Standing for the stake president

[Unbroken]

Over the pulpit we were instructed that we are to now stand as a congregation any time the stake president enters the room. I also received a mild reprimand when I didn’t stand for him in the high council room a while back. I am all for standing to greet somebody or recognize someone with whom you are about to enter a direct conversation or meeting. A mandate from above just rubs me wrong. I wonder if this comes from the cob? Most likely a bishop or underling trying to impress. Worst source would be the stake president himself. I almost asked the bishopric member who made the announcement where this came from. Ughhh! So wrong, anything like this going on elsewhere?

[Linked]

We haven't been told to stand for the SP in my neck of the church (Salt Lake County). They did use middle initials for Ward Conference sustainings though.

That makes me cringe. I think a humorous response pointing out how ridiculous it is might be the best course of action to help them realize this is a bad idea.

"Hey Brother Unbroken, we stand when the SP enters the room now, it shows respect for the Lord."

"Oh, thanks! (with a chuckle) I reserve my dutiful standing at attention for the 70s and above though..."

[slavereeno]

In the high council meetings everyone would stand when the SP entered the room. He has never specifically asked us to stand for him, I think people just do. There were a few times I didn't stand just to make a point. I would make it look like I was doing something really important on my laptop, but everyone else stood and I felt awkward.

The stake president did specifically ask us to stand when a female entered the room and not to sit down until the women were seated.

[Emower]

I am a pretty staunch objector to anything that carries tradition too far. This is pretty bad. It is sad to think that people are the sheep like.

I was at a 4th of July dance once at a very conservative county dance in New Mexico. Someone started riffing on the national anthem on a guitar and everybody stood for it. I stayed seated, there was no flag present. I felt really awkward, but I was not going to follow the crowd and do something that is not traditional. Turned out later that there was a flag where I could not see it. I felt sort of stupid.

[wtfluff]

"Oh, thanks! (with a chuckle) I reserve my dutiful standing at attention for the 70s and above though..."

I just decided I'm reserving my "dutiful standing" for when Jesus shows up.

I wonder if I'll recognize him? Will he show up as modern-day corporate mormon Jesus in 1950's business attire? Caucasian Surfer Jesus? Or will he look like a dude from the Middle-East where he was supposedly born?


I don't even know my Steak President, so I guess I'd have a hard time giving him the "stand up" hero worship...

[RubinHighlander]

Huh. And who came up with that rule for your stake, the SP?

Is it just me or are a lot of SPs kind of or a lot of the category of douchebags/narcissists? I've seen quite a bit of friction between bishops and SPs in my years in MorCor and served through three stake presidencies as a clerk. It seems the perfect groomer position for regional rep on up.

Not to sidetrack this thread, but this reminds me of something one of my bishops said about how a priesthood holder should always say the opening prayer in sacrament meetings. I thought to myself, is he just making this up or does it really say that in the handbook? He was all about patriarchal priesthood order and treated women like 2nd class citizens when it came to ward governance. I don't think he was very conscience of it. My DW was offended multiple times when the he continually went to me for everything, basically brushing her aside. This is the type of BS misogyny that the church continues to perpetuate throughout it's ranks with lots of sisters growing weary of it. The world continues to progress past these prejudices, the church continues to placate and pacify it.

I think a lot of these guys really get off on the militaristic way of running church governance.

[Red Ryder]

Everyone bends over for my Stake President because he's a proctologist.

In addition to being super anal he's always 20 minutes early so 82% of the ward comes in after he does. He thinks by sitting on the stand early he can be a shining example of reference and awe!

Personally, I don't even stand for the rest hymn let alone sing it. I probably wouldn't stand for the proctologist on a Sunday either.

[Just This Guy]

Is it just me or are a lot of SPs kind of or a lot of the category of douchebags/narcissists?

I don't know anything about the current SP in my area. The previous one, well "douchebag" is WAYYYYY nicer than anything I would use to describe him. That is on another thread here.

[Corsair]

Personally, I don't even stand for the rest hymn let alone sing it. I probably wouldn't stand for the proctologist on a Sunday either.

At certain point, don't we all have to stand and bend over for a proctologist eventually? Colon and prostate cancer really blows, after all.

[Hagoth]

Welcome to NOM, unbroken!

I think this kind of silliness is dangerous. I remember when they used to say that our leaders are really servants. I hate to see them transforming into overlords. It would be hilarious (and appropriate) if everyone just laughed out loud at the suggestion that they need to stand for Pete from down the road just because somebody put hands on his head and made him magically special.

[Hagoth]

I just decided I'm reserving my "dutiful standing" for when Jesus shows up.

He'd probably say, "sit down, dude, you're embarrassing me."

[okay75]

In my mission we stood for the mission president every time he walked in. I suppose that is a bit more appropriate though since we were all younger than him. I still think it promulgated this idea that he was a spiritual giant. Sometimes I think my mission was a cult of personality.

[Not Buying It]

That is the most ridiculous thing I have heard in a long time...

[2bizE]

I was always taught to stand when a woman enters a room. Perhaps we should all stand when the RS President enters the chapel for SM.

[Reuben]

Will he also be making doctrinal pronouncements for the stake? Are you going to study his talks in Sunday School?

Even as a believer, I would have stayed seated.

[Sheamus Moore]

It was (oddly, I thought) customary to stand for the SP when he came into HC meetings here too. Nowhere else though. Stand as a congregation when he comes into a room? That’s BS. (How ‘bout if you’re on the can when he walks in?)

[StarbucksMom]

Wow. Like another poster, even as a TBM this would have upset me.

I was always taught to stand when a woman enters a room. Perhaps we should all stand when the RS President enters the chapel for SM.

Yes!!!!! This SCREAMS of male superiority and privilege.

I REALLY think you should send an email to your stake president. Use an anonymous one if you want. Ask him if congregations will stand when the stake RS president enters? Also, like Hagoth mentioned, is this really what Jesus would want us to do? Worship authority over God? In the New Testament, did Jesus teach leader worship, or did he teach that the greatest among us is a servant?

[GoodBoy]

That is the most ridiculous thing I have heard in a long time...

Yes. Ridiculous. It serves to further stratify leadership in the church.

[oliver_denom]

We had Todd Christofferson come to our stake just a few weeks after he was made an apostle. Everyone stood when he entered the room and he asked us all not to do that because he didn't like it.

[lostinmiddlemormonism]

"Hey Brother Unbroken, we stand when the SP enters the room now, it shows respect for the Lord."

Then let me know when the Lord enters and I'll stand to respect him, but it has been a long time since he entered an LDS building.

-lost