I often felt like ward members were given callings to obligate them into coming to church on a regular basis.

I also KNOW why people come late (mormon standard time). People who are early get asked to substitute teach, give prayers, or play the organ on a moments notice. I know I never wanted to get there early.

That's exactly how it works. It instills a sense of personal obligation which cements their participation even more solidly. Classic cult tactic.

That's exactly how it works. When I was rs president and primary president we would sit in ward council meeting and discuss inactive members, asking what job might get them to come to church. Maybe something with their kids, like scouts or something easy like nursery music leaders. But it's a con job.

Straight the LDS horse's mouth about callings at about 1:15:

"And people need to feel needed as much as they [pause] as much as anything in the church, and so although it's not a glamorous job it's something that's needful and that their participation matters."

https://www.lds.org/callings/meetinghouse-care/reverence?lang=eng

we'd sit around and try to think of a non-essential calling to "call" inactives to do, that would probably get them to attend.

Basically, jobs helping out on homemaking night, or a greeter in RS meeting, or some small part in a lesson or on a program might work. On the ward level, something like a hymnbook coordinator might be good. As if people wouldn't realize that it was "make-work" and they weren't really needed.

Behind it all, was the idea that we were somehow responsible to get other people to be part of our religion, even though they really didn't want to be there. Plus the idea that they needed to feel useful and we could make them feel needed. It was all patronizing and rather condescending, when you think about it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/25/2014 09:32PM by imaworkinonit.

went inactive immediately after we were sealed in the temple in 1993. There was a huge to do with my mom and the Bishopric being "concerned" so they kept trying to give him callings. Finally they called him to be Scout Master. He accepted because he enjoyed Scouting and was former military and enjoyed teaching the kids these things. He never made it about church or involved the ideology, it was "legit" scouting. He never came on Sunday and the only time he did come was at my brothers mission farewell and he did give a short talk. But it had ZERO to do with the church or being proud about the mission. It was a bit scandalous.

Librarian??

Ward librarian and family history specialist callings sort of keep you out of the mainstream. I think bishops know that. I was the stake librarian for twelve years! Few people even knew it.

Something about retaining new converts by giving them a something, a friend, and a responsibility? Yep, that is how they keep people coming back.

Zynga games like FarmVille use the same technique -- people feel obligated to keep playing to support their neighbors. Zynga actually used to employ a psychologist to help them design game features that would manipulate people into coming back and spending money. I don't know if they still have one on staff or not, but they got some good advice -- their games can take over your whole life.