New assistant finance clerk

I am the finance clerk of a ward. We recently called an assistant finance clerk. After logging into MLS, he selects Assistant Finance and is allowed to log in. He recently counted ward donations with a member of the Bishopric, which the system allowed him to do. However, when he tried to complete the process and verify the correctness of the batch, he was unable to complete the task. Does anyone have a solution to this problem? We are planning to add his name to the signature card which may help solve the problem. Thank you for your help.

Has his calling been recorded as a standard calling in LCR? Has MLS done a send/receive since it was recorded? Has his MLS login been matched to his membership record?

MLS has to have a login that grants "finance" rights, but it also must see that login matched to a membership record that holds the proper standard calling to do finance.

What actual calling does have have? Unless he has the calling of Assistant Ward Clerk--Finance or the Assistant Ward Clerk then he can't verify a donation batch. If you created a custom calling then that won't provide any rights in LCR and it won't allow him to complete a donation batch. Really all finance clerks are assistants to the ward clerk just with a finance specialty. It sounds like you're trying to have an assistant to an assistant and the system doesn't support such a calling. But you can have two clerks with the Assistant Ward Clerk--Finance calling.

Now, if they do have the right calling and it still didn't work then maybe you didn't do a Send/Receive before doing the donation batch. MLS must first download the calling information before he will have rights.

We are strongly discouraged from using position names, such as "Assistant Finance", as MLS usernames. Callings change frequently, and MLS usernames must be linked to MRNs. If the MLS username "Assistant Finance" was linked to the MRN of the previous clerk, that account should be deleted/disabled, and a new MLS username should be created for the new clerk.

Thanks to all of you for your helpful hints. This situation arose because the Bishop wanted my successor (I am 86 years old) to be fully trained when I am released.
He was called as "Assistant Finance Clerk" and that was his logon ID which the system allowed him to use. However, it was not allowable as a valid ID for counting donations. Apparently there can only be one Finance Clerk. We found that some wards do have an assistant to the Finance Clerk who does not count donations, but performs other duties.

carlscpa wrote:Apparently there can only be one Finance Clerk.

This is not correct. You can have any number of "Assistant Ward Clerk--Finance" (subject to stake approval), but what you can't have is an assistant to the assistant.

carlscpa wrote:He was called as "Assistant Finance Clerk" and that was his logon ID which the system allowed him to use. However, it was not allowable as a valid ID for counting donations.

Please see the post just prior to yours. The MLS login should be the person's name, not their calling. And in order for that login to work, the MLS login must be associated with his membership record in MLS. *And* it has to be assigned "Finance" rights. In LCR, he needs to be set to the standard position of "Assistant Ward Clerk--Finance" and a Send/Receive done in MLS to sync that calling down to his membership record in MLS. On top of all that, he needs to team up with a Bishopric member when it comes to "signing" the batch. Two clerks can't do it.

Bottom line, there are some hoops to be jumped though, but what the bishop wants CAN be done. He just has to be called as your "equal" and not as your "assistant".

drepouille wrote:We are strongly discouraged from using position names, such as "Assistant Finance", as MLS usernames. Callings change frequently, and MLS usernames must be linked to MRNs. If the MLS username "Assistant Finance" was linked to the MRN of the previous clerk, that account should be deleted/disabled, and a new MLS username should be created for the new clerk.

Never heard this before. I've been a clerk in 2 wards and in both the MLS logins are calling names: Bishop, 1st counselor etc.
When callings change I just link the login name to the new persons name. No problem.

klricks wrote:Never heard this before. I've been a clerk in 2 wards and in both the MLS logins are calling names: Bishop, 1st counselor etc.
When callings change I just link the login name to the new persons name. No problem.

In the Help Center article Maintain MLS User Access see item 4 under MLS Procedures.

russellhltn wrote:You can have any number of "Assistant Ward Clerk--Finance" (subject to stake approval), but what you can't have is an assistant to the assistant.

According to an email we received this week, beginning on March 2, 2020, each ward will be limited to one "Assistant Ward Clerk--Finance".