- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2019-02-15/latter-day-saint-missionaries-can-now-call-text-home-weekly-first-presidency-announces-49001 ” class=”bbcode_url”> https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2019-02-15/latter-day-saint-missionaries-can-now-call-text-home-weekly-first-presidency-announces-49001 Quote:The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Friday an update to guidelines regarding communication between full-time missionaries and their families.
Effective immediately, the Church’s 65,000 missionaries are authorized to communicate with their families each week on preparation day by text messages, online messaging, phone calls and video chats in addition to letters and emails.
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: As usual, a long overdue change. It’s about time. I predict far fewer issues with missionaries who can now talk with Mom or Dad (or sibling, aunt/uncle, etc.) when they really need to talk to someone they love and who cares about them (and not just how many people they’re teaching/baptizing). We will probably not call any more than we have with our current missionary (because of cost) but we certainly may video chat more often.
This is another one of those times I’d love to see the look on our MP’s face when he got this news. He happens to be a control freak tyrant (just my opinion of course).
(FWIW, I have broken the rules with all my missionary kids at least by “live emailing” and don’t regret it one bit. No MP has challenged me on it, but I don’t know that they all knew either and at least two of them expressly forbid it.)
And might I add, Go Dieter!
Quote:The significant adaptations to missionary communication are the result of the “options, possibilities and technologies now offered in some parts of the world,” said Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and chairman of the Church’s Missionary Executive Council….
“We encourage missionaries to communicate with their families each week using whatever approved method missionaries decide,” said Elder Uchtdorf. “This may vary based on their circumstances, locations and schedules for that week. It is not expected that all missionaries will call or video chat with their parents every week. The precise manner of communication is left up to the missionary as he or she decides what will best meet their needs.” Elder Uchtdorf said the new guidelines offer several additional benefits including accommodating varied family circumstances, as well as better supporting those missionaries who would benefit from increased personal contact with family at home. “As families, we love our missionaries,” he said. “Missionaries love their families. They want to communicate with them.”
Elder Uchtdorf called this communication — made possible by technology — a wonderful thing. “We communicate with our Heavenly Father every day, and we would like to have our families communicate with the missionaries every week — maybe by letter or maybe by email, or now maybe by video chats or phone calls. This is an addition which brings more confidence, more peace.”He rejected the philosophy that calling home more than twice a year will weaken or distract missionaries.
“Our missionaries are pretty tough,” said Elder Uchtdorf. “They receive rejection every day. They have tough weather conditions. They have to learn a lot. They have to work with new cultures, with new circumstances. But above all, they know in their hearts and minds that they are servants and representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Further, Elder Uchtdorf said new options of communication with home will be a motivating force, not a distraction. After their communication with families — in whatever form the missionaries select — they can “go out there and serve the Lord with even a brighter heart, a more joyful countenance.” They can smile at the people they meet and teach and say, “‘I just talked to my parents. They send their greetings and they send their love.’”…
Increased communication may also help missionaries who are homesick and could benefit from the “comforting voice of their parents,” said Elder Uchtdorf.
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: Wonderful! My wife called me at work to share the news!
DarkJedi wrote:
He rejected the philosophy that calling home more than twice a year will weaken or distract missionaries.
I am seeing a pattern where we have a policy and then we come up with speculative reasons and justifications to buttress the policy. Then at some point in the future the policy is changed and all of those speculative reasons and justifications actually become a hinderance and an obstacle to moving forward.
In some ways I think this change will make the job of an MP somewhat harder. With more direct parental communication there may be more parental input between the parents and the MP. “Did you know that our missionary sleeps in near freezing temperatures with only a coat and a thin blanket to keep warm?” or “Did you know that our missionary regularly sees drug transactions or drug use while tracting?” “My missionary seems despondent and depressed, what are you going to do about that?” MP’s may need to learn to juggle parental concerns.
On my own mission I sent an email to my good friend’s RN mother describing testicular pain after a soccer accident. She recommended that I see a doctor which I arranged through the mission office. After it was determined that I had a temporary injury I met with my MP and he chided me for reaching out to my RN friend. He expressed that doing so tended to tie his hands in regards to the doctor visit as it would not look good for him to countermand medical counsel.
I expressed contrition to my MP but I was secretly relieved that I did not have a more serious medical condition. Would it really have been better for me to have to wonder my whole mission if I had gone sterile?
The work of missionaries just became a bit less isolating. Even though there may be some negative side effects and implementation hiccups I see this as an overwhelmingly positive change.
I only have one reaction: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: Roy wrote:In some ways I think this change will make the job of an MP somewhat harder. With more direct parental communication there may be more parental input between the parents and the MP. “Did you know that our missionary sleeps in near freezing temperatures with only a coat and a thin blanket to keep warm?” or “Did you know that our missionary regularly sees drug transactions or drug use while tracting?” “My missionary seems despondent and depressed, what are you going to do about that?” MP’s may need to learn to juggle parental concerns.
