Subject: Missionary Manipulation
Date: Jul 27 10:14
Author: Makurosu
Techniques Used by Mormon missionaries

This is a handout that my mission president sent out to help us get in doors after the usual freakout of having let us in for the First Discussion.

HOW BADLY DO YOU WANT TO TEACH A SECOND DISCUSSION?
You haven't done all you can and your duty is not complete until you do the following:

Sometimes, even after a beautifully spiritual First Discussion and an effective "I Care About You" call-back, we find people who refuse to hear the Second Discussion. This is because the Spirit has left them and they probably have been confronted by someone who has challenged their interest in hearing more. First of all, set the appointment no more than 48 hours after the First Discussion and sandwich your "I Care About You" call-back inbetween.

Nothing is more persuasive than genuine love and caring. We will not really be successful as missionaries nor as ministers of the Gospel in general until we learn to truly love people and love the Work of the Lord. And, when we truly love, we are vulnerable, vulnerable to rejection and having our feelings hurt - they go together. It takes courage and dedication to something higher than self to be willing to chance hurt feelings or embarrassment so that someone else may be blessed. There will be no dialogue more persuasive to someone than a genuine, loving, caring pleading with them to allow you to teach them more of the Gospel.

If someone rejects you at the door with a comment like, "I have thought about it and decided that I have my own religion and I don't really want to hear more," say to them the following (adapting the dialogue to your own personality without losing the main points):

"We are truly sorry you feel that way. We felt so good when we left your home after our first visit. We have looked forward so much to seeing you again. We are excited about the message we have prepared to give you today and know that it can really bless your life. If what we have to tell you is true, it could be the most important few minutes of yourlife. If it isn't, then you will at least have learned a little more of what we believe. So, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose. And we promise you, if after you have heard the message about Jesus Christ that we have for you today, and you still don't want to learn more, we will honor that and not come back. Surely that sounds reasonable, doesn't it? Please let us have just a few more minutes. May we come in?" Then move forward as if to enter the home. When you enter the home, show forth great love and warmth and concern for them.

Now, this is not going to get you into every home, but it will get you into more homes than you otherwise would. If every team in the mission were to do this it would add at least one more second per week per team. That would add up to at least 60 additional Seconds which equates to 5 more baptisms. Now, I ask you, is that worth putting your heart on the line; is it worth a little courage and putting your own personal comforts behind. There is not valid excuse for not pleading with all your heart and soul to be allowed one more chance to teach someone the Gospel. Do it! Every day!


Subject: Love bombing 101

 

Subject: This handout could be called "hints to make the sale"
Date: Jul 27 10:20
Author: edy

Your post reminded me of a conversation with my SIL. I was a BIC ward leader who left many years ago. She asked why I don't attend, I said I found out the church isn't true, she said "Have you had the missionary discussions?"

I was so taken aback at the stupid question, all I could think of for a quick response was "No, but I have had vacuum cleaner salesmen".


Subject: That pretty much beats all the possible stupid q's she coulda made. n/t
Subject: I get a kick out of...
Date: Jul 27 10:22
Author: Doug

...the line that starts, "If what we have to tell you is true..." 'IF'? Right there that sends up a red flag. Makes it sound like the missionaries even doubt the message themselves! LOL!


Subject: I was appalled by the insincerety of it, even on my mission
Date: Jul 27 10:25
Author: Makurosu

"Nothing is more persuasive than genuine love and caring."

What a joke! Stuff like this gave me incredible cognitive dissonance on my mission. This is where I learned what the Church was really all about.

This is why when I hear people talk about backing out of the baptismal commitments and how the missionaries throw themselves down in a heap at the doorstep, I know where this crap comes from. It's not sincere. They are taught it by the Church. So, don't be afraid to give these guys the boot.


Subject: Genuine love and caring in 1 hour or less
Date: Jul 27 10:32
Author: Stray Mutt

And don't forget to schedule you spontaneous "I Care About You" call-back.

Either the people who think this stuff up are completely clueless, or blinded by zeal, or just stone cold manipulative bastards.


Subject: That's another handout, btw n/t
Date: Jul 27 10:56
Author: Makurosu

 


Subject: this is sooooo sick
Date: Jul 27 10:38
Author: Wild Phoebs

I'm gritting my teeth and shaking my head. What a way to treat the young men that give up two years of their life.


Subject: Lots of beefs with this one.....(strong language)....
Date: Jul 27 10:48
Author: shhnephi

My reply to, "We are truly sorry you feel that way." This
works on invalidating a person's feelings (part of how each
of us guides ourselves).

My reply to, "We have looked forward so much to seeing you
again." Sets up false assumption that the missionary likes
US, rather than liking the brownie points.

My reply to, "We are excited about the message...." I think
it can more realisticly be stated as, "We are incited by the
message...."

My reply to, "So, you have everything to gain and nothing to
lose." Ahhhh, what a cock 'n bull fu*king lie!!!. (My Mac
computer would not connect with the F*-Off link last night.)

My reply to, "And we promise you, if after you have heard
the message about Jesus Christ that we have for you today,
and you still don't want to learn more, we will honor that
and not come back." I seriously doubt that.

My reply to, "Surely that sounds reasonable, doesn't it?"
This statement is so insidious that it can plant seeds of
insanity. I think this is a key issue for MORG women. I
know it was for me in my TBM days.

My reply to, "May we come in?" Then move forward as if to
enter the home." The old foot-in-the-door trick. I notice
the instructions did not include waiting for the prospect's
reply to that question.

