The Work of Salvation Broadcast: An Antipodean Summary

Last updated on: June 24, 2013 at 1:35 pm by Gina Colvin

The Work of Salvation Broadcast: An Antipodean Summary 2013-06-24T13:35:08+12:00 Gina Colvin

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Missionary work on Trafalgar Square!

In light of the recent ‘Work of Salvation’ broadcast it appears that the missionary work of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is about to undergo a dramatic shift. The idea of door knocking Mormon missionaries on bikes, accosting dog walkers on the street, is about to be replaced with another kind of proselyting – the high tech missionary who spreads the gospel using electronic devices and WIFI.

All of this is a very interesting development. With the exponential growth of missionaries poised to descend upon the globe a rethink about how best to occupy their time and make good use of their youth seemed necessary. It has been clear for many years that gate banging isn’t really a quality use of time, and is , in some cultural contexts, an irritation for unsuspecting working families who treat home as a haven from the physical intrusions of strangers.

So what can we expect from this refashioned, re-thought missionary programme? It would appear that electronic devices, the use of social media, cell phones, and computers would eventually come to facilitate the missionary work of the LDS church. Furthermore, not only will missionaries be more electronically accessible, they will also be electronically and socially integrated into their host ward communities.

This seems to be a very astute move. LDS Missionary work has largely been the terrain of the ‘Mission’ and has been governed, organized, and supervised by the Mission President who stands outside of the congregational/community organization of the church. I’ve always felt that this was a bit daft. These are young people who have boundless energy who are typically not well integrated into the social life of their host congregations. Making better use of their services, having better access to these young and willing things, and putting them to work in the wards seems like an infinitely better idea than having them uselessly pounding the doors of empty houses in the suburbs. I’m particularly in favour of the emphasis on missionaries being more fully a part of our congregations rather than the incidental but passing additions to our Sunday Meetings and our dinner tables.

So all of this looks positive and makes quite a bit of sense. Here’s a summary of the changes.

Bishops and Stake Presidents are to preside over missionary work.
Mission Presidents preside over missionaries.
Area Authorities train Stake Presidents to preside over missionary work.
Stake Presidents and Mission Presidents will meet regularly to coordinate their efforts.
Ward Councils come up with things for missionaries to do.
Ward mission leaders coordinate with the Ward Council to fill the missionary’s diaries with stuff the Ward Councils decide is useful for them to do.
Members of the wards participate alongside the missionaries and make themselves available at the request of the Ward Council to reach out to potential, new, returning, and less active members.
Meetinghouses are open during the day where missionaries will be on hand to conduct guided tours and meet and greet the curious passer by.

Clearly this is a major reconceptualization of missionary work. Where once missionaries were primarily the ‘property’ of the missions, and could be found harassing strangers on the streets, this plan has them integrated into the life of the congregation, accountable to the Bishops, responsive to the Ward Council, busy on the work of the wards and most interestingly, not insulated from the rest of the world.

Some questions remain however:

Who will determine missionary shifts and transfers. With missionaries building significant relationships with ward members and the friends of ward members, will the practice of transfers continue which results in missionaries extracted from their ward/investigator relationships at the whim of the mission office?
With missionaries in possession of the latest gadgetry as a strategy for them being more accessible to the Bishop/Ward Council, will the Ward Council have access to the same devices courtesy of the church or will Ipads and smartphones be at their own expense?
Will Sister missionaries ever get out of those pantyhose and skirts? (And into something more comfortable).
There is a bit of a Anglo-centric assumption that relationships are best managed electronically in this post-modern age. But what about those cultures and communities who do their best work face to face?
If missionary work is presided over by the bishops, what are the parameters on what is understood as missionary work? For instance, is community outreach, humanitarian work etc. a legitimate missionary activity? I wish it were so!

Thumbs up to this new plan – it has my vote. BUT, if I could change anything about the broadcast I would cut down on the schmaltz. I don’t need tears, primary songs, and Afterglow to see the merits of a good idea. And by the way, ‘wide consultation’ is not consultation with the presiding councils of the church! I’m just saying.

I’m happy about one more thing however. Perhaps they will ditch this mad plan in the New Zealand Area for the facilitation of church growth which would see my husband almost continually out of the house ‘visiting’. With this new plan I’ll make him get a Facebook account and an Ipad and have him door knocking via social media while he gets the kids bathed and ready for bed!

Uncategorized

Changes to Mormon missionary work

Hastening the Work of Salvation

LDS missionary

Mormon missionary

The Work of Salvation

Previous Post

June 10, 2013

So you've been called to serve a mission in New Zealand! Some insider tips for the Americans

Next Post

July 28, 2013 The Future of the Church IS the 'International' Church

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category A Thoughtful Faith Adultery Apostasy Brigham Young BYU Church Culture Church Leadership Clergy Sex Abuse Community of Christ Divorce Excommunication faith crisis Faith Development Heavenly mother Heresy Indigenous Mormon James Fowler Jesus Christ John Dehlin Joseph Smith Kate Kelly LDS Church Politics LDS doctrine LDS Essays LGTB Maori Mormon marriage and family Mitt Romney Mormon church discourse Mormon church history Mormon Conservatism Mormon corporate culture Mormon Cultural Identity Mormon feminist politics Mormon finances mormon matters podcast Mormon Political Economy Mormons feminism New Zealand and US Mormonism New Zealand Mormon Culture New Zealand Mormon Feminist Thought New Zealand temple Official Declaration Two Ordain Women Pastoral Theology for Mormons phillip barlow Polygamy Practical Theology Prayer Protect LDS Children Racism in the LDS church Sexual Abuse temple recommend temple recommend interview Temples tyranny of certainty Uncategorized why mormons leave

Select a Month April 2020 December 2019 March 2019 December 2018 October 2018 September 2018 June 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 March 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 August 2016 May 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 March 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who prophesied a virgin would bear a son called Immanuel?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Micah Ezekiel Jeremiah Isaiah