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New LDS ad campaign touts the 'Truth Restored'
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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. :-(
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
In any case, if the church is so great, why the need to sell it at all?
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.
"These people" hate all other religions and sacred places of worship. The ONLY interest you have in non-mormon people is in converting them. If you won't get the conversion... you despise them.
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."
Dean, apostles today do minister in many instances, "one at a time". And "caring about individuals"? We DO "market", if you will, "one at a time". We have over 50,000 missionaries out worldwide contacting individuals and families.
Revelation from God in our time tells us-
"Therefore, go ye into all the world; and unto whatsoever place ye cannot go ye shall send, that the testimony may go from you into all the world unto every creature."
(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 84:62)
This ("mass marketing message") is part of the "sending".
On a much lightr note and 'Tongue-in-Cheek' - this advertising effort goes along with Calvin Grondahl's humorous Mormon cartoon book title, "Marketing Precedes The Miracle".
This is of course, fine but it seems to me the bottom line "truth" in the Mormon church is and always will be:
Either one solitary man was telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about seer stones, hats, disappearing plates, white salamanders, etc. or -
made the entire thing up.
It is so true
The marketing ad is made to spark interest. It's a promotional tool designed to get people to talk with the missionaries or friends the next time they have a chance. One can't just see the advertisement and go get baptized. That's a very interactive and personal process.
As to being deceptive? Once baptized there's a lot more required of a person than going to meetings and paying tithing; and things won't ever "take care" of themselves. That requires hard work.
As far as truth goes, each person receives truth in different ways. That is why there is a 'line upon line' approach to teaching truth. Even in the days of the New Testament, Paul told members of the gospel that they were fed 'milk' because they were not ready to receive 'meat.'
There is no difference in today's world. They must understand fundamentals before they can move on. As one who went through this approach I can say that had I known everything up front I may not have joined with the church because I would not have been able to digest the 'meat.' I took the 'milk' and over time was able to digest more. Feast upon the words of the prophets. In time, the little things understood give way to greater understanding.
Mainstream Christians have their "truth."
Trouble occurs when things overlap and the mistake of proselytism takes over.
We must keep up with the times. I think the man upstairs will use any good honest means to get the message out. Internet, Marketing, Missionaries, and good examples.
A religion that doesn't require the sacrifice of all earthly things never can produce faith sufficient unto life eternal.
If you want you don't want life eternal then maybe an hour long meeting is right for you or maybe a drive-thru church. I hear they have some in California.
The church and its members have nothing to hide. From what I understand God is not a respector of persons, if this is His Church then why wouldn't He want all His children to participate in it?
Sorry, he did, they're called missionaries and lay workers. Best PR anyone could get.
You have to be able to sell yourself as a missionary and that the message you have is worth the time they'll invest by inviting you into their home. That's where the selling stops because you don't have to sell the truthfullness of the actual message itself, the Spirit testifies of the truth of the message to those who are ready to hear it.
Humility is the key folks, if you're here posting negative things you should find better things to do than to try and tear down the good around you. Try and see how many people you can get to smile at you today for a change instead of always worrying about yourselves and how bad things are for you.
-Apostle Boyd K. Packer
"Some Truths are best left unsaid..."
-Apostle Russell M. Nelson
sorry, I just call'em like I see'em
We've heard it all, we've disputed it all, take your anger to Darfur and fight some real evil people and do some good in the world.
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