...and I'm still not sure what it was. That's 100% lame.

Reactivating people utilizing the internet? That's IT? "God" has really run out of ideas.

That was the big announcement right?

If I were God, I'd be pretty fed up with the Mormon recruiting inefficiency and just do it myself. All powerful and ever present, right? No problem!

I think the real historic announcement is that they are going to stop tracking. It may have taken a Tony winning Broadway play written by the South Park guys to do it, but Mormons have finally figured out that annoying people makes them look like a joke.

Are you sure that is really what they announced? They've been saying for many many years that it is ineffective and looked for other things to do first - I'm not sure that still isn't going to be the default, fall back position in some missions.

forbiddencokedrinker Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think the real historic announcement is that
> they are going to stop tracking. It may have
> taken a Tony winning Broadway play written by the
> South Park guys to do it, but Mormons have finally
> figured out that annoying people makes them look
> like a joke.


exactly....I was a missionary 1979-1981 and we were forbidden to do anything but "tract or teach". I could have told god's prophet,seer and revelator back then that tracting was a complete waste of time. I had 60 hours of work per week to prove it. Funny how it took Pompous S Monson another thirty years to figure it out. He should have gone on a mission himself, then maybe he'd have a clue.

It's ok. The prophetic calling of revelation always lags the leading social indicators by 30 years. Blacks, gays, women's rights, polygamy, you name it...30 years behind. If you are lucky. God likes to make VERY sure which way the wind is blowing before he whispers in his still small voice to his chosen leader here on earth.

So just like everything else they've backtracked on, it won't take them long to deny it.

Anytime someone makes a joke or comment about door-knocking, they will immediately be offended and insist that was a "policy" not a doctrine! in the past, but they no longer do such things, and how dare you hold such ancient history against them.

...OK, what about this. Maybe mgm't has determined this thing is sinking fast, and one remedy might be to just circle the wagons, TIGHT! Only deal with TBM's, or full tithe-payers, or only "allow serious investigators access to the full benefits of the Church".

...Forget wasting time on low-budget, low-intelligence members, or deadbeats. Let's just focus on our true, hard-core members, and hammer em' for everything they got!

...in other words, asset-strip the Church and it's members before it goes under. After all, isn't that what Gov't does?

unfortunately the low intelligence members and the TBM members are oft times one and the same.

The 'Historic Announcement' was ALL in the Subtext.

It was as follows...

"We, the clueless old farts who run the Mormon Cult have not a single clue when it comes to stemming the declining numbers in our membership. In fact, we're so desperate that we are willing to take steps that failed miserably in the tests that we did regionally. Luckily for us, the sheeple who still haven't figured out the Mormon Con, won't even notice when this lame-assed rehash of earlier failed programs (can you say "every member a missionary?") dies its inevitable death.
In the name of Jesse Cripes, PAY YOUR TITHING!!"

95% of my time on my mission was wasted tracting. But I would take tracting over being cooped up in a chapel all day. At least out tracting I got exercise and saw naked chicks whether they were hanging on the walls of some Harley enthusiast's garage, flashing us, or in a sex position book found in the local library while sorting books as part of our community "service". Oh thank you Stan for those deviously planted temptations.

OMFG

What a perfect response.

I was really startled tonight on the way home from work. Mormonism really isn't on anyone's radar in Toronto and yet I was listening to a Toronto news station and out came the words, "Mormon missionaries ..."

"Huh, what!" I turned it up.

They announced that Mormon missionaries would soon take to searching for new converts on-line, rather than going from door-to-door.

They just said that this was announced over the weekend in Salt Lake City.

I was really surprised. I don't think I've ever heard the Church mentioned on the news here before.

Greyfort Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
I don't think I've ever
> heard the Church mentioned on the news here
> before.


...mormon bishop sexually abuses youth
...Mark Hoffman commits bombing attack to avoid forgery discovery
...Ole Joe killed in Carthage for violation of the 1st Amendment
...Mormon Presidential candidate loses in landslide
...mormons spend millions on advertising in London
...Mormons the butt of joke in Tony award winning musical

Yep, they've been in there before

I don't care who you are. That's funny.

and in the science news today, physicists have determined that wood floats.

and the ferrets are angry.

tig Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Yep, they've been in there before

I didn't even know about Mark Hoffman at the time it happened. Nothing about it was announced here and I was an active member at the time. I found out about it from a Christian friend who'd found a book about it many years later.

