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MormonTimes.com: Gentle exposure to the gospel at Cherry Hill Campground

It's a little tacky to be proselyting people who have paid you for a business service.

The guy who delivers my eggs is a Jehovah's Witness and every third or fourth time I have to listen to a little spiel and get one of those Watchtower publications and I find it annoying. To be polite, I just take the stuff and throw it out when he's gone, but I'm sure he misinterprets this as interest on my part.

What a great example to all members of the Lord's Church. Let's all try to do something to help build the Lord's Kingdom every day.

As a convert myself, I have to say I LOVE people like this! Good for them!

Isn't that nice. Being harassed by someone while you're trying to have a good time. Wow.

What a great example of missionary work. Didn't read anything about anyone being harrassed. Sounds like it improved a whole lot of lives. Funny how some think that missionaries force people to listen to them.

[Laughing] Reading down through these comments sure tells you a lot about people. Some see the glass half empty, and others see it half full.

KM - Maybe a little honesty would help your situation. Tell him what you do with his literature and that you aren't interested. He doesn't want to offend customers, he'd quit if you would be straight with him.

Denny - I didn't read anything about harassment. In fact, the convert couple is overjoyed. You could stand to be a bit more honest as well.

We love that campground. We went there for a family reunion years ago and it is one of kid's fondest memories.

It's stories like this that give me a warm feeling inside.

KM, you are not being kind to your egg man. You should be truthful with him. You should kindly tell him you are not interested in reading his publications. He is wasting his money by giving you the publications and there is false hope being created by you in accepting the publications. You can still be polite to him, and you should be. But to be kind, you should be honest.

Choice,

That's just my point. Being polite means not telling people what you think of their religion, so I have no desire to be rude to my egg guy. Being polite also means that you shouldn't take cases where people are already engaged in a business transaction with you and using it as an opportunity to try to convert them.

Again, these people have paid money to stay at this campground. They should not have to be put into a potentially awkward discussion over religion with the people to whom they have paid money. This is just common courtesy. There are times when it would be appropriate to share one's religious beliefs, but this is not it.

In Ezek. 34-11 it does not state "For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out (unless I am already engaged in a business transaction with them or if it may make them feel awkward). Kudo's to these wonderful missionaries.

You don't have to ridicule the guy's religion. Just tell him that you are already committed in your faith. Express respect and gratitude that he cares to share with you but that you are not interested. Think of it this way. How would you want someone to respond to you if the shoe were on the other foot? If worse came to worse you could have a conversation abou your common beliefs.

We stayed at this campground when I was a child. I loved it. They had huge sweet cherry trees. They were in season and you could pick and eat as many as you liked. We climbed trees and played all evening. It had a great family atmosphere and I would reccommend to my friends to camp there. I'm glad to learn that the owners are humble enough to practice their religion in their everyday life.

This whole Gentle thing is extremely offensive. What an elitist group.

As for kindly telling someone they are not interested; we all know how well that works with most Mormons.

No means maybe, "let me come at this from an other angle. After all we are the only true church."

Invitation to watch a movie?

I�d be pretty upset if I showed up expecting entertainment, and my family was subjected to religious proselytizing while on vacation. I am sure some campers enjoyed the religious revival, but I wonder how many more became disgusted and left? For some reason, there are people who do not understand that religious as well as political affiliations are private, individual matters. I am offended when accosted by folks I have never even met before, who want to know my affiliation and want to �share� theirs, or worse, point out why they think I am wrong. This kind of personal intrusion certainly has no place in business, whether it is a campground or egg delivery service.

If the missionaries come to your door and you tell them not to come to your residence anymore, they won't. Now, once the missionaries rotate out and new ones come in then you might get a visit again. There are no 'angles' to it. You sound paranoid.

I've done buisness with the loyds and I would say the examples that they are in following there religion is probally all the missionary work that they have to do. Bruce is an outstanding person,(He was incharge of the place when I did buisness with him) My experiance with the Loyds and there son in law Blair is an example of how to be a good person and succeed in buisness.

HOW WE LOVED THE LLOYDS. THEY HAVE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB. WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL FAMILY REUNIONS THERE OVER THE YEARS. NO ONE WAS PRESURRED THERE. IF THEY DIDN'T WANT TO PARTICAPATE, IT WAS THEIR CHOICE. THEY HAVE BUILT SUCH A PEACEFUL PLACE THERE, SO THAT I COULDN'T IMAGINE ANYONE GOING AWAY WITHOUT GOOD FEELINGS ABOUT THEIR STAY. WE ARE SO HAPPY THAT MARY LOU AND GRANT'S CHILDREN ARE CARRYING ON WHAT THEIR PARENTS STARTED SO MANY YEARS AGO.

I'm even 'worse' than a non-LDS; I'm EX-LDS. But I do get missionaries at my door, ward members, neighbors, work associates, and some family members who try to share a 'gentle' message. I have found a great way to handle that situation.

I offer to listen if they will give me equal time to express my gentle beliefs.

Nine times out of ten, this stops them in their tracks because most of them are not truly interested in dialogue. One time out of ten we end up having a fascinating and memorable conversation that makes both of us feel respected and valued.

Equal time for equal expression. It's a great approach! Try it next time you visit Cherry Hill.

This article reminds me of when I worked in a hotel in Atlanta. As concierge I would try to know the worship service hours for all Faiths, i.e., Catholic Mass times, Baptist, LDS,etc. One man from Utah ask me for phone for LDS Atlanta Temple. When I gave him the Ordinance hours from memory his response was " You know a lot about THE CHURCH , I should send the missonaries to talk to you." I was so offended that just because I knew my job this man would assume I needed missionaries. In my position, I could not tell him my outrage. My point being is to all LDS...just because we are friendly and helpful DO NOT try to convert us. Courtesy and respect are a two way streets. And, NO, he was not kidding. Now I am very reluctant to even attempt to have any establish a rapport with people who I know see every new acquaintance as a potential convert. To use a business to proselytise is so very wrong.