When I was in the MTC we had to answer phones and make calls in the referall center quite often (I want to say maybe 2-3 hours per day if I remember correctly).

Well, I remember in my first Sunday in the MTC we were assigned to work in the referall center making outbound phone calls, and one of the elders in my district complained to the call center manager and said, "Isn't this breaking the Sabbath to do this on a Sunday? We don't want to come off as salesmen calling people every change we get."

The manager became furious and yelled not only at that missionary, but at all of us. He said something to the effect of, "Yes, you will work on Sunday! In the mission field you will work every Sunday and you will work hard! Breaking the sabbath would be to not give this important message to every man, woman, and child! And if I hear any of you compare being a missionary to being a salesman again I will personally recommend that you be sent home from the MTC!"

Of course I was too afraid to defend this brave elder, but years later I fully agree with him.

That's the truth!

Isn't it interesting that the call center manager offered no logic with which to refute what that the young elder said, but took the cowardly route of silencing him with intimidation instead?

The only way to stay in TSCC is to be in denial about its history, doctrine and practices.

I actaully attended an "every member a missionary meeeting" taught by my bishop at the time in SLC. For the entire meeting, he actually analogized missionary work to selling a car.

I wouldn't regard a missionary proselytizing on a Sunday to be breaking the sabbath, no more than a bishop having meetings on a Sunday, or a paid minister giving a sermon on a Sunday. When your "job" involves religion, paid or not, working on Sunday is part of the package.

The MTC did have people working in the cafeteria on Sundays, mostly students. Our language teachers also came in on Sundays. It's possible they worked it so employees got paid more during the week, and "volunteered" on Sunday, but I don't think labor laws would allow that.

I think it's funny that the "one true church" has to resort to telemarketing and sales gimmicks.

I hated the telemarketing aspect of it. I don't see how it is ethical to give somebody a "free" book or video but try to trick them into joining a "church" as a result.

Oddly when I saw the thread tittle I thought it'd be about 'Oral Sex'!

I wish.

I had to do the call center thing when I was tat the MTC (back in 1999). I hated it. What I hated worse was having to be the delivery boy for the materials (I was shipped stateside). I hated not knowing the conversation that preceded it and I hated trying to turn dropping off a Lamb of God video into a First Discussion. Make that connection for me, someone! There was so much pressure to turn these referrals into investigators and I always felt bad about doing it. These people called for a Christmas or Easter video, which probably meant they were already secure in their faith. And we show up trying to convert them to another religion. It's messed up.

Well I am an early return mishy and had nine weeks of hell in the Buenos Aires MTC, during which I had some funny experiences. One day during class I was a being the cocky badass who had taken 4 years of spanish in school and ahead of the curve. My teacher asks what type of missionary I want to be and I respond that I would like to be a "galan" which is roughly translated to being a ladies man. The kid, an Argentine RM of 22, explodes and chews me out in front of the group to tell me that I will never be a good missionary because I cannot take anything seriously and that I clearly was far to prideful. After his attempt to crucify me he turned on the my district for not taking the MTC experience serious and turned on the tv to show us stoner Jesus going around Jerusalem healing and telling me that he is the one and only man that ever existed and I better figure that out fast or get ready for an unsuccessful life. The same guy started crying for a different district because a kid would tell jokes during class.