THE APPENDICES
CHAPTER 7
Bishop Thomas
CHAPTER 7 - EXCERPTS
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, bishops are called from among the regular members of each congregation. They serve for several years overseeing all aspects of church programs in the area. Their service is voluntary, like all local service in the church, without payment of any kind. The workload is heavy, in terms of time spent and emotional impact.
No one in the church seeks out such a calling. There is no lobbying, campaigning, jockeying for position, or politicking to become a bishop. Yet, if the call comes, one steps up and serves to the best of one’s ability…
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During the years I served as bishop, business at HUGEsound was volatile. Nothing unusual about that. Business can often be unstable during stretches of a composer’s career. But one year my business really fell into the toilet. Total income that year was around $13,000.
Imagine trying to support a family of four on that income! If we had not disciplined ourselves to squirrel money away during the good times, building up savings to carry us through the lean times, we never would have made it.
One reason for my financial struggles could be traced to a business practice that was unique among my peers. I chose not to work on M-rated games or R-rated films, which drastically constrained my marketplace. It was a practice I began in the early part of my career. But while serving as a bishop, a situation arose which really put this practice to the test…
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