Ppi?

mikbone · #1 (**permalink**) 01-21-2013, 07:24 PM

Personal Priesthood Interview.

Let me give you some background. I've been LDS my whole life. I can point to times in my life when I have had priesthood interviews. From my father as a youth. From my bishop, stake president, etc. During my mission I had interviews with my mission president and companionship inventory. I have had many 'discussions' during my married life with my wife. But I would not put those under the PPI heading... Most recently with my teenage children, a father's interviews and discussion have become necessary and are quite effective...

Anyway to get to the point -
I recently moved into a new ward and was called into the elders quorum presidency. Wherein I was informed that we are to do PPI's monthly with each member of the quorum. My response was 'WHAT THE heck?' I was informed that I was to ask pointed questions concerning the Elder, his family, job circumstances, his marriage, home teaching families, set goals with him both personal and family, and ask him if he was exercising his priesthood. And if there were any recommendations that he had for the quorum presidency.

This was strange because it seemed like an undue amount of time committment on both the quorum members and presidency. And frankly I am a quiet person and somewhat anti-social and I really don't want to get into other members personal business. Not to mention the issues of confidentiality, etc. Furtermore I was not set apart to do such intimate interviews neither was I trained in how to conduct these interviews. And if there are issues that come up during these interviews... I assume that I would defer such issues to the bishopric anyway. And I have never had such an interview as a member of my previous quorums.

The term Personal Priesthood Interview can neither be found in the LDS Cannon nor in the Handbook. The closest thing that I have found is in

Church Handbook 2
7. Melchizedek Priesthood
Elders Quorum President and Counselors and High Priests Group Leader and Assistants
"Where posssible, they visit or interview quorum or group members at least once a year."

Which of course is quite different than the material that I was presented with...

I would love to be enlightened about the origin of these PPIs and the doctrinal foundation upon which they are based.

Personally I think that my time would be better served by just setting up home teaching visits with slacker home teachers and visit with them and their families instead of talking about it.

M_T_E · #2 (**permalink**) 01-21-2013, 07:29 PM

I feel as though Vort will swoop in and answer this one.

Anddenex · #3 (**permalink**) 01-21-2013, 07:39 PM

As the EQP there are specific interviews you are obligated, so to speak, to do:

1. At least once a year the EQP meets with every person in his quorum. This is a personal interview where you discover how the family is doing. You inquire about their spiritual, emotional, and temporal welfare. If the discussions turns into a worthiness, or a confession, you politely ask the Elder to stop and refer him to the Bishop.

These interviews may happen more than once a year depending on the need of individual Elders. It appears you have been asked to do this interview once a month.

Remember, your family comes first, and if you are unable to perform these interviews once a month -- due to family circumstances and the need to be a father -- then do your best.

2. Stewardship Interviews. Once a quarter you visit with every Home Teacher to discuss the home teachers steward. The families they are over. You discuss how the companionship is doing, and find out if there is anything you can do to help.

Stewardship interviews also allow the EQP to assist Elders who are struggling in honoring this assignment. Stewardship interviews are accomplished by the presidency, or the EQP may delegate them to his counselors.

Vort · #4 (**permalink**) 01-21-2013, 07:42 PM

The quorum leader is charged with the responsibility for the well-being of his quorum members. In fact, other than matters of sins to be confessed or temporal welfare, both of which are the bishop's responsibility, any other matter is the purview of the quorum president or group leader. This includes employment, marital difficulties, and other personal matters.

The quorum leader generally keeps the intimate PPIs for himself rather than involve his counselors/assistants, but I suppose a quorum president/group leader can assign those out if he chooses. In my high priest group, the group leader does all of the "real" PPIs, while the assistants do quarterly "home teaching" PPIs.

I believe you are right; there is no specific scriptural mandate to perform personal Priesthood interviews. Rather, PPIs are one way to fulfill the duties of the calling of quorum president or group leader. As is the case with home teaching, the PPI is a way to discharge the duty and care for the flock. Other methods might be dreamed up, and maybe at some point another way will be used. But for now, home teaching and PPIs are the methods employed to fulfill those duties.

