Differences between Mormon Missions and Catholic Missions

[Eliza10]

I am not an expert on this topic. I am seeing distinct differences and want to confirm if these differences are as stark I think they are.

My observations could be wrong, as they are only my observations.

It seems to me that Catholic Missions and Missionaries are more about serving the poor and the needy, in contrast to Mormon Missions and Missionaries, which are about getting others in the fold and taking caring of their own fold.

Mormon Missionaries - (which seem to be almost all the young people required/strongly encouraged to fund their own two-year mission) - seem to be all about getting getitng converts to the Mormon faith.

Catholic Missionaries seem to be of many stripe, but have in common the goal to bring Christ and Catholic truth to the unchurched and the needy, and to serve those who have no one to serve them.

Catholic Mission seems to be all about serving others based on need, no matter if Catholic or not Catholic. And you can be served by Catholic Missions and never convert and that’s okay (an example is the Mission work of Mother Teresa).

The Mormon MIssions seem to be about serving those needy in their own fold, with some spill-over to others who aren’t Mormon - but non_mormons aren’t the goal. I see NO examples of ANY Mormon Missions that are ALL about serving the non-Mormon needy like Mother Teresa’s, which is all aobut serving the non-Catholic needy.

To me the contrast of what Catholics see what Missions to be and Mormons see Missions to be is stark.

Am I seeing this accurately?

 

[CatholicGuyNY]

To me, the vast majority of non-Mormon Christian missions are service oriented. Whether it’s an Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, Evangelical, etc. mission, most of them are service oriented. In contrast, Mormon missions are mostly proselytizing missions, where the main purpose is to spread the “restored gospel”. From what I understand, they do still provide services (to non-Mormons), and the LDS church also has service missions as well. However, most missionaries seem to be proselytizing missionaries.

 

[TikiTokiguy]

I’m not sure it’s by intent but I would say another thing Mormon missionaries do is go to wards looking nice and handsome and having the young LDS girls fall in love with them, or at least thinking to themselves - I want to marry a Mormon when I get eighteen! So that’s another angle they use to keep people in the church.

 

[twopekinguys]

I agree with both of your observations.

We see Catholic hospitals, Catholic charities, Catholic homeless shelters, food banks, etc.

We see the mormon missionaries helping prospective members with different things, but as soon as they don’t look like a good prospect anymore, they are gone.

We do see the mormons providing relief in major disasters, but many times it seems like the press release beats the “aid” to the location in need.

Right now, our parish youth group is on it’s way to an Indian reservation in South Dakota to take food and clothing, as well as to help with home repairs, cemetery maintenance, and a host of other things.

They have done this for the past several years, and ask nothing in return. They don’t actively proseltyze, but don’t hide from questions either. They are shining examples of Christianity in action.

 

[Eliza10]

To me, the vast majority of non-Mormon Christian missions are service oriented. .

Yes - key words being vast majority. Vast, vast majority. It seems to me.

Whether it’s an Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, Evangelical, etc. mission, most of them are service oriented…

Yes. Thats the contrast!

In contrast, Mormon missions are mostly proselytizing missions, where the main purpose is to spread the “restored gospel”. .

Exactly.

From what I understand, they do still provide services (to non-Mormons), and the LDS church also has service missions as well. However, most missionaries seem to be proselytizing missionaries.

Yes. And yes, they serve other non-Mormons, but that seems to me to be a spillover, not the purpose. Which makes the Mormon idea of Missions and the Catholic idea of Mission completely different.

 

[Eliza10]

I’m not sure it’s by intent but I would say another thing Mormon missionaries do is go to wards looking nice and handsome and having the young LDS girls fall in love with them, or at least thinking to themselves - I want to marry a Mormon when I get eighteen! So that’s another angle they use to keep people in the church.

Can’t disagree with you - I’ve seen this. (Harmless, and understandable you’d want your children to grow that way, to remain in your own community.)

