Dec 15th communication sent to church leaders from First Pres entitled 'Conversion and Church Growth'

Dear Brethren

Central to the work of salvation is the conversion of each Church member to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ (see Moroni 6:4). In support of this sacred and essential work, the stake and ward Quarterly Reports have been revised to help Priesthood and auxiliary leaders focus on the growth of the Church through the conversion of individual members.

These revised reports will be used beginning the first quarter of 2014. Additional information about the reports will soon be available.

We encourage stake presidents, bishops, and other local leaders to use the Quarterly Reports as they work to strengthen the faith of individuals and families.

Signed Monson etc....


Does anyone have experience of the current reports / know anything about these new onea and what's changed? I'm curious if it's just a minor administrative change, or what I suspect (judging by the subject of the letter) is perhaps a more wide ranging change and potentially even more of a big brother approach at monitoring and reporting on individuals?

Are they using the new cover sheets for the TPS (testimony progression status) reports?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-OThhPkrRg



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/17/2013 12:34PM by Devoted Exmo.

...........oooooooooooohh!!! :P

I love Office Space!

ROFLAF

LMAO :D

The current rescue report being used by my stake has this instruction from the area authority.

"Please focus your efforts on who needs an ordinance. Please have your bishops use this report in ward councils and other settings as they focus their efforts on reactivation and fellowship.”


I am not sure what the shift to conversion would mean in a practical way. Baptisms? Spiritual conversion? Loyalty to the leaders to do whatever they want?

How do you "focus on the growth of the Church through the conversion of individual members."

I thought the members were converted. That's what made them members rather than non-members, right?

Conversion means being a full tithe payer.

Conversion: Noun
Definition - MONEY

wine country girl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Conversion means being a full tithe payer.
>
> Conversion: Noun
> Definition - MONEY


Out
Standing

The clarity.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/17/2013 01:28PM by zenjamin.

sherlock Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> These revised reports will be used beginning the first quarter of 2014. Additional information about the reports will soon be available.

So apparent this is just a business.

Thanks for posting this.

Sounds like more Duck-Speak from the First Presidency. It's worded such that it sounds impo'tant, but when the English is dissected, it essentially says nothing. But it is a report!, another tracking tool! My God!, what could be more important in Mormonism than another form?!

Bureaucrats think they can rule by paperwork. As long as the old geezers continue to think this way, the ship of mormonism will continue to sink.

People who don't even particularly like Christianity are responding very favorably towards the new pope. Why? Because he actually behaves like a Christian.

And that is in stark contrast to most other Christian leadership. Monson is definitely diminished and suffers terribly by comparison.

Could they even be more Effing corporate?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/17/2013 01:51PM by Devoted Exmo.

I'm sure it was because people were using this form:

Here's the form:


http://imgur.com/XaTpNhO

This form is very creative and hilarious. Good job.

What kind of revision of a quarterly report can get inside someone's head to know if they are or are not converted? My guess is they are putting more emphasis on attendance rates, tithing payments, getting sure all males are ordained and adults are all endowed, and making sure everyone has a calling. Don't forget that the endowment is where LDS, Inc. gets you to pledge your soul to the corporation (not God) via time, talents, and everything you posses now and in the future. That kind of fidelity is the envy of every corporation on the planet. God only asks for your heart.

A more normal church (non-corporation) would be encouraging the ministers and priests to get to know their flock as individuals and see to their personal needs and individually assess their level of faith for the benefit of the individual's welfare.

Only a corporation would judge success (ie conversion) by income receivables and statistical data analysis.

Are there any of you out there reading this that still think that The Corporation of the President is a church and not a full-fledged, profit oriented corporation?

Conversion in LDS, Inc. terminology equals brand loyalty. Yes, it's that simple.

+100

I think focusing on "those that need an ordinance" is just because that gives them a go-to sales pitch. Many people have pledged everything they have to the church, but can let it go for various reasons. It's different when they act all sincere about really wanting to see a couple be sealed, etc... This gives them an emotional sales pitch...they're selling emotion and it just happens to come with the need to start paying tithing...

First of all, Tommy could care less if you are converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. He wants you converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It's not at all the same thing. Listen carefully at the end of the endowment and you will hear it loud and clear. They try to make it sound like the same thing.

I think T. Monson's letter was plagiarized from another corporation's. Here's how it went before it was tweaked by Tommy:

Attention: All Department Heads

Central to the work of corporate growth is instilling brand loyalty amongst all our users. In support of this goal, the local and regional Quarterly Reports have been revised to help department heads and staff focus on the growth of the Corporation through the increased loyalty of each individual service user.

These revised reports will be used beginning the first quarter of 2014. Additional information about the reports will soon be available.

We encourage regional managers, department heads, and all upper level management to use the Quarterly Reports as they work to strengthen the loyalty of each user and their families.

Signed: T. Monson, CEO

Pooped Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> First of all, Tommy could care less if you are
> converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. He wants
> you converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of
> Latter-day Saints. It's not at all the same thing.

This^ Because it's the Church Mormons worship more than Jesus Christ. Jesus is just their spokesmodel and they have no trouble throwing his teachings under the bus to protect their real God - The Church.

Reporting on members is busywork plus a reminder to be a pest to those who don't pay.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/17/2013 04:20PM by CA girl.

Yes, because reports that track members really hasten the work...

Good grief *rolls eyes*

Reading stuff like this leads me to believe that if the US Govt were tasked with forming a church it would look like Church Co.

The form just needs a name like LDS-654A and a reference to
"The Paperwork Reduction Act"

hope they don't come after me for not being endowed.

I could forward you some of my spam emails. They promise they can help you out.

oh gosh....lol

This means you need to resign, no matter how long you have been out, or you will have them on your door again. Members think it means the "end is coming." I think it means the church is failing.

Perhaps they should start timing the wait time between testimonies.

Or the average cry time.

Or number of Kleenexes used.

How about average talk time?

Maybe they could get a check list and check off essential elements of a testimony for each person that gets up. These include 1) Jesus is Christ 2) JS was a prophet 3) the church is true . . . and I think there were some more. I can't remember them all, but I remember that Bruce R. McConkie had a very specific list of what every worthy member of the church should be able to say.


But seriously. The whole idea of reporting to corporate headquarters about what in someone else's heart? And to attempt to control that? It's pure stupidity.

I think it would be better to have an online testimony survey. And in keeping with the corporate theme, they could give people a $10 coupon off their next tithing payment.

At the recent smooshing together of two stakes in my city, they announced that it would create a "new stake with 5,000 [can't remember the exact number] full-tithe-paying, temple recommend holding members" or something like that.

I don't think they mentioned the numbers of people who weren't either of those...

So--"converted".

I read this as proof that numbers are spiraling down. Their strategy: come after the inactives and unconverted.

it's a trip, all that paperwork and they still don't understand a damn thing!

"Central to the work of salvation is the conversion of each Church member to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ (see Moroni 6:4). In support of this sacred and essential work, the stake and ward Quarterly Reports have been revised to help Priesthood and auxiliary leaders focus on the growth of the Church through the conversion of individual members."

Someone help me understand the above statement....

How do you convert "each Church member"???

A church member is already a member and thus has the "keys" to their own salvation, correct??

Is this a movement to KEEP what members they have and reduce their conversion efforts on no Mormons??

Its sad they are so clueless they don't even know the members don't give a damn about recruiting outside of their 2 yr committment.