THANKS Makurosu for posting this. I never went on a mission
(thank tha LARD above).


Subject: I have a problem not only with...
Date: Jul 27 11:09
Author: Aphrodite

what such an approach is sure to do to the prospective converts (manipulate them, etc.) but also with what it must be doing to the missionaries to brainwash them further.

"We will not really be successful as missionaries nor as ministers of the Gospel in general until we learn to truly love people and love the Work of the Lord. And, when we truly love, we are vulnerable, vulnerable to rejection and having our feelings hurt - they go together. It takes courage and dedication to something higher than self to be willing to chance hurt feelings or embarrassment so that someone else may be blessed."

It seems to me that the MP WANTS the missionaries to be hurt or embarrassed for the Morg. He wants them to deal with the mission experience as badly as possible, facing constant rejection, "pleading" with potential converts for a few more minutes instead of having the attitude that "We told the people are message, and they weren't interested, but that's ok." I'm sure such constant rejection must serve to make them dissociate from their true personalities and make them see non-members as "other," since they'll blame the potential converts for their hurt feelings.

I thought missions weren't supposed to be just about numbers. Individual missionaries get flack from some (like my TBM husband) for talking about the number of people they have baptised, but such a focus on numbers obviously comes from the GAs and MPs. I can't believe how unapologetic the MP is about this:

"If every team in the mission were to do this it would add at least one more second per week per team. That would add up to at least 60 additional Seconds which equates to 5 more baptisms."

Jesus Christ; it's ALL about numbers. I'm sick to think of the number of people I care about who have been through the cult experience called a mission.


Subject: It makes me cringe.
Date: Jul 27 11:16
Author: Fly

"Nothing is more persuasive than genuine love and caring."

Thanks for posting that, Makarodeo. I never served a mission, but reading that handout was the next best thing to being there.


Subject: This needs to be in an archive, prominently placed.
Date: Jul 27 11:24
Author: Cheryl

It demonstrates the sickness in the mishie environment. Playing along with those sick delusions only sets them in stone.

Every citizen who encounters missionaries needs to know that they don't help them by playing along with their twisted mind set.

People need to reject this nonsense out of hand without a backward glance. If the missionaries continue to stalk a person, they need to suffer consequences.

Stubborn children and mormons don't usually learn the right lesson from people who give out rewards for bad behavior on one hand while telling them not to return on the other. Mishies are trained, like spoiled children, to go for the prize and ignore the stated message.


Subject: This begs the question...
Date: Jul 27 11:25
Author: Deconstructor

Reading this brings back a lot of bad flashbacks from my own mission. Church leaders no only encouraged to use of sales tactics, but demanded results with numbers as the bottom line. This approach to missionary work is so short-sighted.

It begs the question, what does Jesus Christ's philosphy have to do with this? Is this in harmony with the spirit of the Lord which the church claims to represent?

Stuff like this turns my stomache and reminds of why I left the church.

Buyer beware!


Subject: when I was in the MTC the book my roommates.....
Date: Jul 27 11:37
Author: mike

...read and understood best was not the BOM, or any other scriptures, but rather Og Mandino's The World's Greatest Salesman..or Greatest Salesman in the World, forget the actual title.


Subject: Thanks a lot, Mak. Pure selling tactiques. n/t
Date: Jul 27 11:30
Author: Jezebel
Mail Address:

Subject: I was halfway through my mission when the "Missionary Guide" was released
Date: Jul 27 14:00
Author: kilgore
Mail Address:

The one that teaches stuff like "Building a Relationship of Trust" and "The Committment Pattern." It gave me the willies to realize I was being taught used car salesman techniques for sharing the gospel.

But it all goes back to a comment I made on another thread about being so sure of what you've got that you'll do anything (even if it's dishonest) to trick other people into accepting it. It's for their own good, dontcha know! When you're so sure about some supposed "truth" that you'll use lies and manipulation to spread it, something is really screwed up in your head!

RELATED TOPICS

3. Mormon Missions - regrets?      

29. Missionaries Were Here 

39. Missionary and Death of a Parent 

50. Missionaries Use Manipulation 

74. Missionary Companions

76. Crazy Mission Rules 

85. Regrets of LDS Mission II 

 94. New Missionary Standards

99. Missionary Farewells 

120 Missions Promote Lying 

116 Met with Missionaries

142 Regrets Mormon Mission III

151  Saying  'No' to Mormon Missionaries 

154  European Mission Experiences

181  1st Presidency on Missionary Work

205  Missions - Future Apostasy 

209  Control at the MTC 

214  Breaking Mission Rules 

241  Suicides after a Mission 

244  Some Mission Rules 

257  Mormon Grandparents are Stalkers

289 Not Allowed to Serve a Mission

298  Mormon Malignancy Seen in Missions

299 "Get the Fire" PBS Film - Missionaries

309  Happy that Your Mission was Finally Over?

328 Mormon Parents Rat on Missionary Son

361  Missionaries Pressured to Marry Soon after Missions

364 Breakdown of a Mormon Missionary in Japan

404  Missionary Program and Immigration Fraud

395 More Mormon Missionary Abuse

425  More on Mormon Missionary Abuse II

431 More on Mormon Missionary Abuse III

454  Depression and Mormon Missions

477  A Missionary's Food Budget is Reduced to $130/mo

522.  Nightmares of Being Called to a Second Mission 555  Japan Mission under Groberg - a Cruel Experiment

 

 

Recovery from Mormonism - The Mormon Church  www.exmormon.org

Listing of additional short Topics  |  Main Page