New marketing manual from dear leader

[RubinHighlander]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50672148/af ... w-manualI

I see you have a new marketing manual here.
A new manual?
Yes, patterned after the old one we used to use.

I have no idea what's in the new manual or any opinion on it; just saw the headline on KSL and immediately thought of the old temple film dialog between the overly dramatic Satan and the no personality Adam.

But it is a pattern that the new top white shirt at TSCC tries to reinvent some narrative or another in their own image. It's a common theme at the local level too. When I was still attending, my last bishop regurgitated the same old patterns of the treadmill, making his own new plagiarized shiny new bullet points, laminated to be hung on the fridge at home. He even went through the trouble of bringing in each family for an interview so he could impress upon them his new inspired program and laminated cards.

[Red Ryder]

I bet it’s still on your fridge too!

I find it very interesting that Mormons can’t tell when the same stuff gets repackaged!

President Russell M. Nelson said the update is coming while the world is "rapidly changing" and the new manual is sensitive to that.

"It contains some of the best instruction I have ever seen to help people accept the Lord's invitation to come unto him," President Nelson said Thursday. He encouraged all members of the church to study the new manual, and enjoy how their testimonies can be enriched.

What changed?
The new manual includes guidelines for using technology to share the gospel, and aligns with the General Handbook published by the church in 2020 and 2021, along with other new policies.

The edition emphasizes messages from current church leaders. It also adds scripture references, art and other visuals that were not in the first edition.

Content from each chapter is updated — but the news release from the church said the "chapter order and core teachings" remain consistent between versions.

The new "Preach My Gospel" features the same cover photo, a 1988 painting by Greg Olsen of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus, but it has a new subheading "A guide to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ." The previous edition's subheading was "A guide to missionary service."

[Cnsl1]

Do you think the Preach My Gospel manual will eventually become or supercede the "standard works" as the primary reference and teaching/ training source for members? Has it already?

The second edition has 11% fewer words but more pictures. It purportedly simplifies and clarifies the doctrine.

Or does it further water down the doctrine into spoon feedable mush for the simplest of saints?

Maybe by the 3rd edition we'll be able to purchase leather bound copies and have big hardbacked versions for the home.

[nibbler]

Great. I wonder whether they'll abandon reading general conference talks one paragraph at a time so they can read the new preach my gospel one paragraph at a time during EQ and RS next year.

Because people are leaving and they're leaving because they don't know the basics... the same basics that have been repeated 100 times every Sunday their entire life.

[Gatorbait]

Great. I wonder whether they'll abandon reading general conference talks one paragraph at a time so they can read the new preach my gospel one paragraph at a time during EQ and RS next year.

Because people are leaving and they're leaving because they don't know the basics... the same basics that have been repeated 100 times every Sunday their entire life.

Ever since they started dumbing down lessons in SS, and having the dull EQ lessons on conference talks, it is clear, at least to me, that the "target" converts are not what they used to be, intelligent persons who were able to reason, but rather, those who "know" the church is true (sigh) the kiddies, or the ones who think that they are going to get more out of it than they put in, meaning poor people. Let's face it, you're raised up, being lied to on your mother's knee, as she had before you, lies that they did not know were lies, there's no reason to search further. You were so faithful in the pre-mortal existence, you deserve to be born into the true church, even though only 0.001% of the people on earth are as lucky as you. What a con that is- but Mormons are famous for being duped by con artists and probably always will be.

I trust that there are lessons taught and interesting discussions in the classrooms in various parts of the church but I would know. The "basics", as mentioned above or milk in lieu of meat, seems to be all there is these days. Same old boring drivel, as mentioned over and over and over again.

These missionary lessons provide a way for missionaries who have no idea what the church is really about, or the scriptures either for that matter, to go out and spread the word of the "restored gospel" which they testify is the truth. Doubt many of us will ever look at the things, but I can only speak for myself. I have zero interest in them.

[oliver_denom]

Great. I wonder whether they'll abandon reading general conference talks one paragraph at a time so they can read the new preach my gospel one paragraph at a time during EQ and RS next year.

Because people are leaving and they're leaving because they don't know the basics... the same basics that have been repeated 100 times every Sunday their entire life.

