Note: In our church after you are given a "calling" (responsibility), during the the main service you are "sustained", the members of the congregation raise their right hand in support of the calling.
Today during our main church service (sacrament meeting) during the sustainings, a little boy raised his hand after the, "if there are any opposed, please manifest it". Of course, the bishopric member who was conducting didn't even look up and didn't even notice.
I always thought this process was kind of ridiculous. Historically, the sustaining process was a democratic method within the church. But now it is just a relic of another time and place. I have never seen anyone seriously raise their hand and oppose a calling. This is another example of how members of the church have relinquished any active voice in their church. We are all passive sheep, following anyone who is placed in authority above us.
But, back to the little boy. The most telling part of the interaction was the little boy's mother's reaction. She violently grabbed her son's arm, forcing it down and began to furiously whisper, presumably chastising him for daring to violate the social structure and contract in which no one EVER opposes a calling. That is akin to outright apostasy! Her reaction is huge evidence of the importance of conformity within the church. Those who act, dress or speak inappropriately must be educated and socialized to conform. I'm picturing the recent convert who comes to church in their jeans, who prays and shares their beliefs using non-Mormon language. We have a very strict codes and scripts: men in ties, women in dresses, using 'appropriate' language, "I'd like to bear my testimony.... ", "I know the church is true....", "We thank thee for this beautiful day...", "Would someone volunteer to say the prayer?..." And so on.
I don't believe that this is a church that Christ would align himself with. I often heard, 'People aren't perfect, but the church is perfect.' But I sincerely disagree. This church has been bureaucratically overhauled, correlated, and become a soulless machine rolling forward, crushing individuality and speculation.
We have become victims of the attempts of leaders to mold historical events into theology. For example, the structure of a first presidency. Our church is organized with a "prophet" (side note: why do we call him a president? Because he is the head of a corporation. That is what our church has evolved into, a corporation!), and two counselors. This structure is seen in local authority, with Stake Presidents and two counselors, Bishops and two counselors, Deacon's Quorum Presidents and two counselors, etc. We are so in love with the symmetry and simplicity of this "presidency" that leaders have tried projecting it back historically. The scene in Exodus 17 when Moses must keep his arms lifted so that the Israelite can win the battle against Amalek is cited as evidence of a "presidency", with Moses as the prophet and Aaron and Hur as his counselors. Peter, James and John are cited as the New Testament equivalent.
Why is it that we bear testimony that "the church is true"? I believe that any church is a man made social structure with the attempts at social control. Ideally this is by sincere, benign and humble leaders sincerely attempting to help people in their lives. But power corrupts, especially religious power as seen historically. I guess my take-away from all of this is that I want more people to critically analyze and research, to be active participants, not just accepting things because "that is the way things are, that's the way they've always been". Because more often than not, acceptance perpetrates unreliable myth.
