From my Travels in Mormondom

[Guest]

I have been on assignment in various countries throughout the World working on projects.

While away I was able to see how well Mormondom is doing both as a religion and as a social entity. In short, Not so Good.

While in Thailand, I met a expat British Mormon who is devastated by the revelation that Ole’ Joe used the same Seer Stone he used to find buried treasure to “translate” (or to use his word “imagineate”) the Book of Mormon. As an Anglo Mormon he carried great sway with the local members and his loss of testimony has crippled them. He mentioned how this is happening throughout the Asian members and that many of them see the Mormon church as a Folk Magic religion.

He further stated that of the ~20,000 members the Mormon church claims, only 4,000 self-identify as such and of those only 1,400 are participating members (ones who will actually do what is asked of them by the leadership).

In the land down under (Australia) things aren't as it would seem from the tripe the Mormon Bullshiters (PR Department) puts out. Big question, why do all the Mormon apostles live in SLC, UT, USA? Why don’t they liver around the world as they’re supposed to? Don’t we deserve an apostle to call our own? The Catholic Church has Cardinals living in the lands of their birth serving “their” people, why not the Mormon church?

Again, of the 100,000 plus Mormons claimed, only about 35,000 self-identify and maybe 12,000 are participating members (ones who will actually do what is asked of them by the leadership). The temples in Australia are pretty, but not heavily used. Mostly they just cost lots to maintain and are empty edifices to the “Rich White” people who want to impress their neighbors.

This is true of everywhere I went, WHY ARE ALL the apostle pasty White lifers who have never lived among those they are supposed to lead?

The Netherlands is more like the Neverlands for Mormons. I could not find a single Mormon in my travels and business. Seems like if there ever were any they have long ago died or moved to the United States.

In Spain the Mormons are despised. Spain happens to be the country of landing for illegal immigrants from Africa into the EU. The Africans know that if they can join a church and establish an identity in the local area they have a better chance of not being deported. Most other churches understand this and are very careful and vet the “investigator” to insure that they are sincere in their intentions to join. Most of them have a six month to a year long process to convert. Well not the Mormons, one and done is the way to membership and membership gives you a tie within the local community. Thanks Mormons.

Bottom line for Africa is feed me and cloth me, and I’ll believe whatever you say. But just so you know, I’m still going to follow my local tribal witchdoctors’ teachings. Christian when I’m hungry and need clothes, indigenous teachings at heart.

Oh, one last thing, when you say "The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" the immediate response is "WHO"? But if you say "Mormons" you occasionally get "oh, the American church". But mostly blank stares.

[_moksha]

Hey, what about Canada? We've all heard stories about that mysterious country to the north, but what do we really know of it, eh? Is that practice of Curling really part of some Masonic-type ceremony? And what of the Inuit people - do they not have forelocks?

[_Sky]

All the more reason why giving speakers in General Conference the chance to speak in their native languages is a great idea! A win-win for everybody!

And just so you know, Elder Holland lived in Chile from 2002-2004, and Elder Oaks in the Philippines during the same time period.

[_ludwigm]

And just so you know, Elder Holland lived in Chile from 2002-2004, ...

From http://cumorah.com/index.php?target=chu ... tory_id=15 :

2002 Chilean Census
The 2002 Chilean census reported that 103,735 Chileans over age fifteen (0.92 percent of the population) identified themselves as Mormons or Latter-day Saints. In spite of strong encouragement from the pulpit to LDS members to identify their religious affiliation on the census, this number represents fewer than 20 percent of the 520,202 individuals claimed on official LDS membership rolls. Individuals under age fifteen (who were not asked for religious affiliation) represented 25.7 percent of the Chilean population. As for the population of youth ages fifteen to twenty-nine, 1.1 percent identify themselves as Latter-day Saints, compared to only 0.5 percent of the population over age 75.

The LDS church grew at a phenomenal rate in Chile until 2002–at least on paper. That year, in an unusual move, the church sent apostle Jeffrey Holland to Chile to train leaders, but mostly to reorganize the church there. Before Holland arrived, there were 951 congregations (wards and branches) and 116 stakes in Chile; by 2005, there were 607 congregations and 74 stakes, meaning that 344 congregations and 42 stakes had been closed.

...
and Elder Oaks in the Philippines during the same time period.

On the page Missionary work in Philippines emphasizes convert retention and member reactivation (By NewsNet Staff Writer on September 3, 2003.) wrote :

Over the last two years, the rapid growth in church membership for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Philippines has declined with the missionary focus largely on retention and reactivation.

“Out of the 49,000 converts who joined the church in 2001 and 2002, only 1,000 remain active,” said Dave Brinsfield, former senior missionary for the Manila Philippines mission.

Dave Brinsfield served a two-year mission with his wife Tita Brinsfield as an office couple. They finished their mission on Aug. 4, 2003, and will remain living in Manila.

“The mission was averaging 120-170 baptisms a month two years ago, but only do around 80 now,” Brinsfield said. “Even if the numbers are lower, the church members are stronger.”
- See more at: http://universe.byu.edu/2003/09/03/miss ... gOhLG.dpuf

The Philippines
Apostle Dallin H. Oaks was assigned to oversee church activities in the Philippines. In a talk entitled "Joseph Smith in a Personal World," Elder Oaks states: "To cite one objective test of that staying power, attendance records that about 100,000 Filipinos attend the three hour Sunday meetings at least once each month in 1100 congregations presided over and taught entirely by local Filipinos." The Church reported 1,112 congregations in the Philippines at year-end 2003 and 1,077 at year-end 2005, and so Elder Oaks' figure of 1,100 means that virtually all congregations are presided over by local members. In the same segment, he cites LDS membership in the Philippines at greater than 500,000. Official church reported membership in the Philippines was 526,178 at year-end 2003 and 553,121 at year-end 2005.

[_Mormonicious]

All the more reason why giving speakers in General Conference the chance to speak in their native languages is a great idea! A win-win for everybody!

And just so you know, Elder Holland lived in Chile from 2002-2004, and Elder Oaks in the Philippines during the same time period.

True, but where does he live now?

The people I visited with want a resident apostle not a "you are screwing up so I'm here to try and fix it" apostle who then leaves.

[_Sky]

There are only 12 apostles and 15 if you include the FP, and the Church is in 162 countries. They can't be everywhere. That is why we have Seventies.

[_ludwigm]

... the Church is in 162 countries...

Statistic.
The same as 15 million.