduling building space for various activities and resolving scheduing conflicts between wards in cases where a church building is shared by multiple congregations. It can be stressful and frustrating, but they go to painstaking lengths to make sure that ward activities have the room they need to happen.
Ward & stake historians--Ward and stake historians are in charge of recording the congregation's history and submitting it to Church Headquarters every quarter. They document all the significant events in their ward's or stake's history--baby blessings, baptisms, training meetings, camping trips, etc. The Church uses this information to meet the needs of Church members on a broader scale. Ward and stake historians also help leaders focus on goals and achieve them. It's a very important job that few know about.
Family history consultant--Many members want to get involved with family history work but don't know where to start. That's where family history consultants come in. They are specifically trained to work with members and leaders alike, helping everyone find family names and take them to the temple. Many of them also sacrifice their time to work in family history centers and regularly attend the temple themselves. What would we do without them?
Visiting teaching and district supervisors--The Relief Society and Elder's quorum presidency report to the bishop about the wellbeing of all the people in the ward, but where do they get their information? From the visiting teaching and district supervisors! They're in charge of collecting the reports of all the visiting and home teachers in the ward, then telling their respective presidency what still needs to be done. This chain of command is perfect for making sure that all the needs of the ward are met.
Ward organist and pianist--Many who are called to be ward organists don't actually know how to play the organ, and have to go out of their way to learn and practice. Organists and pianists alike provide prelude and postlude music without people really noticing, and have to adapt to how the meetings go--cutting short or cancelling hymns to save time, despite all their hours of practice.
Compassionate service leaders--Those who hold this calling are often run ragged trying to coordinate meals for those in need, arrange babysitting in emergencies, minister to the sick, and make sure any service that needs doing gets done. Compassionate service leaders work hand in hand with the Relief Society president to help any special service that needs to be performed for members of the ward. And because they serve members so humbly, their hard work to make sure those in need are taken care of is often overlooked.
Since not every ward has the same callings, we want to hear from you! What are some callings in your ward that deserve an extra shout-out of thanks? Tell us in the comments below.
