Online Missionaries

[Anonymous]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/11/mormon-online-missionary_n_5037191.html

This was an interesting story. I was a little skeptical at first. Watch the video at the end of the

article. It changed my mind. It looks like a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Yes mike I had been saying for over a decade this is a legitimate option. It’s strongly connected to the studies of online relationships. They share a strong thing in common. Although it was previously highly debated research does show that the spirit or empathy part of the brain can indeed trigger though text or word communications.

What was previously thought impossible without physical presence or contact was indeed possible apparently because the brain can register empathy through text, letters. Brain scans put the notion that it isn’t possible to rest.

So people can develop strong connections over the internet in fact as our ancient ancestors did through over sea letters.

All tanks to the part of the brain responsible for empathy not being limited to certain forms of communication.

So it is possible however you define the spirit for it to be so. Just makes me wonder why after 14 years they took the idea seriously, it was 1998 when I first brought the idea up to the SP.

I’m happy they are finding success now, but I feel for those on Facebook that are already now leaving because of to much marketing including religious and politics in it. Most people I know went to Facebook to communicate with others in a politic, marketing and religious free environment. Facebook has changed and many people I know are now leaving or not logging into it all that often anymore. Time will tell.

[Anonymous]

I had read that article, Mike, and also found it to be interesting. I think using social networking and online media is a great idea anyway, and was actually a bit surprised at how successful it can be. A good read.

[Anonymous]

I thought it was interesting too. My husband said that when he was a missionary, you steered clear of the hard questions with investigators the best you could because once they went to google or friends and found out about polygamy, blacks, etc., it was over. With that in mind, I thought it was most interesting that people seeking the missionaries online would be those most likely to google mormons and find these tough “anti-mormon” topics. So, why would they have such a high conversion rate? And if I remember correctly, better retention rates from this group of converts. Thoughts on what would seem opposites?

[Anonymous]

Maybe because they are going in with all the skeletons outside the closet?

I mean, gold plates is a strange story to begin with, regardless of whether it was translated by a urim and thummim or by a head in a hat. It’s probably better to go in eyes wide open than it is hearing one version and discovering a “hidden” version later on down the line.

That might account for some of it but I suspect it would be more related to the fact that people online seek the missionaries out, that shows a desire on the part of the person. In the door to door approach the missionaries are meeting people that also have a desire, the desire to be left alone. Point being you’d expect there to be more success within a group that showed an initial desire when compared to a group that had no initial desire.

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