Why do missionaries tract?

[The Fourth Nephite]

I always liked tracting.

[wuapinmon]

I'm warming to the service idea. Think about an organized force of 50,000 volunteers; a service force that never leaves. I'm envisioning several 60 Minutes pieces and Larry King interviews coming out of it.

The other day on facebook, I posted this:

Mac wonders if LDS missionary work in the US could be better accomplished if our missionaries were organized into cohorts of public service volunteers and disaster-response teams instead of door-knocking. I think people might be more likely to come to our Church after seeing our selfless service vs us knocking on their do...or without an appointment. It'll never happen, but it's interesting to think about.

A friend of mine then said this to me:

They tried that in Virginia in the mid-90s. 40 hours a week community service, 20 hours proselyting. It was a nice experiment, but it wasn't workable in the end and lasted about a year.

I asked him if there was an article about it anywhere, and he responded:

I don't think so, I wouldn't have known about it except that I was living there then. I think it was discontinued because it turned out to be less effective and it was difficult to come up with long term/flexible service to fill all the hours, but I never heard exactly why.

A different friend responded with this:

The best "original" material I've seen in a long time on missionary work:
http://www.cumorah.com/index.php?target=law_harvest

I haven't had time to read the link, but it looks interesting, if nothing else.

[SeattleUte]

wrong thread

[BlueHair]

Am I missing something? Are Hallelujah and Commando the same person? They kind of remind me of the old Rocky, except I've always liked Rocky. He was the kind of guy that you could be best friends with, but if you said something wrong, he might punch you in the face.

[UtahDan]

See that thing in your rearview mirror? It was the line separating appropriate from inappropriate. Give some thought to hanging a u-turn and heading back to the other side of it.

No can do. Don't have one.

http://www.cougaruteforum.com/showth...irror#post8009

[TripletDaddy]

Your stance, huh? Yuck.

See that thing in your rearview mirror? It was the line separating appropriate from inappropriate. Give some thought to hanging a u-turn and heading back to the other side of it.

[UtahDan]

I'm starting to rethink my stance on The Bedroom category.

Your stance, huh? Yuck.

[TripletDaddy]

Maybe I have that bookmarked.

I'm starting to rethink my stance on The Bedroom category.

[UtahDan]

You can start by posting more of those clever, undersized jpgs.

I don't know why, but that pic really cracked me up. Mostly because I was trying to figure out what you googled to get that image.

Maybe I have that bookmarked.

[wuapinmon]

I'm glad I, as an anonymous stranger about whom you know nothing, have such a bearing on your online persona. It means so much.

Your hypothetical empathy does not buttress your point. I didn't want to call home, nor did I request, want, or need special condolences from anyone in the mission. That shit's for females and the otherwise emotionally unstable- hence my point that people that can't cut the apron strings are *ahem* Pussies. But hey bear your fake cross proudly-- I can only carry this on so long.

You make me think of Thoreau

"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation."

I'm glad I'm at a place in my life where I no longer think men like you are cool. Being a hardass is nothing to brag about, it makes you sound broken, callous, and misogynistic. Life is for living; I don't want to live it alone.

[TripletDaddy]

The other thing about the image. It looks like a man and a one-legged woman are smothering a small child.

[TripletDaddy]

I'm going to try to be funnier from now on.

You can start by posting more of those clever, undersized jpgs.

I don't know why, but that pic really cracked me up. Mostly because I was trying to figure out what you googled to get that image.

[UtahDan]

Wow, this thread is completely bizarre.

1. ExUte is making valid points about the language hypocrisy on CUF
2. Commando is basically being a big jerk
3. UtahDan is posting funny pictures......or funny anything!
4. wuap made a reasonable post with no sexual references

What is going on here?!

I'm going to try to be funnier from now on.

[TripletDaddy]

Wow, this thread is completely bizarre.

1. ExUte is making valid points about the language hypocrisy on CUF
2. Commando is basically being a big jerk
3. UtahDan is posting funny pictures......or funny anything!
4. wuap made a reasonable post with no sexual references

What is going on here?!

[falafel]

For what it's worth, I was robbed three times while on my mission--once at gunpoint. On another occasion, I had my phone line cut while several men were busting through my windows. (We were trapped inside our apartment.) My companion was pistol whipped. Another companion was stabbed in the chest and almost died. Another missionary in my mission was stabbed in the heart and died. Two missionaries in the neighboring mission were taken hostage and had their arms broken before they were finally released. Two others were tied up and injected full of crap with dirty needles and had to be sent home for HIV prophylaxis.

My parents were worried about me. Some might say it's a good idea to "cut the cord" or grow some balls. I'm glad I had the balls to break stupid rules and keep in touch with the people who raised me well and taught me to think for myself.

What a shame that the elder who died couldn't call home once a month (or once a week) to say "hi" to his mom before he was murdered.

That was a horrible story.