"They found me. I don’t know how....but they found me."
The Mormon church is unique in their organization. Where most other denominations let the parisoners choose where they want to attend, the LDS church organizes geographically (at the most basic street by street level, these are called wards). Generally you are encouraged to attend your assigned ward based on where you live.
There are some exceptions to this rule. One is with regards to young single adult (YSA) wards. These are wards that are specifically for...well.... young single adults. They are still organized somewhat geographically, but those rules are a little more lax. These wards have two unique rules of their own: 1) If you get married you generally leave and join a regular ward. And 2) Upon turning 30 you generally leave and join a regular ward (I guess you aren't considered "young" at this point). The second point, in my experience, is at the discretion of the bishop.
And this is where the recent turn of events kicks in.
I like student wards. The people are younger and they have a lot of good energy. The ward its self is geared towards them, so they have lots of great social events. And the church meetings are quieter and it's easier to hear (a boon to someone like me who has trouble hearing at times) because there are no kids (versus family wards where the babies cry and the older ones fidget).
At the UTEP student ward, I made it point to avoid giving out my information to have my records transferred. The second bishop there was a stickler for procedure, and I had seen others previously "encouraged" to leave the ward "when it was time." Not wanting to draw attention, I just decided to keep a low profile. The issue wasn't pressed, so there was no need to force action. Everyone wins.
So I've been doing the same at the student ward in Coppell that I've been going to. In fact, I haven't put my name on a single sheet of paper there. None. So this past Sunday, I was doing some studying when there was a knock at the door. I opened it, and standing there were two missionaries and a member of the "big kid's ward" who came to say hello. They had just received my records and were there to welcome me "into the ward." I didn't recognize them from the student ward though. And as it turns out, they weren't. My records had been forwarded somehow to the "family ward" (anyone see where this is going?)
I invited them inside and we talked a little bit, however my paranoia was not alleviated by that conversation. It turns out that the third guy in the group (the non-missionary) just turned 31. He himself was in the student ward, and they actually asked him to change over (presumeably due to age).
Me being....well stubborn ole me...this has just increased my resolve to keep a low profile. But if that conversation is any indication, it's really just a matter of waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The REAL question....the one that has been burning in my mind for the past couple days....is how in the world did my records get transferred??? The student ward at UTEP didn't have them. My old ward in Houston didn't have them either. The last place I was "on record" (or so I think anyway) was my original YSA ward in College Station. I called a few people in El Paso that might have had anything even remotely to do with giving up my new address, and they didn't know anything.
So it's a realy mystery. I mean, the only other thing I can come up with is either someone got a hold of my snail mail forward, or from a credit report. But that's diving into some deep conspiracy theory waters right there, and I've always been an Occam's Razor kind of guy.
Looks like some of these "law talkin guy" skills may come in handy sooner than later. Stay tuned for the next exciting installment of "Can Scott jedi mind trick the bishop?"
There are some exceptions to this rule. One is with regards to young single adult (YSA) wards. These are wards that are specifically for...well.... young single adults. They are still organized somewhat geographically, but those rules are a little more lax. These wards have two unique rules of their own: 1) If you get married you generally leave and join a regular ward. And 2) Upon turning 30 you generally leave and join a regular ward (I guess you aren't considered "young" at this point). The second point, in my experience, is at the discretion of the bishop.
And this is where the recent turn of events kicks in.
I like student wards. The people are younger and they have a lot of good energy. The ward its self is geared towards them, so they have lots of great social events. And the church meetings are quieter and it's easier to hear (a boon to someone like me who has trouble hearing at times) because there are no kids (versus family wards where the babies cry and the older ones fidget).
At the UTEP student ward, I made it point to avoid giving out my information to have my records transferred. The second bishop there was a stickler for procedure, and I had seen others previously "encouraged" to leave the ward "when it was time." Not wanting to draw attention, I just decided to keep a low profile. The issue wasn't pressed, so there was no need to force action. Everyone wins.
So I've been doing the same at the student ward in Coppell that I've been going to. In fact, I haven't put my name on a single sheet of paper there. None. So this past Sunday, I was doing some studying when there was a knock at the door. I opened it, and standing there were two missionaries and a member of the "big kid's ward" who came to say hello. They had just received my records and were there to welcome me "into the ward." I didn't recognize them from the student ward though. And as it turns out, they weren't. My records had been forwarded somehow to the "family ward" (anyone see where this is going?)
I invited them inside and we talked a little bit, however my paranoia was not alleviated by that conversation. It turns out that the third guy in the group (the non-missionary) just turned 31. He himself was in the student ward, and they actually asked him to change over (presumeably due to age).
Me being....well stubborn ole me...this has just increased my resolve to keep a low profile. But if that conversation is any indication, it's really just a matter of waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The REAL question....the one that has been burning in my mind for the past couple days....is how in the world did my records get transferred??? The student ward at UTEP didn't have them. My old ward in Houston didn't have them either. The last place I was "on record" (or so I think anyway) was my original YSA ward in College Station. I called a few people in El Paso that might have had anything even remotely to do with giving up my new address, and they didn't know anything.
So it's a realy mystery. I mean, the only other thing I can come up with is either someone got a hold of my snail mail forward, or from a credit report. But that's diving into some deep conspiracy theory waters right there, and I've always been an Occam's Razor kind of guy.
Looks like some of these "law talkin guy" skills may come in handy sooner than later. Stay tuned for the next exciting installment of "Can Scott jedi mind trick the bishop?"