Is this still a thing in today's Mormondom? Are they finding any?
I was proud on my mission that I became a trainer in my first city, Lugano, Switzerland, and taught my new companion* how to spot the Golden Family. In short, we found one, and baptized the whole damned family. They were the first baptisms in Lugano in.a very long time. It also happened a second time for me in another city.
* Bruce Bastian, who really made a name for himself. He was a helluva nice guy. He eventually came out as gay, and, from what I understand, was treated poorly for doing so. I also left the church, but much later in 2009, but with the bravery,and a total lack of notoriety. I am but a curmudgeonly old man now.
GNPE Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > 'Golden Families': People/families who don't dig > deep into MoMism, either the 'doctrine', the > history, or the culture. > > Generally not well-educated, but there are > exceptions.
I'm not all that familiar with the nature of what mishies consider to be these golden families but I did know that basically they mean people who are interested (unlike most of the people the mishies come across) and who are willing to jump into the font in double-quick time (?).
It would be a very reasonable and even recommended approach as a prospective convert to "dig deep" into the doctrine for sure and knowing the history would also be wise. I think it's easy to assume that in terms of "culture" Mormons are just the same as everybody else in one's town (although in my case they were Americans but we're close neighbours so that's almost the same thing!).
My experience was that the Big Push was (1) Get the 'convert' baptized asap while promising further information pending and then (2) get transferred and never see the new 'member' again, leaving them to their new ward members who are too busy and frazzled and, frankly, uncaring (or worn out from their demanding religion - take your pick) to befriend or teach anybody. Rather, the uninformed new member is pushed off with busy work and if they ask questions they're brushed off - both the questions and the new member.
I may sound a bit on the bitter side. I'm certainly never thrilled at the negative memories of my brief Mormon interlude. My fault though (as they often told me - thanks guys!) as I should have looked before I leaped.
I think there are at least several factors that go into the phenomenon. Not sure that education is the paramount one. It certainly never hurts though.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/23/2024 07:54PM by Nightingale.
My companion and I converted a "golden family:" parents, a son, two daughters. They were great people with a nice home and a dependable income, and we were ecstatic to meet and teach them. In a way they conversion affirmed our naive and already faltering confidence in Mormonism.
Yet in retrospect they were not "golden" in a singularly important way: they lacked the emotional damage that sustains continued membership in a cult.
In the event, they were active for two or three months, then told us that the members were not the sort of people with whom they wanted to consort. The members were insular, took offense at modestly stylish clothing and makeup, and showed no interest in broader society. My companion and I--again, our faith was already withering in the blighting desert heat of our missions--said we understood and supported them in their decision to leave the church.
In my homecoming address I said "it wasn't that the Poirots weren't ready for the church, it was that the church wasn't ready for the Poirots."
It was a very time. Our mission shared a lot of characteristics with the Groberg era in Japan, which is why I bothered to learn so much about the latter.
When we met the Poirot family, there were many of us who were in the early stages of leaving the church although we did not know that at the time. What the episode meant to me was realization that in some, if not many, instances joining the church was a mistake;the families would be better off without Mormonism.
A secondary benefit was the opportunity to affirm the family's decision. From today's perspective there was some vindication, some repentance if you will, in our telling the family that we agreed with what they were doing. We wanted to assuage their worries and ended up salving our own consciences.