Today's the activity fair at my university, and I noticed there was a "Latter-day Saint Student Association" listed on the map.

Hmm, I thought, that's odd. Because student associations are for like-minded students to find each other and get together for support/socializing. Why would mormons need or even think of such a thing? There's the institute building just down the street...

I stopped by the table: just the missionaries. No students. Nothing. Just two missionaries and a table full of BoMs. I can just imagine the ward mission meeting where this scheme was concocted and it freaks me out thinking I used to think that was normal.

It freaks me out that I used to think like that too! It's so weird thinking to have missionaries at the activity fair, and sorry for the pun, it's unfair to make young kids be at this event at a university they don't even get to attend! All day those kids get to be around other people their age and know that they can't participate in any of the fun activities.

I guess the students caught on that it was a lie. Proselytizing doesn't equal student association.

When I went to Balboa Park, there were two young men dressed like missionaries parked at a card table right at the entrance. As I was sitting at the café people watching, not one person stopped at their table. I don't know for sure if it was LDS missionaries, but they sure looked like them, and I wasn't about to approach them to make sure. I think the cult look really turns people off. Will they ever get a clue? Let's hope not.

That "association" booth with only missionaries is just one way they keep missionaries busy in an attempt to get converts. They do have Mormon students not on a mission participate in some campus activities, but their recruitment booth is just for the missionaries assigned to the local singles ward. When I was in college, I felt sorry for the missionaries in a way because they couldn't have fun at those activities like those Mormons who attend school there. After I resigned, I loved to walk past those missionaries with my coffee on the way to my first class of the morning.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/2015 03:35PM by adoylelb.

http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,762526,763282#msg-763282

Blame it on the ferrets.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/2015 03:51PM by wine country girl.

That's funny!

One of the things which always gets me is the belief that "if you'll just read this book, you'll understand...and believe!"

Christian Science: Read Mary Baker Eddy's "Science & Health" -- just read it--you'll be healed!"

Scientology: If you'll just read "Dianetics," it will change your life, and you'll be successful!"

JW's: Just read "The Watchtower!"

I'm a Christian, and I try to be alert to opportunities to share my faith, knowing that it's a tough balance between annoying proselytizing and overly passive witnessing. I am not so naive to think that sticking a New Testament or Gospel of John into somebody's hands is going to get conversion. One needs to establish a reasonable rapport first

LDSSA is generally a student organization for the institute students. I wouldn't call it creepy; it's just their plug into the local university.

The missionaries used to have a weekly tabling event on the library walk of my old university. I believe they needed to have at least one student with them in order to represent LDSSA per university rules. As far as I could tell, only other Mormons and their friends stopped by to chat.

I'm in the South (USA) and there is no shortage of religious organizations on campus. The difference is these are run by students, for students. They meet on campus (or can), they have activities for their organization, and if there is a larger organization looming over their proceedings it's a national charter for their student organization, not a sect of an organized religion. In fact, there are plenty of churches all around campus that advertise to students, even on campus, but they are very clear about who they are, and they are generally local organizations trying to create a grassroots activity for university students who may not otherwise have an activity to go to.

Institute is organized by the church, for LDS students in the area. There is no need for a student organization on campus in order for them to find each other and have a place to go to celebrate their similarities/have an activity together. It's provided for them. The only reason institute would want or need to advertise themselves would be in order to convert people, and indeed any unsuspecting student who decides to show up to institute will be pressured heavily to do just that. And to send the missionaries alone to a club fair and pretend to be a student (specifically STUDENT) organization is all out deceptive. Especially since the missionaries are student age.

I'm not trying to fight you on this but explain why I personally felt it was so creepy. We're no strangers to evangelism on this campus. Everyone knows if you go past the student center on campus on any given day there is going to be a 45 year-old bearded man yelling at you about how you're going to hell. But even he knows his place and does not try smoke and mirror his message to anyone. When you have both the Mormon background to understand their hidden intentions and the in-the-moment Southern university context to understand how society operates respectfully it stands out in a very disturbing way in comparison.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2015 11:34AM by the1itwas2.

Mormons represent themselves as Christians, but don't appear to know about, much less live Kindness & Honesty.


That's CREEPY to mainstreet Christians, they can smell Mormons by the way they practice their 'religion'.

the Golden Rule, the parable of the Good Samaritan ... are nearly Completely Gone down the memory hole.

Lessons? they're about Mormonism, Joe & Briggy, little else.

I think they did it because there really isn't anything else to do. The missionary program is so ancient now days it doesn't have any real way to engage the missionaries. They have to hunt for ways to spend their time. They are told what they must do but there isn't any way to do it now that the world is onto them.

I reported last summer on the missionaries that attend our local Farmer's Market. They don't even show up until the market is almost over. They have hand made posters they hold up in place of flip charts that look like a First Grader printed them in five minutes. They have cards of some type in piles on their table that continue to blow off in the wind. They don't really know the answers to any questions so they are always trying to change the subject. They are a disaster.

If LDS, Inc. would let missionaries go out and do service missions with proselytizing happening on the side (this is how Evangelicals do it) there might be happier missionaries and more successful missions.

It's so pathetic.

I was dubbed a "campus missionary" by my mission president. I served on LSU's campus. We (my companion and I) often represented the Student Union at these types of events, knowing full well it was dishonest to do so. We knew that only enrolled students should be representing the groups, but we did anyway. Lying for the Lord was my M.O. on my mission. Sad, sad, sad!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2015 03:30PM by templenamegabriel.

I think the school was negligent for allowing it. Sorry, but security needed to escort the missionaries to their car or to the gates leading out of campus and warn the mishies to stay away. Students have other priorities than dealing with religious preaching on campus.