missionary work

[Avatar4321]

do any of the churches and sects that have fallen away from the Church since the beginning, do missionary works? How active are their programs?

I just find it interesting that Joseph sent missionaries everywhere all the time. And yet I don't see any group besides ours who has a robust missionary effort despite them claiming to have the doctrines Joseph taught.

[cinepro]

40 minutes ago, Avatar4321 said:

do any of the churches and sects that have fallen away from the Church since the beginning, do missionary works? How active are their programs?

I just find it interesting that Joseph sent missionaries everywhere all the time. And yet I don't see any group besides ours who has a robust missionary effort despite them claiming to have the doctrines Joseph taught.

Maybe they received Official Declarations telling them that the Lord no longer required them to send out missionaries.

[Jeanne]

From my limited knowledge from friends of other faiths...a lot of missionaries (other than JW;s) go abroad and overseas. 

[Tacenda]

6 hours ago, Avatar4321 said:

do any of the churches and sects that have fallen away from the Church since the beginning, do missionary works? How active are their programs?

I just find it interesting that Joseph sent missionaries everywhere all the time. And yet I don't see any group besides ours who has a robust missionary effort despite them claiming to have the doctrines Joseph taught.

I've heard the FLDS or some polygamists do missionary work as far as gathering wives. ETA: Here is just one search that provided this link. Looks like they have missionaries, but not quite like ours. http://www.churchofchrist-tl.org/localsMission.cfm

Edited December 10, 2017 by Tacenda

[mrmarklin]

2 hours ago, Jeanne said:

From my limited knowledge from friends of other faiths...a lot of missionaries (other than JW;s) go abroad and overseas. 

This. Many churches have big efforts.

[Tacenda]

7 minutes ago, mrmarklin said:

This. Many churches have big efforts.

I think the poster means only break off's from the LDS's original church. 

[Robert F. Smith]

6 hours ago, Avatar4321 said:

do any of the churches and sects that have fallen away from the Church since the beginning, do missionary works? How active are their programs?

I just find it interesting that Joseph sent missionaries everywhere all the time. And yet I don't see any group besides ours who has a robust missionary effort despite them claiming to have the doctrines Joseph taught.

The RLDS Church used to have a very active missionary program, even baptizing polygamous Africans.  I don't know the current status of their missions as the Community of Christ.  The Church of Jesus Christ (Rigdonite/Bickertonite) has also had an active missionary program, but has only about 22,000 members worldwide.

The Utah polygamous communities have been somewhat mission-oriented, and I knew a woman who was approached in SLC by some wives of a man who invited her to join the family.  She refused.  Every new LDS offshoot tries to do missionary work in order to grow, as with Denver Snuffer's group, and most recently with a very small group of new polygamist survivalists who are now in jail on charges of kidnapping and child abuse ("The Knights of the Crystal Blade").   http://www.sltrib.com/news/2017/12/05/doomsday-prepper-who-is-member-of-knights-of-the-crystal-blade-charged-with-kidnapping-the-morning-after-an-amber-alert-results-in-his-two-daughters-being-recovered/ .

[Tacenda]

1 hour ago, Robert F. Smith said:

The RLDS Church used to have a very active missionary program, even baptizing polygamous Africans.  I don't know the current status of their missions as the Community of Christ.  The Church of Jesus Christ (Rigdonite/Bickertonite) has also had an active missionary program, but has only about 22,000 members worldwide.

The Utah polygamous communities have been somewhat mission-oriented, and I knew a woman who was approached in SLC by some wives of a man who invited her to join the family.  She refused.  Every new LDS offshoot tries to do missionary work in order to grow, as with Denver Snuffer's group, and most recently with a very small group of new polygamist survivalists who are now in jail on charges of kidnapping and child abuse ("The Knights of the Crystal Blade").   http://www.sltrib.com/news/2017/12/05/doomsday-prepper-who-is-member-of-knights-of-the-crystal-blade-charged-with-kidnapping-the-morning-after-an-amber-alert-results-in-his-two-daughters-being-recovered/ .

Sometimes I absolutely hate religion, when I read articles like this it makes me so sick. Those poor little girls, freezing hungry and alone because of some idiot that says he's a prophet. 

Edited December 10, 2017 by Tacenda

[3DOP]

8 hours ago, Avatar4321 said:

do any of the churches and sects that have fallen away from the Church since the beginning, do missionary works? How active are their programs?

I just find it interesting that Joseph sent missionaries everywhere all the time. And yet I don't see any group besides ours who has a robust missionary effort despite them claiming to have the doctrines Joseph taught.

Who besides a Mormon would claim to have the doctrines that Joseph taught?

I live in a mission field destitute for my faith...America. Africa, India...help us.

