Our missionaries are getting iPads.

[Guest]

Yep! One of 50 missions that are getting them as a "trial run".

I think it is wonderful! But yes, great power requires great responsibility.

Do you think it's going to be a success?

[NeuroTypical]

I certainly hope so. But I'm honestly not sure how it will work. Maybe I don't get the power of social media, but I'm also thinking maybe the missionaries may not be able to tap it's power.

I'm Facebook friends with a couple of Elders with iPads. They seem to say stuff like "Hi - I'm on my mission - the Lord is cool - I have an iPad!"

Got my fingers crossed that good will come from this.

[Guest]

I certainly hope so. But I'm honestly not sure how it will work. Maybe I don't get the power of social media, but I'm also thinking maybe the missionaries may not be able to tap it's power.

I'm Facebook friends with a couple of Elders with iPads. They seem to say stuff like "Hi - I'm on my mission - the Lord is cool - I have an iPad!"

Got my fingers crossed that good will come from this.

It's for more than social media. A lot of their reporting and calendars are now gonig to be on it so they won't have to write redundant reports among other things or have to consult/coordinate many calendars. I've been on a mission so I don't know what missionaries do. That's just something I heard while talking to the missionaries about it.

[estradling75]

The missionaries in my ward have had Ipad-Minis (dubbed 'Hastening Tool') for about a month.

They will (should) have all the missionaries calenders, contacts, area book, lessons, and the ability to play videos/use the Internet while teaching. Plus the all the reports that missionaries have to create.

I do know that several people had said they would allow kids to use electronic scriptures when the church allows the missionaries to.... well that time is now.

[Quin]

It's not just Internet.

My iPad doesn't have 3G/4g.... So I HAVE to be somewhere with wifi to get online. (Hence why I'm only here when I'm not on a job).

I use mine for only about 10% of what I use it for "online".

The rest?

Schedules/Calendar

Writing (both typed & hand written with a stylus & procreate)

Photographs

Reading (for fun... Love love love Free ebooks - Project Gutenberg)

Reading (for school... $30 to rent a medical textbook digitally -that I can take notes and highlight all over it-, instead of paying $800 to buy, or $150 to rent and not be able to take notes all over it)

Reading (+) I have all my scriptures on my iPad. Plus all of the YM/YW workbooks, scripture study programs, RS books, et cetera.

Reference

I can see, though, why the church may want iPads w/ 3G/4G... As the missionaries will be able to pull up scripture, conference talks, articles, movies, "Im a Mormon", etc. to be showing investigators. As well as being able to call/Skype investigators, zone stuff, etc.

Even without phone access, though, I would think they'd be exceptionally useful.

Mine is.

Although it would be more useful with phone access, in urban areas its easy enough to find wifi.

Q

[Wingnut]

My brother is on his mission right now in Mesa, AZ. He's been on Facebook for several months (as one of five or six missions worldwide initially piloting this), and started using an iPad Mini about three weeks ago. As of his November 4th email, there were only 8 missions worldwide being given iPads at this time.

Based on his weekly emails, it sounds like the Church has the iPads locked down pretty well, as far as what's allowed on them ("Also, SLC told us we couldn't email on our iPads, because it wasn't possible. Well, we figured out how, and told them, so we could do it."). There are also specific apps pre-loaded (I think) that have been created for teaching, arranging transfers, etc. ("Also, we spent hours a few weeks ago coming up with a new way to do transfers more efficiently, and got it down to a T, well the iPads have messed that plan up, so we are working with the developers in SLC to help them change the church's software programs to make it possible. I can't believe how useful my knowledge of computers and coding has been.")

I've heard some people express skepticism and doubt with regard to missionaries having such free access to potentially time-sucking "toys." I can understand those concerns. Permit me a bit of anecdotal "evidence" and (okay, a little) bragging for a moment...

My brother is currently assigned as the assistant to the mission president (AP). His companion is the other AP. They do a lot of training, a lot of traveling, and a lot of office work. They also still have an area that they're assigned to. In the emails I've received since he started using the iPad on a daily basis, my brother has had to participate in training the entire mission on their use, schedule/coordinate transfers, and other administrative tasks. He has also has two consecutive weeks of record-high (for him) discussions taught with members present, as well as continued to have baptisms scheduled. So far, for him at least, it has not distracted from the real work.

