I just read today a great post by the Church’s CIO, Joel Dehlin entitled “Speak Up”. Having served in a mission office for part of my own missionary service, I really felt that communication was not what leaders in the Church were after. It’s really great to here someone from the top voice a need for exchange.

Later I found out that there was some grumbling afterward and that a few people had been afraid or unwilling to speak their minds–they wanted to appear like they were aligned with what they thought I wanted; they wanted to be good soldiers.

That’s a shame. Yes, I’m not partial to complaining and whining. Yes, people need to get on the bandwagon when decisions are made and be supportive. But crikey, that doesn’t equate to a gag order!
Joel Dehlin, CIO, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

This led to some discussion with some good friends about obedience versus discussion amongst the rank-and-file of the Church. I personally wouldn’t be comfortable working for the Church, mostly because the lines between ecclesiastical authority and chain of command become blurred. Big decisions in the organization would come from the top, and when the top is composed of prophets, its hard to feel like you can correct or criticize.

This makes me wonder a little bit: would the Church be better served in some areas if the decision between obedience and communication were moved more towards communication? I work at the best web development shop in the known universe, and my boss often treats me like his. When I’ve been called into a meeting, I’ve been treated like a consultant: someone whose opinions and vision are weighed in before any final decisions are made. Both the CEO and president work this way, and one of my favorite features of our setup is a very flat organization.

Here’s to hoping that the celestial organization chart is rather flat. Do you think God will ever ask us for our opinion someday when working to better the human race? In a sense he calls us because of our own abilities and skills, and expects us to use our talents. Can we be his trusted friends if that doesn’t happen— at least to some degree—in the future? Maybe we just don’t know him well enough to truly communicate with him.

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