That's all U.S. news. It really doesn't get reported much in the Toronto area. The Mormon Church is usually just not on the news radar here.

forbiddencokedrinker stated, "I think the real historic announcement is that they are going to stop tracking."

The Oncoming Storm - bc replied, "Are you sure that is really what they announced?"

From the post: http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,933071,933650#msg-933650

I reported Elder Perry of the Q of 12 saying: "4. Talked about speaking with contacts on the streets or knocking doors was yesterday's approach."

That statement was brief, but it reflected EXACTLY what was tested in the San Jose California Mission. In May/June 2011 Elder Ballard made it clear that people are getting offended by being disturbed in their homes and that the LDS 'image' is suffering from that kind of contacting.

The mission president at the time told the missionaries, "You may not knock doors any more. You are prohibited." It was reiterated that the 'in your face' bothersome door knocking is offending tired, busy folks who only see the missionaries as pests.

It was mentioned by the GA's (Elder Ballard and Richard Hinckley) that the JW's and Mormons have the most unfavorable ratings when non-members are surveyed. So, the change must be to focus on being nice with the members getting them to like you (the missionaries) first, then get the whole family and kids to like you - to integratge into the ward - get to know people's hobbies etc. - and then once the members are comfortable with you they will in in turn open up to their neighbors - letting the missionaries in to do all sorts of service and helpful projects. Then once we are seen to be so kind and sharing of our time, begin to share the Gospel.

***
My opinion: Like the general said in one of the Star War Movies - "It's a trap, It's a trap."

Edit: ooops "it's admiral not general. Sorry I'm not a Star Wars expert like our geniuses on The Big Bang Theory.
***

At the June 23rd broadcast I did not hear the nitty-gritty of the do's and don'ts. The broadcast was focused on the 'happiness' that this program will create when members and missionaries work together. That's why they did the video presentations trying to make a sale for the new program.

So, to be clear, in the test mission, THE SAN JOSE CALIFORNIA MISSION - knocking doors was and still is STRICTLY PROHIBITED.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/26/2013 02:07AM by jiminycricket.

jiminycricket wrote: "Like the general said in one of the Star War Movies - "It's a trap, It's a trap."

I remember the face: like a fish--or was I thinking of one of the Q of 12...?

. . . He was an admiral, not a general . . . ;)

Am I the only one who sees the new younger missionary age coupled with a strictly confined mission just a rather desperate attempt to keep impressionable young men and women further isolated from general society, and only able to access church information for extended indoctrination?
I doubt seriously that it has anything whatsoever with gaining new converts and everything to do with limiting influence over young people to only the church.

I couldn't agree more.

Lowering the missionary age was done to prevent people from spending a year (or three) in the world before getting back into the indoctrination system. Now kids go right from home and seminary to the mission field.

This is a high-risk strategy. Missionaries are already going home early often, and that will increase now that there are more young ones in the field. Even worse, those young ones tend to be lazier, less disciplined, more homesick, more susceptible to temptation, etc. So the only way that the new age can work is if the church tightens down the controls on what missionaries actually do.

I'm sure the church is also interested in eliminating the most offensive forms of missionary work--tracting--but I thought it was significant that the extra-extra-special meeting wanted to lock the missionaries up as much as possible and to say that they will be watched over closely.

BINGO!!!!!!!!

Ladies and gentleman, there was a point to this meeting, they were just subtle about it. First, don't forget that Holland, as usual, was very strong in his reminders that every member is obligated to share the gospel. So, the missionaries will now use "computers" to proselyte. How will they do that? It's not like they will just login and start teaching right? No, first things first, they (The "Brethren") want you (The member) to "like" the missionaries on facebook. Social media has the unfortunate advantage that it actually gives organizations, like the Church, an indication of how well connected people are. What they didn't discuss in this meeting was all of the "exciting" technology and strategies that they plan to unfold over the next few years that will be designed to make you accountable for the people you know through social media, by targeting your "friends".

