(Just before we start, if you're not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, this may not make a ton of sense to you. Feel free to ask any clarifying questions that may come up.)
So about two weeks ago I got a random phone call from the Stake Executive Secretary asking if I could come and talk to the 1st Counselor in the Stake Presidency. It was Saturday, and when Debbie was around I casually mentioned it to her. We thought that it was no big deal, in fact she had gotten a similar call recently which lead to her position as Girl's Camp Nurse.
Maybe I should preface all that by saying that there was an opening in our Bishopric, but it had been open for several weeks and I was certain that by now they already had gotten their man. Debbie even reassured me the night before that she as sure that that calling had already been filled.
Since we thought that it was no big deal, and she hadn't been asked to come, Debbie decided not to make the 8am meeting. The member of the Stake Presidency & the Executive Secretary seemed very upset about that, and that made me start to think that maybe this was more than just a simple assignment. I went into the room with President Fafita, and he began to talk to me.
I started to look around to see if I could find any hint of what the calling I was about to receive was going to be. Nothing on the paper he had out. Nothing in the binder. Then I looked down into his bag for a moment and saw the Priesthood Advancement form. I knew that this couldn't be good. Then he extended the calling, 2nd Counselor in the Bishopric.
To say the least, I was stunned. I had never really considered myself to be the kind of person that would be called to the bishopric, my father hadn't ever been. Most of my friends growing up didn't have parents that were ever in the Bishopric. I was overwhelmed. He said that I should talk to my wife about it and get back to him before the meetings began at 11.
I went out to my car to call Debbie and to see what she thought. When I called her and told her what they had wanted me to do, she laughed. I think that she thought that I was kidding. When I made it clear that I was not, she was very supportive. She told me that she was sure that I would do a great job, and her words seemed to calm me down a great deal. Knowing that she was supportive seemed to give me the confidence that I needed to be able to accept this new position.
After I got off the phone with her, I decided that it was time to call my parents. I wanted them to know about such an important change in my life. My dad answered the phone. I told him about my new calling. Without missing a beat, he told me that our ward must be getting desperate. I told him that there were only 3 guys in the ward, so they didn't really have a lot of choices. If you ever wonder about my sarcastic nature (or of any of the Salt boys) you can look no further than our father. He is always joking and making wise-cracks, and so it's not that surprising that his kids are that way.
Then I talked to my mom. When I told her what was going on, she told me that it must have ruined my day. I told her that it ruined more than my day. I think that my dad is rubbing off on her. But they were very supportive, and "fortunately" my family was already planning to be here in Denver the next weekend. I got on the phone to call my grandpa, to see if he would be able to make, and he was able to come, so it became a mini-reunion.
This was six weeks ago and since then it's been a different and difficult challenge working in the bishopric, but I've been very fortunate to have so many people offer their support and encouragement. It will continue to be a different & unique opportunity going forward.
