Tips for living: When your ward splits

You knew it was coming, but it's never easy.

Your LDS ward seemed to be splitting at the seams. If you didn't get to sacrament meeting a few minutes before starting time, it was hard to find enough seats together for your family. Sunday School classrooms were bulging. And each week it seemed there were more people you hadn't seen before.

So now the sometimes-dreaded ward split has happened, or the boundaries have been redrawn. A lot of your friends are now in the "other" ward. Your familiar bishop is gone, along with the presidents of Young Women and Relief Society.

You have a choice: One, you can mourn the old, familiar days — or two, embrace the changes and be excited for new opportunities. If you're wondering, the correct answer would be the second option.

How do you do that?

• Remember that you sustained your new bishop and his counselors, so show it. Don't talk about what your previous bishop would have done in certain situations. He's not your bishop anymore, so it doesn't really matter what he would have done.
• Accept new opportunities to serve with sincerity and gratitude. One of your nightmares — being called as the new Young Women's president or scoutmaster — has become a reality. Don't say no or panic just yet. Let your bishop know if there are extenuating circumstances in your life, and if you both determine that you can do the job with the help of good people, say yes and get to work.
• Introduce yourself to people you haven't met before.
• If you're in a family ward, find out which children belong to which parents and get to know them all. If you're in a singles ward, it's even more important to meet people and be friendly with them. It could make a difference in their decision to attend.
• Wear a smile to church. The new ward will bond only as fast as the members learn to get to know, love and support each other.

E-mail: rwalsh@desnews.com