http://www.ldsliving.com/Donny-Osmond-I-Didn-t-Serve-a-Mission-But-I-m-Still-a-Missionary/s/84729/?utm_source=ldsliving&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_campaign=mr

I guess after ALL i was told growing up...Mormon GOD really truly INDEED IS a "respecter of persons" it appears.

Or so it seems to me...

Oh, please. His "leaders" could count beans is all. 10% of Donny Osmond vs. nada.

Donny Osmond has been responsible for more baptisms during the 1970's than any other person. Nearly every ward or branch in England during the 1970's had on average (my guess only) about 15 Donnie's (girls that joined because of Donny Osmond) each. The Donnie's were active and I expect several males joined each ward or branch as these girls turned into adults.

Staying active for 45 years I expect is a whole different story. Perhaps the exmo's in and around London can let us know if the Donnie's are still active or not.

and to think that Gordon BS Hinckley felt that his charming folksy personality and dynamic leadership was responsible for MORmON church growth.....

I was in the church in those days and even our little branch had about six girls join because of the Osmond's! I know that one of the Osmond's wife's used to correspond with them and encourage them. As far as I am aware most didn't last long but I know of a few still active with large tbm families!

I'd really rather not visit their site, either...

I'm guessing it was because he was in puppy love?

ificouldhietokolob Wrote:
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> I'd really rather not visit their site, either...
>
> I'm guessing it was because he was in puppy love?

"My parents and church leaders at the time all believed that I was able to do much more good if I remained in the public eye, so to speak, and lived the standards of our religion," Donny wrote.

In fact, Donny says he's been ". . . very touched by the many who say they first became interested in finding out about our Church as they became acquainted with my family and our family values."

But after watching all five of his sons leave for their missions, with his youngest currently serving in the Rome Italy Mission, a commenter on his blog asked if he ever felt like he missed out on anything for not going.

Donny responded that though he loves missionaries and is proud of the work his sons have accomplished, he does regret not serving a formal, full-time mission."

All I knew of the Osmand' 'family values' was the same as everyone else (Sly & the Family Stone, Jackson Five, Everly Brothers, Andrews Sisters, et al): hustling to make a buck. Pimping out family members toward profit.

And Donny's been doing internet missionary work for over a decade:

"And Donny wrote that he has even dedicated a part of his blog, the "My Beliefs" section, for people who have questions about his faith.

"I actually have a friend with whom I share this opportunity," he writes. "He is retired and has time to help me answer the many questions I receive. We refer to each other as our companions in reference to the fact that our young missionaries always work in pairs and call each other 'companions,' or 'comps.'

"This companionship has gone on for over 10 years and we have responded to thousands of wonderful and compelling questions. I actually feel that this is a pretty good substitute for the full-time mission I missed out on as a young man."

Donny wrote in a previous post that he may also serve a couples mission with his wife in the future, further sharing his beliefs with others."

It would have been a PITA to be his companion. He was very popular. It never bothered me he didn't serve a mission. I was always intrigued why Steve Young didn't go on one. I don't follow BYU athletics closely though.

abby Wrote:
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> It would have been a PITA to be his companion. He
> was very popular. It never bothered me he didn't
> serve a mission. I was always intrigued why Steve
> Young didn't go on one. I don't follow BYU
> athletics closely though.

Apparently, it didn't 'feel right' to Steve. I think many investigators should use the same emotional reason for not converting. It doesn't 'feel right'.

http://www.ldsliving.com/The-Surprising-Reason-Steve-Young-Didn-t-Serve-a-Mission/s/82995

There does need to be warnings before clicking on a link, if everybody else is worried then I'm definitely worried.

My first introduction to the church was from the Osmonds and, considering I fell helplessly in love with Donny in 1972 when I was 9, you could probably count me as an Osmond baptism.

They published a monthly magazine (it was called ‘Osmonds World’ in the UK), which always included an article about them and the church.

I have to say, from an objective point of view, their PR for the church was immensely effective.

My fate was sealed when I started secondary school (translation- High School) and a Mormon boy (Simon Dewey, the LDS artist) was in my class. I attended church from the age of 12 with him and his sister. He was my childhood sweetheart I suppose, we dated on and off right up until he went on his mission to Vancouver.

