Here's something to consider:

When I served a mission, ETB was bed-ridden and MIA. He hadn't attended general conference in years. In fact, he was sort of an embarrassment to the church. My mission president told us "When meeting with investigators, do tell them about Christ and his church, tell them the restoration and the plan of salvation, but don't emphasize that we have a prophet whom is ill." Somehow, we baptized lots of people in the 1990s.

So now we have this Mr. Wonderful and Wife bouncing all over the planet. Jesus must be proud. So where are the baptisms?

I have just a hunch we'll never know.

Remember ? these trips are to buoy up the masses, the unwashed masses, the rank-and-file who faithfully have their gold dental fillings removed to build temples, etc.

IOW, Hype.

It's like you're thinking that afossils called by ghawd are supposed to labor in the vineyard, like common, ordinary missionaries! The new testament got it all wrong!

Modern Apostles no longer preach and baptise. They do damage control to stop the bleeding of members.

I swear Mormons have the strangest relationship to words and titles.

They swoon at the thought of getting close to their "living prophet". But they never even once ask themselves why they call him a prophet.

Would that kind of nonsense fly anywhere else?

Could Nelson have earned a salary as a heart surgeon without ever once performing heart surgery?

I guess Mormons will tell me that I'm wrong. Nelson has prophesied. He has prophesied that Mormons will need to take their vitamins and "why, just last week, Aunt Betty began taking mult-vitamins and she never used to do that!"

Okay, whatever. Have fun with your "prophet".

The members worship the image of prophet regardless of who stuffs the suit. I'm amazed at how quickly the previous prophet is forgotten even when they were very well liked.

Being a modern mormon prophet is pretty expendable.

Exactly. Fame is fleeting. And Rusty and Wendy are just maximizing their "fifteen minutes" as most do in that situation.

Being tacky however really isn't a good way to do it though, as you say, but they can get away with any MO they want because the image of prophet is their free pass.

Barely living prophet

Where are the converts? They're on the internet, reading the truth about LDS Inc. The prophet can't compete with google.

Nelson leaves the missionary work to the peon missionaries. He didn't go on a mission or serve as a mission president. I doubt he was responsible for baptizing even one convert. He spends his time as the PR guy, flying all over the globe on private jets and shaking hands with the likes of the Pope.

exactly true. I'm thinking the missionaries are having a different experience out in the field than they were back in the old days and it has nothing to do with profit leaders. When I was out knocking on doors there was no internet available a person had to wait for dial up connection and download who knows what, it all seemed suspicious, like "anti". Now it's all out in the open because the internet is so reliable. This may have created a more cynical audience that isn't as gullible and nice as they were in the past. Plus people are busier than ever and more secular. It's affecting the missionaries self esteem.

Interestingly enough in the most recent Ensign there is an article stating that more missionaries are coming home early than in any previous generation. The article goes on to state many reasons for that. They are also dropping out of BYU in very large numbers as well.

Check out this interesting, yet convoluted, perspective from the Church:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2019/09/resilience-spiritual-armor-for-todays-youth?lang=eng

Nelson and the rest of the Q15 are in full defensive mode. They are running all over the place trying to prop up the members by glad handing and announcing temples they probably won't build (over 20+ announced that have to break ground).

Didn't Russ recently taut a hook-up with the NAACP or some similar group? What's happened with that?

Mr. Wonderful and Wendy are like PT Barnum. They are putting on a big show and making big claims. A few more temples will be announced and some administrative changes will be made. Russ will die soon. Wendy becomes a widow. What apostle will she marry next hoping to become First Lady again?

Yes, I wonder if she’s trying to wear him out.

babyloncansuckit Wrote:
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> Yes, I wonder if she’s trying to wear him out.

Good point.

Do you think a man encased in an iron lung will cramp her style?