The manipulation pattern

[ERCougar]

A doctor comparing himself to God? Who'da thunk it?

Yeah...i tried to save you all the trouble of making the joke.

[mUUser]

I can't think of many specific committement pattern examples. I am resistent to it on principle and I usually derail it early on before it gets a head of steam. That said, I will give my little contribution.

On my mission I bought a guitar at a flea market. I learned to play a few songs on the guitar and would play it in the evenings. During my mission the presidents changed. One didn't care if we had musical instruments but the other had issue with it. I didn't want to get rid of my first guitar so I put it in the closet. One morning near the end of my mission, the APs did what they called a "spot check." They would show up at your place early in the morning to catch if you were sleeping in or studying or whatever. We were both up and studying and I could tell they were disappointed. One of the APs had shared an apartment with me earlier in the mission and he, out of the blue, asked what I had done with my guitar. I told him it was in my closet and he launched into the committment pattern trying to get the guitar from me and take it back to the President's residence for "safe keeping." Despite my reasonable arguments that refusing to play it would be sufficient and that I didn't want it with the missionary stuff at the President's because that stuff would get broken, he was unbending. I was trying to be a good guy and this guy had been my friend so I gave him the $10 guitar. Two months later, at the end of my mission, this elder and I were going home at the same time. We met at the mission home the day before and I asked him about my guitar. Sure enough, he had put it in with the missionary stuff and the neck had been cracked. I looked at it, realized it was broken, and started smashing it on the ground. I then left it all broken up in the hallway. Now I don't do the committment pattern on principle.

To date, I've neither encouraged nor discouraged my young son to serve a mission.

However, after 4 yrs as a WM and interem WML, I'm trying to talk myself into believing the current program isn't broken beyond repair.

[creekster]

A doctor comparing himself to God? Who'da thunk it?

It is a complex issue.

[SCcoug]

I came across this "program" on my mission and have to defend it a little bit.

At one time a book like that was making the rounds in my mission too, I think it is by a Grant Von something or other.

Edit: from a quick google search it is Grant Von Harrison. This [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Powers-Heaven-Grant-Harrison/dp/0910558043"]Amazon.com: Drawing on the Powers of Heaven (9780910558044): Grant Von Harrison: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21C8saxzjiL.@@AMEPARAM@@21C8saxzjiL[/ame] is what I remember.

[ERCougar]

At one time a book like that was making the rounds in my mission too, I think it is by a Grant Von something or other.

Edit: from a quick google search it is Grant Von Harrison. This Amazon.com: Drawing on the Powers of Heaven (9780910558044): Grant Von Harrison: Books is what I remember.

Yeah, that's the one. Looks like it changed M. Luke's life, who calls it a MUST READ!

[Jeff Lebowski]

Grant Von Harrison had a book called Tools for Missionaries that was very similar to the drawing on the powers of heaven theme that was extremely popular when I was a missionary. I thought it was great at the time.

[TripletDaddy]

Did anyone else rock the Missionary Pal while they were out in the streets? Was a tiny little bash manual that fit into your pocket pretty easily. Is that still in print?

[UtahDan]

Did anyone else rock the Missionary Pal while they were out in the streets? Was a tiny little bash manual that fit into your pocket pretty easily. Is that still in print?

I had a copy of one.

[Moliere]

Did anyone else rock the Missionary Pal while they were out in the streets? Was a tiny little bash manual that fit into your pocket pretty easily. Is that still in print?

Of course I did. I no longer use it but I'm sure when I become a high priest I'll have to dust it off again.

[Goatnapper'96]

Did anyone else rock the Missionary Pal while they were out in the streets? Was a tiny little bash manual that fit into your pocket pretty easily. Is that still in print?

Who did you bash with? Didn't you serve in Bolivia from 90-92? Perhaps it is stereotyping but I would assume most you ran into were barely literate, regardless of memorizing bible texts and contexts.

The Missionary Pal was standard issue in the England Buiiiirmingum Mission 92-94.

[TripletDaddy]

Who did you bash with? Didn't you serve in Bolivia from 90-92? Perhaps it is stereotyping but I would assume most you ran into were barely literate, regardless of memorizing bible texts and contexts.

The Missionary Pal was standard issue in the England Buiiiirmingum Mission 92-94.

I didn't bash. I taught with the Spirit.

I'm not surprised your mission president sent you on your way with a step-by-step book, though.

[NorthwestUteFan]

Did anyone else rock the Missionary Pal while they were out in the streets? Was a tiny little bash manual that fit into your pocket pretty easily. Is that still in print?

Yup. I had that one plus 'A Day of Defense', which was similar. It looked as though it was printed on a copy machine at Kinkos, using a light cardstock for the cover.

I even tried 'using' it twice, once on the phone and once face-to-face. Neither time went over very well, with both sides shouting at one another, and I remember feeling horrible afterward. After the phone incident, I went out to our patio and threw up weight on the inclined press bench* until straining a pectoral muscle and tweaking my shoulder.

After that I put the books away and tried to avoid being so confrontational. I wasn't even supposed to be working with English speakers. I just happened to be the lucky person to answer the phone.

* three of the four of us in that pad had weight benches, so we combined them into a decent weight setup.

[Goatnapper'96]

I didn't bash. I taught with the Spirit.

I'm not surprised your mission president sent you on your way with a step-by-step book, though.

My mission president was Afrikaansers, this was 1992, and being militant was a way of life for him.

[creekster]

Did anyone else rock the Missionary Pal while they were out in the streets? Was a tiny little bash manual that fit into your pocket pretty easily. Is that still in print?

I still have mine. I didnt bother to look for one when my son left on his mission. It was made in the days of missionaries taking on preachers and congregations of bible literalists. I think those days are gone and perhaps never really were.

[TripletDaddy]

I still have mine. I didnt bother to look for one when my son left on his mission. It was made in the days of missionaries taking on preachers and congregations of bible literalists. I think those days are gone and perhaps never really were.

this is what I thought, too...until my little BIL emailed home last month asking us to track him down a copy. Apparently there is quite a black market for those books in his mission. All the elders want them but they are out of print.

There is a definite study guide use for the books, but there is also a temptation to allow the book to be the final word on common concerns such as baptism by immersion, sabbath day on Sunday, etc.