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Does anyone know for certain how mission assignments to missionaries are made? I was told once that at the missionary department they look at a panel with large screens and they assign missionaries to missions based on needs and then they pray about those assignments rather than starting with a blank mind and receiving the inspiration for a certain destination. Thanks.

I think they throw darts at a board. At least, that is what I believe they did in my case. Ugh, what an awful experience. Thanks to that mission, I became an atheist and ex-mormon for the next 10 years. Thank goodness the Lord decided to intervene and show me the truth in the end.

Sorry to hear that you had a terrible experience.

I was just curious how the process takes place as I have heard different versions. I have even heard quite often that people who know a Seventy, often get to go where they want to after making that request to that Seventy. Best regards.

LostInProvo wrote:Sorry to hear that you had a terrible experience.

I was just curious how the process takes place as I have heard different versions. I have even heard quite often that people who know a Seventy, often get to go where they want to after making that request to that Seventy. Best regards.

I have no idea. My mission was highly political (as is the Church in general), so I wouldn't doubt that if you know a Seventy - they can help you go where you want. However, I would encourage you to seek an education first - then if you feel callled by the Lord to serve. Go on a mission. But don't try to convert people. Just serve and love the people and community you are assigned to and ignore all the other BS. You'll have a fabulous mission (something I did not).

As far as I recall (and I'm going from memory here) all the mission presidents put in requests for missionary numbers based on levels of investigators, geography etc in their region. These requests are fed into the computer. Every Friday (or a specific day per week) one of the Apostles goes to the room with the computer and gos through the names of prospective missionaries against the registered requirements from the mission presidents. The Apostle then assigns the missionary to one of the regions requiring missionaries based upon how he is inspired from the data sheet about the missionary and the spirit.

There was an article published about this and that's pretty much how it works.

Bazooka wrote:As far as I recall (and I'm going from memory here) all the mission presidents put in requests for missionary numbers based on levels of investigators, geography etc in their region. These requests are fed into the computer. Every Friday (or a specific day per week) one of the Apostles goes to the room with the computer and gos through the names of prospective missionaries against the registered requirements from the mission presidents. The Apostle then assigns the missionary to one of the regions requiring missionaries based upon how he is inspired from the data sheet about the missionary and the spirit.

There was an article published about this and that's pretty much how it works.

That's essentially how I understand it, but I think there are two apostles that get together each week. The only praying is before they start what is essentially a secular process which could have brief moments of insight. The amount of time spent on each individual would be measured in seconds. This makes sense when you take into account how many they have to do in a session. If the church ever grows to a point of having say half a million missionaries I doubt the apostles would continue doing to assignments themselves.

Bazooka wrote:As far as I recall (and I'm going from memory here) all the mission presidents put in requests for missionary numbers based on levels of investigators, geography etc in their region. These requests are fed into the computer. Every Friday (or a specific day per week) one of the Apostles goes to the room with the computer and gos through the names of prospective missionaries against the registered requirements from the mission presidents. The Apostle then assigns the missionary to one of the regions requiring missionaries based upon how he is inspired from the data sheet about the missionary and the spirit.

There was an article published about this and that's pretty much how it works.

I am a little skeptical that an apostle individually assigns 1000 missionaries a week. More now that the numbers have risen.

Even if he were to handle two per minute, that is 8 hours plus of work per week. At that speed it seems more like sorting than any meaningful consideration.

Fence Sitter wrote:

Bazooka wrote:As far as I recall (and I'm going from memory here) all the mission presidents put in requests for missionary numbers based on levels of investigators, geography etc in their region. These requests are fed into the computer. Every Friday (or a specific day per week) one of the Apostles goes to the room with the computer and gos through the names of prospective missionaries against the registered requirements from the mission presidents. The Apostle then assigns the missionary to one of the regions requiring missionaries based upon how he is inspired from the data sheet about the missionary and the spirit.

There was an article published about this and that's pretty much how it works.

I am a little skeptical that an apostle individually assigns 1000 missionaries a week. More now that the numbers have risen.

Even if he were to handle two per minute, that is 8 hours plus of work per week. At that speed it seems more like sorting than any meaningful consideration.

Well you may be correct.
I'm only regurgitating what I remember from the article rather than from any specific knowledge on the subject.

I am only going on memory as well, but my memory is that this was coming from an apostle explaining the process. I seem to remember him saying it took about 4 hours. This was before the increase in missionaries from the age reduction, so they may need one or two more. With the old numbers you they would both be doing about 500 people in a 4 hour session. That's about 30 sec for each which is reasonable considering most of the information they need is already compiled for them.

I think they may continue, for now, to do the process since the increase in mission numbers is only temporary.

Themis wrote:I am only going on memory as well, but my memory is that this was coming from an apostle explaining the process. I seem to remember him saying it took about 4 hours. This was before the increase in missionaries from the age reduction, so they may need one or two more. With the old numbers you they would both be doing about 500 people in a 4 hour session. That's about 30 sec for each which is reasonable considering most of the information they need is already compiled for them.

I think they may continue, for now, to do the process since the increase in mission numbers is only temporary.

that is all a bunch of happy horse crap. the church has invested in a software program that provides them the data they need, and algorithms, to assign missionaries. if an apostle sits in a room and looks over the list, great, it would be just a formality. but there is no way that one of those 15 old dudes is reading missionary applications, praying, seeking revelation, or anything of the sort.

with 60,000 missionaries serving an average of 20 months, they would be reviewing 3000 applications a month. at 2 minutes each, that would be 6000 minutes, or 100 hours a month to look at the applications. it would still be 25 hours a month for an apostle to spend 30 seconds on a missionary. That is not happening.

i find it rather cultish, at a minimum, that anyone would be flattered that an apostle would spend 30 seconds looking at their application, before the teen commits 2 years and a bunch of money to work for free and get the hell abused out of them. hasa diga eebowai.