The Mormon cult fraud is a shell church for tax purposes. The church has to announce temples for growth purposes and PR purposes.
Cedar City, enough said.
Rio de Janeiro--current events? FIFA World Cup in 2014 and World Olympics in 2016.
Don't you guys know that US corporatism/capitalism allows for full business tax deductions of first-class travel, five star hotel, and the finest dining to be deducted from all expenses related to such developments.
Pleas, please at the risk of being political start to see these things. They are so horribly transparent. One of the brilliant things about the US 2012 election was the defeat of the poster-boy whore for this kind of whore of an ideology and culture. Why should the worst, most self-serving deductions be deductible for a monopoly?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/2013 07:24PM by gentlestrength.
It's foolish and naive to believe that the TSCC is growing based on news about new temples. Worldwide, TSCC is insignificant. The vast majority of the population in the world is not Mormon, and doesn't really care/know about Mormonism. Most Brazilians aren't Mormon, either. Even those that are converting tend to be some of the most destitute and poor in a developing nation. (The upper classes and middle classes in developing nations usually don't convert either.)
It's all propaganda, as well as a way to use the tons of tithing money they get. Nothing more, nothing less.
Almost every new missionary I've heard of recently is being called to Brazil. Poor people, no Internet. Baptisms galore would be my bet. 10% retention rate.
Brazil does have internet access (although not everybody has it), and not everybody is super poor either. The upper classes and the growing middle class aren't the ones converting to TSCC. Only the poorest and most destitute Brazilians are converting. (Though there may be exceptions here and there).
Same goes for other growing and developing nations. The rich ones in those nations, and the growing middle classes (or at least, middle income people) aren't the ones we need to worry about. The poorest people within developing nations are the most vulnerable to this kind of crap.
Our son baptized them so fast sometimes they didn't even bother to have a program, refreshments, or any of the usual trappings. Sometimes they'd baptize them the same day they met them. He was on fire with the work he was doing, but...well, I felt differently (but couldn't say anything at that time). 10% might be a high guess on the retention rate.
According to this article, there are 1.2 or so million Mos in Brazil. Im not getting too worried since Brazil's population is nearly 700,000,000 and Rio's population is over 6,000,000. But many of the folks on this board are right. Some of you said they would start out conference with announcing new Temples and sure enuoogh Monsoon did. Am I alone or do others of you think he looks evil? Something in his eyes? I wonder what the TBMs think of the giant statue of Jesus in Rio? He also said there are 15,000,000 Mos in the world now. Why doesn't anyone ever ask to show where they are (like with a Power Point presentation?) showing which countries have growth etc. Mos are so brainwashed they don't ask. Gentlestrength - I forgot about the Olympics being there next. You are so right, so transparent, so phony, so creepy. Poor prople don't pay as much tithing though. I guess every penny they rip off counts though.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/2013 10:35PM by enoughenoch19.
I think the perpose with the poor obviously isnt the money. I think they enjoy manipulating them. Armies of downdrodden willing to follow & believe. One of my uncles (who lefttscc) who was on the stake high cousel; told me he'd hear bishop talk & BRAGG about how they make people jump threw hoops to get help! I think its a power trip for them!
I served in Brasil. The Brasilians themselves said Rio was too dangerous and evil to have a temple. Also, missionaries I knew from there said nobody pays their tithing there--a supposed prerequisite for having a temple in your area.
I wouldn't be surprised if the favela-dwellers riot together and steal that gold angel right off the roof. People in the southern part of Brasil talked about it.
The theory above that it may be a publicity stunt for the olympics is probably part of it. The other may be the general size of the city and church presence there. Whatever.
I kind of want those poor people to steal that golden idol. It'd be some payback for that aweful story where Brasilians gave their gold fillings to fund the Sao Paulo temple in the 70s. Messed up stuff right there--a white, American religion makes a bunch of poor people give up what little medical care they know.
Back in the day the statues of the Angel Nephi was hammered copper and then gold leafed (still, gold wise worthless). But the new ones are fuggin plastic. They are all fiberglass and I would be willing to bet they are not gold leafed. They might SAY they are, but I'd bet they are simply painted in a metallic gold color. Sh!t, when they built the first McTemples in Alaska and in Monticello, they didn't even try - they painted them WHITE and when they noticed that if there was a cloud in the sky they seemed to disappear they painted them gold.
The new so-called "temples" are sad shadows of their former selves.
Won't they be surprised if it turns out to be plastic with gold paint... (which of course would prove the prophet is true, because in his divinely channeled wisdom they knew not to put a real gold idol up the first time).
When I served in Brazil (1990-1991) there was only one temple, that was Sao Paulo. Retention rates were horrible. I baptized between 40 and 50 people and I would say right now only 10 of them are still TBMs. We had a celebrity in our mission (a pro soccer player) who baptized something like 200 or 300 people. I served in an area that he had gone through a month before I got there and not one of the people he baptized was still attending church. I'm Facebook friends with people I knew on my mission and I would estimate only 50% of them are still TBMs. I absolutely agree that the temple is Rio is just for show for the Olympics and World Cup.
LDS Temples do not necessarily reflect growth, it's more of a PR move, and a way to mark territory.
Rio is the second largest city in Brazil, and one of be largest metropolitan areas in the world. There are several other temples in Brazil in smaller cities. Rio had been waiting for decades (the São Paulo Temple was dedicated in 1978...) It was just too embarassing not to have a temple there yet.
For similar reasons, Brasilia, the capital of the country, is the next in line for a temple. (Although there is no phenomenal growth there either...)
Rio certainly does not have enough tithe-payers. But with the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016, the cult wanted to take advantage of the moment to boast its "growth" and attract a camera or two.
I have worked in Brasil for 3 years now and have seen a number of mormon missionaries, all of them say the same thing, "no, we are not getting baptisms." I asked them "why?" and they responded, "they read material that is not in our favor on the internet and not understanding that some of the old teachings were not actually from god, but from man, and men make mistakes."
Notice they didn't say anti-mormon material, just material that is "not in the church's favor" and the old, "speaking as man BS."
I laughed and said, "well, they are not a stupid people."
I didn't get in to a long debate with them. Just chit chat, told them I was out of the church. Talked about their homes. Etc... Took a pic of them and sent it to their parents so they would know they are okay. They asked me to. Funny.....
World Cup and Olympics is why they want the temple there. To look pretty and maybe get in someone's photo.
As for the big Zombie Jesus statue. He'll outshine any temple or moroni plastic statue.
I suppose if the church can sustain 10-20% retention rate in Brazil, they will be happy enough. Once you accept the low retention as a given, growth is growth. I've long viewed temples in developing countries (and elsewhere) as investments. Having a temple nearby is great leverage for getting the locals to start paying tithing so they can qualify to attend. It's like McDonalds building a new restaurant in the neighborhood. It's all very logical and probably has little to do with publicity and everything to do with money (or soul-saving, if you believe contributing cash to the corporation equates).