Edited November 20, 2013 by Wingnut
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[person122]

I'm glad they have them "pretty locked down". There is a lot of stuff that missionaries (and non-missionaries) should not look at on the internet.

[Lakumi]

yeah they looked wack with them little pads of paper:lol:

I know I'd have a bizarre spin on social media if I was a missionary, its part of who I am

[Just_A_Guy]

As soon as word gets out that the Mormon missionaries carry iPads on them, I predict that missionary muggings will skyrocket.

[Lakumi]

As soon as word gets out that the Mormon missionaries carry iPads on them, I predict that missionary muggings will skyrocket.

then they'll have to carry guns

or just give them blackberries:lol:

[Wingnut]

As soon as word gets out that the Mormon missionaries carry iPads on them, I predict that missionary muggings will skyrocket.

A friend of mine who lives in New Orleans said the same thing. She's concerned for their safety. She said:

Every day somebody is killed in a mugging either in NOLA or in a sub city here, and the crook is always after their phone, iPod, iPad whatever gadget the person has. They come up behind you say "give it up" and before you even have a chance to turn around they stab or shoot you, rob you and take off. Chances are they get away with it too bc NOBODY would dare say a word to the police about what they saw. ( If they even saw anything at all.)

It's cool but living here has made me very conscious about never letting ppl in public see me using ANY electronic device. (That includes my gps in my car.)

[Bini]

As soon as word gets out that the Mormon missionaries carry iPads on them, I predict that missionary muggings will skyrocket.

I've been thinking this all along.

My question is, will this apply to missionaries overseas in not-so-safe and poverty stricken areas??? In many places, being a Caucasian foreigner is enough to get you mugged or killed but throw in a fancy iPad in the mix..

[Durzan]

...and that could lead to all kinds of problems...

Congradulations, everyone! Now, I am wishing that when I turn in my papers, that I will end up in a place where muggings are not common.

[Traveler]

Yep! One of 50 missions that are getting them as a "trial run".

I think it is wonderful! But yes, great power requires great responsibility.

Do you think it's going to be a success?

What a novel idea - on my mission we often had to take flannel boards, record players, records, film strips, film strip projectors and projector screens - sometimes on bicycles. Besides our planning calendar, ward lists, mission area contact records, referrals and other such things.

Having a iPad would be so much better. There could even be net meetings with mission leaders and the mission president. There could even be net meetings with new members baptized in other areas or a net presents at a baptism while in another area. This will bring missionary work into the 21 Century. Another sign that the time is indeed short.

The Traveler

[estradling75]

...and that could lead to all kinds of problems...

Congradulations, everyone! Now, I am wishing that when I turn in my papers, that I will end up in a place where muggings are not common.

eh... I got mugged on my mission and at that time Ipad's weren't even a twinkle in Steve Jobs eye

[M_T_E]

The missionaries in my area are going to be part of a social media pilot as well. I haven't seen any iPads yet but this local Vancouver Mission will be testing out social media. It's a powerful resource for the Church, that's I ended up here because they made contact via Facebook.

Seems those at the referral center won't be the only ones online soon.

[Guest]

The missionaries in my area are going to be part of a social media pilot as well. I haven't seen any iPads yet but this local Vancouver Mission will be testing out social media. It's a powerful resource for the Church, that's I ended up here because they made contact via Facebook.

Seems those at the referral center won't be the only ones online soon.

All our missionaries have been on Facebook for quite a while. We have several of them that's been through our ward that is on my FB list even when they've moved out of our ward so I get tons of spiritual notes from all of them.

[mordorbund]

As soon as word gets out that the Mormon missionaries carry iPads on them, I predict that missionary muggings will skyrocket.

Maybe they'll get issued surfaces instead.

[Vort]

Maybe they'll get issued surfaces instead.

Only here in Redmond.

[jerome1232]

The keyboards are way to colorful for missionary work.

[Swiper]

The keyboards are way to colorful for missionary work.

You can get boring black ones.