Daniel Peterson wrote:Incidentally, so as to avoid misunderstanding, let me make it very clear that my thesis is not that "anti-Mormonism" actually helps missionary work and ultimately brings people to a point in which they show interest in learning more about the church rather than being apathetic and uninterested.
My thesis is that publicity about the Church, whether positive or negative, represents an opportunity to talk about the Church that can be used to further missionary efforts in certain ways and with certain people. That opportunity can be fruitfully used or it can be missed. The publicity will come in either case, whether we like it or not.
Dan,
Do you think the publicity surrounding the churches involvement with proposition 8 furthered the missionary effort? This is not meant to be a critical question I am just curious. I am from Los Angeles and from my limited uniformed view it did not.
"Any over-ritualized religion since the dawn of time can make its priests say yes, we know, it is rotten, and hard luck, but just do as we say, keep at the ritual, stick it out, give us your money and you'll end up with the angels in heaven for evermore."
To many commentators, it's dogma that the Church's support for Prop 8 was a PR nightmare. I'm sure that it was, in certain circles (e.g., among leftists and progressives, gays, and those most sympathetic to their causes, such as the "elite" media). But, frankly, we were never very chic in those circles anyway. Not to be overlooked, though, are the friendships that we won, because of forthright Church support for Prop 8, among many Catholics, Orthodox Jews, Blacks, and even Muslims. Prop 8 didn't lose, after all. It passed with a reasonably healthy majority.
Incidentally, I'm originally from the Los Angeles area, too. I still go there fairly frequently, and my family still lives there.
Daniel Peterson wrote: Not to be overlooked, though, are the friendships that we won, because of forthright Church support for Prop 8, among many Catholics, Orthodox Jews, Blacks, and even Muslims.
And these are all targets for our missionary efforts.
I wonder if they know that?
(Nevo, Jan 23) And the Melchizedek Priesthood may not have been restored until the summer of 1830, several months after the organization of the Church.
Daniel Peterson wrote: Not to be overlooked, though, are the friendships that we won, because of forthright Church support for Prop 8, among many Catholics, Orthodox Jews, Blacks, and even Muslims.
And these are all targets for our missionary efforts.
I wonder if they know that?
Catholics and Blacks certainly know it. (How could they possibly be unaware?) Muslims definitely are not such targets, and Orthodox Jews really aren't, either.
Daniel Peterson wrote:Catholics and Blacks certainly know it. (How could they possibly be unaware?) Muslims definitely are not such targets, and Orthodox Jews really aren't, either.
Every knee shall bow... even the Muslim and Jewish ones. Or isn't that so?
(Nevo, Jan 23) And the Melchizedek Priesthood may not have been restored until the summer of 1830, several months after the organization of the Church.
Daniel Peterson wrote:Catholics and Blacks certainly know it. (How could they possibly be unaware?) Muslims definitely are not such targets, and Orthodox Jews really aren't, either.
Every knee shall bow... even the Muslim and Jewish ones. Or isn't that so?
That is so.
God will take care of that, in his own way and his own time.
Joseph wrote:Why is God so insecure that everyone that ever lived will be forced to acknowledge his greatness?
Same reason any dad wants his child to love him.
(Nevo, Jan 23) And the Melchizedek Priesthood may not have been restored until the summer of 1830, several months after the organization of the Church.