Church pleads for more senior missions, why are people ignoring the Lord’s call?

[yellowstone123]

interesting post:

This reminds me of the Clint Eastwood film, Flags of Our Fathers, when a young couple in Japan who ran a small bakery received a knock on the door from a local women’s group telling him congratulations, they hand him his formal notice and speak about how honorable it is to serve and die for the Emperor because others have already sacrificed so much.

It reminds me of the only part of Anne Applebaum’s book, Gulag, that I can remember, where two older men in the Soviet system express how lucky it was that two teenage boys were sent to the Gulag. They learned skills that they now use on the outside, and if they had not been sent to the Gulag, they wouldn’t have learned those skills. This leads me to a conversation I had with a friend in the early ’80s—we spent almost every day together and he was the first to leave the church (he went home from his mission earlier than I did)—who said the church is a business and missionary work is slavery.

This may be why older church members with ranch experience may find themselves in Florida working a church-owned ranch, or be called to assist missionaries who “return early.” The church wants money to be brought in, not moved out. They will do anything to not pay, and will help themselves to things for free (church hymns like "I Stand All Amazed," "Nearer, My God, to Thee," etc.) or in the past expect members to keep a year's supply of food so as not to bother the church, or being left in modern times, retirement accounts, land etc.

But do missions bring joy? I’m sure they do. If a young man from Whatchamacallit, Idaho, population 342, is sent to Tahiti for two years, loves every second of serving the Lord, flies back to the area after his mission, and brings back a young woman as his wife—and now has a family and skills he can use in the workforce which makes him wealthy and brings in more tithing for the church—will he tell a young man thinking about LDS missionary work to submit his papers and not think about the young man again? Even when the young man from San Diego, California, receives his inspired call to San Jose, California, and is told that there is a person that only he can convert, and that this person's relatives in the spirit world are waiting for his convert to do their temple work? The total MIND F that the Silent Generation gave to certain boomers.

For me, I wished I had stayed in the area I was assigned to in the Northeast USA but I was so depressed and so angry that I had to find a way to get home. Unfortunately, I did. My first assignment was anything but inspired, unless everything that happened was part of a plan. I wish I rode a bicycle every day, and knocked on doors so I was always tired, and slept at night instead of staying awake and that I relaxed and told myself that if I stay for two years and only learn the first discussion that it is enough, first week give the first paragraph inside a home we knocked on the door, do it 20 times, then the next week add the next paragraph and so on, unfortunately that didn't happen and like I expressed, my first assignment was anything but inspired except if it was part of a plan.

[huckelberry]

Probably have other things to do.

I’m sure they do. That’s what I mean when I say they have chosen to live by convenience rather than by covenant. My point is that on the one hand you’ve got seniors online defending the belief that when an Apostle speaks, that’s really the Lord speaking. But those same individuals, when hearing Apostles pleading for them to serve senior missions, suddenly it’s not the Lord speaking, or suddenly they go deaf. It’s the inconsistency of their position in pointing out. And the more vocal the defender is online, the less likely they are to serve a senior mission. That juxtaposition is very noteworthy. It shows that when it comes to the crunch, they lack the courage of their blowhard convictions. They say they’re committed to the Gospel, the covenant path, but they show that they’re not.

Questions, I do not think very many people think that when an apostle speaks it is always the Lord speaking (it could be on occasion). Such hyper Molly thought strike me more as a unicorn occasionally rumored to exist (or in the wish of some leaders).

I think it is a bad idea and even if some folks do not say publicly it is bad they know it is anyway. I am unsure what online personality might pose as believing this extreme position. I am not recalling a fit.

[I Have Questions]

I’m sure they do. That’s what I mean when I say they have chosen to live by convenience rather than by covenant. My point is that on the one hand you’ve got seniors online defending the belief that when an Apostle speaks, that’s really the Lord speaking. But those same individuals, when hearing Apostles pleading for them to serve senior missions, suddenly it’s not the Lord speaking, or suddenly they go deaf. It’s the inconsistency of their position in pointing out. And the more vocal the defender is online, the less likely they are to serve a senior mission. That juxtaposition is very noteworthy. It shows that when it comes to the crunch, they lack the courage of their blowhard convictions. They say they’re committed to the Gospel, the covenant path, but they show that they’re not.

