Yes, that’s very helpful. That’s a nice way to do things, too. By contrast, the church my parents had joined when it was very small and worked very hard to grow was destroyed a few years ago when, three weeks before Christmas, the church’s executive committee, without consulting anyone in the congregation, fired the much-loved minister. It was an awful experience for all involved, needless to say. Unanimity in religious matters is probably one of the most sensible, albeit difficult, goals!
One of the other differences between the LDS Church and many other Christian denominations is that we have an unpaid ministry. Virtually everyone who is active in the church has a “calling” or job in the church, whether it is the Bishop of a Ward (similar to a Priest or Minister), teacher in the Sunday School, choir leader, or some other function. Some people even have 2 or 3 jobs, if it’s a small congregation.
Usually a person serves in a specific job for 3-5 years, then they are released and assigned to something else. It gives everyone a chance to serve and develop leadership skills.
President Hinckely has also been active in the mainstreaming of Mormonism, in downplaying unique Mormon doctrine. One example is eternal progression, the doctrine that God the Father was a man in some distant past and that people have the ability to become gods and godesses themselves in the next life.
Does anyone know how old Monson is?
He’s 80. According to the Salt Lake Tribute, as Number Two he’s been the driving force for a number of the activities which seem to be credited to Kinckley in this thread.
Cites?
(I’ve waited for YEARS for the chance to post that!)
I’ll probably be waiting for years for a factual response too. 
We call it common consent. Last month, on the 23rd, I was sustained as 2nd Counselor in my ward’s bishopric in this manner. Before that happened, though, my bishop interviewed me for “a position within the stake” (I guess he didn’t want to scare me off!). I then was interviewed by the stake president who told me what the calling is. The date was set for the sustaining vote and I was told to keep mum about it until after the vote by the ward membership. It’s going to be an interesting time being the only non-Korean in that position in this stake!
Readers may or may not be interested to hear that the Westboro people have announced that they will be picketing the funeral on Saturday.
And, in a show of class surprising among politicians, Obama has cancelled his campaign stop in Utah on Saturday out of respect for President Hinkley. Instead, his wife will come on Sunday. Senator Obama remains a class act.
For those interested, the funeral will be broadcast live beginning at 10:00 a.m. Mountain Time, Saturday, 2 February 2008. You may watch it on www.byu.tv or www.byutv.org. I recommend the former as you can pause or rewind it (it’s kind of like tivo for BYU TV’s stream).
I heard various newscasters mentioning that Mormon Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney would be missing some campaign stops while attending the funeral of the Mormon President Gordon Hinckley. In one or two, it seemed that Mitt was a candidate for Gordon’s vacant office. Wait a minute! Surely, they don’t think that… No, maybe I heard it wrong. :smack: