They used to pull that crap in Chicago. For several months, they kept stressing in our meetings, "Introduce, Initiate, and Invite", or some sh!t like that.
Even though I was a wishy-washy TBM, I could never bring myself to invite anybody I knew.
Why?
All my nevermo friends are either gay, lesbian, tattooed, and/or pierced.
Hell, I never told my family I converted to Mormonism...why the hell would I drag my friends to church?
Sometimes, when I look back, I think that I had one foot in / one foot out...from the very moment I was baptized.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/2014 07:11PM by godtoldmetorun.
But then again, Mormonism wants to monopolize every aspect of your life, including your friendships. They only want you to be friends with two different kinds of people: 1) Mormons, or 2) Potential Mormons. In order to be a "good" Mormon, you can't possibly have room in your life for anybody who doesn't fit one of those two requirements.
I'm surprised they haven't made new revelation to the tune of 'Thou shalt bring new meat to the sacramental alter or be demoted a rank in thine intended exalted degree of glory.' I have Mormon friends who feel all MUST have a chaance to hear the word, and cannot see it as a panhandling hounding worldly irritating activity.
Most mormons wouldn't dare invite a friend to church because they know outsiders will think they're in a crazy cult. They really know this. They think it's fine for them, but they know their friends won't believe what they're hearing.
Given the choice, most mormons would rather invite their friends to shower naked with them than go to their church.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/2014 08:37PM by Devoted Exmo.
In recent years the Europe Area Presidency have challenged all wards to hold each Sunday in June & December as 'months of invitation'.
My observations before I stopped attending:
1) even after the first year, TBMs were getting fed up and sceptical from the constant reminders given in May and November 2) I didn't see a single non-member attend.... 3) ...which is a good job because the first sacrament meeting in June was devoted to how to invite your friends and get them interested in the church. Can you imagine sitting next to a no-no friend and listening to the overt sales patter?!
I think "take a non-member friend to the three-hour-block" would be a HUGELY successful program. I mean who wouldn't be chomping at the bit to get baptized after attending a typical LDS three-hour block.
Why put on a (creep) show? Why not just be open, tell it like it is, up front? Oh yea, they are the Mormons! Bait and Switch.
Non-members take the sacrament (or drop a $5 in the water tray). Watch the bishoprick freak! Bare your bosom/ testimony. Ask questions members can't answer. Throw an airplane in excrement meating. Excellent!