Tradition vs. Policy

Recently I have been thinking more about some of the little things that we do in church meetings. Just so there’s some background, I am a counselor in the bishopric of a Spanish ward that was recently grouped with other Spanish wards to form a new Spanish only stake. There’s been some direction from our stake leaders that seems out of place, but it’s made me start to question the why behind some of the things we do.

For example, in November we had our Primary Program and the youth started the Sacrament meeting on the stand. We had a Stake Presidency counselor visiting us that Sunday, and we did the first half completely normal. Prayer, announcements, hymn, sacrament, and then once the Sacrament was over we (the whole bishopric) stood up to get off the stand and sit with our families. I have seen bishoprics do this my entire life - it’s one of the few Sundays in the year that we get to sit with our families, but the stake counselor practically caused a scene demanding that we couldn’t leave the stand, that the presiding authority must always sit on the stand. He was adamant, and the only way we got away was because my bishop told him “Well, you are the presiding authority. You get to stay here then.” (He wasn’t happy about that btw)

I’ve checked the manual, nowhere it says that the bishopric even has to sit on a stand. I get the idea that the Bishop is responsible for the sacrament, and sitting on the stand is a great way to supervise that ordinance, but after that why stay up there if there’s nothing left to announce?

Today in Stake Conference I also watched as the stake Patriarch left his wife to sit on the stand. He doesn’t do this in his home ward, why do they do that for Stake Conference?

Basically my question is, at one point was it written in an older manual that bishops can’t leave the stand? That Patriarchs have to sit on the stand for stake meetings? Is this based in actual previous policy, or is it just a tenacious tradition?