Edited December 10, 2017 by 3DOP

[3DOP]

2 hours ago, Tacenda said:

I think the poster means only break off's from the LDS's original church. 

Tacenda...that makes sense. Scratch my previous comment.

[Calm]

4 hours ago, Tacenda said:

Sometimes I absolutely hate religion, when I read articles like this it makes me so sick. Those poor little girls, freezing hungry and alone because of some idiot that says he's a prophet. 

All you have to do is look at what happen in Russia to figure out this is not a religion problem, but a humanity problem.  The hunger for power over others will drive some to grab at any tool that they think can get that power.  To simplify it to religion is to misdirect your anger and avoid the real issue.

Indignation may make us feel good about ourselves, but only understanding (not acceptance, but true awareness) will solve any problems.

Edited December 10, 2017 by Calm

[Tacenda]

1 hour ago, Calm said:

All you have to do is ok at what happen in Russia to figure out this is not a religion problem, but a humanity problem.  The hunger for power over others will drive some to grab at any tool that they think can get that power.  To simplify it to religion is to misdirect your anger and avoid the real issue.

Indignation may make us feel good about ourselves, but only understanding (not acceptance, but true awareness) will solve any problems.

I'm not trying to feel good about myself, I believe that some religions require obedience no matter the hurt it may cause.

[Robert F. Smith]

1 hour ago, Tacenda said:

I'm not trying to feel good about myself, I believe that some religions require obedience no matter the hurt it may cause.

The two prophets of the Crystal Blade sound to me like a couple of gamers with severe mental problems.  They will be spending years in the Utah State Prison preaching to their fellow inmates -- who will be amused or contemptuous.  Hopefully, they will get to spend some time with the FLDS leaders incarcerated there, so we can see who the big dog is.

[Calm]

44 minutes ago, Robert F. Smith said:

The two prophets of the Crystal Blade sound to me like a couple of gamers with severe mental problems.

I was thinking the same thing when I heard that name.  Not religion, just taking a video game too seriously.

http://darksouls3.wiki.fextralife.com/Crystal+Blade

Their  former Church appears to be more of a loose group under a guy who claims to have seen the Father, baptizes, but does not collect tithing, or hold meetings, iirc.  His site has a picture that looks like it is straight out of a fantasy book or video, but I have no clue if the two men were unusual in the group with their D&Dlike obsession (according to him).

Edited December 10, 2017 by Calm

[Calm]

According to the website that is mentioned, the Trib is wrong, those in the Church of the living Messiah believe in the doctrine of polygamy but do not practice it, they do not practice child marriage, etc.  there is nothing on their website as claimed by the Trib.  The writer of the article is claimed to have apologized, but no retraction yet...and they are rightly (if true) ticked off about it.

At least one of the guys was excommunicated in August from the above and then the two guys went off and started the Knights of Crystal Blade...it sounds like it was just the two guys involved in it, they are both single and divorced.  They were both into D&D and it sounds like John Coltharp who convinced Samuel Schaffer, who is described as "confused" a lot and with "no filter" and the two got into conspiracy theories, flat earth, etc. and got more violent in their claims, which led to their excommunication.

Claimed no reporter factchecked their site or with them.

Edited December 10, 2017 by Calm

[Scott Lloyd]

12 hours ago, Avatar4321 said:

do any of the churches and sects that have fallen away from the Church since the beginning, do missionary works? How active are their programs?

I just find it interesting that Joseph sent missionaries everywhere all the time. And yet I don't see any group besides ours who has a robust missionary effort despite them claiming to have the doctrines Joseph taught.

I wrote this report a few years ago about a session I attended at the Mormon History Association Conference:

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/765587549/Community-of-Christ-Remnant-Church-histories-recounted-at-Mormon-History-Association-conference.html

I didn’t quote it in my story at the time, but I recall it came out during the question-answer session that the Remnant Church, which lacks the resources to do a great deal of outreach at this time, is kind of relying on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to do a lot of the heavy lifting with regard to missionary work. I got the impression the president expects there will come a day when the churches will be merged or united or something, and then his church will have the benefit of the missionary work that has transpired. 

[RevTestament]

4 hours ago, 3DOP said:

Who besides a Mormon would claim to have the doctrines that Joseph taught?

I live in a mission field destitute for my faith...America. Africa, India...help us.

Just a query. Having attended a Jesuit school as a non-Catholic, and knowing there are other Catholic schools and universities in America, do you know if these manage to convert many to Catholicism? I remember having at least annual invites to retreats. I imagine these types of things were fairly effective at gaining new members at least at one time. However, as you are alluding, America is becoming more secular, and following Europe in that vein. It has affected all Christian Churches in America. 

