DiscussMormonism.com

If anyone is interested, you can see a pdf copy of the new policy (dated May 31, 2007) at the link below:

http://www.bycommonconsent.com/wp-conte ... elines.pdf

$75 to cover increased utility costs? For two additional men? That wouldn't come close to covering additional water, gas, electric and garbage costs in my household - just adding a baby resulted in more than a $75 monthly increase on our utilities.

The whole idea of having a member house missionaries (for up to 2 years!) just rubs me the wrong way. It may be couched as allowing the member the privilege of serving and such, but it seems more to be "being taken advantage of" than service.

skippy the dead wrote:$75 to cover increased utility costs? For two additional men? That wouldn't come close to covering additional water, gas, electric and garbage costs in my household - just adding a baby resulted in more than a $75 monthly increase on our utilities.

Babies are at home for longer than missionaries are to be. Missionaries are supposed to be out for 10 hours a day and sleeping for 8. Furthermore missionaries should be paying for their own food and clothing. Also, most missionaries don't wear diapers.

Now, I'll grant that being expected to house missionaries isn't exciting to me either. However, in my case I'm more worried about what'll happen to my home if/when I get problem mishies.I'm not blaming the church for that. I just have a hard time trusting someone I know for 0-6 months enough to actually let them live with me.

2 years?? The max that a family is expected to house missionaries is the full 2 years? That's a loooong time to have houseguests. I suspect most famileies will burn out after a couple months. No matter how well meaning you are, you eventually want to get back to your normal life. I would hope the wards would rotate missionaries a little more frequently than every 2 years.

asbestosman wrote:

skippy the dead wrote:$75 to cover increased utility costs? For two additional men? That wouldn't come close to covering additional water, gas, electric and garbage costs in my household - just adding a baby resulted in more than a $75 monthly increase on our utilities.

Babies are at home for longer than missionaries are to be. Missionaries are supposed to be out for 10 hours a day and sleeping for 8. Furthermore missionaries should be paying for their own food and clothing. Also, most missionaries don't wear diapers.

Now, I'll grant that being expected to house missionaries isn't exciting to me either. However, in my case I'm more worried about what'll happen to my home if/when I get problem mishies.I'm not blaming the church for that. I just have a hard time trusting someone I know for 0-6 months enough to actually let them live with me.

I think you misunderstand - the more-than-$75-a-month-cost I refer to is for UTILITIES alone, not costs such as food, clothing and diapers. I'm talking about extra water usage (i.e., for showers, laundry, washing dishes for two additional adults), gas (heating the additional water, needing to heat more of a house), electricity (lights for studying, extra appliance usage for two men to cook and do laundry), and trash (in my area, more trash means a bigger can and increased cost from the city). This is going to exceed $75 a month in most areas of the country. It exceeded that in adding one kid to my household (not to mention the two I have now), and quite frankly their needs are less than that of two men (can't toss both missionaries into the same bath, now can you - at least without getting them sent home!).

At the least, you would suppose that the host-member would be able to deduct the value of the housing from their tithing as an "in kind" contribution, but I don't think that would happen.

Break something and have to pay for it out of the measly $130/mo.

Sooo the missionary program is not returning the investment anymore?


They wanna keep em out there, but damn it, the ROI(return on investment) is worse than AOL snailmail spam coasters....

HEY! I've got an idea! Guilt the members into taking on the missionaries! Keep charging the parents $400/month though..

IF we could get half of the mishies to stay with members who we only pay a measly $75/month for BOTH...

$363/month savings X 27,000 x 12 months = 118 MILLION dollar annual savings!

Next phase, making the parents pay for the flight home, REGARDLESS of the location in the world!

Average one way airfare: $500... $500x54,000 = 27 Million dollar annual savings!


Add the above to the per month savings on just half of the mishies and Gordo is banking $145 MILLION annually!

That will help offset the growing GAP in tithes due to growing resignations and those damn young adults not getting married until later and then waiting to have kids, AND THEN to top it off they are only having two kids!

Tighten the belt Jesus, things are gonna get meager!

OH CRAP! We still need to finish the Mega Mo'Malls of America too!

Tell the members to start bringing their own toilet paper to church... no, wait... just lock the restrooms.

WTF is this?

Never live in a home where unmarried people of the opposite sex live or where the spouse of your own sex is frequently absent.

If the family is a good Mormon family, then the wife stays at home and hubby works...

So that eliminates many members.

Even worse would be homes where both parents work and the young horny teenaged girls are alone with the horny missionaries...

"Elder Smith, may I hold YOUR priesthood?"

"Sure young sister and hold fast to the rod.. feel it free, err um I mean feel free to do so, as long as I can practice the laying on of hands for the gift of the HOLY SH**!! "

Well it certainly seems like church could give a little more cash to anyone willing to keep two strange houseguests.

Honestly how did you guys serve missions! I couldn't stand it..........Screw some prophet, I wouldn't waste two years away from home in an uncomfortable location as door to door salesmen.

I feel sorry for the missionaries when I see them.

If you think about it, this is even more controlling than before. Cell phones and no land lines anymore where every number called or received is on a statement. Then, the myldsmail for email. And you know there will be the zealous members who intrude nosingly into the missionaries lives. in my opinion, this would be like being under an interrogation light.