Church Growth Rate

[Deborah]

On the other hand, I live in western Washington state, and we are possibly just about due for a coastal subduction earthquake (like, around level 9). Utah might be safer, at that.

My son and 7 of my g-kids live in Calif. After vacillating for several years they've finally decided to make the move to Utah to get out of a state that is financially and morally bankrupt, and oh yeah long overdue for the "big one". However, they are moving in with me!!

Oh, well, anything to get them out of Calif. And this is from a native Californian who once loved the state.

[jskains]

My son and 7 of my g-kids live in Calif. After vacillating for several years they've finally decided to make the move to Utah to get out of a state that is financially and morally bankrupt, and oh yeah long overdue for the "big one". However, they are moving in with me!!

Oh, well, anything to get them out of Calif. And this is from a native Californian who once loved the state.

My family and I are headed to Utah for the same reasons... California sucks.

[LeSellers]

our Young Men--like far too many of their peers--are reaching adulthood without ever really having become good at anything beyond computer games and TXT-ing. He said they mean well but don't know how to organise their work, don't know how to communicate clearly, etc.

On a sister topic, we read that many young men don't like scouting and that they are not at all excited about doing merit badges and rank advancement.

Now we see that young men don't accomplish anything, and don't achieve competency (aside from the non-thinking "skill" of texting). One is left to wonder if the two phenomena are related.

Of all of my regrets from my youth, not earning (a critical word) the Eagle Scout rank is the second largest. There are a host of reasons, but the only one I could control is the fact that I did not meet the requirements.

Lehi

[LeSellers]

My family and I are headed to Utah for the same reasons... California sucks.

Ah, yes, "the land of fruits and nuts".

We left for a variety of reasons, one of the first being that the Golden State has become the state of gold bricks and tax'n'spendthrifts.

Lehi

[Ivan the Magnificent!]

If you want your son to study math, you have to show them how it will benefit them. If you want your daughter to take up an exercise program, you have to show her how the effort will make her healthier and more attractive. If you want to convert someone to a church that expects a lot of its members, you have to show them how the benefits will far outweigh the costs. So maybe we need to make sure our message is one of sales and not of information -- I mean, too many of us think giving a non-member a lesson on our religion will convert them. I don't think it will.