[Robert F. Smith]

13 hours ago, Calm said:

According to the website that is mentioned, the Trib is wrong, those in the Church of the living Messiah believe in the doctrine of polygamy but do not practice it, they do not practice child marriage, etc.  there is nothing on their website as claimed by the Trib.  The writer of the article is claimed to have apologized, but no retraction yet...and they are rightly (if true) ticked off about it.

At least one of the guys was excommunicated in August from the above and then the two guys went off and started the Knights of Crystal Blade...it sounds like it was just the two guys involved in it, they are both single and divorced.  They were both into D&D and it sounds like John Coltharp who convinced Samuel Schaffer, who is described as "confused" a lot and with "no filter" and the two got into conspiracy theories, flat earth, etc. and got more violent in their claims, which led to their excommunication.

Claimed no reporter factchecked their site or with them.

Yes, John Coltharp apparently gave or betrothed his two daughters to Shaffer.  I don't know whether Schaffer gave his two daughters to Coltharp.  What is astonishing is that they would leave little girls out in the cold without proper clothing or water.  One girl had to be rushed to Primary Children's Hospital in SLC.  Colharp's ex-wife, Micha Soble had been awarded full custody of her two girls and two boys, and thankfully they are back in her care.  The Coltharps are distant relatives of mine, so I take a particularly keen interest.

[3DOP]

18 hours ago, RevTestament said:

Just a query. Having attended a Jesuit school as a non-Catholic, and knowing there are other Catholic schools and universities in America, do you know if these manage to convert many to Catholicism? I remember having at least annual invites to retreats. I imagine these types of things were fairly effective at gaining new members at least at one time. However, as you are alluding, America is becoming more secular, and following Europe in that vein. It has affected all Christian Churches in America. 

Hi Rev.

There are certainly a few exceptions to this, but I have been under the impression that most Catholic schools are placing less emphasis on Catholic religious formation and outreach than in the past. The older institutions no longer seem to have the same vision as the founders. Most of the parents in our parish wouldn't even consider sending their children to most Catholic schools of higher learning. There are a handful. I know of someone that was LDS who converted while attending Thomas Aquinas College (where the "Thomas Fire" started). My former pastor converted while a student at the University of Dallas. Those are two schools that I hear parents talking about as possible fits for their kids. Our own son attended Thos. Aquinas about a decade ago. That is how I know about that conversion.

Edited December 11, 2017 by 3DOP

[poptart]

On 12/9/2017 at 12:51 PM, Avatar4321 said:

do any of the churches and sects that have fallen away from the Church since the beginning, do missionary works? How active are their programs?

I just find it interesting that Joseph sent missionaries everywhere all the time. And yet I don't see any group besides ours who has a robust missionary effort despite them claiming to have the doctrines Joseph taught.

Catholic church in a way, they're setting up missions again in the usa, esp in urban areas.  The order of Malta too does a lot through charity. 

[Avatar4321]

30 minutes ago, poptart said:

Catholic church in a way, they're setting up missions again in the usa, esp in urban areas.  The order of Malta too does a lot through charity. 

I meant from the schism churches of the restoration 

[poptart]

4 minutes ago, Avatar4321 said:

I meant from the schism churches of the restoration 

You mean protestants? 

[3DOP]

20 hours ago, poptart said:

You mean protestants? 

No. Correct me if I am wrong Avatar. Avatar is speaking of restorationist groups. Protestants believe in reforming something salvageable. LDS believe in restoring something unsalvageable. How do I spell those words? Spell check rejects "restorationist", "salvageable", and "unsalvageable".

I am Catholic and deny an apostasy, but if I had to incline towards apostasy, I would incline towards restoration of the unsalvageable, as opposed to reformation of the salvageable.

In the event that what I have said is unintelligible, allow me to clarify by saying that I am firmly Catholic, but I find LDS claims to be be superior to Protestant claims.

Edited December 11, 2017 by 3DOP
spelling! I thought "knowledgable" is as acceptable as "knowledgeable". Maybe the same with salvagable and our spell checks are being tyrannical?

[RevTestament]

19 hours ago, 3DOP said:

Hi Rev.... Most of the parents in our parish wouldn't even consider sending their children to most Catholic schools of higher learning. There are a handful. 

That is surprising to me. Do you know why that is? Have schools like Layola, Notre Dame and Creighton decreased in percentage of Catholic enrollment? I am speaking from ignorance. I really don't know anything about it.

I think most LDS parents dream of sending their child to BYU. I know the LDS Church has endeavored to get a presence at several universities around the country so that parents will have other options - at least more than when I went to college - I did not want to travel most of the way across the country to attend college. I now believe this to be more important than I once did. College life can have a major impact on the spiritual life of attendees and alum.