Refugees Baptized

[Rosebud]

Last night I was video chatting with some Mormon friends who have been called to work with some refugees. I am not well-versed in the conflict, but at the end of our conversation my friends showed me a picture of about 15 refugees wearing white just before their Mormon baptisms.

My friends are sincere, loving, and excited about their opportunity to help these people and to share the gospel with them. When I saw the picture, though, I felt a pit in my stomach. The refugees don't speak English. Many of them are likely suffering from culture shock. The Book of Mormon and the story of the restoration have not been translated into their language. Most of them are illiterate and will not be able to read any future translations. My friends admitted that the people do not really understand who Joseph Smith is but that they love Christ (Baptist missionaries converted many of their progenitors in the 19th century).

I'm disgusted and sad that our missionaries couldn't wait for them to warm their feet a little. It's been bugging me all day. When I expressed my concerns to my friends, they said that the refugees are humble, that they feel the spirit, and that we can worry about retention problems later.

There is something wrong with this picture, but should I care? At least the refugees are physically safe and have a social net. It's likely that being part of the Mormon community will be beneficial to them and that they are smart and practical enough to understand how getting baptized might help ensure continued assistance from the LDS community.

[Indy Coug]

I'm disgusted and sad that our missionaries couldn't wait for them to warm their feet a little.

How long have they been in the US? How long have they been taught?

[DU Ute]

I'm appalled that these opportunists would take advantage of young LDS missionaries who don't speak their language and join the Church simply to try and get assistance.

[Goatnapper'96]

Last night I was video chatting with some Mormon friends who have been called to work with some refugees. I am not well-versed in the conflict, but at the end of our conversation my friends showed me a picture of about 15 refugees wearing white just before their Mormon baptisms.

My friends are sincere, loving, and excited about their opportunity to help these people and to share the gospel with them. When I saw the picture, though, I felt a pit in my stomach. The refugees don't speak English. Many of them are likely suffering from culture shock. The Book of Mormon and the story of the restoration have not been translated into their language. Most of them are illiterate and will not be able to read any future translations. My friends admitted that the people do not really understand who Joseph Smith is but that they love Christ (Baptist missionaries converted many of their progenitors in the 19th century).

I'm disgusted and sad that our missionaries couldn't wait for them to warm their feet a little. It's been bugging me all day. When I expressed my concerns to my friends, they said that the refugees are humble, that they feel the spirit, and that we can worry about retention problems later.

There is something wrong with this picture, but should I care? At least the refugees are physically safe and have a social net. It's likely that being part of the Mormon community will be beneficial to them and that they are smart and practical enough to understand how getting baptized might help ensure continued assistance from the LDS community.

I think you need to pull the string. What you know is they are from _____ and you know they got baptized. The rest is a bunch of apologetic bullshit you filled in based upon the collective opinion that mormons are uberhyper to convert the world, which we are. The heart of your final sentence sums it up best and if it makes their lives better quit being a sniveling Nancy worried what some dickhead Social Psych prof feels about us and recognize the benefit in the lives of the dirt poor sorry bastards is worth the fact that we momos are a shortsighted bunch all too concerned with increasing the flaps on our tents. Even if and when they fall away, if it benefited their lives for some time and they get the knowledge of where to go for mormon social help it is a good thing.

Other than that I could care less than SeattleUte's latest gall stone....unless of course one of their kids ends up being a blanket like cover corner in 15 years or so. Then I will know the entire thing was the will of God.

* edit the implied result of the lockdown korner from ____ was he brings glory, laud and honor to the BYU!

[SloanHater]

This thread reminded me of a conversation I had with my mission president when I was fresh to the field.

I expressed my concern about the upcoming baptism of a 11 year old boy who came to the church mainly to play soccer with the youth.

My mission president's reply, 'Elder would you rather wait 100 years and do this boy's baptism in the temple ?'

[Rosebud]

How long have they been in the US? How long have they been taught?

