Seniority at Church

The District leadership set up is based on the set up for the Church as a whole! A new Prophet is the next "step up" for the Senior Member of the Council of the 12 Apostles - time served, not age. On a District level, I am the senior member of the District Council. If we were a Stake, it would be the most senior member of the High Council. In a Stake, a new Stake President is appointed where the most senior of the High Council is chosen. Without trying to boast, I am the member of the District who is most in line to be either District President, or if we become a Stake first, am the future Stake President!

This is quite some concept to get my little mind around! Still it proves to me that I still need to learn. There is ALWAYS some aspect to learn from!

I have long had a feeling that I am being so groomed! When I left Sandton Ward, the Bishop pulled me aside and said that he believed that I would be either Bishop of Richards Bay ward, or in future would be Stake President! This kind of stunned me since I cannot talk for long, and when he told me, could barely speak at all! Still, I currently get to be Final Speaker at the branches in the District! If nothing else, my calling as District Concillor and as First Counsellor on the Branch Elders Quorum help me to get confidence!

I have not spoken as Final Speaker yet, in Richards Bay - mainly because I battle with the atmosphere in the Bay. I find that after 20 minutes, my diaphram tends to show signs of spasticity, and I battle to breathe. I have found though after I was hospitalised with bee stings, that i breathe better - and as a result talk better!

For years after I left school, I would not have dared to speak in public, but at Church, I get to be Final Speaker in Sacrament on average, every second month at present! Before I joined the Church, I would have freaked if you had told me that in 2010, I would speak with authority from the Pulpit - often. I kind of enjoy this privilege,and when I have spoken in the past, a number of the congregations have approached me and said that I spoke well - and meaningfully!

What I realised is that very few - if any - speakers have ever been attacked whilst behind the pulpit, and it has not happened for decades, where the speaker has been struck down by lightening! In the last 18 years, I have developed a sense of almost power! I am speaking, so am entitled to do so without interruption.

Also we are given a topic from the District President, to talk on. This is great, since I can draft a talk using the topic as a boundary. I am extremely fortunate that I have the LDS Scriptures - on a CD ROM - loaded on my computers, and I can use my keyboard to access just about anything! I marvelled that the Branch President is virtually the same although what he has in his brain, I have, on my computers!

I also have the impression that the BP resented me for years! When he went on Mission he had targetted the woman whom I married, as his eternal partner! When he finished his mission, I had married her, so he kind of resented me for that! However, I know that Michele would never have married him, and if she had, she would have divorced him. For years, he would not introduce his wife to me, I have the impression that he was scared that I would take her away!

I have found that the last few talks that I have given, have been on the given topic, but the talk that I have planned and drafted using Microsoft Word on my laptop(s) is only used as a guide, and the talk that I have given bears only a passing resemblance to what I have planned! I know this is speaking with the spirit, and I am so grateful that the Spirit works so hard on my case!

I have tried to explain this phenomenon to my headshrink, but I think that she has yet to be convinced! She has told me that she will not be interested in accepting my concepts of religion, but I truly believe that I have been assured - by the Spirit, in the Temple - that she is to be the next Mrs Killick! She tried to tell me that she was destined for Outer Darkness, but that is not my impression! I joked with her that I intend to drag her into Heaven!