Hi - the LDS in Africa discussion a couple days put me in mind of the article in the March Ensign that seemed directed towards African members of the church or, somewhat at least, to domestic Mormons concerned about how 3rd world expansion reflects on the church. It was kind of surreal reading it, having spent time in Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique, S. Africa, and Zimbabwe. I think the church will do great among the folks who value Juju and are fascinated by white folks. I don't think, however, some of the things alluded to in this article (bride price, spending money on the family, casual sex, temporary/morganatic marriage) etc. are going to go out the window, ever..we used to say the word "WAWA" when we tried to get W. Africans to do something the way we wanted and they wouldn't do it - West Africa Wins Again! Does anyone think that this article will get a lot of play or discussion among Africans?

The Liahona is usually edited for foreign consumption. Articles not deemed relevant are deleted. So Africans might not necessarily be seeing an article about Africans.

e.g.
"I ask you not to make plans in connection with weddings and funerals that would cause you to go deeply into debt. Avoid extensive travel and expensive feasts. Excessive debt will weaken or prevent your ability to pay tithing, to attend the temple, and to send your children on missions. Make plans that will strengthen - not weaken - your future church activity"

I like the feast part - been to a couple of them.

"Excessive debt will weaken or prevent your ability to pay tithing, to attend the temple, and to send your children on missions."

They missed the part about tithing sucking you dry bit by bit for the rest of your life and how very little of that money is used for Humanitarian purposes. Although I see they hit the family culture (weddings, funerals) pretty good--who cares about you and your loved ones, you need to be regulated and controlled to work for the "corporate" culture.

Or as they say in Utah, "ignernt." This is another example of willfully ignernt Utahns hoping to change a radically different culture by overlaying their own values and habits onto the other culture. Sub-Saharan Africa, where the church is so dang popular now (meaning that they're, at least, winning a lot of converts) is the far side of the moon, thought processing-wise. Nothing is farther away from the way Americans and Europeans think and do stuff. They're whole patterns of thought are different. It seems that you can explain and explain and yet they never listen. But what happens is that you explain and explain and they just don't see it that way and press on with their own thing. You can't just run into town with your upstart American religion and change what is untold generations of thought patterns. It is, indeed, very frustrating. It takes time to see that it's not a matter of bad behavior or poor moral judgment, just thinking on a completely different wavelength--perhaps even a different modulation, like you're AM and they're FM. Good luck, Mormons.

Balaamsass, did you ever read "African Friends and Money Matters?" Get hold of a copy before you deal with Africans again. The whole mystery unravels for you and suddenly you are able to understand what's going on, making subsequent dealings with Africans so much easier and less stressful.

"Excessive contributions such as tithing will weaken or prevent your ability to avoid debt . . ."

The silly mormons want to recruit Africa, which has no tithing money?