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New LDS ad campaign touts the 'Truth Restored'

I think that these ads are great. I have seen them and they are 100 times better than our old "isn't it about time?" commercials which only June and Ward Cleaver could actually relate to. These are real, hard hitting, and meaningful, and I think people will respond. Kudos to the missionary department on this.

I've never felt the truth was lost.

Now that this campaign has been successfully tested in the US, as an european I hope soon or later something like that will take place overseas too. Dan

As a convert to the LDS church (who also happened to marketing major), I have to admit I was surprised to read an article that talks about missionary work in marketing terms.

Suddenly it felt like I was studied, tested, segmented, targeted and "sold" something.

For me, conversion was an intensely personal and spiritual matter that motivated me to make many substantial changes in my life -- and as New Year's resolutions have repeatedly shown, real change isn't the easiest thing to get most of us to do.

But I after I recovered from my initial surprise, I saw the wisdom in this approach. Different groups have varying concerns, and varying ways they should be approached. Tithing is a sacred sacrifice and should be used prudently, and producing and pouring generic ads over an entire population probably isn't always the most efficient use of resources.

And just as inspiration can prompt us to visit with a stranger or a friend, I'm sure it can prompt us to use our education to build the kingdom as well.

Still, for me it is like what they say about the making of sausages... and I'm not sure I want to know. :-(

Finally! No scripts! Yes, let the people tell it. That is the most powerful. The bit about better retention is silly though. That is up to the members to do. Not some hands-off ad campaign. Christians reach out to other who are different than them.

This is great. Now I will be able to get accurate inforamation from LDS sources rather than having to go to the anti-mormons for accurate historical records and photocopies.

I think the Church is "spot on" with this advertising approach. So many people are searching for answers to life's tough challenges and they need to know that others, with similar questions, have found peace. If, after viewing the ads, people only learn more about the Church's doctrines and gain a better understanding of us, as a people, the program will have been a success.

This is a great approach. Before you can convey a message to anyone you need to first gain their interest and their attention. How many are there who never understood how much truth had been lost, or who have no idea where to turn for answers to questions they always thought were unanswerable? First, get a persons attention, then teach them. To anyone who has never heard the message of the restoration, take this opportunity, come discover what you have been missing. Find out for yourself. I thing this is a great campaign that will continue to achieve wonderful results.

Please be careful when using the word truth. People expect you to do what you say. Don't forget accidentally to tell the whole story. People are hurt when they discover later how much of the truth was left out; when they were taught the gospel like me. So much of the history was left out. Please don't lie to me anymore.

Since all religions are based on selling something, it's no surprise that religion turns to marketing experts to help sell their products.

It's a beautiful morning. I'm going to enjoy it and leave superstitious beliefs to the marketers and their customers.

I'm not buying any of it.

I am very much looking forward to seeing the ad. The best way that we can draw people to the Truth is to live the Truth every day. For me, my interest in the Church was greatly inluenced by the people in the Church, their examples of genuinely striving to live the Gospel every day...not just Sundays. My hope is that this ad will lead many to investigate the Church.

It's interesting to hear it all put in terms more relevant to a corporation or political campaign. Cold and impersonal numbers. Could 'ad buy' money be better used somewhere else?
And this truth...as the Catholic noted above, for that person at least it wasn't lost. Yet it is called truth, this elusive quantity. Many claim it, yet it manifests itself differently among all those who do.

I miss those old ads that ended with "brought to you by... THE MORMONS".

and why mormons.org? Wasnt there a movement a couple years ago that mormons wanted to be called LDS? Yet, they adopt the Mormon Times and others names. Goodness!

Are you referring to truths that were left out or peoples conclusions on historical facts. Certainly everything that Joseph Smith did or said is not taught in Sunday School. Some of it is very controversial and we have to in many cases try and connect dots. Depending upon the lenses you choose to look through will determine what dots you'll choose to connect. There is no such thing as unbiased history. Everyone has an agenda and everyone has a point to emphasize. So...History is a very poor way to to really determine if Joseph is a Prophet. You can pick up histories and reach different conclusions. The truth of the matter is that he either saw the vision or he lied. He translated the Book of Mormon form gold plates or he didn't. Revelation not history (slanted or not) is the only sure source.

I am grateful for the restored truths of the Gospel. I believe the Bible as it came directly from the original writers. However multiple translations and the Nicean Council have contributed to "plain and precious" teachings, principles, and doctrine being altered or omitted. Revelation and restoration has corrected that. Truth is available for all.

Jesus did not hire a marketing firm. His ministry was personal, one at a time. That is why he commissioned "apostles" - literally, people "sent forth" to minister one at a time the way he did.

This mass marketing campaign is evidence that the Church doesn't care about individuals. If they did, they would "market" one at a time the way Jesus did. Instead, this mass marketing approach reveals that the Church is a big business, and it is all about the mass numbers. You are just a number to the Church and to the god they try to sell you.

And it is deceptive. They target people with problems and addictions, but they don't have a proven program for helping people with these things. Instead, they just claim that if you attend your meetings and pay your tithing, everything will take care of itself. That isn't true. I know from personal experience.

There is a saying, "He who knows not, and knows NOT that he knows not, is a fool, shun him. He who knows NOT and KNOWS that he KNOWS not, can be taught, teach him. He who knows, and KNOWS that he knows, is wise, follow him."

Before I converted to the LDS church 30 years ago, I was in the group of fools who didn't know much about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I felt something was essentially wrong with the religion I had grown up with. I had fallen away many times only to come back and recieve very little for my trouble. It seemed to me that in reality the people who claimed to be "Good Christians" were often more evil than the people who didn't go to church.

Since I have been a member of the LDS Church I have recieved help, love, and guidance from my fellow members. If a person wants to know what heaven is like go to the LDS church, learn the truth, and fellowship with some of the sweetest, smartest, caring people I have ever known.

I thought Elder Ballard claimed the Mormon church was not "selling" anything. If that were the case, why the need for a marketing campaign? If the Mormon church leaders were really inspired, why the need for marketing experts, testing, etc.? Could not their prophets determine what will work best? Are they too busy with their mall? And why would Jesus what $1.5 bil spent on a mall? Is that what His church and followers would do with money? Or, would they feed the poor, clothe the naked, etc.?

In any case, if the church is so great, why the need to sell it at all?

You bring up a great point. It would be nice if the Church could commission people to "go forth", and minister to people one at a time. That sounds like what I did. Paying my own way, knocking on thousands of doors, and speaking to thousands of people, bearing my testimony in person, one on one. That sounds to me like the missionary program. It's not about the numbers, it's about the people and the lives that are changed.

My observation on those who join the LDS church (I am a member, been on a mission, etc.):

Like this statement or not, I believe it is true...those who join are USUALLY "broken" or "defective" in some way. Now many of you will write back and tell me I'm wrong. Of course there are many exceptions. I've lived 14 years outside of Utah and seen a number of people join the church. I think almost all of them joined because they thought it could help them financially or emotionally somehow (this was certainly true in Thailand, years ago as a missionary). They almost all had serious issues. "Regular" people simply are not interested.

The other thing I wanted to say is about the comment on the "whole truth" being presented. I have now been "exposed" to many portions of the missing information and I would say to anyone contemplating joining...dig into the history and doctrines yourself. I'm not saying don't join, but be careful, you are NOT being told the whole story, especially about early church history and "foundational" events. The REAL stories are still good ones, but what you are told is sanitized.