Questions, I do not think very many people think that when an apostle speaks it is always the Lord speaking (it could be on occasion). Such hyper Molly thought strike me more as a unicorn occasionally rumored to exist (or in the wish of some leaders).

I think it is a bad idea and even if some folks do not say publicly it is bad they know it is anyway. I am unsure what online personality might pose as believing this extreme position. I am not recalling a fit.

I don’t see it as an extreme position. Online personalities are defending their church and claiming to believe that it is led by God through His Apostles. They stand behind the words of those Apostles. Until it suits them not to. I’m pointing out that they lack the courage of their online convictions. They walk back from their sustaining vote. They support and sustain the Apostles in words, but not in actions. They are far stronger in their beliefs when all they have to do is post words online. In actions, not so much.

They talk a good fight, but when it comes down to it, they prefer to live their comfortable lives of convenience rather than serve the God and Church that they claim to believe in.

[MG 2.0]

Questions, I do not think very many people think that when an apostle speaks it is always the Lord speaking (it could be on occasion). Such hyper Molly thought strike me more as a unicorn occasionally rumored to exist (or in the wish of some leaders).

I think it is a bad idea and even if some folks do not say publicly it is bad they know it is anyway. I am unsure what online personality might pose as believing this extreme position. I am not recalling a fit.

I don’t see it as an extreme position. Online personalities are defending their church and claiming to believe that it is led by God through His Apostles. They stand behind the words of those Apostles. Until it suits them not to. I’m pointing out that they lack the courage of their online convictions. They walk back from their sustaining vote. They support and sustain the Apostles in words, but not in actions. They are far stronger in their beliefs when all they have to do is post words online. In actions, not so much.

They talk a good fight, but when it comes down to it, they prefer to live their comfortable lives of convenience rather than serve the God and Church that they claim to believe in.

I think that older couples have different situations that make it either possible/probable that they will serve full time missions away from home or not. I will say, also, that it is not the business/place of some random online critic to be the one who makes decisions for others. Or plays judge, jury, and executioner.

Situations vary as people decide to serve 'away' missions. I do not feel obligated to go into any detail on conversations my wife and I have had and decisions we've made...at least up to now...as to whether or not to step away from home to do what God wants us to do. We are one older couple among many that live in the world who are active LDS and make real life decisions based upon variables/realities that are not quite as black and white as you might think they are.

I'm sure you've considered the possibility that there are many and varied ways that people can serve God. In and out of the church. I would ask you what it is you do on a regular basis to serve God...but it is probably none of my business.

Regards,
MG

[Rivendale]

Now they are letting anyone 26 or older to go on senior missions. https://old.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comme ... nior_now/

[Gadianton]

When the Lord called upon Nancy Rigdon to marry Joseph Smith, was her failure to please the Lord in that she forgot to say, "realities are not quite as black and white as you might think they are, Joseph" or "Joseph, I'm sure you've considered the possibility that there are many and varied ways that people can serve God."

Had she said that, the Lord would have fully understood and there would have been no problem -- right?

[The Before]

Now they are letting anyone 26 or older to go on senior missions. https://old.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comme ... nior_now/

Who uses old.reddit?

[Rivendale]

Now they are letting anyone 26 or older to go on senior missions. https://old.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comme ... enior_now/

Who uses old.reddit?

I can't stand new reddit. I am glad you found that amusing.

[The Before]

Who uses old.reddit?

I can't stand new reddit. I am glad you found that amusing.

Not to threadjack, but I’m just curious:

Still running Windows 95?

[Rivendale]

I can't stand new reddit. I am glad you found that amusing.

Not to threadjack, but I’m just curious:

Still running Windows 95?

My email is aol and I long for the return of dial up modems. I remember and still have a CB radio. I watched the first Moon landing. Any more ageist questions?