How would YOU fundamentally change missionary work?

[Dravin]

Number 2 is for missionaries, they need to understand that its not about the quotas but about humbly seeking the lords assistance in finding those ready for baptism. Often times mission presidents preach hellfire and brimstone for quotas, missionaries are not going to have the spirit if they are continually strung up more then they already are.

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I think this results in confusion between quotas and goals. Goals are good, quotas no so much. Mission Presidents say, "Goal of 600 baptism this year." missionaries can hear, "Quota of 600 Baptism." Don't get me wrong, Mission Presidents sometimes cross over into quota territory, but in my experience the problem was usually with the missionaries in leadership going into quota territory rather than my Mission President going there.

You are right though, I think there is some culture that could change. Always drove me nuts with success as a missionary being defined by numbers (if you just work harder you'll see success (aka baptisms)), especially considering Preach My Gospel when it describes a successful missionary doesn't say anything about how many people get wet.

[YellowLight]

IMO, I would recommend that missionaries spend more time doing service and working with active members. Addtionally, around 67% of the 13 million members is inactive. I would recommend focusing on fully integrating new and re-activated members. But for me and my family, it is too late, leave the cookies at home. :)

[Lost_one]

A few things i would do.

1. I would consentrate efforts in select areas. North America and Western Europe. Only once these areas have been fully reaped, would i then expand slowly into other areas. South America and Eastern Europe.

2. As part of this consentration, i would have every ward building constantly manned by a pair of missionaries till around 9pm each evening. This would allow people to simply walk in off the street and be taught. This would bring people in that would be intimidated by going to a Sunday service and who dont want missionaries to come to there home.

3. Tracting would end. Members would be responsable for promoting the church. Firesides, Dances, Community projects, Picnics and basicly anything else that lets the public see members of the church in non-church centred activities.

4. More advertising on TV and Newspapers.

Dont know if any of that would work well, But it would be better than what we have right now.

[bytebear]

IMO, I would recommend that missionaries spend more time doing service and working with active members. Addtionally, around 67% of the 13 million members is inactive. I would recommend focusing on fully integrating new and re-activated members. But for me and my family, it is too late, leave the cookies at home. :)

If only cookies converted.

[Moksha]

IMO, I would recommend that missionaries spend more time doing service and working with active members. Addtionally, around 67% of the 13 million members is inactive. I would recommend focusing on fully integrating new and re-activated members. :)

Makes sense.

[rameumptom]

If only cookies converted.

It depends. What do you put in your cookies?

[Roland]

A few things i would do.

1. I would consentrate efforts in select areas. North America and Western Europe.

Only once these areas have been fully reaped, would i then expand slowly into

other areas. South America and Eastern Europe.

Dont know if any of that would work well, But it would be better than what we

have right now. Balance is the key.

Balance is not the key. From Kerry Asay I learned that you must be focussed to

do great things. Joseph Smith was focussed on James 1:5 and did it. Jesus was

focussed on the fathers plan and he did it. The sun can induce fire if there is a

glass that focusses the energy.

In Germany we have the most missionaries in that wards that have the most

investigators. We must send the missionaries to the countries that have the

fastest growth. That part of missionary work is done properly by the church.

The part that we have to think over is our own work in our ward and our family.

[richlittell]

IMO, I would recommend that missionaries spend more time doing service and working with active members. Addtionally, around 67% of the 13 million members is inactive. I would recommend focusing on fully integrating new and re-activated members. But for me and my family, it is too late, leave the cookies at home. :)

To all members, please be accurate when reporting statistics as facts and always make a reference to your source. I can't find the aforementioned statistic myself, the closest I came was this from the Salt Lake Tribune, Oct. 2005 (not official church statistics)

The LDS Church reports that 1,720,434 Mormons resided in Utah in 2004. About 62 percent of those attend church regularly, according to an analysis using statistical statements by Bateman and activity estimates from Brigham Young University professor Tim Heaton, who studies Mormon demographics. That would mean about 43 percent of Utahns are active Mormons.

First, the statistical data is five years old. Second, it only refers to Utah, not the world. (Sorry Utahns, Utah it not the world :) ) Third, garnering statistics from other unrelated statistics is NOT statistical, it is a very poor means of guestimating, as each statistical source has it's own set of criteria which may or may not overlap/counter the other statistical sources.

And fourth, if 62% of members attend regularly, how could only 43% be active?

If there is a good source for the above statistic, I apologize ahead of time. But as this is a public forum we should be careful about throwing numbers around as if they are accepted facts and should ALWAYS reference our source as to avoid any misrepresentation or confusion. (for example, if I'm wrong, I wouldn't be posting this if I had a reference).

