Explaining the science of why the grass is green (or why the sky is blue for that matter) does not answer the question of who (or what) got the ball rolling in the first place. But I do agree that such questions are not directed at physics students (I have such a degree myself, a minor to my engineering one).
bcspace, for whom were these questions directed to, if not partly to the physics students on campus?
I can't say for sure as I've not seen such pamphlets as you describe. However, the Church typically adresses the generic truthseeker in these things.
I met with an elderly missionary couple, my father's cousin and his wife actually, last year over lunch here in Dresden. He is based out of Hamburg, but Dresden is included in his area. He was responsible for developing a program to try and attract college students because, according to him, the church wasn't having too much success with families, either through referrals or door to door. Perhaps he had a lot to do with this strategy, or not, I don't really know. We haven't really talked since.
What do you think of this strategy? Going after young college students away from home for the first time: good idea for the church? Do you think the church will have similar problems with retention using this kind of program?
I don't know for sure. Given what I hear about Europe in general, the general population is pretty jaded on religion in general which is not suprising given their history. However, given the huge influx of immigrants, especially Muslims, I think Europe is being set for a future religious revival due to the conflicts that will occur. The US is on that same path but not so far down the road as Europe is.
And again, I hope you can answer the first question in this post, as well. I'm interested in what you actually think about this marketing scheme, if you could call it that?
Whatever works. Given my experience as a missionary, I think the Church gives general guidelines/helps and allows the missionaries to decide how best to use them. I think those who follow those guidelines to the letter have not yet learned this and that is fine as it's best to stick to the guidelines until you know what you are doing.
So how does one approach the confident intellectual? One doesn't directly imho. One simply searches for those who are humble and that can include the confident intellectual if something in his or her life has recently humbled them. Until that time, it's just 'planting seeds' so when a time comes that such a one begins to search, the LDS Church is a possible direction.
I am planting seeds right now by pointing out that one does not have to give up science to become LDS or any other type of Christian.