Has hastening the work become a gospel hobby?

Holy cow….are you in my ward? Not only has it been a huge topic of church conversation but the entire focus on Ward Council meetings for the last 6 months (maybe not last month, I was released). Yesterday we had 3 testimonies that were “assigned” and asked to speak on missionary work.

I read that article before and found that very quote glaring.

As I type this I am reminded that as WML I have a stake level meeting coming up on how I specifically can hasten the work. It’s an intimate meeting, I will be called on and I’ll have to find a way to be true to myself and toe the line at the same time. I hope I’m having a good day the day of the meeting, otherwise I might let one fly. Still I think I will politely voice my concerns with love and let the consequences follow.

What has really concerned me about this whole push is the lack of awareness and kindness that is shown to those who are not interested in church right now. In our area it is really difficult for leaders to wrap their head around someone not being interested or able to find happiness without the church. They are offending and making life difficult for some people. Maybe others are lifted up but they are too lopsided for me to see this as successful.

I hope you find a way to share what you feel because it needs to be heard. It was the nail in the coffin for me and I was released over not following orders. As Cwald says, “do what is right and let the consequence follow”. I kept my integrity, got me fired but that is okay.

BTW, my kid loves your avatar. I don’t keep this site open but he saw it on my phone one day and just saw it again.

There has probably been an emphasis on this at the top of the hierarchy somewhere. It will pass as I have found organizations have a really hard time sustaining initiatives for long — except when they have paid people in place. The influx of female missionaries is another symptom of the emphasis at the top of the hierarchy — I heard years ago that the rate of membership growth has been slowing, and I it wouldn’t surprise me if this is simply an manifestation of the emphasis on missionary work the church is making to keep the gains happening.

This too shall pass — the only thging tghat will keep it going is the influx of more missionaries and mission presidents as its the full time mission that keeps the work moving, in my experience.

Here lately it feels like Hastening the Work™ ( 😈 ) has become a gospel hobby. A church sanctioned gospel hobby. Over the last 6 weeks hastening the work, specifically missionary work, has been the sole topic of the majority of our meetings. When I say majority I really mean it. Some weeks we’ve abandoned the manuals during SS in favor of talking about this new direction and if it’s not a 2nd or 3rd Sunday hastening the work will be the subject at hand. It’s been the subject of two of the last three sacrament meetings. I wonder how much spiritual nutrition people that aren’t in tune with missionary work are receiving from week to week. Is this a fairly common experience or is this more limited to my local unit?

It’s pretty much what’s happening in my ward/stake. My parents wouldn’t have joined the church if, when they went, this was all that was talked about. I think someone here quoted Joseph Campbell recently, and it’s stuck with me: “Preachers err by trying to talk people into belief; better they reveal the radiance of their own discovery.” Seems like sacrament meeting is the place for “the reveal” – not a time to talk about the tactical details of gospel-sharing.

My first thought came while reading this:

We are looking beyond the mark when we elevate any one principle, no matter how worthwhile it may be, to a prominence that lessens our commitment to other equally important principles…

There may be many principles that have roughly equal importance, but one stands clearly above all the rest. The great commandment is Love, Charity is the greatest of all. If we are to focus or elevate one thing above others it is easy to point to this one. I am grateful that in my ward the emphasis is on loving our neighbors (both inside and outside the church) and then let other opportunities to share come where they may. This to me is the gospel of Christ and the core principle that I can easily embrace 100%.

If anything distracts us from this central commandment I agree we are getting out of line.

I do think there is a very strong emphasis on this. The last Sunday of 2013 my bishop gave a talk on the chapter in Jacob about the orchard and one of our ward goals is to reach out to one person and bring them to Christ (meaning the church). It absolutely made me livid. There seems to be a baptize them and forget about them attitude. My former roommate was baptized about 6 months ago and I have not seen her once since. Plus I’ve been going to the same ward since Feb and still get asked if I’m new to church. Instead of focusing on baptizing people I think the church should focus on fellowshipping the people who need and want it

plus WML has been swapped out for the “ultra tbm” yes man of the ward

Maybe our unit will follow suit sometime soon.

I am grateful that in my ward the emphasis is on loving our neighbors (both inside and outside the church) and then let other opportunities to share come where they may.

I was discussing things with DW the other day, she had a healthier perspective than what is typically presented in church and it meshes well with what you said. Let the opportunities come.

It has been my experience that missionary work is often presented as something that requires members to create opportunity, even where none exists. If you aren’t finding people for the missionaries to teach you lack the requisite faith or you simply aren’t trying hard enough. I really don’t feel any love behind the work when I start getting pushed like that and I know that others won’t feel loved with any attempt to shoehorn the church into every conversation or to constantly look for openings to discuss the gospel. It doesn’t feel genuine.

On Own Now, SilentDawning:

Thanks for the perspective. I’ve unconsciously witnessed surges and declines in the missionary effort, now I am conscious of the massive upsurge mainly due to my calling. Thanks for the reminder that this too shall pass.

I am grateful that in my ward the emphasis is on loving our neighbors (both inside and outside the church) and then let other opportunities to share come where they may. This to me is the gospel of Christ and the core principle that I can easily embrace 100%.

I know I’ve quoted it before but it really seems to fit in this thread. From Richard Bushman’s “On the Road with Joseph Smith” (p. 105-6):

I wrote to Elder Holland [in 2006] about a rough patch ahead as animosity to religion keeps growing. I am coming to envision a new persona for the Church as humble followers of Jesus Christ. Instead of speaking triumphantly of the gospel sweeping the earth, could we think of ourselves as the leaven in the lump, standing for righteousness and serving others? I wish we had a long track record of kindness and friendship to fall back on, with less stress on proselyting. Then when the storms break around us, we would have friends to turn to. Our covenant with God is to bless the people of the earth. That should be our motto. Establishing Zion does not mean sweeping vast masses of people onto our membership records but creating a people of God dedicated to blessing others. Joseph and his early followers came forth with lots of triumphalist rhetoric, but I think we need a new voice, one of humility, friendship, and service. We should teach people to believe in God because it will soften their hearts and make them more willing to serve.

Of course there are many “moving parts” to consider when creating this people of God, but his overall tone is what I like, and the suggestion that maybe there are things we need to change.