LDS missionary work in the US

[hs_hopeful]

I’m curious as to whether or not there is much “door to door” missionary work done in rural areas. I’ve lived in the same home for thirty-five years, but have never been visited by any LDS, whereas Jehovah’s Witnesses were regular visitors that were kindly sent on their way almost weekly in the early 1990s. I certainly don’t live in “Mormon country”. Locally, the congregation is a small branch, with wards in towns about an hour away, and the nearest temples are probably a couple hours away, built in the last twenty-five years.

 

[jane_doe]

People in the US increasingly don’t like visitors at home, nor do they even know thier next door neighbors. Instead, people turn to things like online forums and Facebook for reaching out. So, in reflection of this, in the US Mormon missionaries reach out increasingly online and less door to door. (It doesn’t directly have to due with living in a rural or urban area)

In other places f the world, missionaries will go door to door if that’s the socializtion culture there. Or talk in the street, if that’s the culture there.

 

[boomerang]

People in the US increasingly don’t like visitors at home, nor do they even know thier next door neighbors. Instead, people turn to things like online forums and Facebook for reaching out. So, in reflection of this, in the US Mormon missionaries reach out increasingly online and less door to door. (It doesn’t directly have to due with living in a rural or urban area)

In other places f the world, missionaries will go door to door if that’s the socializtion culture there. Or talk in the street, if that’s the culture there.

That’s really a sad trend in the US in recent years. People get alarmed when anyone knocks on the door. I understand it, though. There’s always a fear of home invasion, even though that has got to be much more rare than the nightly news lets on.

I remember as a child, door-to-door salesmen were common. We also had a milkman delivering milk. My mother bought her first Bible from a door-to-door Bible salesman! That’s an extinct job anymore. I don’t even see an ice cream truck anywhere nowadays. Everyone is barricaded in their homes.

 

[jane_doe]

That’s really a sad trend in the US in recent years. People get alarmed when anyone knocks on the door. I understand it, though. There’s always a fear of home invasion, even though that has got to be much more rare than the nightly news lets on.

Agreed! I mean- I have friends whom have lived in the same place for 10 years, but could not tell you the name of their next door neighbor, or even pick them out of a line up!

 

[FabiusMaximus]

I’m curious as to whether or not there is much “door to door” missionary work done in rural areas. I’ve lived in the same home for thirty-five years, but have never been visited by any LDS, whereas Jehovah’s Witnesses were regular visitors that were kindly sent on their way almost weekly in the early 1990s. I certainly don’t live in “Mormon country”. Locally, the congregation is a small branch, with wards in towns about an hour away, and the nearest temples are probably a couple hours away, built in the last twenty-five years.

I’m not sure if that is really why. I live in a suburban area, and they’re completing the construction of a new Mormon temple, and I’ve never been visited by missionaries or by Jehovah’s Witnesses for that matter (although Jehovah’s Witnesses did stop by when I lived with my parents’, however they quickly left because they spoke Spanish only).

 

[zaffiroborant]

I’m not sure if that is really why. I live in a suburban area, and they’re completing the construction of a new Mormon temple, and I’ve never been visited by missionaries or by Jehovah’s Witnesses for that matter (although Jehovah’s Witnesses did stop by when I lived with my parents’, however they quickly left because they spoke Spanish only).

Well the Mormon missionaries that come by wouldn’t be from your area, all the young people in your area are sent to other places to knock on doors. Very different from the JW’s who at least live in your area so you’ve some sort of connection.

 

[zaffiroborant]

That’s really a sad trend in the US in recent years. People get alarmed when anyone knocks on the door. I understand it, though. There’s always a fear of home invasion, even though that has got to be much more rare than the nightly news lets on.

I remember as a child, door-to-door salesmen were common. We also had a milkman delivering milk. My mother bought her first Bible from a door-to-door Bible salesman! That’s an extinct job anymore. I don’t even see an ice cream truck anywhere nowadays. Everyone is barricaded in their homes.

I wouldn’t say “barricaded” I would say comfortably tucked away in their home, cocooning has been noted since the 80’s and IIRC Bowling Alone showed that this started long ago. And now when people are sitting on the swing or chairs outside it’s in the back yard, there is a great deal of focus on turning your back yard into an outdoor living area. No front porch, the front of the house is dominated by the garage which opens at the touch of a button to swallow family members into the home. Though where I live it’s rather an anomaly, just about everyone knows their neighbors and if one walks the dog around town people who meet know each other. New houses include front porches and quite a few people have re-done the front yard to include seating areas so you can talk to the people who walk by. But no one is interested in door to door salesmen of products, services or religion. Oddly politics seems to be a favorite.

 

[RebeccaJ]

I’m curious as to whether or not there is much “door to door” missionary work done in rural areas. I’ve lived in the same home for thirty-five years, but have never been visited by any LDS, whereas Jehovah’s Witnesses were regular visitors that were kindly sent on their way almost weekly in the early 1990s. I certainly don’t live in “Mormon country”. Locally, the congregation is a small branch, with wards in towns about an hour away, and the nearest temples are probably a couple hours away, built in the last twenty-five years.

Contact them, and they’ll gladly come knock on your door. You’ll then be known, and on their lists. Then you’ll be visited irregularly forever after. About every 6 months to three years.