Seems like we're slow stepping toward what the Jehovah's Witnesses do. They have people read their pamphlets verbatim, read an approved question, followed by the approved answer with no discussion in between.

[Hagoth]

A decade from now the Handbook will have been finally honed down to it's ultimate form:

Page 1: Please ignore last year's handbook
Page 2: Follow the Prophet™
Pages 3-50: pictures of people being really happy as they write tithing checks, walk through the temple doors, sit in meetings, gaze lovingly at the TV during general conference, and scrub the toilets.

[Linked]

Pages 3-50: pictures of people being really happy as they write tithing checks, walk through the temple doors, sit in meetings, gaze lovingly at the TV during general conference, and scrub the toilets.

Wow, they've been doing photo ops like these for so long that I can already vividly see each one...

[Cnsl1]

I remember as an executive secretary, being asked to shred several copies of an old version of the church handbook of instructions after the new handbook arrived, and to do the shredding not at the church, which had no shredder, but at my place of employment.

I did not do as I was asked.

I just tossed them in the garbage.

Why shred them? Who cares?

I'm pretty sure the bishop was following directions from the stake pres, who was following directions from whoever was above them. We can't have someone seeing the secrets, which might now be different than the previous secrets.

I wonder if someone will be asked to shred the earlier version of preach my gospel.

In a church so keen on record keeping (didn't we used to record who all bore their testimonies on fast Sunday?), we sure like to destroy evidence of how we did things after we don't do it the same way anymore. Obviously, the lord is very fickle and reveals very important information to the prophets-- like children living with same sex parents cannot get baptized--then decides after a couple of seconds (Lord's time isn't our time, remember) that those children now can be baptized and what a blessing for them, and that's why we have modern prophets, to tell us what God wants us to know in OUR day. This very second. Not a couple of seconds ago, but right now. Obfuscate any previous revelation or doctrine or practice or policy that contridicts because that's just tradition or something meant solely for a previous time... like a few seconds ago.

[Just This Guy]

Pages 3-50: pictures of people being really happy as they write tithing checks, walk through the temple doors, sit in meetings, gaze lovingly at the TV during general conference, and scrub the toilets.

Wow, they've been doing photo ops like these for so long that I can already vividly see each one...

Yikes. Same here. Damn, that is a bit disturbing... There part about being able to see the pictures they would use.

How long before LDSinc. just uses an AI image generator to get there and not have to use all those expensive (volunteer) models and photo sessions.

[sparky]

I see chapter 9 on finding people includes a new section called "Keep lines in the water." It's a extended metaphor comparing missionary work to fishing, in which a bait is deceptively attached to a fishing line with a hidden hook that's almost impossible to escape from once set and that is exceedingly detrimental to the health and wellbeing of the target fish.

Gotta love it when the church is accidentally honest with its metaphors.

[Linked]

I see chapter 9 on finding people includes a new section called "Keep lines in the water." It's a extended metaphor comparing missionary work to fishing, in which a bait is deceptively attached to a fishing line with a hidden hook that's almost impossible to escape from once set and that is exceedingly detrimental to the health and wellbeing of the target fish.

Gotta love it when the church is accidentally honest with its metaphors.

Even if you give them the benefit of the doubt and take the metaphor the way they want you to it's bad. Keeping a line in the water means that you should maintain relationships exclusively to sell the church. It cheapens friendships and is so disappointing to someone who thinks they have a real friend only to find out they don't.

[RubinHighlander]

I see chapter 9 on finding people includes a new section called "Keep lines in the water." It's a extended metaphor comparing missionary work to fishing, in which a bait is deceptively attached to a fishing line with a hidden hook that's almost impossible to escape from once set and that is exceedingly detrimental to the health and wellbeing of the target fish.

Gotta love it when the church is accidentally honest with its metaphors.

Even if you give them the benefit of the doubt and take the metaphor the way they want you to it's bad. Keeping a line in the water means that you should maintain relationships exclusively to sell the church. It cheapens friendships and is so disappointing to someone who thinks they have a real friend only to find out they don't.

That's a great point Linked. I look back at my life with my own kids in the TSCC and now see how much it interfered, distorted and harmed those relationships. I think saying it "cheapens" relationships is being kind.