I saw a referral card, you print out a ton of information about your friend so they can have missionaries visit. On the back it read something along the lines of "Give this card to the missionaries only if they have expressed an interest and do wish to be visited. If not, continue the friendship until they do."


Ugh. So, from what I'm gathering, is TBM's just use their friendships, to convert friends. That doesn't sound like a friendship at all.


That is all.

It always bothered me when the missionaries told my parents and I to "spread the gospel" to our friends. Regardless of if it damages said friendship or not.

One of my friends passed away almost a year ago, shortly after that happened, the missionaries were doing some 'member visitation program' (I.E They didn't have any investigators to see, so the church required them to give discussions to members). Anyways, my mother told them of my friend's passing and they asked if we'd been sharing the gospel with his family. My mother said no and that really irritated one of the missionaries. He said that "giving them the fullness of the gospel will end their grieving and it is your responsibility to do so." I think he scared my parents, poor guy said it with conviction and malice. Thankfully, my mother didn't listen to the missionary, else that friendship most likely would've ended.

It's disgusting how many of them treat outside relationships as projects rather than friends; it's the dirty game they play, but they don't see it as dirty, they see it as enlightening.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/13/2011 10:59AM by Strykary.

From Eyring's First Presidency message in the Feb. Ensign, p. 5 (my capitals added): “There are many ways you can better meet YOUR PERSONAL OBLIGATION to help find people for the missionaries to teach.” Members’ “personal obligation?!”

Most people don't enjoy faking friendship; but when God's representatives from The One True Church™ tell them to do it, they are caught between a rock and a hard place. Just as the leaders hope, many members end up deciding that it must be okay to use people (fake friendship temporarily) if it brings them unto TSCC.

Yet another reason to be glad to be out and free of manipulative leaders.

People already run scared of missionaries of any flavor. A lot of people are also quite aware of the friendship/fellowshipping game of Mormons and feel a sense of dread when they find out the new neighbor is Mormon or the new acquantance, coworker, etc. Crap. Will this person start harrassing me? Mormons don't generally take a hint. Bring it up once. If the answer is "no," let it go, but Mormons won't drop it sometimes. Worse, when you finally make it clear you're not interested, often times they ignore you completely. Keep up the good work! It doesn't shed Mormonism as a whole in a very positive light. Mormons are too busy being self-righteous and God's chosen and persecuted to notice their own behaviors and actions are a turn-off.