Category: Talking With Mormon Missionaries
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When the Doorbell Rings: Talking to Mormon Missionaries
These encounters are evangelistic opportunities and not something to be dreaded. Christians can have positive conversations that leave the young men or women with something to think about.
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Technology is Changing Mormon Missionary Work
On March 8, 2018, Deseret News ran a story with a lengthy title that began, “How technology is changing Mormon missionary work.” This article discusses the LDS missionary force’s increased use of technology to find and teach investigators, often via online chats. Relating one such chat, the Deseret News article quotes sister missionary Kimeme Ackley…
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Missionary Numbers, Converts Keep Going Down, Down, Down
Listen to Eric Johnson being interviewed on this topic by Issues, Etc. on March 9, 2018 On the first day of its spring General Conference on Saturday, March 31, 2018, the LDS Church will announce how many convert baptisms took place in 2017 as well as how many missionaries are currently on the field. The…
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Of First Importance in Mormon Proselytizing
In the early-1950s the Mormon Church taught its missionaries a particular method for effective proselytizing. The book, A Systematic Program for Teaching the Gospel was published and distributed by the LDS Church as detailed instruction for missionaries. I was recently reading Lesson 1, “The Godhead,” and was struck by how the Mormon Church’s missionary approach…
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How to Help Mormon Missionaries
I’m a mom. I get it. Mormon blogger and author Mette Ivie Harrison wants people to be kind to her kids as they serve their LDS missions. In a recent article at Huff Post Blog, “How to Manage Mormon Missionaries,” Dr. Harrison notes, “…as a mother whose daughter recently returned from the Houston, Texas mission,…
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If Mormon Missionaries Were Straightforward About Mormonism…
Though done in a lighthearted manner, this 4-minute video is a fairly accurate depiction of standard Mormon doctrine. It would be nice if Mormon missionaries explained Mormonism as clearly as the characters in this video do, but I imagine that would not foster strong LDS Church growth. Mormon Secrets: What the Missionaries Don’t Tell By…
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Encountering the Mormon Missionaries – 15 Things They May Be Reluctant to Tell You
Today the number of full-time missionaries sent out by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) numbers in the tens of thousands. Most of these are young men and women in their late teens or early twenties, but the LDS Church also has within its ranks retired people serving as full-time missionaries.…
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RM (Defined)
RM: Short for “returned missionary.” See missionary.
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Missionary Training Center (Defined)
Missionary Training Center. Also known as the MTC. It is here the Mormon missionary learns doctrine and procedure that will be used during his/her missionary service. Time spent at the MTC varies from 3-13 weeks. The LDS Church operates 11 total centers around the world: in Brazil, Congo, England, Ghana, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, the…
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Missionary (Defined)
Missionary. Young men (ages 18 to 25) serve for two years, young women (minimum age 19) serve for eighteen months, and retired couples serve from six months to three years. Locations assigned by leaders. Before October 2012, the ages were 19 for boys and 21 for girls, but this was lowered in an annoucement at…
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Missionary Lessons (Defined)
Missionary Lessons. A series of lessons taught by LDS missionaries to potential converts, the basis of which is found in the missionary manual Preach My Gospel. Return to dictionary here.
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Investigator (Defined)
Investigator. A person who is being visited by the Mormon missionaries and is considering the LDS religion. Typically potential converts are asked to read the Book of Mormon and pray according to the fashion of Mornoi 10:4.
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Golden Contact (Defined)
Golden Contact. A person who knows little or nothing about Mormonism but is eager to learn and may possibly join the LDS Church.
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The Dos and Don’ts of Mormon Missionary Life
The newspaper in my town, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, ran an article about Mormon missionaries over the weekend. Along with the article was a revealing companion piece: “Young missionaries live by rigid rules.” Drawn from a “four-page list of rules for male Minnesota missionaries,” the article listed twenty-seven for Star-Tribune readers. The LDS Church wants its…
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Ten Lies I Told as a Mormon Missionary
by Loren Franck The Bible predicts a dreadful fate for liars. For instance, while banished on the island of Patmos, the Apostle John saw that "all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death" (Revelation 21:8). Similarly, the beloved disciple writes, liars are doomed…
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Ask an Elder?
One of our readers wrote to say that we at MRM are like the “Consumer Product Safety Commission for Christians.” This compliment says a lot since it is our goal to closely examine the teachings of the LDS Church so that Christians (and Mormons) can make an informed decision when it comes to the Mormon…
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Don’t Let the Badge Intimidate You
I have often said that the modern missionary system advocated by the LDS Church is an ingenious idea. Though the popular slogan “every member a missionary” calls on all members to actively proclaim the Mormon faith, tens of thousands of men and women serve full-time positions in a short-term capacity. Most are young people in their late…