Bishop: Thank you for meeting with me Brother Bob. I wanted to discuss the Lord's desire for all of his Children to receive the gospel. I was looking at your Facebook this week, and noticed that you are connected with 100 people who are not members of the Lord's Church. I have a printed a list for you here. Will pray with me right now to see which one of these friends the Lord is preparing for you to introduce to the missionaries this week?

Bob: A...well...sure Bishop, I mean I'm always praying for opportunities to share the gospel, but my friends never ask me about it. So I don't think I have anyone ready yet, but when I do I'll let you know.

Bishop: That's probably because you're looking at it all wrong Bob. Your friends aren't going to ask you about it, the Lord wants to you to boldly testify to these people. I mean look at it Bob, the whole purpose of life is to make and keep covenants. And here you are, a member of the Lord's true Church, enjoying all the blessing's of the gospel, and you are connected to over 100 people who don't have those same blessing's because you're waiting on them to ask Bob. Does that sound like what Lord expects of your missionary efforts? Let me help you. I see that you have some pictures on your facebook with the Brown family, and that you work with Mr. Brown. It appears that you spent a week last summer at the lake together. I think you probably have a very good relationship with Mr. Brown, don't you Bob?

Bob: Well...I guess so. Our families did spend some time together, and we seem to enjoy our friendship.

Bishop: Bob, will you follow Jesus Christ's example and share his gospel with the Brown family, by inviting them to meet with the missionaries this Saturday?

Yep. You are too good at this.

HOw many mormons even have time for non-mormon friends..?

Seriously. And how many Mormons even have non member friends?

When I'm on social media outlets and I see anything Mormon related...I mark it as "offensive spam" and it disappears....its trading one annoying (door knocking) for another...people will see it the same way they see those annoying jewels or farmville requests....DELETE!

I smell fear within the mormon hierarchy.

Maybe some younger tech-savvy advisors told the old guys in SLC that connecting to potential members on this new-fangled interweb thingy will be like shooting fish in a barrel....

I presume the missionaries are going to have restricted access to the Internet and will be barred from sites like mormonthink. It's going to be a tough sell convincing people who have access to the internet and who will look at these sites and pose awkward questions to the missionaries who will be left with having to rely on the lame explanations of FAIR and the likes to rebut the historical, factual and scientific anomalies that the critics have raised.

I agree that this appears to be the Church clutching at straws as it realises that tracting, rather than producing results, is just pi**ing people off.

When the FB thing fails as well, missionaries will be given work normally reserved for church employees and redundancies will follow. Nothing like getting people to pay to work for you.

Part of the problem with this approach, that the "Brethren" don't appear to be taking into consideration, is this whole idea of "teaching". Sure, in former times you needed to send missionaries out to tell the story...even if that story was told conveniently wrong. We don't just live in the internet age, or the "information age", we also live in the khan-academy and online learning age. A few cute maudlin high production inspirational youtubes, of Mormon apostles wearing make-up, and telling feel-goody stories isn't what people are looking for. Low production, but well organized youtubes from freelance educators, that get to the meet of Mormonism are what people who are interested in Mormonism are going to want. Unfortunately for the Church, critics of the Church have this market cornered, and all it takes is a few facts carefully articulated and freely offered by a reasonably intelligent and informed person, to undermine millions of dollars of religious sales media. Even worse, the LDS missionaries are not intellectually equipped to compete in this market place. My mid 30's post Mission/Mormon/College self could kick the intellectual shit out of 20 year old missionary self, all day long on any Mormon topic. In other words, at the end of the day, this young new missionary force is competing against this older and better trained former missionary force.

^^This

The internet has leveled the playing field quite a bit for those with the truth going up against big wealthly organization. I remember the Comcast customer who posted on YouTube a video of the cable service technician asleep on his couch, with the TV on, and some snacks he helped himself to.

Millions spent in slick marketing and PR efforts by a disliked company wasted because of one incendent. All of the ex-mormon sites cost very little money to run, the biggest resource expended is the time of a few very motivated individuals (thank you). These simple Web sites are costing TSCC tens-of-millions of dollars every year in tithing reciepts as curious members or investigators learn the truth and say "enough" or "no way."

Worse, society is becoming more cynical of well polished messages for large entities, they will think through the self-interested rhetoric created by a PR firm. In a Jon Stewart fashion, will poke holes through the message.

I'd hate to be at the CoB right now.