In response to a bishop wanting to seek through prayer whether an EQ president's recommendation was inspired

Bishop,

I don’t mean to overstate this, but that is one of the great challenges we have in leadership: delegating authority to receive inspiration. So any effort "to make sure this is what the Lord wants” implies there’s a possibility the person delegated the authority to receive inspiration was not inspired. That’s what creates what I call “competing revelation.”

It is your responsibility to clear names for worthiness and to make sure calling recommendations are not going to be disruptive to your ward organization and/or inappropriate for the person being called because of confidential information you’re aware of, but confirming revelation is not necessarily our role as presidents and bishops.

We tried to address this challenge of “competing revelation” in the attached document you received in our training with your bishopric.  It’s probably not real clear, but we can avoid such a challenge when we work with the leader (who has been delegated the authority to receive revelation) before they begin seeking revelation.

Hope this helps,

PrL

Helping Leaders with Calling Recommendations Mount Hood Stake • September 2016
The following is prepared to assist priesthood and auxiliary leaders in making recommendations for callings, including instances where inspiration is received but recommendations are declined.
Doctrinal foundations of callings:

• ●  This is the Lord’s true church, He will reveal His will to us (D&C 1:30, 112:10, AofF 1:5)
  
• ●  Revelation, and thus final decisions, flow through priesthood keys (D&C 28:7, 35:25)
  
• ●  Whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies (Thomas S. Monson, April Conference 1996)
  
• ●  The Lord sometimes withholds communication so leaders learn to develop judgment and
  become like God; the Lord then stands behind those decisions (see Moses 1:25)
• 
  How do we reconcile ‘competing revelation’ when a recommendation is rejected?
  
  • ●  Right person, wrong time
    
  • ●  As in marriage, there’s no “one­and­only”
    
  • ●  Natural to feel right about those we like or who are dependable
    
  • ●  Additional information was needed before asking in prayer
    
  • ●  Feeling an urgency to decide quickly
    Key factors in approving callings: peace of heart, a settled feeling among all in the bishopric or presidency, worthiness, availability, personal and family circumstances
    Other factors that may affect approvals: dependability, length of service in current calling, willingness to serve, talent, teachable, respect for authority, enthusiasm for work
    Directed by priesthood leader
    Your priesthood leader selects the candidates for you
  • 
    
  • Three Approaches to Making Recommendations
  • ●  Pro: No rejection rate, no frustration from rejection
    
  • ●  Con: No participation in the revelatory experience, may not prefer candidates chosen
    Select from a narrow group
    Your priesthood leader gives you a group of 4­5 names to choose from
    
  • ●  Pro: Some revelatory experience, low rejection rate, low frustration
    
  • ●  Con: Limited flexibility, may not prefer any of the candidates offered for consideration
    Choose from general membership
    You choose from the entire stake or ward membership
    
  • ●  Pro: A sweet, revelatory experience
    
  • ●  Con: Sometimes high frustration from number of rejections due to above factors