That page doesn't make them look desperate in the least. I would imagine if someone was interested or wanting to come to church, they would be able to find the local meetinghouse.
The only reason they'd need to do ANY of that stuff written there is if the person did not want to be found by the LDS church. Otherwise, the person would certainly advise their old and/or new bishop themselves. So that whole page is just creepy.
That's a lot of work just to locate a member. They should just take the easy path and reach down the front of their pants. Either one would most likely have the same effect on the person they are harassing.
Yet they wonder why people call them a cult. That's extremely creepy, and makes me glad I resigned from that cult years ago. As for Facebook, the fact that my religion is listed as "Episcopalian" should give them the hint that I'm not a member of the cult. If that wasn't enough, then the stuff I've shared about supporting LGBT rights, equality, universal healthcare, etc should scare them away.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/14/2017 05:29PM by adoylelb.
Only s cult would put so much effort into not letting people "escape". If they haven't found you yet, they will. They found me 7 different times. I contacted law enforcement and threatened lawsuits to get them off my back. Didn't work and I had my name removed which has worked for now.
Have any stray lambs out there been hit with odd calls from a former mission companion?
A lovely fellow has kept it up for many months having extracted my cell from a sibling of mine.
We exchanged e-photos of the old days, fine, but the rambling calls keep on.
I sense a program not included in the above list. It may be something like... "Elder, one of your old companions down there in Botswanna has flown the coop, call him and somehow invite him back in fellowship!"
Anyone experience a similar thing and think this may be some kind of new quorum project?
as long as those don't cost the Morg too much, it'll probably continue;Heaven Knows if leaders tell missionaries that the 'missing' people they're tracing 'can't find their way' (HA!)
I'd give Most Anything to find out how many 'found souls' tell them to FO once they're found/located...
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/14/2017 10:16PM by GNPE.
I know several senior missionary couples who were assigned to do this, full-time. They referred to it as a "computer mission." One of them tracked down my son, from a photograph of him with an active TBM friend, and the TBM friend ratted out my son. My son resigned with me and my other children, together, and the kids told me not to give out their new phone numbers and new addresses, when they moved out. For four years, I would simply say, "I won't give out my children's information without their permission."
Sure enough, the missionaries came to my son's door, and then the sister missionaries came, and then the ward bishopric came. My son told them all the same thing: "I'm Lutheran now." End of story. My kids have children of their own to protect, and they are very serious about keeping the Mormon stalkers away.
This article makes me sick. How very creepy!
Also, I know of some Mormon relatives who are eagerly waiting for me and my brother to die, so they can baptize us back into the cult, when we are dead. This is intolerable! How can Mormons stand each other? Don't they have anything better to do? Well, I guess we all know that the answer is either "no" or "clean bathrooms."
"You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave."
Stalking 101: Send perverts to this page to learn the basics - for free!
It is beyond creepy. Clearly, it is far too much trouble to make this page private for members only, and even then, not to vet those to be trained in stalking. Perhaps their excuse is that the info is freely available "in the world" of the internet, so they can do it, too.
And what does it say of a religious organization that they train its members in how and where to access governmental voter records? Property holdings? Oh, yes, our close friends in goverment make sure that these records are there to serve religion, too.
And how is that legal? Aren't there disclaimers on the government sites that using the information to stalk or harass is illegal? Oh, my. Get it in writing how they found you.
The link should be included in any information to those "investigating" TSCC. I'd like to see ONE "mainstream" church with a page like that - yet another way in which TSCC is not "mainstream."
And what is the bottom line in reaching those inactive members? Clearly, to get their money, because, to be fully "saved," one MUST PAY. You'll find information similar to this in training for COLLECTORS, but in no other mainstream "church's" "missionary" training.
