The Church website announced recently an "urgent need" for senior couples who might be willing to serve as office couples as nearly a third of the missions are without and must rely on the young missionaries to perform such work. There has also been a 30% drop from a year ago in the number of senior couples willing to serve missions.
That said, with the Book of Mormon, we are not dealing with a civilization with no written record. What we are dealing with is a written record with no civilization. (Runtu, Feb 2015)
I presume the current economic state is partly to blame. Many Baby Boomer's retirement funds have been wiped out by the stock market crash of 2000, and the great depression of 2008. Savings are decimated, retirements have been put on hold, and etc. Young college graduates are unable to find jobs and thus it's not uncommon for a 30 year old to still be living with Mom and Dad. Some of these Seniors are still supporting Jr.
My inlaws both "retired" a few years ago, but their retirement investments were decimated. They both have several part time jobs to keep the lights on. They would like to go on a mission, but there is no way.
Today's Sr. citizens just don't have the funds as they did in the past...
Personally, I think this is just a recruiting tactic and I doubt things are truly as dire as indicated. Everything is urgent in the church. Better get baptized as soon as you turn 8! Better get the priesthood as soon as you turn 12! Better serve a mission as soon as you turn 18! Better serve a senior mission right now! It's urgent! Everything is urgent!
Tim the Enchanter wrote:Personally, I think this is just a recruiting tactic and I doubt things are truly as dire as indicated. Everything is urgent in the church. Better get baptized as soon as you turn 8! Better get the priesthood as soon as you turn 12! Better serve a mission as soon as you turn 18! Better serve a senior mission right now! It's urgent! Everything is urgent!
yeah. i don't get the sense they are truly running out bodies to do the clerical office stuff for a mission president.
i actually liked being in the mission office and i think it is a great place to put the young missionaries.
"Rocks don't speak for themselves" is an unfortunate phrase to use in defense of a book produced by a rock actually 'speaking' for itself... (I have a Question, 5.15.15)
Racer wrote:I presume the current economic state is partly to blame. Many Baby Boomer's retirement funds have been wiped out by the stock market crash of 2000, and the great depression of 2008. Savings are decimated, retirements have been put on hold, and etc. Young college graduates are unable to find jobs and thus it's not uncommon for a 30 year old to still be living with Mom and Dad. Some of these Seniors are still supporting Jr.
My inlaws both "retired" a few years ago, but their retirement investments were decimated. They both have several part time jobs to keep the lights on. They would like to go on a mission, but there is no way.
Today's Sr. citizens just don't have the funds as they did in the past...
I agree. I have several Mormon friends who's parent want to serve a Mormon mission but no longer can afford to go.
One friend's parents even solicited from their family for financial support to serve. But alas, the money wasn't there and they didn't get to serve before health problems completely prevented the calling from being realized.
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i think the idea of proselytizing in 2014 is a significantly bigger hindrance to the enlistment of baby boomers than their wallets.
it really does not cost that much to go on a mission. it is heavily subsidized by the church. what the hell do they have to really pay for or 18 months that they would not pay for anyways?
anyone who wanted to go on a mission as a retired couple could do it. the amount they spend on the mission is not going to be much more than all their utilities, car insurance, gas, food, rent, wedding gifts to every kid in the stake that invites them to a reception at the chapel basketball court, and carrots for pot-luck dinners.
in general, people are not going on missions because it sucks. not just because they can't afford it.
if the church were to have a revelation from jesus of nazareth, king of the jews, savior and redeemer and lord, that all missionaries were to serve two years performing a trade in real service to real people, and not proselyting with mini ipads and BS essays from michaels hales and and otterson, the numbers would go up.
"Rocks don't speak for themselves" is an unfortunate phrase to use in defense of a book produced by a rock actually 'speaking' for itself... (I have a Question, 5.15.15)
My grandparents served three missions and they are as poor as you can get. I'm not exactly sure how they were able to afford it, but even if dirt poor, seniors can serve missions. My guess is seniors are realizing that spending those final few years in life with their grandchildren is more important than serving a mission.
Sanctorian wrote:My grandparents served three missions and they are as poor as you can get. I'm not exactly sure how they were able to afford it, but even if dirt poor, seniors can serve missions. My guess is seniors are realizing that spending those final few years in life with their grandchildren is more important than serving a mission.
i think the seniors that go out are left babysitting the 18 year old kids and it sucks. i think the influx of kids in the mission, and the accompanying nonsense, is going to keep older people out more than invite them to join the ranks.
"Rocks don't speak for themselves" is an unfortunate phrase to use in defense of a book produced by a rock actually 'speaking' for itself... (I have a Question, 5.15.15)
Tim the Enchanter wrote:Personally, I think this is just a recruiting tactic and I doubt things are truly as dire as indicated. Everything is urgent in the church. Better get baptized as soon as you turn 8! Better get the priesthood as soon as you turn 12! Better serve a mission as soon as you turn 18! Better serve a senior mission right now! It's urgent! Everything is urgent!
From 1997:
There is an urgent need in the Church today for missionary couples, not to go first-contacting or teaching the discussions, unless you want to do so, but for meaningful missionary service in all of the activities of the Church throughout the world.