pam Posted November 7, 2010 Report Share Posted November 7, 2010 (edited) I understand how you feel, I would like to point out that as far as I know only two missionaries are currently on this website. Me and my companion, I don't think you are going to see swarms of them on here if that is a concern. I would like to point this out, Missionaries have a calling, and there is great power in that calling. This sacred power helps alot of time in the conversion process which is why when people get baptized they must go through the missionaries. But we also know that we missionaries are nothing with out the members. So what we try to do, whether it be on the streets, in homes or on the internet is get the missionaries side by side with the members so they are both working together. that is what we are trying to do here. I promise we will not be pushy, we will just answer questions, and invite all to come unto christ.Moderator edit: It has been mentioned that it is against site rules to include links to blogs within the body of your posts. You can include the link in your signature if you wish. I promise we will not be pushy, we will just answer questions, and invite all to come unto christ. The problem is we have many investigators on this site. Many have asked heartfelt probing questions concerning the gospel. Many members have responded with well thought out answers. By coming to a social network, many investigators enjoy the anonymity of being able to ask questions without the pressure so to speak. Many are not ready to take the step to meet with full time missionaries and we totally understand and support that. Therefore this site is not necessarily a site where we work "side by side" with the missionaries.This website is not an official website for the Church. Therefore none of the members of the site are "official" representatives for the Church. By coming in and constantly stating you are an official representative of the Church sends mixed signals. By also posting and making it a point each time to refer people to your blog is being pushy. This is not the intent for the usage of lds.net. Many of us have developed a history or a relationship with some who are asking questions. You don't have an understanding of the history nor of the questions asked or answered and the way they were carefully answered. While I whole heartedly support the missionary effort, it might be better served to use another venue to do it to not negate any of the work we've already done here. I agree that members are a huge part of the missionary effort and many missionaries can't do it without the members in their area. This is not your area. Edited November 8, 2010 by pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzie Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 Sorry if I sound harsh but anyone can say they are "X" person online and there is really not many ways to verify that (or take the time to do so) so I take all claims with a grain of salt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pam Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 Sorry if I sound harsh but anyone can say they are "X" person online and there is really not many ways to verify that (or take the time to do so) so I take all claims with a grain of salt. Actually as far as missionaries posting with their names and their missions, this can be verified. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Elder_Bevan Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 I totally understand that, and I am sorry for the mistakes I have made as I have tried to find something that works. I will not say "Official representative" anymore. I will just answer questions as a member of the church and build bonds with people that way. I do think that using this site is effective for us though, in just the past 3 days, I have 36 followers to my blog, alot of which have been from this site. i have even been teaching one person who found via this site. I also do want to point out that as an online missionary, this is my area. My area is the WEB not just a geographic location. i look forward to helping anyway I can. Please let me know how I can improve in the future Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pam Posted November 9, 2010 Report Share Posted November 9, 2010 Can you define a lot? You have 37 followers. One of them yourself and Elder Cameron which we know was your companion. There are about 11-12 others who are all missionaries. I don't recognize any of the other people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dravin Posted November 9, 2010 Report Share Posted November 9, 2010 (edited) My area is the WEB not just a geographic location.Important concept to understand. This message board is privately owned, it is private property. Therefore while the internet may be your area this board is akin to a house on a street. Just as one does not barge into a house, pee in the corner and declare it your area one does not do likewise to a privately owned message board.This attitude is one of the things that is raising so many hackles. You are here by invitation and by sufferance. You are a guest. Now start acting like it. A key property of a missionary is humility and meaning to or not you come across as insufferably arrogant when making statements such as this one and others.As soon as you understand, internalize and act like you are a guest on this board not only will you integrate more smoothly into the community you will become more effective as the rest of the board won't preemptively cringe upon seeing you've posted something. Consider this, as a member I understand and endorse your calling and responsibility, but some of your statements are coming across as boastful. Now if I, who understands your purpose and that you are not in fact some arrogant guy is turned off by how your zeal comes across (zeal is good, but with the internet misinterpretation is easy and it often comes across not as boldness but overbearance), how much so for one who doesn't understand your purpose, calling, and just why you are so zealous? Edited November 9, 2010 by Dravin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
volgadon Posted November 9, 2010 Report Share Posted November 9, 2010 While I understand the goals and intentions behind the program, I think there is a lot of value in questioning the execution of this project. The very fact that it is a pilot programs also implies that there are a lot of unanswered questions around this idea. I think it'd be a lot more valuable for all of us to find the appropriate forum in which to share our thoughts and criticisms so that any decisions with this program going forward might have the best possible input. Regardless, I think there are many things about this program that need to be questioned by both the general membership and the public.Some issues that come to mind for me include content. I served a mission. I worked hard as a missionary. I had an incredible amount of fun as a missionary. Still, I can't think of anything more boring than reading a blog about the day-to-day life of a full time LDS missionary. After perusing some of the blogs, I've seen a few that reflect that.Looking over several other blogs that were listed, I find that many of them have fallen victim to Mormon Mouth Syndrome. That is, they take a lot of words to say something very simple, and they usually repeat themselves a few times. I've not seen a whole lot of good writing yet, although I'm sure there are a handful of outstanding blogs. I just doubt that it's worth my time to sort through the drivel to find the good stuff.Then there are the other handful that are trying desperately to be relevant, and the posts feel like wannnabe Conference talks. If this is supposed to be a medium in which we reach out and make our missionaries accessible, I don't think that's the way to go about doing it.Quite honestly, I think this program is taking off in the wrong direction. It seems like it'd be much more interesting if there were 12 - 15 missionaries chosen from throughout the world to contribute to a single blog. That way, each missionary would need only post once a week and could share thoughts, experiences, day-to-day hum drum of missionary life, and there would be a well-balanced presentation of what our missionaries do and what their message is. Furthermore, by being so selective, you could filter out some of those with terrible spelling and grammar, or at least have the resources at CHQ to edit some of the posts for such problems.If 12-15 missionaries isn't enough, there's no reason the Church couldn't open 2 or 3 such blogs and have 50 missionaries out of our 55,000 missionary force contributing. Hopefully I can find the right place to leave feedback because the current implementation is far less than impressive.Yakiy fainiy kozak! I agree with you that both in content and presentation there is much to be desired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarginOfError Posted November 10, 2010 Report Share Posted November 10, 2010 Yakiy fainiy kozak! I agree with you that both in content and presentation there is much to be desired.Did you really just call me a goat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FunkyTown Posted November 10, 2010 Report Share Posted November 10, 2010 Did you really just call me a goat?He was singing a song. You know how it goes:Yakiy Kozak! (don't talk back) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
volgadon Posted November 10, 2010 Report Share Posted November 10, 2010 (edited) Did you really just call me a goat?Absolutely not! Goat doesn't end on a k. Not to mention that adjective gender would have had to change. I wrote yakiy fainy not yaka faina. I was calling you one of these guys.Yakiy fainy kozak is the highest compliment I know of in Ukrainian. Edited November 10, 2010 by volgadon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarginOfError Posted November 10, 2010 Report Share Posted November 10, 2010 Absolutely not! Goat doesn't end on a k. Not to mention that adjective gender would have had to change. I wrote yakiy fainy not yaka faina. I was calling you one of these guys.Yakiy fainy kozak is the highest compliment I know of in Ukrainian.You'll have to forgive me. My Ukrainian is 8 years out of practice now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alkymisten Posted November 27, 2010 Report Share Posted November 27, 2010 I think it is a great idea with online missionaries. Do you know this site ??O, That I Were an Angel!: Social Networking for Missionaries? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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