 

[TikiTokiguy]

I was going to ask this on a new thread but I’ll go ahead and throw this out here. It’s something I’ve come to see and recognize. Perhaps I’m making something out of nothing but I think I do have at least a decent argument.

LDS missionaries go out for two years. Christ’s mission was three years. Christ was alone on this earth (in a way, Heavenly Father was always with Him of course). LDS missionaries are not suppose to contact their family members at all on those two year missions. They can write letters and call their mom on Christmas and Mothers Day, but beside’s that - no contact. They are urged to complete their mission even if a grandmother is going to die.

I see their separation from their family as sort of a mission to re-enact what Christ did. Of course they will not be crucified on a cross. But they leave their fathers (and mothers), go out for two years bringing people to the true church, then return home, live, die, become gods.

Is this their way of being a Christ? I’m not definitely going to say yes but when I see missionaries now one of the things that come to mind is - They are walking around being a sort of Christ, Jr. Christ or something.

There’s nothing wrong with trying to be better, do the good works of Christ, and model ourselves like him. But it seems in the LDS road, this is there chance to play Christ on earth, then temple marriage, die, become gods. etc… It seems it’s another hoop they must jump through. If they are little “Christs” at least I can say I was nice to them and always bought them Skittles when I picked them up and went on exchanges with them!

 

[FidesSpesCarita]

Mormon missionaries absolutely are service ministries! at least in those locations where service is required.

That being said, their service is made into a form of proselytizing by the methods they use. If you look at Mother Teresa, she never proselytized (that I know of), she just lived out the love of Christ and through this love brought about MANY conversions. There was no preaching, no intent to convert, just an intent to LIVE the love of Christ.

It is hard for Mormons to live the love of Christ, since for them, Christ is not God…

But we should not say that they are not service oriented, especially in their foreign ministries.

FSC

 

[PaulDupre]

LDS missionaries go out for two years. Christ’s mission was three years.

LDS missions were 3 years at one time. They found that more were willing to go for 2 years than for 3, so they settled on 2 years.

 

[soren1]

I am not an expert on this topic. I am seeing distinct differences and want to confirm if these differences are as stark I think they are.

My observations could be wrong, as they are only my observations.

It seems to me that Catholic Missions and Missionaries are more about serving the poor and the needy, in contrast to Mormon Missions and Missionaries, which are about getting others in the fold and taking caring of their own fold.

Mormon Missionaries - (which seem to be almost all the young people required/strongly encouraged to fund their own two-year mission) - seem to be all about getting getitng converts to the Mormon faith.

Catholic Missionaries seem to be of many stripe, but have in common the goal to bring Christ and Catholic truth to the unchurched and the needy, and to serve those who have no one to serve them.

Catholic Mission seems to be all about serving others based on need, no matter if Catholic or not Catholic. And you can be served by Catholic Missions and never convert and that’s okay (an example is the Mission work of Mother Teresa).

The Mormon MIssions seem to be about serving those needy in their own fold, with some spill-over to others who aren’t Mormon - but non_mormons aren’t the goal. I see NO examples of ANY Mormon Missions that are ALL about serving the non-Mormon needy like Mother Teresa’s, which is all aobut serving the non-Catholic needy.

To me the contrast of what Catholics see what Missions to be and Mormons see Missions to be is stark.

Am I seeing this accurately?

Mormon missionaries don’t just serve Mormons. I know for a fact that members of my family who have gone on missions did service works that often benefited whole communities, not just other Mormons.

One difference between LDS missions and Catholics ones is that the have different formal goals. The formal definition of a missionary in the Catholic tradition is someone who goes into non-Christian lands in order to establish new churches. Even today that definition holds for the most part. In Mormonism, missionaries bring people into the fold of wards that already exist - a ward is a established, and missionaries work out from it. Obviously, if Mormon missionaries are successful in bringing new converts, the cumulative result will involve new congregations coming into existences, but not as an immediate consequence, as is the case with Catholic missions.