That's my take on it, at least.

mikbone · #5 (**permalink**) 01-21-2013, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anddenex

2. Stewardship Interviews. Once a quarter you visit with every Home Teacher to discuss the home teachers steward. The families they are over. You discuss how the companionship is doing, and find out if there is anything you can do to help.

Stewardship interviews also allow the EQP to assist Elders who are struggling in honoring this assignment. Stewardship interviews are accomplished by the presidency, or the EQP may delegate them to his counselors.

Can you find the actual reference from the handbook?

That would be helpful.

Eowyn · #6 (**permalink**) 01-21-2013, 11:09 PM

Here you go, mikbone.

Handbook 2: Administering the Church

Magen_Avot · #7 (**permalink**) 01-22-2013, 04:50 AM

I've heard of PPIs forever myself. Had only a few. I was just released from EQP 4 months ago and for those two years I, and my councilors did conduct them, but I didn't get to all of the members. Like you I don't like prying. The goal was once a quarter for us, but our focus was "what can I do to bless and serve you and your family". We didn't invade privacy or respect- per my definition of invade.

There are no specific guidelines for "PPI" interviews, however if you do a search for "Personal Priesthood Interview" and filter it to 'Melchizedek Priesthood' you will find chapters in priesthood manuals going back to 1975, and talks before and after 1980.

Did you ask for and get any feedback on it? It's always nice to know, but in the end we love, forgive, forget, love (again) and serve. So just do your best!

mikbone · #8 (**permalink**) 01-22-2013, 05:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eowyn

Here you go, mikbone.

Handbook 2: Administering the Church

Yes I am aware that the Church Handbook is available online and searchable. What I was asking for, is the actual wording found within the handbook that backs up the practice of the PPI as described to me by my local EQ. You see, I suspect that the PPI is a concept that has been made up.

As a matter of fact if you do a search of the Handbook for the term 'Stewardship' you will find that the word is not found once within the entire book.

I have a bit of a pet peeve when someone receives personal revelation and then proceeds to require that I follow their personal revelation.

For example don't read D&D 89 and tell me that I can't eat chocolate...

mikbone · #9 (**permalink**) 01-22-2013, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magen_Avot

I've heard of PPIs forever myself. Had only a few. I was just released from EQP 4 months ago and for those two years I, and my councilors did conduct them, but I didn't get to all of the members. Like you I don't like prying. The goal was once a quarter for us, but our focus was "what can I do to bless and serve you and your family". We didn't invade privacy or respect- per my definition of invade.

There are no specific guidelines for "PPI" interviews, however if you do a search for "Personal Priesthood Interview" and filter it to 'Melchizedek Priesthood' you will find chapters in priesthood manuals going back to 1975, and talks before and after 1980.

Did you ask for and get any feedback on it? It's always nice to know, but in the end we love, forgive, forget, love (again) and serve. So just do your best!

Thank you. My wife graduated from J. Ruben Clark law school so I have been instructed long ago on the boolean internet search.

When I found the term PPI within the Ensign, it generally was not associated with the elders quorum.
But with father's interviews - https://www.lds.org/ensign/1977/12/r...views?lang=eng
Or with a stake president or Bishop - LDS.org - Ensign Article - The Vision of the Aaronic Priesthood
Or a post mortal interview with the Savior - Counseling Together in Marriage - Ensign June 2012 - ensign

I did find the article Keeping Pace - Ensign June 1975 - ensign that does actually comment about home teaching and PPIs. This is the closest that I have come to find the concept that my local EQ perhaps is referring to. But the article has no author listed.

Dravin · #10 (**permalink**) 01-22-2013, 05:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikbone

Yes I am aware that the Church Handbook is available online and searchable. What I was asking for, is the actual wording found within the handbook that backs up the practice of the PPI as described to me by my local EQ.

You quoted it yourself in the OP. I would say that monthly qualifies as "at least once per year" wouldn't you? It doesn't mandate monthly, but monthly certainly falls within the wording. Or is your argument, "Well, it mentions interviews but it doesn't call them PPIs!"