 

[hs_hopeful]

I won’t be contacting them, but the “visited irregularly forever after” has me wondering if Jehovah’s Witnesses eventually “take people off their lists”, so to speak, since I’ve not been visited by them in years.

 

[iepuras]

In rural areas, it is less likely that LDS missionaries to go door to door for simple logistical reasons. If they use bicycles as their primary mode of transportation, they probably don’t want to ride that far. If they have a car, they have a limited monthly mileage budget that is strictly monitored so they don’t want to use up their mileage in the country and will stay in town.

Also, door to door proselytizing has not proven very effective in finding people who are baptized, so the LDS missionaries are using methods that yield better results which include referrals from current LDS members.

 

[hs_hopeful]

The mileage budget explains a lot. I wonder if the Jehovah’s Witnesses have anything similar.

 

[RebeccaJ]

Members of my family served a LDS mission in a rural area. They went as a retired couple. One of their duties was to deliver free Bibles and Book or Mormons, to people we had responded to those Mormon ads, to call toll free and get a free book. They were assigned to a 250 mile radius from where they lived. They used their own car, paid for their own gas, and did not receive any mileage reimbursements. They would call first to make an appointment, sometimes drive for several hours to deliver the free book only to have the person not answer the door, then drive several hours back.

I had a big concern for my elderly relatives driving all over unfamiliar areas to knock on the doors of people they had never met. I had reports that falling asleep at the wheel had occurred, for a brief half second. Their assigned radius for delivering books was reduced to 100 miles. I really felt they were being taken advantage of, by the mission and the LDS Church.

 

[Tarquin]

It never ceases to amaze how little even the most fervent believers in a religious tradition actually know about that tradition. I am fortunate to have lived long enough so far to have learned a few things about my religion beyond the superficial teachings of Sunday School and well-intentioned fellow believers.

The reason Mormons do not go door to door any more, or as much as they used to, doesn’t have much to do with the changing social attitudes about strangers coming to your door. Some spokesmen for the Church, however, have described going door to door as “old-fashioned.”

The reasons are these. I’ll give the lesser reason first. The “General Authorities” decided that missionaries would be more productive - that means teach more lessons and baptize more converts - if they would mean chiefly with people who already had an interest - and preferable a connection with a member of - the Mormon Church. As Iepuras said. I have not followed the missionary activity for a while now, so I do not know what the actual results are of this new approach.

The more important reason is that in meeting people cold, as they do in going door to door, missionaries often encountered people - non-Mormons - who were exceptionally well-read and knowledgeable about Mormon beginnings, history, personalities, doctrines, and activities. A number of missionaries came to doubt their religious beliefs as a result of this. A number of missionaries simply quit the church. On the other hand, door to door contact in strangers’ homes also produced an occasional romance, as it must among any religion’s missionaries.

Then there is the internet. There’s something about this that I find sad although I am not a Mormon. The old style teaching was very organized, clear, and linear. You knew where you were when you were being taught, you knew what it was based on, and you could connect all the pieces (as well as they could be connected). The new method, apparently, is to teach “by the spirit”. I have seen this in several churches - the New Apostolic, videos of early Mormon prophets, conferences whose speakers included leaders from Book-of-Mormon believing denominations other than the Utah Mormons, and some charismatic groups. That style is often disconnected and incohesive. I prefer the more linear, better planned presentation.

 

[jane_doe]

The mileage budget explains a lot. I wonder if the Jehovah’s Witnesses have anything similar.

I don’t believe so, though I’m not JW and could be mistaken.

Remember: JW missionaries are folks who live in the area and do with part time lifelong. LDS missionaries are from far away and doing this full time for ~2 years.

 

[RebeccaJ]

The more important reason is that in meeting people cold, as they do in going door to door, missionaries often encountered people - non-Mormons - who were exceptionally well-read and knowledgeable about Mormon beginnings, history, personalities, doctrines, and activities. A number of missionaries came to doubt their religious beliefs as a result of this. A number of missionaries simply quit the church. On the other hand, door to door contact in strangers’ homes also produced an occasional romance, as it must among any religion’s missionaries.

Then there is the internet. There’s something about this that I find sad although I am not a Mormon. The old style teaching was very organized, clear, and linear. You knew where you were when you were being taught, you knew what it was based on, and you could connect all the pieces (as well as they could be connected). The new method, apparently, is to teach “by the spirit”. I have seen this in several churches - the New Apostolic, videos of early Mormon prophets, conferences whose speakers included leaders from Book-of-Mormon believing denominations other than the Utah Mormons, and some charismatic groups. That style is often disconnected and incohesive. I prefer the more linear, better planned presentation.

Interesting perspective. I’ll add that the old style had a primary purpose, to convert as many people as possible, with a side effect that the missionary grew in their “testimony”. The new style seems to me to have the primary purpose of growing missionary testimonies with a side effect of baptizing a few people.

 

[KildareBrigid]

I recently had some Mormon missionaries from the Southern US come to my door (I live in MN). I was really surprised but then I realized they were looking for one of their former parishioners who lived at my address years ago. They were MUCH friendlier than some JW people who have come by. We had a nice brief conversation, wished each other a happy Easter, and they went on their way.