What Actually Happens During a Priesthood Interview
A priesthood interview isn't a test. It's a conversational review where a member of the high council sits down with someone being considered for a new calling or ordination. The guy interviewing you usually has a form he needs to check off, and your responses determine whether you move forward. I've sat on both sides of that table, so I can tell you exactly what goes wrong and what doesn't. This is the structured conversation that happens between the high councilor (or sometimes a bishopric member in ward situations) and the candidate. It's called a priesthood interview when it's for ordination to a new office. It's called a calling interview when it's for a new assignment. The process is basically the same, though the stakes feel different to the person sitting in the chair. Here's the thing nobody tells you: the interview is 80% your willingness to be honest and 20% anything else. I've seen people tank perfectly good calls because they tried to perform righteousness instead of actually answering. The high councilor can tell. They've heard every version of every answer.
How the Interview Actually Flows
First, you'll meet in an office, usually at the chapel. The interviewer will explain the purpose. Then they'll ask about your testimony of basic gospel principles. For a priesthood ordination, that means the Articles of Faith, the Plan of Salvation, and your understanding of what the priesthood is. For a calling, it shifts toward your current spiritual standing, temple recommend worthiness, and willingness to serve. They'll ask if you're attending church regularly. They'll ask about your relationship with your family. They might ask about specific doctrinal questions depending on the level of priesthood you're being considered for. A Melchizedek Priesthood interview for an elder will include different questions than a teaching elder or seventy interview. Then comes the part where you get asked things you didn't expect. Maybe about your personal practices. Maybe about something you've done that you're unsure should be disclosed. That's the real interview. Everything before that was just warm-up.
What Most People Do Wrong
I watched a young man once try to give the answer he thought the bishop wanted instead of the real answer. His wife had left him six months earlier and he hadn't mentioned it once. The bishop knew. The bishop always knows. The young man ended up looking evasive and dishonest when the very next question revealed the gap. He'd have been fine being straight about it from the start. The biggest mistake is treating it like a job interview where you're selling yourself. It's not. It's a worthiness discussion wrapped in a calling evaluation. The person on the other side isn't trying to figure out if you're qualified. They're trying to figure out if there's anything standing between you and the authority you're being asked to hold. Another common error: showing up unprepared and giving one-word answers. This makes you look either disinterested or like you're withholding information. Both read the same way. Come ready to actually talk. Read your current calling requirements beforehand if you have one. Know what a temple recommend requires. Understand what the priesthood you're being ordained to actually does.
Get the Full Details
A Specific Problem I Ran Into
I was conducting an interview for a stake officer position and the candidate had a serious health issue he was embarrassed about. It wasn't anything doctrinally problematic, but it affected his ability to serve full-time in the calling he was being asked to take. He kept trying to brush past it when I asked about his current circumstances. We went back and forth for about eight minutes before I just asked directly: "Are you holding back something that would affect your ability to serve in this calling?" He finally told me about the medical situation. We adjusted the calling scope, he got what he needed, and everyone was better off. If he'd just said something in the first three minutes, we would have saved fifteen minutes of uncomfortable circling. The workaround was blunt directness. When someone is dancing around an issue, name it gently but clearly and give them space to answer honestly.
What the Interviewer Is Really Looking For
Honesty. Willingness to change if needed. Current worthiness. Understanding of what you're signing up for. These four things matter more than anything else. A strong testimony that you can articulate simply beats a long theological performance every time. An acknowledgment of current struggles beats a claim of perfection. A clear yes to serving beats a hesitant maybe dressed up as enthusiasm. I've recommended people for callings with weak testimonies but genuine hearts. I've blocked people with perfect answers and empty sincerity. The form on the table can't capture that distinction, but the person filling it out can. That's why the actual conversation matters more than the paperwork.
Edge Cases and When It Breaks Down
Here's the ugly truth: these interviews aren't consistent. One stake president will dig deep into personal matters. The next will barely ask anything and sign the papers in ten minutes. It depends entirely on the culture of the unit and the temperament of the leader. You might get the full treatment one time and a rubber stamp the next, even for the same calling. Sometimes the interviewer hasn't done their homework and asks generic questions that don't fit the specific calling. I've seen this happen with specialized positions where the councilor clearly had no idea what the role actually involved. The candidate ended up answering questions about Sunday School teaching for a calling that was primarily administrative. It's frustrating but it happens frequently enough that you should be prepared to steer the conversation back on track if it drifts. Another scenario: the candidate is being interviewed for something completely outside their normal experience. A young single adult being considered for a counselor role in the bishopric. A mother of young children being asked to serve in a calling that requires evening availability. The interview should address these practical concerns, but I've seen it where nobody did and the person said yes out of pressure and then struggled for months.
Practical Preparation Steps
Before the interview, spend ten minutes reviewing your current temple recommend questions. Make sure you can honestly answer yes to each one. If you can't, fix that before the interview, not during it. Review the basic doctrine for the priesthood level you're being considered for. For Aaronic, know the three offices and what each does. For Melchizedek, understand the keys and the general responsibilities of elders and high priests. Think about what you'd say if asked about your current spiritual challenges. Not the polished version. The real one. Whatever it is, practice saying it out loud in a calm, simple way. The goal isn't to sound impressive. The goal is to sound honest and self-aware. Write down any questions you have for them. You're allowed to ask. About the calling's expectations. About time commitment. About support available. I've seen too many people walk out of those interviews with zero clarity on what they actually signed up for, then quit six weeks later because nobody told them the truth.
What Happens After
If everything checks out, the interviewer signs the recommendation and you move to the next step. For priesthood ordinations, that's usually the confirmation vote at sacrament meeting. For callings, it's the bishop's presentation and vote. If something came up during the interview that needs follow-up, they'll tell you. Sometimes that follow-up is another conversation. Sometimes it's just time to pray about it and try again later. There's no appeal process. No second chances built into the system. If you get passed over, you don't know the exact reason, and that's by design. The standard procedure is to continue serving where you are, stay worthy, and wait for the next opportunity. It's not fair in every case, but it's the way it works.
The Bottom Line
These interviews exist to protect two things: the authority of the priesthood and the people who receive its blessings. When conducted properly, they're straightforward and useful. When rushed or careless, they miss real problems and create unnecessary obstacles. Your best strategy is simple: be honest, be prepared, ask questions, and don't try to perform. The right calling for the right person at the right time is the only outcome that matters, and nothing you do in that room changes whether that's actually what's going to happen.
