...but I guess I'm not really sure why. Just saw a post from a friend who has two kids out on missions. The daughter emailed about her week, which her mom posted so everyone could see and enjoy it. This sister missionary talked about how the missionaries in her area are going to get iPads for use in giving tours of churches and other TSCC purposes, but, to that end, it had to be made clear each missionary was worthy of that honor. So, in a large meeting, each missionary's Facebook page was pulled up, in front of everyone, gone through publicly, and criticized for things not deemed appropriate. It was a public shaming and manipulation in the name of what the church has defined as proper and uplifting. I'm blown away.

Cultcultcultcultcultcultcultcultcultcult...

Oh, and this sister missionary is top-flight personally and with regard to the church - proper, modest, bonded with family, devoted to the church, and working hard to build her testimony and all. Just the kind of person the church loves, yet even she said it was pretty embarrassing. I can only imagine what the other pages looked like. Never mind that it's not TSCC's business in any way. This is just egregious beyond words.

I agree. But the real tragedy is that she will not likely now question TSCC's behavior. Instead, in all probability she will become introspective and work to change her view of the situation and her behavior. Programming works that way.

Cult indeed.

Exactly - she already referred to doing just that. I could cry, but it also enrages me.

That's bizarre and inappropriate.

I could understand if it's a Facebook page that you establish as a special account for church business only, i.e. "Sister Joan Smith." But if it's your private account it's none of the church's business. Yet another invasion into people's privacy!

Exactly. She also said it was awkward and a huge waste of time, but that's not the point - what really matters is that this organization opened up these pages, in front of everyone, and went through everyone's stuff to make sure they were toeing the line as only TSCC can define. I think my head is going to explode, not only because it happened, but because all the LDS people supporting her and her family are going to think it's all perfectly fine! Gaaaaah!!!

She know at some level what they did was inappropriate. Each time she sees boundaries violated in the future (and since she is Mo, this is sure to happen), she will remember that creepy feeling from her past similar experiences.

This may well come back to bite LDS Inc. Give it time. It has revealed its true self to her, the kind of personal revelation it can ill afford.

Mao Zedong or Pol Pot couldn't have done it better than TSCC in this case. Perhaps the next step is to have a few show trials for the offending missionaries.

Yes, they do that to...it is called being sent home early.

I noticed that on an acquaintance's FB page. She's been on her mission for a few months now. One day she reappeared on FB as Sister Acquaintance and her whole fb account was an ad for Mormonism. She got to keep the 700 friends, though.

I wonder if one day she will regret losing all those photos, messages, & memories from her previous life.

I'd hate to think these accounts are being shown to everyone in the mission.

And when the mission pres returns home and has to be a bishop again, will he have a mandatory fireside to help all the members purge their fb accounts in front of others? After all, it will help members fulfill the "every member a missionary" expectation!

Hadn't considered that, but it wouldn't surprise me one bit if it actually happened. All in the name of obedience and faith, you know. This church makes me sick.

How about a raised hand and "you know, nah, you don't need to give me an iPad. Don't need the 'honor.' Thanks anyway..."

Absolutely appalling.....an invasion of a person's privacy. Yes, a cult for sure!

Smart trick would be rename the old account to not my account anymore, and set up a new one. Go to the old account and send friend requests to old friends from the new account. Once you are done, shut down the fake account and rename the old one. Easy peasy with the wonders of gmail. Put the e-mail they want you to use as the owner, and have the other account as you. As long as you clear history you could conceivably post to both.

A smarter trick would be to tell them to go to hell.

The church that lies and hides mountains of information about itself, demands total openness from the members.

They will cross any boundary to get and expose your private information.

If you do that to them they excommunicate you.