 

[dianaiad]

I am not an expert on this topic. I am seeing distinct differences and want to confirm if these differences are as stark I think they are.

My observations could be wrong, as they are only my observations.

It seems to me that Catholic Missions and Missionaries are more about serving the poor and the needy, in contrast to Mormon Missions and Missionaries, which are about getting others in the fold and taking caring of their own fold.

Mormon Missionaries - (which seem to be almost all the young people required/strongly encouraged to fund their own two-year mission) - seem to be all about getting getitng converts to the Mormon faith.

Catholic Missionaries seem to be of many stripe, but have in common the goal to bring Christ and Catholic truth to the unchurched and the needy, and to serve those who have no one to serve them.

Catholic Mission seems to be all about serving others based on need, no matter if Catholic or not Catholic. And you can be served by Catholic Missions and never convert and that’s okay (an example is the Mission work of Mother Teresa).

The Mormon MIssions seem to be about serving those needy in their own fold, with some spill-over to others who aren’t Mormon - but non_mormons aren’t the goal. I see NO examples of ANY Mormon Missions that are ALL about serving the non-Mormon needy like Mother Teresa’s, which is all aobut serving the non-Catholic needy.

To me the contrast of what Catholics see what Missions to be and Mormons see Missions to be is stark.

Am I seeing this accurately?

Missionaries in the CoJCoLDS are called to do specific things. I would say that the vast majoraty of the young missionaries are on proselytizing missions, with a secondary emphasis on service; All proselyting missionaries do service as a part of their work. They stay out for 18 months to 2 years.

Later in life we are often called to be missionaries again: formal ones, again…and these are absolutely service only. We have health professionals, agricultural experts, experts in all sorts of fields who serve very formal 18 month to 2 year missions in a service type mission, providing health care, education, agricultural training, business training and welfare services of all types.

Diana, who is really trying hard not to get snarky over this one.

 

[zerinus]

I am not an expert on this topic. I am seeing distinct differences and want to confirm if these differences are as stark I think they are.

My observations could be wrong, as they are only my observations.

It seems to me that Catholic Missions and Missionaries are more about serving the poor and the needy, in contrast to Mormon Missions and Missionaries, which are about getting others in the fold and taking caring of their own fold.

Mormon Missionaries - (which seem to be almost all the young people required/strongly encouraged to fund their own two-year mission) - seem to be all about getting getitng converts to the Mormon faith.

Catholic Missionaries seem to be of many stripe, but have in common the goal to bring Christ and Catholic truth to the unchurched and the needy, and to serve those who have no one to serve them.

Catholic Mission seems to be all about serving others based on need, no matter if Catholic or not Catholic. And you can be served by Catholic Missions and never convert and that’s okay (an example is the Mission work of Mother Teresa).

The Mormon MIssions seem to be about serving those needy in their own fold, with some spill-over to others who aren’t Mormon - but non_mormons aren’t the goal. I see NO examples of ANY Mormon Missions that are ALL about serving the non-Mormon needy like Mother Teresa’s, which is all aobut serving the non-Catholic needy.

To me the contrast of what Catholics see what Missions to be and Mormons see Missions to be is stark.

Am I seeing this accurately?

God has placed two great responsibilities on His Church: one is to preach the gospel, the other is to care for those in need. In the LDS Church these two activities are separated and assigned to two different arms of the Church (although there is small overlap). There are the proselytizing missionaries whose job is primarily to preach the gospel and bring souls to Christ. They can also become involved in service projects; but that is not the primary purpose of their mission. The other activity is performed by the humanitarian arm of the Church, whose job is not proselytizing. And their services are non-discriminatory. They serve anyone in need, not just those affiliated with the Church. The LDS Church spends millions of dollars every year on this kind of service worldwide. I believe that is the right way of doing it. In the Catholic Church these two responsibilities are combined, which is not the ideal situation in my opinion, because then the service part of the effort can be seen by some as a cynical attempt at winning converts under the pretense of helping the poor. The LDS Church does not have that problem, at least not nearly as much. Those who go to provide humanitarian relief do just that. They are not there to convert people to Mormonism.