I remained active at church for 30 years, which included a full-time mission. To my knowledge, at least one of ‘my’ baptisms I has remained active at church. He married a lovely LDS lady and they raised their children to be faithful LDS.

I’ve also taught in Primary, Young Women’s, Relief Society, early morning Seminary and at the LDS Institute in London. Plus I have given many cracking sacrament talks in my time.

It is my regret that I have probably, without wishing to sound arrogant, strengthened countless testimonies over the years.

So you could add all of that to the Osmond’s tally if you wished.

That’s why I use my real name on this board. If any of the people who knew me as a devout LDS woman see anything I write on here, I hope they might take notice of it. I hope too that, if they know it’s me, and if they are undecided about whether to leave the church, it may lend credibility to what I write.

For many years, when I was TBC, I was grateful to the Osmonds for introducing me to the church. Then, after I Ieft the church, I felt a huge amount of anger towards them.

Now that I’m ‘over’ the church, as much as anyone can be, I feel pretty neutral towards them. I suspect they’re good people just trying to get along in life, much like the rest of us.

Purely by guesswork, based on my observations of the people I know here in London and the UK, I think a large number of Osmond converts have left the church but I’m aware of quite a few who are still active. How's that for precise numbers?! With statistics like that, perhaps I should be put in charge of the church's membership numbers lol.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/07/2017 09:13AM by Claire Ferguson.

Oh, no wonder Osmonds were treated with kid gloves by LDS Inc. I didn't realize they did all that (gag) "missionary work" in England.

How embarrassing for them - to allow themselves to get famous through a phoney church aka cult. Ick!

But I guess it also helped them sell some albums, which made it a win-win for them. Still!

Also a bit funny that anyone would join a cult, or even a church - purely because they liked a celeb who was in it. Critical thinking skills much? Guess not, especially when one is an adolescent. Sad but true!

I had a high school friend who looked like Donny, he baptized a lot of young ladies in Japan ca. 1977-78.

I think Donny may have been slightly popular in Sweden, but in the same time period punk rock was hitting and young teenage girls were either into Disco or Punk. No Interest in Donny.

Did you know that Donny, Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna were all born within 12 months of each other? They didn't serve missions either.

"...AND I made money!" says Osmond. "It was win-win!"

I grew up in England during "The Osmonds" pop time. I also converted to the church as a 15 year old (again during this time). I attended a very small branch in the north of England, maybe 30 active members, at least 7 of those were girls all teens and all Osmond fans. Of those 7 i was the only one to stay active for many years (however I didn't convert because of an Osmond). Several of the branches and Wards in our Stake (Manchester) had bunches of girls who were there because of the Osmonds, most left within a couple of years. Some however to this day are still active and have raised families in the church.
I do remember the boys had any pick they wanted of girls to date within the church. So many girls so few boys.I only ever dated one member boy and converted another during that time. My convert went on to marry a member in another Stake ....lol
The Osmonds were doing missionary work through their performances and put out an LP album called "The Plan" at the time. Very LDS thoughts on that one.
I stayed in the church for 38 years always active. Till one day my eyes were opened .....

Where could they have sent him where he wouldn't have been harassed by fans his entire mission? Wouldn't have worked.

PS

The Osmonds were huge all over Europe - and Jimmy was massive in Japan!

I was interested by the use of the word 'finally' on this thread, as this was the reason they have always given for the singing brothers (as opposed to the two older brothers, who were not in the singing group) not serving missions.

They said, even back then, that the church had said they were doing more effective missionary work though their music than if they had served missions.

This isn't a criticism of the use of the word 'finally' I hasten to add.

My understanding was that Donny wanted to go on a mission and for the reasons stated above, was turned down. Of course this is what I was told and you all know how those things are dealt with in the morg.

I have a relative who was recruited to play football at BYU in the early 1980s. The church had a GA tell him and others whom they viewed as talented players that "perhaps your mission is to gain attention for the church by playing football."

I was young at the time, but he thought, and I thought, that it was unfair to say that because there was no way they were telling other athletes to stay home so they could play at some other school. It was a simple calculation that anything that put the church in a good light was more valuable than a mission. I have always assumed that Steve Young was given the same marching orders.

I remember the Osmond's brought out a double album, I think called, the plan, which was all about preexistence, life on earth and being valiant and what happens when you die! Also Paul Have Dunn was assigned to them to advise them on church matters!