The General Conference General Report Thread

[David T]

Thought I'd go ahead and start a single place for all thoughts and reports of conference proper. 45 minutes before we go live!

[Duncan]

1st Presidency hasn't shown up yet, kinda interesting

spoke too soon!

Edited October 6, 2012 by Duncan

[Saints Alive]

Love Pres. Packer to death but man someone must have blessed him that he would live to see the second coming or something!

[Saints Alive]

Anyone find it interesting that lord I will follow thee is going to follow the prophets talk? Big announcement maybe?

[Saints Alive]

18 year old missionaries and 19 year old women missionaries are the "big" announcement.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Saints Alive

[Tacenda]

Pre. Monson seems to be fine. The rumors of his dementia coming and going don't seem to be too real. I've seen it with my mom when she was alive and had Alzheimer's or possibly dementia, she could not do what he is doing when she had it back & forth. He's doing fantastic!

Oh, he just said women can serve at 19! And men as early as 18!

So that was big news, I love it, more women will get the opportunity to serve before settling down with a husband and children.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Tacenda

[Kenngo1969]

Anyone who is statistically inclined to speculate, how might the lowering of missionary age for Elders to eighteen, and the lowering of missionary age for Sisters to 19 affect the number of missionaries serving? The number of converts?

[Bikeemikey]

Anyone who is statistically inclined to speculate, how might the lowering of missionary age for Elders to eighteen, and the lowering of missionary age for Sisters to 19 affect the number of missionaries serving? The number of converts?

Can't see how it would increase converts unless it increases missionaries. No idea how it would increase missionary participation rates of young LDS.

[Saints Alive]

Can't see how it would increase converts unless it increases missionaries. No idea how it would increase missionary participation rates of young LDS.

it adds an extra generation to the missionary force. Assuming the missionary participation stays the say same their will be a significant increase.

[tyler90az]

I looked over at my two year daughter and had a strong impression she would go when 19.

[Tacenda]

I see how it would increase the missionary count. Many young single adults are going inactive. Now the younger they serve they'll start the path of mission, temple marriage etc. With no outside influences.

[Saints Alive]

I see how it would increase the missionary count. Many young single adults are going inactive. Now the younger they serve they'll start the path of mission, temple marriage etc. With no outside influences.

Did you hear that part about Internet sources exaggerating, magnifying, and lying about early church leaders I think that part was just for you

Edited October 6, 2012 by Saints Alive

[MiserereNobis]

I see how it would increase the missionary count. Many young single adults are going inactive. Now the younger they serve they'll start the path of mission, temple marriage etc. With no outside influences.

In other words, get them on a mission before they go away from home to college...?

[Tacenda]

Did you hear that part about Internet sources exaggerating, magnifying, and lying about early church leaders I think that part was just for you

Heck yeah, I don't know whether to feel special or bad. I wish Marlin K. Jensen could have stepped in at the moment he said I needed to repent. Edited October 7, 2012 by Tacenda

[Saints Alive]

Heck yeah, I don't know whether to feel special or bad. I wish Marlin K. Jensen could have stepped in at the moment he said I needed to repent.

just remember repentance isn't a bad thing. It literally means to change thoughts or ideas.

[Tacenda]

The only thing I did wrong was discern right from wrong on actions of a prophet of God. I feel I (in the words of some) judged righteously. It's part of moral fibers in my being. Something God given.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Tacenda

[Duncan]

I have had this conversation with many, many people and I have seen and others have this as well. It used to be that if you were going inactive you did so by the time you went on a mission. Now it's the opposite. I have seen kids coming home and then going inactive.It's awfully sad but I don't know what is causing them to go inactive after their missions.

[Saints Alive]

I have had this conversation with many, many people and I have seen and others have this as well. It used to be that if you were going inactive you did so by the time you went on a mission. Now it's the opposite. I have seen kids coming home and then going inactive.It's awfully sad but I don't know what is causing them to go inactive after their missions.

spiritual burnout perhaps

[Duncan]

spiritual burnout perhaps

could be, could be

[Tacenda]

spiritual burnout perhaps

Anti things they hear on their mission and when they search it out after coming home they turn out to be true. Edited October 6, 2012 by Tacenda

[rongo]

Anti things they hear on their mission and when they search it out after coming home they turn out to be true.

Nah, it isn't that. RMs who go inactive after serving a mission aren't doing so because of doubts they ran into on their mission. It's more of a lifestyle thing (by lifestyle, I don't necessarily mean "sinning," but rather, lack of interest or commitment to continue with the demands of active Church life. Primarily, attending church every week for three hours, performing callings and duties, etc.)

I think lifestyle is the single biggest reason for most inactives, not testimony concerns. In my direct experience, people with serious testimony concerns are more likely to attend church. I have five men and women in my ward who attend regularly and even serve in callings who can't answer the doctrinal parts of the temple recommend interview in the affirmative. They are relieved that I know, and still encourage them to come and participate (we've talked about their issues and concerns at length).

[Duncan]

Nah, it isn't that. RMs who go inactive after serving a mission aren't doing so because of doubts they ran into on their mission. It's more of a lifestyle thing (by lifestyle, I don't necessarily mean "sinning," but rather, lack of interest or commitment to continue with the demands of active Church life. Primarily, attending church every week for three hours, performing callings and duties, etc.)

I think lifestyle is the single biggest reason for most inactives, not testimony concerns. In my direct experience, people with serious testimony concerns are more likely to attend church. I have five men and women in my ward who attend regularly and even serve in callings who can't answer the doctrinal parts of the temple recommend interview in the affirmative. They are relieved that I know, and still encourage them to come and participate (we've talked about their issues and concerns at length).

it's true. I know more inactive RMs and inactive members then active RMs and active members. Life just gets in the way. I regularly communicate with several friends who have said they don't ever want to come back because of a variety of reasons but they love the Church and strangely identify themselves as Mormons.

[rongo]

It's important not to freak out about where people are at right now. We keep inviting and letting them know we care and are thinking about them, but many of them will come back to activity. The key is that they have to activate themselves ---- it is not the "activating efforts" of the ward that really activate people (at least not in the long term) ----- it is when people activate themselves.

I just had a call on Wednesday from a brother who is sealed to his wife in the temple, but both of them are extremely inactive. He wanted to know how he could get some tithing slips and envelopes, and he said they had been thinking and talking lately about "coming back." I have maintained contact with them over the years, but was overjoyed to see the effort (or desire for effort) stemming from them. Interestingly, the lynchpin seems to be the Romney campaign: he wondered if I would be at the church on Wednesday, and I said I was not going to mutual because of the debate. He got excited and said that that was one of the things that had gotten them assessing their membership and participation.

I've shared this before, but one of my Relief Society presidents had been inactive for about a year and a half a few months before her call. I had a very strong, repetitive prompting to call her, and I hesitated because of the inactivity, her age (26), being a convert of about 5 years, etc. and God made it very clear that she was the one and that everything would work out well. I had asked them why they suddenly started attending again after a year and a half, and they had woken up one Sunday, looked at each other, and asked if they had become inactive. It was a creeping, incremental, "frog in the pot of boiling water" thing, and they were stunned to find themselves there and changed it immediately. On their own volition.

I have learned not to panic about where people are, but to patiently work with them. Most inactives will desire to come back or change at some point.

[Damien the Leper]

That was it? Lowering the age for missionaries is no big deal. You'd think with all the hype the Schryver thread speculated that the announcement would be something significant.

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

I looked over at my two year daughter and had a strong impression she would go when 19.

I realized I have a granddaughter who could be going in just ten years, and a grandson who could be going in seven years! I feel old.