When I was a Bishop some 40 years ago, I interviewed many women and children without another adult in the room and never had a woman or child request someone else be there. However, on the advice of my Stake President when he called me to be Bishop, I did require that a member of the Bishopric or my wife be in the adjoining room. Many times crying women came to my house and, although I sympathized with their circumstances, I did not let them into my house because no one else was at home or available to be in the next room. To sum up, I am completely in agreement with this new policy. It is a safety factor for all --- the members AND the Bishop.
AlexJuly 20, 2018
This is the first that I've heard of this policy change and all that I can say is, "it's about time!"
I remember my mother telling off a bishop who refused to allow my father into an interview. She didn't feel comfortable around the bishop and refused to be in a closed room with him. A few years back one of my boys felt the need to repent of something and then spent an hour being interrogated by the bishop. When I found out, I told the bishop that it was innapropriate for an underage person to be alone with an adult in that situation. Initially the bishop tried to scare me into backing down, but my kid never met with him alone again. I even made certain that my kid knew that it was his choice to invite me into each meeting, and he did, on his own.
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Allen MerrillJuly 23, 2018
When I was a Bishop some 40 years ago, I interviewed many women and children without another adult in the room and never had a woman or child request someone else be there. However, on the advice of my Stake President when he called me to be Bishop, I did require that a member of the Bishopric or my wife be in the adjoining room. Many times crying women came to my house and, although I sympathized with their circumstances, I did not let them into my house because no one else was at home or available to be in the next room. To sum up, I am completely in agreement with this new policy. It is a safety factor for all --- the members AND the Bishop.
AlexJuly 20, 2018
This is the first that I've heard of this policy change and all that I can say is, "it's about time!" I remember my mother telling off a bishop who refused to allow my father into an interview. She didn't feel comfortable around the bishop and refused to be in a closed room with him. A few years back one of my boys felt the need to repent of something and then spent an hour being interrogated by the bishop. When I found out, I told the bishop that it was innapropriate for an underage person to be alone with an adult in that situation. Initially the bishop tried to scare me into backing down, but my kid never met with him alone again. I even made certain that my kid knew that it was his choice to invite me into each meeting, and he did, on his own.
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