NEW LEAK: As if Pressure to Go on a Mission isn't Intence Enough Already

[Johnnie Cake]

10 minutes ago, Bob Crockett said:

Are missionaries not adults?  Can't they think for themselves?  They are old enough to serve in the military.

You talk about you being "pissed off" and the lack of "personal freedoms."  You are aware, are you not, that the great majority of young men in the Church choose not to serve missions.  On the Wasatch Front is like 70 percent.    Sure, there are some who go because of parental pressure or a bishop's encouragement.  But how is that different that parental pressure to go to a particular university.   In the end, the kid/adult has the "personal freedom" to do as he chooses.  I went on a mission from almost total inactivity to the mission field in about 2 months because I wanted to do so.  I'd think there's a lot like I was.

Did I say pissed off...if so I was probably exaggerating...all I'm suggesting is that a mission call already has a lot of societal pressure already built into the cake...  I would only hope that the process is a healthy one for the candidates...putting even more pressure on these young and old people is not healthy...let them make a decision based on what they desire rather than what an authority desires

[Jeanne]

10 minutes ago, Gray said:

My singles ward bishop actually discouraged me from going. In retrospect I think he may not have been a believer. 

That is very interesting.  Was your mission a good one?  I hope so. 

[Scott Lloyd]

44 minutes ago, Johnnie Cake said:

Did I say pissed off...if so I was probably exaggerating...all I'm suggesting is that a mission call already has a lot of societal pressure already built into the cake...  I would only hope that the process is a healthy one for the candidates...putting even more pressure on these young and old people is not healthy...let them make a decision based on what they desire rather than what an authority desires

From your post:
 

Quote

Sorry but content of this leak pissed me off...What about personal freedoms.

 

 

[Oliblish]

On 2/1/2017 at 9:17 AM, Tacenda said:

What if they're wrong? And the senior couple or young man/woman isn't ready? And they will do whatever the leader tells them. But like you, I don't have that big of a problem with it. Except that it stressed my son out, and possibly lead to his inactivity. Now if I was a full on TBM, I might be more upset right? That my son would cry and be so sick of being called in by the bishop and called by his young men's leader all the time. Memory is being flooded now with the times that he would complain to me that they wouldn't leave him alone.

I think this happens a lot.  We have had a very high number of missionaries returning early in my ward.  (There were 5 in a row a couple of years back).  I am in a big ward with high expectations of missionary service.  We had more than 20 missionaries out during the surge.  I feel that most missionaries that return early would have been better off not going in the first place.

My son is mission age but I know he would not do well in a structured environment like a mission.  I don't think he would survive the MTC.  He hasn't been to church for several years and I think high pressure to go on a mission is part of the reason for that.  I don't think leaders are pushing him any more, but all of his friends are now leaving on missions and I think they push more than the leaders ever did.  

I am leaving the decision up to him but I think he will be better off if he doesn't go.

[Johnnie Cake]

17 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

From your post:

I shouldn't have used that expression...I'm sorry

[Gray]

1 hour ago, Jeanne said:

That is very interesting.  Was your mission a good one?  I hope so. 

Mixed. Some good things, some bad things. I think overall it was something that I had to recover from emotionally, not something that benefited me spiritually or emotionally. And of course I have no idea if my impact on others was net positive or not. 

Edited February 2, 2017 by Gray

[Jeanne]

2 hours ago, Gray said:

Mixed. Some good things, some bad things. I think overall it was something that I had to recover from emotionally, not something that benefited me spiritually or emotionally. And of course I have no idea if my impact on others was net positive or not. 

Thank you for your honest reply. 

[Jeanne]

On 2/1/2017 at 10:42 AM, The Nehor said:

They do, but some would be honored to have a bishop, acting in the name of the Lord, say he has been prompted to call them to prepare for a mission.

But is he really being prompted.or is he following a direction from GA's to increase missionaries in his ward/stake?

[Calm]

If he hasn't received a spiritual confirmation and doing it anyway, he isn't following the directive.

[Jeanne]

2 minutes ago, Calm said:

If he hasn't received a spiritual confirmation and doing it anyway, he isn't following the directive.

That is the point.  They are telling missionaries that they have been inspired whether they have or not..numbers..numbers.

[The Nehor]

11 minutes ago, Jeanne said:

But is he really being prompted.or is he following a direction from GA's to increase missionaries in his ward/stake?

If he is not doing the latter without the confirmation of God while claiming said confirmation then he is guilty of priestcraft and will burn in hell unless he repents.

[Calm]

11 minutes ago, Jeanne said:

That is the point.  They are telling missionaries that they have been inspired whether they have or not..numbers..numbers.

CFR...

I have no doubt that some do this, whether for numbers or some other reason.  I am asking for evidence this is SOP as you appear to be claiming or something that is encouraged by the directive.

To me the directive is actually making it clear asking a young man to go on a mission without studying and praying about it first is the wrong way to go about it. 

Edited February 2, 2017 by Calm

[bluebell]

22 minutes ago, Jeanne said:

But is he really being prompted.or is he following a direction from GA's to increase missionaries in his ward/stake?

If he's not being prompted then he's not following the direction from GAs. 

The direction was to receive inspiration first. 

[Jeanne]

1 hour ago, Calm said:

CFR...

I have no doubt that some do this, whether for numbers or some other reason.  I am asking for evidence this is SOP as you appear to be claiming or something that is encouraged by the directive.

To me the directive is actually making it clear asking a young man to go on a mission without studying and praying about it first is the wrong way to go about it. 

Quote

This is how I took the info from the leaks.  That GA's were making sure that the Bishop had confirmation...of course they do!

 

[Jeanne]

1 hour ago, bluebell said:

If he's not being prompted then he's not following the direction from GAs. 

The direction was to receive inspiration first. 

That is not how I read it.  They will always have inspiration because they need /have to to get those missionaries out there.  Someone who doesn't really want to go will think twice if the Bishop says he was inspired. 

[bluebell]

12 minutes ago, Jeanne said:

That is not how I read it.  They will always have inspiration because they need /have to to get those missionaries out there.  Someone who doesn't really want to go will think twice if the Bishop says he was inspired. 

That's not what the quote says though. 

[Calm]

2 hours ago, Jeanne said:

Of course they do,

Meaning what?  They lie about having a confirmation or if they are inspired to say "no" they keep praying about it until they get a "yes" or it is all a delusion anyway so they can easily talk themselves into believing they have received a confirmation...or something else?

Edited February 3, 2017 by Calm

[carbon dioxide]

9 hours ago, Oliblish said:

I think this happens a lot.  We have had a very high number of missionaries returning early in my ward.  (There were 5 in a row a couple of years back).  I am in a big ward with high expectations of missionary service.  We had more than 20 missionaries out during the surge.  I feel that most missionaries that return early would have been better off not going in the first place.

My son is mission age but I know he would not do well in a structured environment like a mission.  I don't think he would survive the MTC.  He hasn't been to church for several years and I think high pressure to go on a mission is part of the reason for that.  I don't think leaders are pushing him any more, but all of his friends are now leaving on missions and I think they push more than the leaders ever did.  

I am leaving the decision up to him but I think he will be better off if he doesn't go.

I did not go until I was 22.  It worked out well for me.  A mission is important and has great rewards but it is not the end of the world if a person does not go.  Perhaps going on a mission later in life is better for them.  Some people are just not missionary material and that is ok.  They can still live a productive, righteous life.  The promises in the Temple are not reserved for only those who serve missions.