Remember that crapola from the D&C that missionaries had to learn by heart and quote all the time? At least we did on my mission. We lived as districts in my mission, and we'd get up at 6am and file to the kitchen table in our hanging, urine-stained one-piece garments, butts poking out of the big pooper fly, then stand and mumble out the 4th or whateverthehell section of the D&C in a great droning noise, lacking in any kind of excitement or interest, and amid great snortings, rubbing of eyes, and yawns. Has anyone been there? God, it was a boring few minutes of my life. I'll never get that back, will I?

And I'd like to know, is that "field" still white and ready? How about "he who thrusteth in his sickle with all his might?" Is he still going to scare him up some new members?

fucked. Especially missionaries.

Yeah D&C 4

"Das Feld ist schon weiss zur Enrte bereit..."

We would go out and work our asses off in Germany, and no matter what we tried, no matter what new "inspired program" was instituted--almost nobody was interested. But we got up in every zone conference, district meeting etc., and recite that the field was white and ready to harvest. That was 10 years ago, and based on the consolidation going on over there only getting worse for the Morg.

The only cosolation former missionaries have is that the problem is with the product and not so much the sales force.

Church growth due to missionary efforts seems to still be doing "well" in underpriveledged countries. Central and south america and parts of Africa are still seeing converts.

Qualifying that "well" however is difficult because the retention rate for every country's stats that I have seen are abysmal. Also, any honest stats will show that Mormon growth is far behind other religious growth numbers with Islam, Christian sects, etc.

And the reason why people join in the first place for some of these countries seem dubious as well.

I think the real question is, "has the field ever been white?"

Doing well in South America because the people there are generally superstitious and will buy anything ... Catholic, JW, Pentacostal. You name it, they'll buy it.

Well the field is white if you realize that the harvest isn't converts but future tithe payers. By which I mean converting the missionary.

Missionaries who buy into the whole get home, get married, go to BYU and have babies thing can mean future tithe payers for generations.

Well at least for a while until they find RFM!

@snowball

... That was also 30 years ago.

When I lived in Congo, there were a lot of baptisms there, but they are a people who still believe in black magic, for God's sake. In reality, a Congolese church meeting in any other religion is anything but boring, what with the guitars, the pea whistles, the drums... The Mormons still lose a lot of new members after it sinks in how awful and boring the meetings are.

Just keep repeating until you gain a testimony.

some kind of fair warning first. one piece garments? that kind of recollection with out proper preparation or chance to avoid it could cause some serious emotional trauma, or suicides!