Just let them know that you are in in real problems, need help for a serious issue and they won't find you. They won't come over to harass you or invite you to their congregation. You will just disappear from their radar. It works perfect for us. Haven't seen my HTC since late 2014vand my VT since early 2015. Noone ever asked if we need anything or offered to bring a meal. Or just invited us for a ward activity since. I never said leave me alone. I only dare to answer their obligatory question:"Is there anything we can do for you, to help you?" with yes you can and told them about my needs. And they were never seen again. "By their fruit you will recognize them"
In 2013, I moved out of state number 1 where I was very active but had discovered the truth. I planned my escape. My new address in state number 2 was a UPS box. Gave this address to my old ward in state number 1 who promptly sent my records to the new ward in state number 2. I kept the same cell phone number but don't answer calls from numbers I don't recognize. I also left the generic Verizon message on my voicemail so there would be no confirmation of whose number it was. One time I received a voicemail message from the local mishies. I created a new contact in my phone that said "don't answer". Eventually they quit calling, and I never went to church or met anyone from church in state number 2.
Fast forward to the end of 2014 and I moved to state number 3. I received one call/text from the missionaries in state number 2. So, TSCC still thinks I live there even though I've been gone from there almost 3 years. I now have that number blocked on my phone. Funny thing is, I actually lived in the same apartment complex as the mishies for awhile while our house was being built here. I'd walk right by them and they never knew who I was. :)
My TBM family still lives in state number 1 and I visit there s few times a year. I don't got to church while there but I do see a few members from time to time.
Yes, it's creepy and should be dealt with legally, but we know that it won't be.
So, here's how to get yourself blacklisted:
Missionaries came by--golden opportunity to ask about Joseph Smith's 14 y/o wives, angels with flaming swords, the hat rock, blood atonement, polygamy, Mountain Meadows, and the fact that Elton John gives more $ to help poor people than the Mormon church does.
I offered them my phone to call their parents and free lodging if they needed to wait for their parents to come and get them.
That fixed the problem. But, I would rather have the opportunity to help a kid get home.
I'm a membership clerk. I can tell you that the church is very serious about finding the lost sheep. I feel like a stalker...checking Facebook and other social media sites, checking voting records and any other public information I can find. I cringe every time some member uses the quote "people leave the church, but they can't leave it alone." The church better look at itself and apply this...."you can leave the church, but WE'LL never leave YOU alone!"
May I please ask how you cope with it emotionally, mentally?
What I mean is, the "cringe" is your own morality, which obviously is greater than those for whom you are performing the work. I'd like to know how, then, you are beholden to a religious order of a lesser moral code than your own?
I am truly not judging or trying to be offensive, but honestly would like to know how you work through that dilemma?
Just so you know - I and many others here do not judge individuals. I judge TSCC, who employs all sorts of coercion onto members.
As many others here, I am still in the mormon closet due to family issues. I have to act the part with friends, neighbors and leadership, but I'm out mentally. It's just another job to me. I've told the ward clerk a couple of times....I'm sending so-and-so's records to the membership dept. I can't find where they live now and if they want the church, they know how to get in touch. One of these days I'll be out physically, but that has to wait.
Ecclesiastical power at it's best! Convince believers that Heavenly Father needs you to find the "lost sheep" as it will guarantee you a special place in the Celestial Kingdom, and people will acquiesce~~ ! Stalking? Oh no. We're showing how much we love Heavenly Father!
Apparently, it never enters their mind that members will be there if they want to. No chasing, no calling, no cajoling, no threatening! Let them be.
So, someone with more time on their hands than I do should try this. Print out one of their "Sleuthing Forms" and fill in all the information you can find on the local bishop or stake pres. After you've collected all the intrusive data that you can, mail the form to him anonymously.
Before I quit I was a clerk. I was active in trying to hunt down the new address of people in the ward but I really didn't give a crap about those people. My only objective was to remove them from my ward's collection of members, and I was told that you have to move them somewhere.
I just wanted the lists printed out for other purposes not to be made up by 75% of people who had moved away.
If you don't want a clerk from an old ward stalking you then you should resign. The only other solution would be for the church to provide a member dumping ground for members that moved away without information, and make it very easy to dump members there.