 

[zerinus]

One difference between LDS missions and Catholics ones is that the have different formal goals. The formal definition of a missionary in the Catholic tradition is someone who goes into non-Christian lands in order to establish new churches. Even today that definition holds for the most part. In Mormonism, missionaries bring people into the fold of wards that already exist - a ward is a established, and missionaries work out from it. Obviously, if Mormon missionaries are successful in bringing new converts, the cumulative result will involve new congregations coming into existences, but not as an immediate consequence, as is the case with Catholic missions.

Perhaps that is because in their “home” areas everybody (or nearly everybody) is already a Catholic!

 

[Eliza10]

Missionaries in the CoJCoLDS are called to do specific things.** I would say that the vast majoraty of the young missionaries are on proselytizing missions**, with a secondary emphasis on service; All proselyting missionaries do service as a part of their work. They stay out for 18 months to 2 years…

Thanks for validating my observation!

Later in life we are often called to be missionaries again: formal ones, again…and these are absolutely service only. We have health professionals, agricultural experts, experts in all sorts of fields who serve very formal 18 month to 2 year missions in a service type mission, providing health care, education, agricultural training, business training and welfare services of all types…

These are the missionaries I am only aware of in the* vaguest* way, and I wonder if thats because the percent of these really, really pales in comparison to the number of young missionaries. Which leaves me the question, of this presumably much, much smaller number of missionaries, how much of the mission is proselytizing, and how much pure service? Is it ever just service, minus ANY proselitzing?

It seems to me that this latter group must be* very* small group of missionaries, because my friend is very devoted to meeting the expectations of her church, and she makes many goals, and I have never heard her mention the possibility of an adult mission for herself ever in the future. (I feel she would have mentioned it if she had consdered it, as we have discussed topics that would have grazed on this).

Diana, who is really trying hard not to get snarky over this one.

:clapping: Awesome job!

 

[KathleenGee]

I had served in the Italian Capuchin missions in the province of Zambezia. We had American Mennonites across the Zambezi River. I never met them, and they had such a low profile, I never knew what they did.

There was a Christian sect that came through. The natives told me they said we worshipped statues and the priests had alot of money. Those women I served came in to be baptized and members of our faith.

The priests I worked with were developing new means of evangelization. The essential was to serve the poor, to provide assistance in growing their own food, teaching them to read and write and learn with the hopes that there would be those who would go on to higher education and others to become native priests and sisters. They had small hospitals and these were open to all people. Mass was available and open to the public, but as we started in the am, the natives only came on Sunday’s. We prosletyzed through serving Christ in them.

The Italian nurse I worked with at the hospital was told about a man found by the roadside. They brought him in and his wounds had maggots in them. She had to pray before the Blessed Sacrament to get the strength to clean him, and to truly believe she was serving the Lord in this man. When he was done taken care of, his face was radiant. He spent time at the hospital and the means were found to place him in proper care.

We also had community discussions to let them talk about their problems, let them say emotional things, and we would affirm their dignity.

I was told not to say the name of Christ unless a native asked me why I was there. We tried to live out the Gospel as actions speak louder than words.

We had an African Mass. My pastor learned their dialect and made their first grammar book. Another priest had done the same in another region in the diocese. We had a liturgical African catechist who composed music and we played their music. We had the people go up to personally put their offering in the collection basket. Usually it was filled with pennies. But that was OK. When a priest had to go say Mass in the countryside, it usually took 5 hours. That is because he had to go in and shake hands with every single villager. When it was time to go home, he had to shake hands and say good by to every single villager.

The priests I worked with developed a new means of evangelizing by first creating base communities…getting to know the people as they are. They taught Scripture to the people beginning with Genesis. They were going to use the bible and teach the history of the Jewish faith to them. Then as they went into the New Testament, when appropriate, then that is when they would announce the coming of Jesus Christ. It was about this time, I think, that the priests, with the natives’ permission, Christianize their rites to bring blessing on their crops.

