I have been a lifelong member of my church.  I was baptized as a member of my church at 8 years old, the age that most people are baptized who grew up in the church.  At the age of 12 I received the responsibility and opportunity to serve more in the church.  At that age, young men are given responsibilities to serve and a small portion of priesthood is conferred upon them, and they are called “deacons.”  As I grew older, more opportunities to serve and greater responsibility was given to me.  At age 14, I became a “teacher” and at age 16, I became a ”priest.”  At age 18, I was given the higher responsibility of being an “elder” in my church and later on, when I was called upon to be a leader of our congregation, I was given the responsibility of becoming a “high priest” in my church.  This progression through the offices and responsibilities was a journey that has given me many opportunities to serve other people, some of which I expected, and some of which were unexpected.

As an 18 year old, while away at college, I was asked to be the president of our “Elders’ Quorum,” which is the organization within each church congregation that consists of the adult men in the congregation.  In this capacity, I was called upon to assist other members of the church with many needs, including helping those who endured tragedies.  One member of our congregation had their father be involved in a serious accident only 2 days after I was assigned my responsibility.  It was a quick introduction into the world of serving others that I did not expect to happen.  I did the best I could to help the congregation member go through this experience, but I was also grateful that there were other, more experienced in life, adult leaders who were there.  I wasn’t all alone in what I was doing, but I was given the chance to serve the member who needed my help.

As a leader of my congregation, I have had the occasion to prepare the agenda for the funerals of members who have passed away, preside and conduct the funerals, and sometimes I have been asked to provide help and services to the family members left behind when a congregation member has passed away.  I have assisted my wife in getting funerals arranged and completed, and I have been called upon to provide legal advice in some cases.

 

I Have Had the Opportunity to Help With Funerals

Our church is not a funeral home, and we don’t provide the services of caring for a body after someone passes, as a funeral home or mortuary is much better equipped to handle those type of services.  I know there are a lot of laws, rules, and regulations regarding how to handle the body of a deceased individual, and those laws, rules, and regulations need to be followed to ensure the deceased is properly treated.  As a church that pulls leaders from among its members, and the leaders have their own jobs, families, and lives, we don’t really have the ability to keep up on the necessary laws, rules, and regulations concerning the handling of a deceased person’s body.

We do open the buildings and provide a place for a funeral or memorial service.  Our church also tends to be quite good at providing food and comfort to the loved ones who attend the funeral.  Obviously, preparing for and putting on a funeral takes a significant amount of work.  My wife was the president of the women’s organization in our congregation for a while, called the “Relief Society,” and she organized, ran, and put on half a dozen, or more, funerals during her two years of being in charge of that organization.  I assisted her in getting the physical facilities set up by setting up chairs, or tables, and by cleaning up after the funeral.  I know the families were grateful that we were there to help.

As a leader of my congregation, I also conducted funerals and presided over the services.  I always felt like it was good that I was able to be there and help a grieving family, as I was usually not quite as connected to the deceased as the family was.  I could organize the services, arranging for music, flowers, and setting up the program for those would would speak or deliver a eulogy, and I often found those were things the family just wasn’t really up to doing at the time they lost a beloved family member, like a parent, sibling, grandparent, or even a child.  I found many families asking me what they were supposed to do now, and as a church leader, I would often reference the stages of grief and help them understand that it would take time to go through the process of grief, and that there wasn’t just one timeline to follow.

 

When Church Service and Estate Planning Overlap

If a family wanted to ask me what they should do with the deceased person’s house, or assets, or other possessions, I would call upon my training as an attorney to ask if they had a will or a trust.

If yes, I would give them a brief overview of the necessary process to distribute assets from a deceased person to the named beneficiaries or heirs.  If the family told me that they did not know if there was a will or trust, I would encourage them to search the house for such a document and then go through the necessary steps.  If no will or trust could be found, I would then let them know about the intestate statute and process, which is what happens when someone dies without a will or trust.  I always tried to keep my role as a church leader separate from my professional work as an estate planning attorney, but I did see how I could be helpful in pointing people in the right direction after a loved one passed away.

In one instance, I went to a church leadership meeting on a Sunday morning and heard about a congregation member who ended up in the hospital the night before.  She had been quite ill and her children took her to the hospital.  Based on her illness, she would likely be in the hospital for several weeks.  Her children had asked how they could go about taking care of her affairs while she was in the hospital.  The congregation’s main leader, called the “Bishop,” turned to me and asked if I knew what they needed.  I briefly informed them that a Financial and Medical Power of Attorney would be necessary for her children to be able to act on her behalf.  Apparently the children did not have any such documentation.  Fortunately, the woman in the hospital was well enough to sign such a document, as her condition had not really impaired her mental state.  I went to meet with her on Monday morning and get the necessary documentation signed.  Her children were grateful for the help, and I was just happy I was in the right place at the right time to help out.

 

I Love to Help Others and I Want to Help as Many People as I Can

Growing up, I certainly did not expect that my church service would be enhanced by my professional skills when I started my journey of service as a 12 year old.  Of course, I did not know what I wanted to do for a living when I was 12 years old, so I surprised myself with what I have been asked to do in my church service.  But, I also think my church service has helped me to be a better attorney.  I have been able to develop more listening skills, more compassion, and more understanding for others, and I think that makes me a better attorney.  I also know that service in my church is where I first found my love of helping others, which is what drives me in my legal practice.  I like to help people with what they need, and I like to help people set up their estate plans in my professional career.  I want to help as many people as I can.  My church service may have been where I first experienced happiness and joy from servicing others, but I certainly enjoy serving and helping others in my professional life.  If you would like to give me the opportunity to serve you by helping you with your estate plan, I welcome the opportunity.  Just click the button below to schedule an appointment.