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I see this as a positive though limited change. 1) My son has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
2) Church culture is such that if one does not serve a mission there are large social consequences.
3) This appears to be an option for my son to navigate a path of church involvement and belonging (should he choose to do so).
I see this as a patch for a limited subset of individuals. In the article “called to serve, not called to suffer” came the following quote:
Quote:“When someone asks you if you served a mission, you say ‘yes,’” said Elder Holland. “You do not need to follow that up with, ‘but it was only four months.’ Say ‘yes,’ you served a mission and be proud of the time you spent.”
This is interesting and it reminds me of the advice given to missionaries that we can and should deny committing a range of “serious” sins if we have fully repented of them. It feels a lot like lying and I assume that many individuals that might answer that they had indeed served a mission after returning home early might feel some shame and obfuscation in the response. I believe that this service option gives those individuals that might return home early from a mission a path forward that they can answer the question of missionary service in the affirmative and feel good about it.
I have seen a variety of service mission examples. I am wondering if some service missions could be promoted as unpaid internships on a young person’s resume. I had put my missionary service on my resume but that was mostly because it was easier to do that than to explain a two year gap in employment. An unpaid internship with California State Parks or as a “Public Affairs Specialist for the Mormon Newsroom Pacific” sure seems to be a better resume builder.
I believe that SilentDawning would call it “co-missioning”. You tell everyone at church that you served a mission. You put on your resume that you were a “Public Affairs Specialist.”
:thumbup: Roy wrote:
I have seen a variety of service mission examples. I am wondering if some service missions could be promoted as unpaid internships on a young person’s resume.I had put my missionary service on my resume but that was mostly because it was easier to do that than to explain a two year gap in employment. An unpaid internship with California State Parks or as a “Public Affairs Specialist for the Mormon Newsroom Pacific” sure seems to be a better resume builder.
I believe that SilentDawning would call it “co-missioning”. You tell everyone at church that you served a mission. You put on your resume that you were a “Public Affairs Specialist.”
:thumbup:
I think that would be awesome! I think too often the Church is focused on its own self-promotion over the common good. I never put my mission on my resume, since first it reveals my “religious affiliation” (something that is illegal to take into account while hiring), and since, on the surface, spending two years ministering in California sounds like more of a vacation than a two year sacrifice. I wish I had been able to put down a foreign language. But as far as a career goes, I think serving a mission hurt more than helped. Is that selfish of me to say? Probably… but too often I feel like the Church takes and takes and takes, without any consideration to those its taking from.
I hope in the long term we transition to all service missions. We don’t need prosyletizing anymore. These days people tend to get pretty ticked at door-to-door salesmen, no matter what they are selling. I have to say, I feel MUCH less inclined to purchase a product or service if I recieve unasked-for solicitation. Better to spend your time in service first, and focus on conversion second.
dande48 wrote:
Probably… but too often I feel like the Church takes and takes and takes, without any consideration to those its taking from.
I agree that the church can demand many sacrifices. I believe that “the church” believes that those sacrifices will be beneficial in 2 main areas. 1) Because the institutional church is the storehouse or system of Salvation. Any sacrifice that the members might make in order to grow and ensure the continued prosperity of the institution is worth it because without the institution there is no salvation. 2) Sacrifice is good for individual members and is important in developing saintly characters.
Even here there is some moderation. Most members (aka the church) would recognize that extreme sacrifices are not reasonable to expect from members.
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