Honestly I think that’s a good thing. IMO MPs have been enjoying unbridled power for way too long. I do realize that only some of them abuse that power to any great extent but some really do abuse it. (I speak from experience, having had sons on both ends of the spectrum with MPs.) A little more accountability will do them some good. A couple years back I was talking with a returned MP and just happened to mention some things my own son was experiencing with his MP and in the mission in general. He asked if I had spoken to anybody in Salt Lake about it, and I hadn’t because I didn’t know that was appropriate. He indicated that it was most definitely appropriate and that the Missionary Department takes all things parents tell them (things like your examples Roy) very seriously and that he regularly received calls from HQ about such concerns. He said the truth was he was usually unaware and appreciated it – and he was one who gave his email address to parents and encouraged Facebook contact by parents (so even with that he was unaware). So not only did he encourage me to speak to someone at the Missionary Department, but one thing he found so egregious, HE made a call (and that behavior ceased immediately).
Man, is this change long overdue. Honestly, I often ignored the phone rules when I was a missionary, and that’s when it was crazy expensive. We were adults, and sometimes you have to call someone. But in 2019, it’s crazy to be so isolated as we’ve expected our missionaries to be. No wonder so many end up going home. It’s a whole different world now. I remember how hard it was for me as a non-member, facing anti-Mormons every day, overzealous missionary leaders, and other problems. Having support from people who love you very kind. It will be interesting to see the impact…
Here you can read more about it…
https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/missionaries-family-communication Great news! :clap: It’s a good change…too bad it is in my son’s last month of his mission. But it will be nice to get 1 or 2 video calls in before he comes home, which will help our plans for his return. It’s actually kinda crazy to think about the blessings of our technology. We can instantly talk and see my son who is half way around the world and it doesn’t cost anything. Crazy!
This is a very sensible change for the missionary program.
It should also lessen the load for Mission Presidents because the church will continue giving more smartphones and tablets to all missionaries (not just sharing one phone per companionship)…and so relaxing the rules mean MPs don’t have to spend time policing and disciplining missionaries over outdated rules and unnecessary restrictions.
Smart to brace the blessings Good has given to the modern world.
I find it bizarre that some people are against this. It is weekly, which I don’t find excessive. SamBee wrote:
I find it bizarre that some people are against this. It is weekly, which I don’t find excessive.
I was surprised at that too. Not only is it weekly (which is better than I had hoped for, I would have settled for monthly or even quarterly) it’s not
requiredthat they call home weekly, it’s just an option. Some posts I’ve read act as though it’s a must for every missionary to call home. Side note. My own son emailed yesterday to say he was going to figure out how to at least audio call via the internet, but maybe not by this week. They are not allowed to use the church’s computers for this purpose. He is in a fairly undeveloped area of the world, some parts of his mission do not have electricity or running water.
Oh, and one thing we shouldn’t overlook here is the wording about time limits (essentially there is no limit). My son had been strictly limited (policed, even) to 30 minutes each for the two annual video calls. (By policed I mean the APs were actually in the room with timers.)
DarkJedi wrote:
Oh, and one thing we shouldn’t overlook here is the wording about time limits (essentially there is no limit). My son had been strictly limited (policed, even) to 30 minutes each for the two annual video calls. (By policed I mean the APs were actually in the room with timers.)
😆 😆 Maybe the MP can outfit every missionary with a fitbit so they can measure how many steps missionaries are taking on the Sabbath.
DarkJedi wrote:Side note. My own son emailed yesterday to say he was going to figure out how to at least audio call via the internet, but maybe not by this week. They are not allowed to use the church’s computers for this purpose. He is in a fairly undeveloped area of the world, some parts of his mission do not have electricity or running water.
Yeah, this change wouldn’t have made much of a difference on my mission. Kinda hard to make calls without phones.
SamBee wrote:
I find it bizarre that some people are against this. It is weekly, which I don’t find excessive.
One common theme I’m seeing is that people are reliving the hardship of not being able to call home on their mission. Maybe people feel it’s unfair or people are looking for the church to acknowledge the unnecessary hardships they had to endure while on their mission. In short an apology.
I don’t want to be insensitive to that pain, I was there, I felt it. At the same time I want to give leaders the space necessary to enact change. What’s the alternative, continue down the same path forever? It can create a cycle where hardships are perpetuated only because people had to endure them in the past
BYU beard banI like the idea of missionaries initiating all of the calls. As a missionary, I’d hate it if I felt like I could be reached by my parents at any time. There are helicopter parents out there and there are codependent parents out there.
Hard to believe, but I find this change a mixed bad. As a parent, I’m thrilled with this change. I honestly believe my son would still be serving in the mission field if his (temporary) MP had allowed our son more contact with us instead of cracking down as he did. So this is 6 months too late. On my mission in the very early 90s, I served in a backwater of South America. Calls were very hard and expensive to make. I was allowed to call home twice. On Christmas each year. For various reasons, I didn’t want to, but did so anyway. It messed me up and made me extremely homesick each time for some time. Maybe if I had more frequent contact, the effect would have been less impactful.
Parents and missionaries will have to set good boundaries on this. I can see overprotective helicopter parents more involved with their kids. This is one reason I want my kids to go… to get them away from us parents and on their own. On the other hand, in this day and age, a near communication blackout is ridiculous.
So, while conflicted, on balance I like and appreciate this change. It’s long overdue. Now let’s make missions shorter, or with optional add-on time periods. Let’s also do more service and less proselytizing. Please!
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.