Is This True?-Mission That Baptized Around 30,000 Folks

[Duncan]

Sometime ago I had heard a story about a mission in the 1980's that baptized around 30,000 people. Story goes that one of the Brethren were at a Mission President seminar and he asked how many people they wanted to baptize for the next year and each gave modest amount. One Mission President gave around 30,000 people and the General Authority took him aside and said, well...pick another number or in essence that would be great but inlikely. But that mission got that amount or near to it. Anyone ever heard this before?

[rameumptom]

Sounds like a too-good-to-be-true rumor. There are many missions that have baptized thousands in a year, however. For example, in Chile and other places in the 1980s, it wasn't uncommon to baptize 500-1000 per month, or 6000-12000 a year. That said, many of today's missionaries that go to Chile spend most of their time trying to reactivate those who were baptized in the 1980s....

It is one thing to receive a testimony of the restored church and be baptized. It is another thing to be converted, be baptized and remain active.

[Duncan]

Sounds like a too-good-to-be-true rumor. There are many missions that have baptized thousands in a year, however. For example, in Chile and other places in the 1980s, it wasn't uncommon to baptize 500-1000 per month, or 6000-12000 a year. That said, many of today's missionaries that go to Chile spend most of their time trying to reactivate those who were baptized in the 1980s....

It is one thing to receive a testimony of the restored church and be baptized. It is another thing to be converted, be baptized and remain active.

true, true!!

[Nevo]

I can't imagine how any mission could possibly baptize 30,000 people in a year. In my mission that would have meant every companionship averaging 20-25 baptisms per month. Unless you were converting entire congregations at a time, as in the early days of the Church, I don't see how you could do it. I was in Chile in 1993-1994 and our mission averaged around four baptisms per companionship per month—and that involved some pretty problematic proselytizing techniques (e.g., baptizing mostly kids, teaching people the discussions while the font was filling up, etc.).