Has the raised bar been beneficial to missionary work?

[Shaka]

Had a funny convo with my Gpa who was a mission president.

He started laying down stats pre raise the bar, post raise the bar and post lower the age and said that raising the bar and lowering the age has killed baptism numbers. And he and multiple MP's have serious concerns about the missionary program and think it's one its last leg and lowering the age was a last ditch effort to resurrect the program.

He said he's tried to call the brethren but nobody listens to him anymore since all his buddies in the 12 are dead and the ones that are alive that he knows he doesn't care for or they don't care for him.

lol.

I've wondered about this. Some of the best missionaries from a numbers standpoint were those who would never qualify under today's guidelines. They acquired social skills pre-mission which made them easy to relate to better able to sell the gospel. I wonder about some of the kids in my ward because they are well behaved but have the personalities of a door knob.

[Shaka]

How can you even know that when the Emotional Fitness Evaluation is still being developed?!

My mom had me tested.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

That letter is so last year!

John Dehlin allowed wuap to post it only this morning.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

If I were to apply today, I would obviously dominate the financial aspect and pass the physical and "mental emotional" portions. Eagle Scout, no prob.

That would leave me one bullet short of qualifying.

If you would lend me some money I'd only be 4 items shy of being a Warrior.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I wouldn't qualify.

Yes you would because it isn't a real list.

[TripletDaddy]

If you would lend me some money I'd only be 4 items shy of being a Warrior.

Done!

(Although the church has counseled us to stay out of debt)

[pelagius]

Yes you would because it isn't a real list.

Yep, and no doubt there are outlier wards/stakes but it sure looks like to me that the vast majority of Bishops are bending over backwards to make it possible for kids to go (not the reverse).

[hostile]

Done!

(Although the church has counseled us to stay out of debt)

Just give him the money instead.

[TripletDaddy]

Just give him the money instead.

The Church counsels against giving to panhandlers.

[Northwestcoug]

Had a funny convo with my Gpa who was a mission president.

He started laying down stats pre raise the bar, post raise the bar and post lower the age and said that raising the bar and lowering the age has killed baptism numbers. And he and multiple MP's have serious concerns about the missionary program and think it's one its last leg and lowering the age was a last ditch effort to resurrect the program.

He said he's tried to call the brethren but nobody listens to him anymore since all his buddies in the 12 are dead and the ones that are alive that he knows he doesn't care for or they don't care for him.

lol.

If there's a lot of Zelda fanatics in Florida, the 18 year-old who incessantly posts any and all memes related to Zelda on my feed ought to do well. He just got his mission call there.

[LVAllen]

What if you are just colonized with porn but not infected?

Pretty sure that would make you a carrier of porn. Somehow, I think that would disqualify you from serving. If not, it would make personal study time interesting.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Yep, and no doubt there are outlier wards/stakes but it sure looks like to me that the vast majority of Bishops are bending over backwards to make it possible for kids to go (not the reverse).

Absolutely.

In spite of all the hand-wringing about "raising the bar", we have more missionaries out than ever before.

[Commando]

If there's a lot of Zelda fanatics in Florida, the 18 year-old who incessantly posts any and all memes related to Zelda on my feed ought to do well. He just got his mission call there.

Totally sweet. He can speak to them in Zelda parables- you know- so they can understand the gospel better!

[Topper]

Absolutely.

In spite of all the hand-wringing about "raising the bar", we have more missionaries out than ever before.

Supposedly the Church is larger, the available pool by lowering ages for men and women is larger, so the fact there are more doesn't mean that the Church is sending a larger number of the available pool. It may be true however.

It is obviously an outlier letter, but fun nonetheless.

The low level of convert baptisms per missionary should be concerning. I haven't seen recent retention numbers though. Perhaps the missionary changes have helped change that trajectory of low retention of those baptized through conversion.

[wuapinmon]

Yep, and no doubt there are outlier wards/stakes but it sure looks like to me that the vast majority of Bishops are bending over backwards to make it possible for kids to go (not the reverse).

My former bishop told me, when I questioned him about it, that he would've made me lose 14 lbs before he would've signed my call, no matter how healthy I was, because, "The Lord set a standard and has me to see it met."

Nevermind that my physician said I was fine, a BMI chart from SLC would've trumped my desires to serve. That one man can have that kind of arbitrary power bothers me. And, I have a connection to Bloomington and that stake that influences my reaction to the type of thinking that leads to some kids being on the receiving end of this kind of thinking.