The main goal of the missionary program is to tie the youth to the church for life. It is the next logical step of the lifelong indoctrination program.
The missionary program fits Steve Hassan's BITE model definition of a cult experience perfectly.
Converts, if any, are great. But developing lifelong tithe payers is the goal.
But as small or temporary as that will be, it will be the cause of much trumpeting of the success of the church, stone rolling forth etc.
Even after (we've seen this already...) even years after the bump has settled back to what it was before, it will be still counted as evidence that the church is growing by leaps and bounds...of course they won't tell anyone the bump has gone by.
And as we know, this serves two purposes- 1- remind the press to report that the morg is the fastest growing... 2- reassure that membership that all is well, and their faith is paying off.
more missionaries are being called to the US, where people are internet smart and less likely to be conned by church salesmen. I think any new baptisms will be off-set by missionaries getting schooled by their investigators about what the church REALLY is.
The "certificate" that parents are supposed to print out and have their children sign is disturbing. Yes, kids, keep that piece of paper hanging on your wall (and over your head) to remind youself of something that you signed when you had no idea what you were signing. Kind of like baptism?