[bytebear]

The church learned a very important lesson in South America. The church was booming, and people were being baptized left and right. Activity rates were high, but leadership roles were hard to fill because there weren't enough experienced leaders to fill the roles of Bisphop or Branch President. So, the same priesthood holder would be called to be Bishop over and over again, some were called so often, they went inactive just because they couldn't handle the workload any more. So, the church scaled back. They consolodated stakes and the church appeared, to their opponents anyway, to be shrinking. But it wasn't shrinking. It was just a shift in the way conversions were done. The church slowed down so they could first build up a generation of leaders. Once those leaders mature, you will again see an explosion of conversions in South America. So, don't worry too much about shrinking conversion numbers. The Lord has a plan.

By the way, the same program is being used in Western Africa. When missionaries are called to a home, they find dozens of people waiting to hear the lesson. Even with this slower more structured growth in leadership, the church has already built a temple in Ghana and Nigeria.

[Moksha]

Second, it only refers to Utah, not the world. (Sorry Utahns, Utah it not the world :) )

Have you not heard about Planet Utah?

[ReubenDunn]

I would suggest taking a look at the model the the Jehovah Witnessess use in their missionary activity.

They far excell the LDS church insofar as member involvement is concerned.

If that pattern could be examed, modified and adapted to fit in the LDS gospel message, I would suspect that we'd see an increase in covert baptisms, rather than the slowing down of the numbers of convert baptisms we presently see.

[Maya]

I hope MANY would be called to serve in their homes on the internett. That would be perfect for people like us as the other is on pension and the other either work or not... would stil leave a couple hours every day for internett work even if one would work! Then later he probably is too old to go and I could, but cant alone unless he passes to the next realm.

Even translating and making netsides as "a called to it person" would make this work more believable, respected and backed up by the leaders. Now it is more or less considered as waist of time and hinder of better and more developing things to do. Not mentioning the addiction!!

I often get these words: The official site is already there, they can go there to read if they are interested. Argueing with opponents is waist of time. (You defend without arguing too, by posting truths and testimonies)

Last fast Sunday, my bishop mentioned Susan Boyle... I wonder where did he get the video... I know where I got it from...

So usuall missionaries with wardmissionaries and then also internett missionaries in each ward and then ... I suppose they need leaders too. Missioan president for missionaries and wardmissionaries and a special internett misionleader.. someone who is skilfull with blogs and such and can help people to start internett mision... :)

[Aesa]

I think all members should be encouraged to preach the gospel (rather than missionary work being a specific calling, as it seems). I also think the Church perhaps needs to be a little more steadfast, from what I can tell some people are a little too moderate.

Either the Church is all truth, or it is not truth at all.

If it's all truth, then you must feel fairly weak if you don't feel it an absolute necessity to preach the Gospel in whatever way you can/find comfortable.

I don't know, maybe I'm wrong. But I've never seen a Mormon preaching Christ in a really public place, Christ preached everywhere even unto death.

[Maya]

Asea we are encouraged to tell about the gospel when ever we get a chanse. Around here religionis considereds a VERY priovate thing (90% believe that you will be saved through what ever you believe in; your belief will save you system) Here if one mentions religion, everyone backs off. Most feel deceived and start thinking that our only purpose to be friends with them was that they would join our church. Most of us dont have the energy, time nor income to become so radiant that everyone just comes over and asks what is that all about and stil keep coming if we tell. They may come and ask and as they hear they back off and give us the weird looks.

We have been told to keep away from the internett for years, it is not easy to turn that.

Funny thing is that if people know I am an LDS and then someone who is an LDS does something unapproved, or they have a knowledge of something bad someone who was LDS did... I hear about it.... I can feel the question: are you all like that. And; you guys try to be special but see you are nothing, you are even worse than us! There is your fine religion for you.

Just staying strong these days is misionarywork at its best!

[Aesa]

Unfortunately a lot of education systems now teach kids that all ways lead to a heavenly afterlife. I know they do, I've experienced it myself.

[Dravin]

I think all members should be encouraged to preach the gospel (rather than missionary work being a specific calling, as it seems).

Full time missionary work is a specific calling, we are encouraged, I just think as a whole we aren't as good as we are encouraged to be and that's no particular surprise regardless of what it is being encouraged.

[Aesa]

I don't think being a missionary (maybe full-time is) is a specific calling. The scriptures say "woe is me, if I preach not the gospel."

I think everyone should preaching in whatever way they can, almost every day. Whether that be answering someone's comments on youtube (or other website) by directing them to mormon.org, etc,.

Does the Church provide any gospel tracts?

[Dravin]

Does the Church provide any gospel tracts?

Take a gander here. Edit: These are the costs for members buying and the like, if you ran into a missionary they'd give you a pamphlet(s) free of charge.

