Robert writes home #93 18 May 1997 Essay on extending callings


18 May 1997

Dear Mother,
                We’re eating fruit and I love it. We’ve been picking black berries, peaches, plums, a few cherries (bad pollination this year) and loquats (four). I also picked my first little ripe tomatoes yesterday from one of my vines. I really love the fruit here in the San Joaquin valley. I’m not as positive about triple digit weather in May. I heard that it was over 100 F yesterday.
                We have a heavy crop of grapes this year.
                Charlie is done with sports. That really seems different to have him coming home after school.
                Janet and I went to Oakland to the temple yesterday.
                Today was my high council speaking day. I spoke in Atwater 2 on “Sustaining those called to preside over you”.
Love,

Millers Robert, Janet, Charlie, and Sam

PS another essay:
                In order to sustain a person in a calling it is important to understand the difference between a calling and an invitation.
                When I was first called to be a branch president, I recall going to SLC to general conference where they had a “kind of film festival of church films” between sessions in the Salt Palace. One of the films I saw was a bishop training film. It portrayed a bishop and his counselors discussing who to call for positions. When they agreed on a candidate they kneeled and prayer for confirmation on their choice.
                I went home did it that way from then on. I only called people that we got confirmation on. If we didn’t get it we looked to another candidate. Sometimes auxiliary leaders got upset at me for taking too long to fill their positions… but I wouldn’t do it until I got confirmation.
                An invitation would be where the bishop and his counselors talked about the candidates and made their best choice then said, Let’s go see how the candidate feels about it and if they would accept that position. An invitation implies that his responsibility of choice is on the person being asked.
                When you receive a divinely inspired calling it’s not a matter of choice…it’s a matter of faith. If you reject it you are refusing the wisdom of God.
                The keys to a calling are the right to receive divine revelation for the domain of that calling. The bishop has the keys to receive revelation for the affairs of the ward. The candidate has the right to receive confirmation to the calling he receives

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