Every Sunday the church was packed. We had a number of villages and settlements with Christians. Then there was the issue of the colonial church vs the universal church, and it was very painful among international Catholic missionaries. In the end, the bishops are mostly African, they now have many African priests and sisters and brothers.

I read as well that much of the Catholic buildings were destroyed across the country. But I saw pictures from 2007 showing people I remember who survived who are now Third Order Secular Franciscans. They are all in peace now. The cities had less damage than the countryside. The Capuchins have a museum honoring the African people and still have some surviving missions there.

I think the Catholic way is to accept people at their level, their culture, and to gradually proselytize according to their openness. It is of great importance to learn their language…

As the war subsided, the Church people were less authorities and more companions working side by side with the natives to rebuild their country. They did alot of work on human dignity, politics, and community development as most people there are communitarian. Only a small strata is open to going overseas to learn. The Catholic Africans all want to contribute to the world economy, but education, health and incentives to join the global market are always an ongoing need there.

 

[SirThomasMore]

Catholic Missionaries know their faith.

Mormon missionaries generally do not

Catholic Missionaries go because they want to

Many Mormon missionaries go because they are guilted, pressured and talked into it and because it is expected. Many LDS women will not date someone unless he is an returned missionary. LDS girls would often “accidently” brush my thigh to see if I wearing garments…a tell-tale that you have served a mission

 

[Holly3278]

I am not an expert on this topic. I am seeing distinct differences and want to confirm if these differences are as stark I think they are.

My observations could be wrong, as they are only my observations.

It seems to me that Catholic Missions and Missionaries are more about serving the poor and the needy, in contrast to Mormon Missions and Missionaries, which are about getting others in the fold and taking caring of their own fold.

Mormon Missionaries - (which seem to be almost all the young people required/strongly encouraged to fund their own two-year mission) - seem to be all about getting getitng converts to the Mormon faith.

Catholic Missionaries seem to be of many stripe, but have in common the goal to bring Christ and Catholic truth to the unchurched and the needy, and to serve those who have no one to serve them.

Catholic Mission seems to be all about serving others based on need, no matter if Catholic or not Catholic. And you can be served by Catholic Missions and never convert and that’s okay (an example is the Mission work of Mother Teresa).

The Mormon MIssions seem to be about serving those needy in their own fold, with some spill-over to others who aren’t Mormon - but non_mormons aren’t the goal. I see NO examples of ANY Mormon Missions that are ALL about serving the non-Mormon needy like Mother Teresa’s, which is all aobut serving the non-Catholic needy.

To me the contrast of what Catholics see what Missions to be and Mormons see Missions to be is stark.

Am I seeing this accurately?

I believe you are seeing it accurately. I see it the same way.

I agree with both of your observations.

We see Catholic hospitals, Catholic charities, Catholic homeless shelters, food banks, etc.

We see the mormon missionaries helping prospective members with different things, but as soon as they don’t look like a good prospect anymore, they are gone.

We do see the mormons providing relief in major disasters, but many times it seems like the press release beats the “aid” to the location in need.

Right now, our parish youth group is on it’s way to an Indian reservation in South Dakota to take food and clothing, as well as to help with home repairs, cemetery maintenance, and a host of other things.

They have done this for the past several years, and ask nothing in return. They don’t actively proseltyze, but don’t hide from questions either. They are shining examples of Christianity in action.

This is true. Mormons are only interested in converts whereas Catholics are interested in serving the poor and needy as Christ commanded.

 

[TikiTokiguy]

I believe you are seeing it accurately. I see it the same way.

This is true. Mormons are only interested in converts whereas Catholics are interested in serving the poor and needy as Christ commanded.

