What can we learn from the LDS (Mormons)?

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We’ve all seen young Mormon males on their ‘mission’ journeys.

What could this sort of lay missionary recruitment do for the Roman Catholic Church?
It seems to me that:
(1) It furthers the mission goals of the LDS.
(2) It provides young men with an authentic experience to live their faith, during a period when they are least committed or laden with responsibilities–making an important mark on their lives, and reducing the chances that alienation will grow with age.
(3) The experience becomes a faith-wide tradition, and therefore this level of engagement comes to be expected from young people–rather than the ‘normal’ lapse that begins around the mid-teens.

There seemed to be something of this in the old priest/religious-heavy mission culture of the 19th and 20th centuries.

It seems like the Jesuits have already caught on–among others, of course–by instituting corps of lay missionaries.

Thoughts?
 
CTCatholic5 said:
We’ve all seen young Mormon males on their ‘mission’ journeys.

What could this sort of lay missionary recruitment do for the Roman Catholic Church?
It seems to me that:
(1) It furthers the mission goals of the LDS.
(2) It provides young men with an authentic experience to live their faith, during a period when they are least committed or laden with responsibilities–making an important mark on their lives, and reducing the chances that alienation will grow with age.
(3) The experience becomes a faith-wide tradition, and therefore this level of engagement comes to be expected from young people–rather than the ‘normal’ lapse that begins around the mid-teens.

There seemed to be something of this in the old priest/religious-heavy mission culture of the 19th and 20th centuries.

It seems like the Jesuits have already caught on–among others, of course–by instituting corps of lay missionaries.

Thoughts?
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I invite non-Catholics to Church all the time, but I am not about to go around knocking on doors. I think there is an appropriate place and time to evangelize, mainly by living out my Catholic faith and having someone inquire about it. There is always someone struggling with life. None of us are immune. It’s a great time to offer them the peace that one finds in the Catholic Church. Even more effective is for them to witness you and how you deal with the struggles in life. It gives them hope for their own lives.
 
SteveVH said:
I invite non-Catholics to Church all the time, but I am not about to go around knocking on doors. I think there is an appropriate place and time to evangelize, mainly by living out my Catholic faith and having someone inquire about it. There is always someone struggling with life. None of us are immune. It’s a great time to offer them the peace that one finds in the Catholic Church. Even more effective is for them to witness you and how you deal with the struggles in life. It gives them hope for their own lives.
Click to expand...
This is a difficult question for Americans, because every man(/woman?) would like to consider himself king in his castle (i.e., home). Which in itself is kind of a weird Germanic thing (‘Herr im Haus’ sound familiar?), but probably results naturally from our common ways of thinking about public and private property…

Christianity was originally preached in the public square, the Agora. What are the modern Agorai? If we can’t successfully identify these, and take them by storm, we’ll lose our mandate on the Gospel. Evangelization demands ‘sticking your neck out’–internet soap boxes are nice and all, but keystrokes are cheap… this typist’s, included. :o

I agree completely with your statement that the best way to evangelize is to simply be. However, all of this ignores that the unique Mormon practice of sending 18-25yos (are you a member of this group?) seems to be very effective, for the reasons mentioned.
 
Corps Catholic lay missionaries took off in the early 70’s…and it took time for clerics, religious, and lay to understand each other, and to accept each other’s calling as authentic.

Maryknoll provides quite a bit of professional training. The Catholic Church provides advanced degrees at master’s and doctorate level in missionary work…there is the Legion of Mary, popular and effective in Africa and the Philippines…

I think we can learn more about the Mormons’ structure of youth programs. The American bishops put together, ‘Renew the Vision’ calling for Catholics within their parishes to become mentors for our young people… it is hard considering how people are unable to make commitments due to the various other demands of modern life.
 
That’s a tough one ( question that is ) and I’ve often thought along the same lines…
…Like why don’t we do more of that.

In the end however I agree with SteveVH that the best way to share the faith is to live it to the best of our ability…
…Past that INSURE you are always prepared to give the reasonS for your Faith.
…That way when the Mormons or JW’s knock on our door WE HAVE THEM exactly where we want them.

Unfortunately, I fear to many times the door knockers come calling TOO MANY Catholics end up being turned into pretzels…
…Because they simply don’t know how to articulate their faith ( or don’t bother with it ).
…I’m certain I got put on both the JW and Mormon black list at my old condo.
 
I have learned quite a bit from the Mormon posters.

I thought they were a newer Protestant denomination. Perhaps, related to the Evangelical churches. But, from what LDS posters have shared with us. I believe it is different than what is taught in Christianity.

I am not knocking them of course. I believe in freedom of religion for all.
 
CTCatholic5 said:
I agree completely with your statement that the best way to evangelize is to simply be. However, all of this ignores that the unique Mormon practice of sending 18-25yos (are you a member of this group?) seems to be very effective, for the reasons mentioned.
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Actually I think the JW practice of sending out members of all ages to their own communities works much better. They have a much better retention rate in comparison to the LDS.
 
zaffiroborant said:
Actually I think the JW practice of sending out members of all ages to their own communities works much better. They have a much better retention rate in comparison to the LDS.
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Hmm, I hadn’t even considered the JWs… thanks!
 
KathleenGee said:
Corps Catholic lay missionaries took off in the early 70’s…and it took time for clerics, religious, and lay to understand each other, and to accept each other’s calling as authentic.

Maryknoll provides quite a bit of professional training. The Catholic Church provides advanced degrees at master’s and doctorate level in missionary work…there is the Legion of Mary, popular and effective in Africa and the Philippines…

I think we can learn more about the Mormons’ structure of youth programs. The American bishops put together, ‘Renew the Vision’ calling for Catholics within their parishes to become mentors for our young people… it is hard considering how people are unable to make commitments due to the various other demands of modern life.
Click to expand...
I agree the Catholic training and missionary people are excellent (cream of the crop, so to speak).

I think the LDS excel not by being the most skilled, but by very high participation. Because their boys and girls have all gone through seminary their average knowledge of theology is much higher than the average in most other Christian denominations. Then, the young men/women that go in a mission spend two years getting their doctrine ‘pounded into’ their heads
 
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