NOM

https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/ ... ssionaries

Was this a GC prediction?

They have to get creative since the numbers are tapering off after the age drop surge. This might also help with all those early returns.

Elder Renlund:

“They’re dependable, they show up, they do the work. They’re cheerful, they’re positive, they’re enthusiastic. They bring life and energy.”

AND THEY'RE FREE!!! NO CHARGE!!! And their moms take care of them at night.

I would love to have served an "education mission" where I could have spent two years educating myself at a good University. What a sacrifice that would have been to offer the church. Then I wouldn't have had to come home and get married immediately and live in poverty for the next 10 years trying to raise a family at the same time I got my education!

And i bet you're still paying out the equalized fee to have them at home...

I must admit that the video triggered me. The first missionary that was spoken to has the condition that killed my sister. There is no known cure. The longest time anyone has lived is 5 years after diagnosis. I was thinking that 18 months is a long time out of an almost guaranteed short life span. Plus being on her feet all day would be physically exhausting for her. I hope she’s happy.

This was a GC prediction, but isn't this a super limited rollout? It sounds like you can only do this if you have a long term medical condition, although they could then slowly expand out what those conditions could be to qualify?

This is actually really good news if one lives in the US and Canada and wants to remain Mormon.

In other words, Proselytizing missions are the preferred missions but if you can't handle it you can still work for free for the church. You'll still be considered a second class Mormon for not serving a "real" mission but at least you can claim you served a mission. Plus you get to live at home while adhering "to very similar standards of conduct as proselyting missionaries." Screw that! I don't see this being a very popular option for most missionaries that come home early.

I know of at least one kid who has already done a "service" mission from home. Maybe they were part of the pilot program?

It doesn't seem to really be about doing much that actually benefits the "missionaries", but just a way to benefit the church, and make some of the "bad" statistics about early returns look better.

Come home, finish your mission with Mom as your compie...

jfro18 wrote: ↑Fri Nov 16, 2018 7:24 pm This was a GC prediction, but isn't this a super limited rollout? It sounds like you can only do this if you have a long term medical condition, although they could then slowly expand out what those conditions could be to qualify?

I think the term emotional reasons gives a bigger scope for the rollout.

During the recommendation process, all candidates will be considered first for full-time proselyting missions. Those unable to be called as proselyting missionaries for physical, mental or emotional reasons may be called as service missionaries.

This way, everyone learning about your service mission will realize that you have physical, mental, and emotional problems. These young returned service missionaries will be able to swim in their own dating pool afterward.

In some cases, candidates will be honorably excused from any formal missionary service.

If you are too big of screwup for a service mission you will be booted with honors.

Whenever humans create a visible requirement with no valid alternatives, they create a class system. There will be at least two classes: those who succeed, and those who fail. The missionary program has always had an additional class, too: those who opt out, supposedly against God's wishes. I don't know quite how to place this class, but I suspect being in it is a little better than failing.

For now, the church has managed to wedge another class between the successful and the failing, and is trying to make up for having a class system by elevating those who fail. It won't work. Further, blaming the humans for being judgmental in these circumstances is like handing out an answer key and demanding that nobody cheat on the test. But they'll do it anyway.

(It's just like the division between the "worthy" and the "unworthy." As long as being "worthy" is required and success or failure has visible effects, it will create classism.)

There's an easy, easy fix, which is obvious as soon as you notice the near lack of class division between women who serve missions and women who don't. Just make the damned program optional. Allow people to choose what they think is best for them.

I think church leaders are terrified that if they did that, young men would make the "wrong" choices, which would piss off their abusive god. I think they'll have to eventually, though, when enough young men opt out, and not being second-class becomes a factor in their leaving Mormonism.

Reuben wrote: ↑Tue Nov 20, 2018 7:28 pm
I think church leaders are terrified that if they did that, young men would make the "wrong" choices.....

Church leaders are only minimally concerned that individual young men might make the wrong choices. As Boyd K. Packer used to remind us, the church will succeed whether you're helping or not. We'll make it without you. No one, (except Boyd) is indispensable. But they do have to hold on to as much of the mass group as possible. To keep the mass thinking they specifically are being called.

The real thing leadership fears is the accompanying loss of power when they let individuals truly use their own agency and it translates to the community at large.

No more telling people "God is calling you specifically on a mission" puts leadership in a position of begging rather than commanding.

Loss of control. And not only does that hurt in terms of numbers but it's a real ego killer as well. Horrifying actually. No more pretending your God's proxy......