Less than one year in the US. I don't know how long they've been taught but I do know that they have been attending LDS meetings translated into _____ (through another language) for awhile.

[Clark Addison]

In the scriptures, there are accounts of people hearing preaching and getting baptized that same day. Does this disgust you as well? I don't understand the angst. If you were to say that you didn't feel that they were ready and will likely fall away, I can agree with you. But your point is fairly obvious that they are being taken advantage of in some way. What harm are they done here?

[Indy Coug]

My mission president's reply, 'Elder would you rather wait 100 years and do this boy's baptism in the temple ?'

My response would be "well, we're going to have to wait 100 years to do the rest of his work."

[cougjunkie]

Goatnappers post in this thread was a masterpiece.

[UtahDan]

Goatnappers post in this thread was a masterpiece.

I second that.

[Rosebud]

Hmmmm..... that was mature.... I guess it's all settled then .

[TripletDaddy]

We need to have a semi-annual CUF General Conferece, where we can bring forth issues and proposals to be sustained or opposed by the general body of CUF.

Goatnapper'96's post deserves to be recognized as the first submission to the canon of CUF scripture. With or without your sustaining, I have channeled my inner Bruce Red and broken up this epistle into the proper canonical format it deserves.

Brethren and sisters, I believe we have all been edified today.

************

The Book of First Goatnapper'96

Chapter 1

Goatnapper'96 speaks Messianically. Rosebud is chastened with pwnage and wrath. Momos will convert the world. SeattleUte shall be brought down at the last day

1. I think you need to pull the string.(a)
2. What you know is they are from ____ and you know they got baptized. The rest is a bunch of apologetic bullshit(a) you filled in based upon the collective opinion that mormons are uberhyper to convert the world, which we are.
3. The heart of your final sentence sums it up best and if it makes their lives better quit being a sniveling Nancy worried what some dickhead(a) Social Psych prof feels about us and recognize the benefit in the lives of the dirt poor sorry bastards is worth the fact that we momos(b) are a shortsighted bunch all too concerned with increasing the flaps on our tents.
4. Even if and when they fall away, if it benefited their lives for some time and they get the knowledge of where to go for mormon social help it is a good thing.
5. Other than that I could care less than SeattleUte's(a) latest gall stone....unless of course one of their kids ends up being a blanket like cover corner in 15 years or so.
6. Then I will know the entire thing was the will of God.
___________________
1 a The Words of JohnnyLingo 1:19
2 a 1 Tex 5:1-980; see also 1 Tex in its entirety
3 a TG exUte
b TG Mormon, Latter-day Saint
5 a TG Perdition; Son of the Morning; Opposition; Love

[scottie]

We need to have a semi-annual CUF General Conferece, where we can bring forth issues and proposals to be sustained or opposed by the general body of CUF.

Goatnapper'96's post deserves to be recognized as the first submission to the canon of CUF scripture. With or without your sustaining, I have channeled my inner Bruce Red and broken up this epistle into the proper canonical format it deserves.

Brethren and sisters, I believe we have all been edified today.

************

The Book of First Goatnapper'96

Chapter 1

Goatnapper'96 speaks Messianically. Rosebud is chastened with pwnage and wrath. Momos will convert the world. SeattleUte shall be brought down at the last day

1. I think you need to pull the string.(a)
2. What you know is they are from ____ and you know they got baptized. The rest is a bunch of apologetic bullshit(a) you filled in based upon the collective opinion that mormons are uberhyper to convert the world, which we are.
3. The heart of your final sentence sums it up best and if it makes their lives better quit being a sniveling Nancy worried what some dickhead(a) Social Psych prof feels about us and recognize the benefit in the lives of the dirt poor sorry bastards is worth the fact that we momos(b) are a shortsighted bunch all too concerned with increasing the flaps on our tents.
4. Even if and when they fall away, if it benefited their lives for some time and they get the knowledge of where to go for mormon social help it is a good thing.
5. Other than that I could care less than SeattleUte's(a) latest gall stone....unless of course one of their kids ends up being a blanket like cover corner in 15 years or so.
6. Then I will know the entire thing was the will of God.
___________________
1 a The Words of JohnnyLingo 1:19
2 a 1 Tex 5:1-980; see also 1 Tex in its entirety
3 a TG exUte
b TG Mormon, Latter-day Saint
5 a TG Perdition; Son of the Morning; Opposition; Love

Love it, nice work 3D.

