Now that it looks more likely that we are going to have a Mormon President next year, what will be the prospects for Mormon missionary work? Will it be more successful world-wide because of the prestige a Mormon President might bring to the LDS Church, especially if the President is successful with his policies? Or will the publicity be so awful for Mormonism that it will be easier to dismiss?

Mittens will lose the election!

But what do you think happens if he does?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/2012 09:56PM by steve benson.

Romney and the church's wild swing to the right is alienating liberals. Missionary work among liberals has got to be suffering I think. Meanwhile Romney and the church are seen as disingenuous by conservatives, who are begrudgingly voting for Romney because he's the "conservative" candidate.

I would say as a general rule that missionary work was never successful among liberals. I do believe this election is one of the few a Mormon candidate could win -- a successful businessman with an imploding economy makes it possible. Mitt happens to be in the right place at the right time. Mormons would probably call it providence.

Everyone's going to be clamoring to join. The missionaries will have to extend their working hours from 7:00 to midnight just to be able to speed-teach everyone who wants to be dunked. On the day Mittens is sworn in people will be going, "Hey, he's normal. He's honest. He has a family full of handsome boys and all those grandkids and I want a family just like his. Ann dresses real nice in very low cut dresses, so that underwear can't be all that bad. How could we ever have thought that mormon church was a cult? They are just a mainstream Christian religion who believes in God's grace and mercy just like we do. And look at all those successful career women who are mormons in those ads. Why do people say the mormon church suppresses women? There are SO many of them who are doctors and lawyers and writers and athletes. They're all over the place. This is the coolest religion in the world. I want to go into that beautiful temple and learn about God's plan for me. Where do I sign up?

Warning! NormaRae might be doing her sarcasm thing again. It's so hard to tell sometimes.

I mean that scenario is so close to what I truly believe will happen. Oh, and I forgot to add that cumoms will be roaming the streets in peace and cureloms will grow wings and fly.

See? This is what I mean. It's very hard to figure out if she's being sarcastic or not.

The 15 Suits went at breakneck speed to put of The Conference Center and all those fiberglass faux-steeples on Utah warehouses before the 2002 Olympics so "the World" would be all impressed and beat a path to missionary doors.

How'd that work out?

Or how many people around the world embrace Buddhism after the Nagano Olympics? Or when the Dali Lama toured America?

People in general don't change religions, and those that do don't do it because somebody in pop culture belongs to that religion.

The effect of a Mitt presidency will be negligible. I suspect the spotlight on the weirdness of Mormonism will overshadow any celebrity aura that Romney will bring.

I imagine it will help out some. Having the President of the United States belong to your religion certainly legitimizes more in the eyes of someone who does not know anything about it. It probably will help around the world, as you can point to the most powerful man in the world being mormon.


It could also hurt the church though. People who may have been gullible enough to believe in the church, may be more educated as more is known about the church to the average person than before.

I really think Romney's religion will have about as much impact as JFK's religion had. He will just get the footnote as the first Mormon president.

He will be the typical establishment Republican president and if you look at his record, he might be a little more liberal than your average Republican.

I think that it will hamper LDS missionary efforts worldwide... the USA is unpopular all over the world, having a mormon president will mean that TSCC is linked to every unpopular action/stance the US takes.

I wonder if people will judge the lds church by Mittens actions and policies? The other problem the church faces is retention. Even if people get baptized, do they pay their 10% and go to the temple? Do they go on a mission? Or do they go on to the next thing that is fashionable?

I don't know what polls you are looking at, but according to NBC, Mitt doesn't have a chance in hell in November.

Depends on the polls. Both are neck and neck, with some polls showing Romney ahead one week, and others Obama the next. If I was to bet, I would place money on Romney winning, for one reason, hurricane season.

The first time a hurricane passes through the Gulf, and it is almost sure to happen, gas is going to shoot up to over $4 a gallon. Obama will be blamed, and the Republicans will point to his EPAs slowness in approving drilling permits as a major cause, something they have already been sued for and lost in federal court by the oil companies, but have not changed.

And don't tell me that blaming Obama would not be rational, because he can't control the weather, because my friend, in America, you don't have to be rational to vote.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/2012 11:00AM by forbiddencokedrinker.

No more than an LDS Miss America did. Which it didn't.

They will see a Mormon president as validation of their beliefs, and might join up.

Yes i do think it will cause a hype and accelerate missionary service.

What Steve said....