I agree that being a missionary is not a specific calling, it was President David O. McKay that said, "Every member a missionary." I was just saying that there is a difference between that and the whole LDS full-time missionary thing (no job, no school, family only talked to twice a year and written only once a week, no dating, no non-gospel movies, books or music and so on) which is (in LDS belief of course) a specific calling different from the general call to share the gospel.

Edited May 18, 2009 by Dravin

[justamere10]

....I was just saying that there is a difference between that and the whole LDS full-time missionary thing (no job, no school, family only talked to twice a year and written only once a week, no dating, no non-gospel movies, books or music and so on) which is (in LDS belief of course) a specific calling different from the general call to share the gospel.

Senior missionaries serving full-time do not have the restrictions you list. But yes, it's common for the young missionaries to live with such rules.

[Dravin]

Senior missionaries serving full-time do not have the restrictions you list. But yes, it's common for the young missionaries to live with such rules.

Yes you are correct, the younger crowd tends to fly the flag (so to speak) for the full time missionary program though so it's what comes to mind. The fact that I've a ways to go before I could serve a senior mission (plus a marriage) is what I blame for my oversight. :)

[Maya]

Unfortunately a lot of education systems now teach kids that all ways lead to a heavenly afterlife. I know they do, I've experienced it myself.

Right.. I experienced that too. I even experienced that I am not as a teacher allowed to tell about God and Jesus, except the 2-3 stories in a year. Next move is that religion will be taken away from schools all together and instead they teadch that there is no God.

I myself think the gospel should be taught in Families and Churches, not schools as there are now so many different religions around. I live in Northern Europe, that seems to be the first in all bad around.

[Azriel]

A few months ago I was called as the Branch Mission Leader. This was two weeks after they received my records (I'd just moved.)

So, I have often thought about how to improve missionary work, as you can imagine.

I work with to "Stake" (they are members of our Branch) missionaries, and two full time Sister Missionaries. (All four females.) And I have often told them that I am not particularly concerned with getting the numbers up, yet. (That is, # of referrals, investigators, baptisms.)

I am of the mind and mission that in order to better our missionary power, that we need to strengthen the branch. We need to pool our resources and abilities. Find member strengths and weaknesses (this is done by visiting them in person, in their homes.)

We also need to teach them what it means to be a member missionary. Members are not expected to give full lessons on gospel topics. One of the examples I'm using is about scrap booking.

Say two women are talking about it, one of them a member. The member says that she loves scrap booking. The other women probably says something like "Oh, me, too." But then the member can say something such as, "I think it's really important to have some sort of family history."

And in that small exchange you've share not only an interest with a friend, but you've let them know about one of your values that opens the door to more conversation.

As members grow more confident in the own ability the share pieces and bits of the gospel with friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. then there will be more opportunities for them to reach a point of "You know, we have full time missionaries dedicated to answering your questions."

Home teaching and visiting teaching numbers seem to always be low. The number of inactive families, even if it's 2, is unacceptable. I believe that if we first our able to manage our current flock, and take care of our own, then our ability to take care and share with others will naturally grow and flourish.

[roytucker]

...

Most of us have thought about this, at least from time to time.

How would you fundamentally change the approach to missionary work?

How would you specifically use the Internet, media and other new tools?

My questions are aimed at changes or ideas that can bring us significantly closer to doubling the baptisms, not just slightly increasing growth. Looking forward to people's thoughts.

We should *fundamentally* change the approach to missionary work by preaching the gospel the way the Savior and the apostles did it. In particular, I am talking about the role of miracles in missionary work. If you study the Gospels and Acts, you see that signs and miracles were an integral part of the sharing of the gospel. In Mark 16, part of the Savior's charge to the apostles included an explanation of some of the signs that will follow them that believe.

When people of the time heard about these signs and miracles, it caused intense interest in the message, such as the day of Pentecost. Book of Mormon preaching is similar, especially the Sons of Mosiah's preaching.

And I'm not talking about sign *seekers* here. The miracles were wrought by faith, but it was the crowds that witnessed and heard of these events that were fascinated by the whole thing.

In our day and time, I think we are too scared to conduct missionary work in this way. It's not safe. I might risk my job and reputation in my industry if I appeared on the front page for my preaching. Think of Amulek. He gave up his career, family, etc, to follow the call to help Alma, and it caused him a lot of grief. Moroni said it clearly. If miracles have ceased, it is because of unbelief.

So that's our dilemma. If we don't do missionary work this way, we are left to search for those people who will join on the strength of friendships or from service rendered or whatever. This will never get the results that the apostles did.

I think in the 50's to the 70's, the church did quite well with convert numbers because it had a contemporary social program to complement the spiritual teachings. Dances, plays, basketball courts, etc, were quite competitive with what was in the community. These days, with an even more affluent society, the church doesn't really compare to some of the social options out there. In my area of Australia, I could count on one hand the number of stable family units that have joined the church since 1980. Prior to that, there were heaps.

Roy