Back in my day, we kept our daily activities on the little blue planner. Sometimes there wasn't a lot to record on it but we didn't have to send it to anyone. We just had to report a bunch of numbers at the end of the week. For the most part, we were left on our own.

Now, with iPads, I really think that the church is likely to have a centralized calendar management system where mission "leadership" can monitor missionaries' schedules and activities.

This would only work in areas where there is ever-present internet, but I can see them setting this up in the US and other areas.

I also think that the iPad will be set up with a GPS "find-me" anytime tracking software to keep tabs on you. Remember, this is the same "church" that makes you use their email system.

I am not much of a conspiracy theorist, but missions are one areas where I wouldn't put anything past them.

Ipads will be an unprecedented disaster for LDS Inc. I am guessing security will be cracked by some creative missionaries, and whether or not that is acted on, we can safely assume the knowledge will passed from mishie to mishie at the speed of thought.

Where this is going to get sticky, is during the second presentation. It will be obvious to the people being pitched that the mishies have online access. I know I would have a few questions, and immediately ask the to cross reference some of their sales pitch with some sites that are not LDS owned, in fact lets do it together.

There is no gentle way for a mishie to get out of this conversation without LDS Inc looking like a cult. The geriatric leadership of LDS Inc have no idea how big a problem this is going to be.

By LDS Inc making this move, it appears as though they think they can control the internet. Not going to happen.

Google is going to kill LDS Inc.

I am sure it will be able to track them, but this will be argued as being for their own safety. Tracking will allow the church to find them faster if they ever get in trouble. Only problem is having missionaries carry these devices will make them more of a target for thieves and put the, at greater risk.

Also, Elders will forget to keep them charged. Whether by accident or on purpose there will be a lot of dead devices that the church will not be able to use to track missionaries.

Missionaries will not take care of these devices. Anyone who has seen how missionaries treat their apartments knows this is true. They will get dropped, rained on, left on the roof of a car, left at bus stops, and sat on. If the church tries to charge missionaries for devices they break, or are stolen, there will be a big backlash.

Are they using iPads so Elders can play those heart warming videos the church loves to make to tug on people's emotions? Will missionaries become nothing but a glorified mobile video kiosk? No need to BRT, just play the video.

I agree that they would be a disaster! Unless the missionaries are extremely responsible, they will not take care of them properly. For those with tech abilities, they will be compromised in the twinkling of an eye!

I can't figure out why they would need iPads anyhow.

Some of them can barely drive a car and back out of a parking lot! (Personal experience - watched it! :-)