Posts Tagged ‘ missionary ’

Raising the Bar: The Honorably Excused

April 27, 2010
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Raising the Bar: The Honorably Excused

The church decided to “raise the bar” in 2002 on entry requirements for missionaries, effectively preventing those with a history of serious sin from repenting and enter the mission field.  This reduced the number of missionaries serving (down from a peak of 62K to approximately 51K at a time) and the number of convert baptisms (initially maintaining a rate of 4.7 or 4.8 baptisms per missionary, which rose to 5.5 in 2009), but another trend has also emerged in the last few years.  A higher percentage of missionaries are returning home early than before the change.  Is there a correlation between high...

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Insiders & Outsiders

August 17, 2009
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When it comes to Mormonism, do you feel more like an insider or an outsider?

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The Genius of Mormonism: Missions

June 22, 2009
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I wanted to do a series of posts on aspects of the LDS church that I consider to be sheer religious genius.  These are religous practices or concepts that have given Mormonism its staying power, and when compared to other religions are “best-in-class” (to borrow a term from business).  The first practice I will address is full-time missions.

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Family First?

June 13, 2009
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In a pro-family church, why doesn’t family always come first?  We state that family comes before church, and yet there seem to be many in the church who don’t live as if they believe it.  What do we need to do to get people to believe that family (and marriage) comes first?

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Bloggernacle Personality Survey

May 23, 2009
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The bloggernacle seems to attract a specific subset of Mormon culture, and as a result, opinions and comments are often different from those we hear expressed at church.  One reason for this could be that some personality types thrive in organizations while others are prone to be disenfranchised.  A popular metric to determine personality type is the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) or the simplified version of this, the Kiersey Temperament Sorter.  These psychometrics are based on the psychology of Carl Jung.  Many have already taken this instrument and know their MBTI type or their Kiersey Temperament.  If not, you...

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Every exmember a missionary

February 27, 2009
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And now, dear friends at Mormon Matters, is your regular report from the Dark Side of the Moon. I was reading a comment in another article here, and what Doug had said intrigued me: This board started out as a place for middle-way thinking people to discuss problematic issues with doctrine and history. It would now appear that anyone with an opinion different then the “current LDS view” is attacked as I and many others have been. On several other discussion boards, mormon matters is considered a pro LDS blog. Gentlemen, just say the word and I’ll find another...

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People Who Helped Me Stay Mormon Part I: Jeff Burton

May 15, 2008
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People Who Helped Me Stay Mormon Part I: Jeff Burton

Before John Dehlin, there was Jeff Burton.

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Through the Ears of a “Gentile”

May 7, 2008
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Through the Ears of a “Gentile”

“I’m so glad I was born in this, the one true church of God.” “Please bless the party leaders tonight that they may be guided to make the right decisions.”

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The Sun Never Sets on the Mormon Empire: Cultural Colonialism

April 24, 2008
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The Sun Never Sets on the Mormon Empire: Cultural Colonialism

I was talking with a French colleague at dinner about the differences between European politics and American politics, and he made a statement that left an impression. European politics are colored by their colonialist histories and how to balance a preservation of their culture while dealing with the other cultures they have essentially subordinated over time. For example, he mentioned the Muslims in France who demanded equal consideration of their separate cultural preferences in the very strict and isolationist French culture. The French people are very concerned with preserving their culture, values, and language (even governing the number of...

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A Non-Member Kirtland Experience

April 15, 2008
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A Non-Member Kirtland Experience

I recently read an interesting post by a non-member couple and their visit to Kirtland.  IMO, their contrast of the Kirtland temple (Community of Christ) tour guides and the missionaries at the LDS-owned sites was cringe-worthy and brings up a few questions about how we as church members respond to (non-investigative) questions.

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Drop it! Who’s Worthy to Take the Sacrament?

April 12, 2008
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Drop it! Who’s Worthy to Take the Sacrament?

Is it ever appropriate to intervene when someone “unworthy” is going to take the sacrament?  What level of “unworthiness” makes such intervention justified?

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“Preach My Gospel” and the Ripple Effect

January 12, 2008
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“Preach My Gospel” and the Ripple Effect

In 2004, the Church released the long-anticipated “Preach My Gospel” manual, replacing the six discussion manuals and the pink “Missionary Guide.” This was a major development that dramatically changed processes and procedures for full time missionaries. With it, there were many shifts in emphasis and priority, the authorized Missionary Library was altered, and in many aspects, the way missionaries study and obtain information was reformed.I think it is crucial that we understand the role that this manual will have in the Church’s future leaders. In about 10-15 years, the local leadership of the church will be filled with a...

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