I was just thinking here in the mid west when we had floods a few yeas ago, the LDS stake came together to volunteer and clean up homes and neighborhoods on a Saturday and Sunday. I was happy to volunteer. I remember that we all wore yellow “Mormon Helping Hands” shirts. I enjoyed wearing that yellow shirt because it made feel like I belonged to a good group and was doing good. Looking back tho, it did set us apart from other people. But other groups who volunteer have their shirts, so I guess there’s no harm in us having on our yellow Helping Hands shirts.

Also, in the morning before we all went out to volunteer we met at the ward church. The stake president told everybody “I’ve heard the jokes about Bugtown (a poor part of the city), and they are going to get our help too!” I admire the message he gave of not ignoring
even the real poor/hilly billy/trashy part of the city. But I’m wondering why he had to give that message in the first place. I guess there must have been jokes or people looking down on that part of town.

Around here the Catholic church has food banks, a health clinic, etc… I was with the missionary’s once and we were talking with a woman who was looking for a new church. I told her there was good in most church’s, just look at the Catholic Church and all the help they do around the area! After a few seconds of saying that thought to myself - Uh, I think I just testified in favor of the Catholic church when I should be testifying for the LDS church!

One thing I notice with the LDS missionaries, they will offer to help someone who might listen to their message. But it seems it’s really done for themselves, trying to be little Christ Jr.'s, jumping through more hoops to achieve the Celestial Kingdom and being king of a harem. The Catholic charities around here seem to want to help all, not matter if you are religious or not, no matter if you want to join the church or not.

 

[SalesianSDB]

This video explains some of the charitable work done by the Mormon Church.
youtube.com/watch?v=EfOyGTLDqjM

I see it like to them, preaching the Restoration and the Gospel and of the prophet Joseph Smith is doing more than helping them on Earth, they are helping them get to the Celestial Kingdom with Heavenly Father.

 

[dianaiad]

Thanks for validating my observation!

That was not a ‘validation of your observation,’ Eliza. It was, if you had read the entire post, a correction of it. We do not organize our missionary efforts the same way, precisely, that Catholics might do. That does not, however, mean that our efforts are (as the posts in this thread certainly seem to be saying, in a very condescending ‘look down their nose’ sort of way) that our efforts are inferior or nonexistent.

The fact is, it is quite common for Mormons to serve two missions, if possible; one when we are young for preaching the gospel as the first priority, along with service, and one later in life, with our spouses, in a mission devoted entirely to service of some sort.

These are the missionaries I am only aware of in the* vaguest* way, and I wonder if thats because the percent of these really, really pales in comparison to the number of young missionaries. Which leaves me the question, of this presumably much, much smaller number of missionaries, how much of the mission is proselytizing, and how much pure service? Is it ever just service, minus ANY proselitzing?

It seems to me that this latter group must be* very* small group of missionaries, because my friend is very devoted to meeting the expectations of her church, and she makes many goals, and I have never heard her mention the possibility of an adult mission for herself ever in the future. (I feel she would have mentioned it if she had consdered it, as we have discussed topics that would have grazed on this).

:clapping: Awesome job!

Eliza…

They are NOT a 'small group." Just because YOU haven’t heard of them…(perhaps because you don’t need a free wheelchair, or need to be taught how to dig a well or farm or deal with microbusiness or any of the myriad other ways that our senior and service missionaries do, and because we do not put huge billboards out on the roads bragging about what they do and where they are so that we will be seen as ‘as good as’ the way Cathoolics do it) …doesn’t mean that they are a ‘small group,’ insignificant or in any other way inferior in intent or in work to anything that you might be more familiar with.

Your friend has a very busy life, I’m sure. Perhaps some day she and her husband will consider such a mission. That she hasn’t talked about it to YOU doesn’t mean that the thought has not occurred to her. She may well be avoiding the topic with you for the same reason she won’t talk about what goes on in the Temple with you. It’s pretty obvious that you disapprove of her faith, y’know.

Diana, still trying not to be snarky, and utterly failing.