[Slim]

Last night I was video chatting with some Mormon friends who have been called to work with some refugees. I am not well-versed in the conflict, but at the end of our conversation my friends showed me a picture of about 15 refugees wearing white just before their Mormon baptisms.

My friends are sincere, loving, and excited about their opportunity to help these people and to share the gospel with them. When I saw the picture, though, I felt a pit in my stomach. The refugees don't speak English. Many of them are likely suffering from culture shock. The Book of Mormon and the story of the restoration have not been translated into their language. Most of them are illiterate and will not be able to read any future translations. My friends admitted that the people do not really understand who Joseph Smith is but that they love Christ (Baptist missionaries converted many of their progenitors in the 19th century).

I'm disgusted and sad that our missionaries couldn't wait for them to warm their feet a little. It's been bugging me all day. When I expressed my concerns to my friends, they said that the refugees are humble, that they feel the spirit, and that we can worry about retention problems later.

There is something wrong with this picture, but should I care? At least the refugees are physically safe and have a social net. It's likely that being part of the Mormon community will be beneficial to them and that they are smart and practical enough to understand how getting baptized might help ensure continued assistance from the LDS community.

I had a really hard time on my mission. It was the most depressing period of my life. The people I taught were VERY easy to commit to baptism but had zero understanding of what they were committing to. They were often illiterate and just wanted to please us. Retention in the country I was in was horrible. It made it difficult to get excited about baptisms because most of the time I felt like a used car salesmen.

Now that I'm older I'm more a part of the crowd that believes it can only help them and can't really hurt them. If there is a God, he will probably take into account their circumstances and won't really blame them or the idiots who are over-zealous in growing his church. And if there is no God, then at least these people found something to help pick them up a little and make their life a little bit better.

[Clark Addison]

We need to have a semi-annual CUF General Conferece, where we can bring forth issues and proposals to be sustained or opposed by the general body of CUF.

Goatnapper'96's post deserves to be recognized as the first submission to the canon of CUF scripture. With or without your sustaining, I have channeled my inner Bruce Red and broken up this epistle into the proper canonical format it deserves.

Brethren and sisters, I believe we have all been edified today.

************

The Book of First Goatnapper'96

Chapter 1

Goatnapper'96 speaks Messianically. Rosebud is chastened with pwnage and wrath. Momos will convert the world. SeattleUte shall be brought down at the last day

1. I think you need to pull the string.(a)
2. What you know is they are from ____ and you know they got baptized. The rest is a bunch of apologetic bullshit(a) you filled in based upon the collective opinion that mormons are uberhyper to convert the world, which we are.
3. The heart of your final sentence sums it up best and if it makes their lives better quit being a sniveling Nancy worried what some dickhead(a) Social Psych prof feels about us and recognize the benefit in the lives of the dirt poor sorry bastards is worth the fact that we momos(b) are a shortsighted bunch all too concerned with increasing the flaps on our tents.
4. Even if and when they fall away, if it benefited their lives for some time and they get the knowledge of where to go for mormon social help it is a good thing.
5. Other than that I could care less than SeattleUte's(a) latest gall stone....unless of course one of their kids ends up being a blanket like cover corner in 15 years or so.
6. Then I will know the entire thing was the will of God.
___________________
1 a The Words of JohnnyLingo 1:19
2 a 1 Tex 5:1-980; see also 1 Tex in its entirety
3 a TG exUte
b TG Mormon, Latter-day Saint
5 a TG Perdition; Son of the Morning; Opposition; Love

Well done.