John Dehlin is thinking about bringing Mormon Stories back

[Levin]

I thought a poster called Levin of all people would appreciate stories about people's journeys to find truth and genuineness.

But maybe he's not yet over all the rejection.

I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. If it's getting doors slammed in my face for two years straight as a missionary, then you may be on to something.

[falafel]

John, just FYI that we have really good and open Mormon religious discussions here on CougarUteForum (we're not all about sports). I know you're a busy man, but you'd be MVP of The Foyer category here if you started participating.

Heh.

[SoonerCoug]

Uplifting. Interesting. Boring. Brave. Suprising. Exasperating.

Fake. Empty. A way to make people feel like they are contributing to the world when in fact they are doing very little other than proclaiming knowledge about things that cannot be known.

[SoonerCoug]

I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. If it's getting doors slammed in my face for two years straight as a missionary, then you may be on to something.

You obviously didn't adapt your strategy very well.

Within a few months in Russia, I developed the following tracting strategy, which yielded a 30% entry success rate:

1) Never use the word Elder. Ever.
2) Never mention God or Jesus.
3) Never mention religion at the door.
4) Always mention that you are from America.
5) Mention that your culture, which is headquartered in the Rocky Mountains, sends 19-year-olds to other countries for a cultural exchange and that is why you are there.
6) Tell them you're a neighbor looking to meet people in the neighborhood.

I even incorporated these recommendations into a manual for new missionaries where I taught them how to say these things in Russian. It was fantastic. The key point is to act like a normal human being and eliminate anything that sounds cultish like: "We are personal representatives of Jesus Christ."

[byu71]

You obviously didn't adapt your strategy very well.

Within a few months in Russia, I developed the following tracting strategy, which yielded a 30% entry success rate:

1) Never use the word Elder. Ever.
2) Never mention God or Jesus.
3) Never mention religion at the door.
4) Always mention that you are from America.
5) Mention that your culture, which is headquartered in the Rocky Mountains, sends 19-year-olds to other countries for a cultural exchange and that is why you are there.
6) Tell them you're a neighbor looking to meet people in the neighborhood.

So you wasted your time getting into doors. Back when I used to prospect we would try to screen people early so as to not waste time.

By the way, nice to see you posting again. I thought maybe you had dumped us again.

[SoonerCoug]

So you wasted your time getting into doors. Back when I used to prospect we would try to screen people early so as to not waste time.

By the way, nice to see you posting again. I thought maybe you had dumped us again.

We were the highest baptizing mission in Europe. I baptized tons of people into damnation. The trick is to act as normal as possible, minimize religious discussion, and not turn your nose up when they offer tea.

But even if I was getting in doors for the wrong reason, please consider the following:
1) temperature was -30 outside half the year
2) missionaries were routinely robbed and there were even episodes where missionaries were stabbed or taken hostage or injected with unknown substances
3) it is irresponsible, at best, for Mormon adults to send 18-year-old children to the developing world so that they can roam the streets and stairwells of criminal neighborhoods.

[byu71]

We were the highest baptizing mission in Europe. I baptized tons of people into damnation. The trick is to act as normal as possible, minimize religious discussion, and not turn your nose up when they offer tea.

But even if I was getting in doors for the wrong reason, please consider the following:
1) temperature was -30 outside half the year
2) missionaries were routinely robbed and there were even episodes where missionaries were stabbed or taken hostage or injected with unknown substances
3) it is irresponsible, at best, for Mormon adults to send 18-year-old children to the developing world so that they can roam the streets and stairwells of criminal neighborhoods.

Tons??? Your ability to persuade must have been better then.

[SoonerCoug]

Tons??? Your ability to persuade must have been better then.

Like 30ish. It fulfilled part of my patriarchal blessing.

[LiveCoug]

Like 30ish. It fulfilled part of my patriarchal blessing.

30 * 130 lbs is about 2 tons, so tons is appropriate.

[Sullyute]

We were the highest baptizing mission in Europe. I baptized tons of people into damnation. The trick is to act as normal as possible, minimize religious discussion, and not turn your nose up when they offer tea. .

That answers a lot of questions, no wonder people didn't stay active, you never helped those people build a firm foundation of faith. You made the Church look like a fraternity instead of the Kingdom of God on Earth.

[byu71]

Like 30ish. It fulfilled part of my patriarchal blessing.

I would assume for Russia that would allow you to use the term tons. The friend who had the biggest desire to go on a mission. The only one who never even experimented breaking the word of wisdom or touching a no no place on a woman, went to Sweden. I have no doubt he was a good missionary, but he didn't have 1baptism. Some countries have to be very tough.

[Northwestcoug]

Like 30ish. It fulfilled part of my patriarchal blessing.

I didn't reach that level. And I was working with our Hispanic brothers and sisters

[LiveCoug]

I would assume for Russia that would allow you to use the term tons. The friend who had the biggest desire to go on a mission. The only one who never even experimented breaking the word of wisdom or touching a no no place on a woman, went to Sweden. I have no doubt he was a good missionary, but he didn't have 1baptism. Some countries have to be very tough.

I was amazing. I had 2 baptisms in Sweden.

[Jeff Lebowski]

We were the highest baptizing mission in Europe. I baptized tons of people into damnation. The trick is to act as normal as possible, minimize religious discussion, and not turn your nose up when they offer tea.

But even if I was getting in doors for the wrong reason, please consider the following:
1) temperature was -30 outside half the year
2) missionaries were routinely robbed and there were even episodes where missionaries were stabbed or taken hostage or injected with unknown substances
3) it is irresponsible, at best, for Mormon adults to send 18-year-old children to the developing world so that they can roam the streets and stairwells of criminal neighborhoods.

That sounds awfully superstitious.

[TripletDaddy]

I was amazing. I had 2 baptisms in Sweden.

pounds of people. lol.