tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139169.post5798143501521532753..comments2023-11-02T07:25:45.884-05:00Comments on Mormanity - a blog for those interested in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Organizational Sociopaths: Rarely Challenged, Often PromotedJeff Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08776493593387402607noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139169.post-53359684703471936952008-12-22T22:54:00.000-06:002008-12-22T22:54:00.000-06:00There is definitely the "church as a competitive c...There is definitely the "church as a competitive career" phenomenon in LDS culture. I've encountered it from time to time among church leadership and it's often subtle. Bishops, Stake Presidents, Mission Presidents who all see simple numbers as "proof" of progress or that things are going as they should tend to get stung in the behind when things actually fall apart. I have seen very good men make decisions based on business sense rather than spiritual promptings when put into leadership positions in the church. The problem is they begin seeing their decisions as completely subject to their own intellectual capacity rather than according to what the spirit directs. The spirit often prompts in ways that seem contrary to good business sense, unfortunately for them.<BR/><BR/>We are seeing a major problem with retention of converts in the church because mission presidents have been so heck-bent on just getting high numbers and fostering a competitive "recruitment" atmosphere among young missionaries. They have forgotten that a true "covert" needs much more than a baptism to truly become an active, productive member of the church. <BR/><BR/>Anyway, insightful blog entry!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139169.post-27422574856247834672008-12-16T14:07:00.000-06:002008-12-16T14:07:00.000-06:00re: budget funds given to wards based on average s...re: budget funds given to wards based on average sacrament meeting attendance.<BR/><BR/>I've sometimes wondered if we could use that to bribe inactive members, or even non-members to attend. Give them 1/2 the budget money that the ward would receive for their attendance.<BR/><BR/>There's an inner city ward in town where the bishop put his foot down, and required members to attend sacrament (as long as they were physically able to do so) in order to receive church welfare. That boosted sac meeting attendance, but then they all skedaddled as soon as it was over, and didn't stick around for SS or PH/RS.Bookslingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15077778974473538408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139169.post-7699680894498701652008-12-16T08:30:00.000-06:002008-12-16T08:30:00.000-06:00Also, the bishop who followed me would overstate t...Also, the bishop who followed me would overstate the sacrament meeting attendance by reporting the month's largest sacrament meeting attendance as the average. He justified it by saying that the ward needed the budget funds.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139169.post-29863404615261062682008-12-16T08:26:00.000-06:002008-12-16T08:26:00.000-06:00In priesthood opening exercises, the bishop commen...In priesthood opening exercises, the bishop commended the brothers on 2 months of 100% home teaching. I raised my hand and commented that that was interesting since my family had not been home taught either of those months. The EQP was my home teacher.<BR/><BR/>I hope that lead to an interesting PPI.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139169.post-84884272920704436302008-12-15T15:33:00.000-06:002008-12-15T15:33:00.000-06:00have known sociopaths in the church and WAS shocke...have known sociopaths in the church and WAS shocked . . . (silly me!); Heavenly Father has an interesting way to take care of such, though, and he's often more effective and swift in His techniques than those in the world can be--<BR/><BR/>sad thing is, though, when you see the way Father in Heaven can work you feel a tremendous amount of compassion for those who were lately ill-using of you . . .<BR/><BR/>while watching them become Christlike--<BR/><BR/>:(<BR/><BR/>sad, but good . . .<BR/><BR/>suzyq<BR/><BR/>and I served a mission during the time when numbers mattered more than anything--<BR/><BR/>it's amazing to me that so many of *us* survived--<BR/><BR/>but there again, Father always has a Plan--in action . . .<BR/><BR/>before we get all "upset" even--<BR/><BR/>:/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139169.post-15264004938475594532008-12-15T14:17:00.000-06:002008-12-15T14:17:00.000-06:00True Story - I was present in the meeting. I was i...True Story - I was present in the meeting. I was in a bishopric and during one PEC mtg, someone announced that they had tracked down a elderly sister and found out that she'd been dead for three years. The High Priest Group Leader laughed nervously when the Bishop noted that she'd been home-taught the previous month.Sparsilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18222725786610858643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139169.post-36857449346749212012008-12-15T11:48:00.000-06:002008-12-15T11:48:00.000-06:00A similar phenomenon happened in the church's miss...A similar phenomenon happened in the church's missionary system, at least in the past. I hope it's been eradicated. <BR/><BR/>Missionaries who baptized the most, regardless of how legitimate the baptisms (child baptisms without parental consent, baseball/basketball/soccer baptisms, baptisms without the lessons or committment on the part of the "convert", etc), were promoted to District Leaders, Zone Leaders, and Assistants to the President.Bookslingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15077778974473538408noreply@blogger.com