Quote:
Originally Posted by micah6v8
The LSM church that I am at recently announced a goal to increase the number of saints to [X] by Year [Y]. The goal was ambitious.
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I have heard a lot of similar declarations in the LC. Most often it was the kind of talk where they would say how an increase is needed and if everyone just brought in one person within a year there would be a 100% increase. It all sounded so simple, and then when everything failed, there was no easy explanation but to blame members. Speaking for myself, that was always a great point of frustration. I didn't like being blamed, and I didn't like being run around in circles. If something clearly isn't working, then quite trying to re-implement it. Go back to the drawing board and start fresh.
When I think back to all the LC gospel activities that I participated in, I can't ever remember anything that ended with any measurable results. When BFA first started, we used to go around to houses and put flyers on doors. That eventually stopped as BFA became more focused on doing tables, which also didn't ever seem to amount to anything. Now it looks like they have resorted to advertising on Facebook. Go figure.
The point that I'm getting to is this: most Americans that LCers come in contact with are onto the fact that LCers are attempting to proselytize. People don't have to know anything about the LC to get the hint. Someone who is a Christian and is handed an unknown version of the Bible that claims to be the consummation of 2000 years of understand is going to probably have a few questions. LCers don't like people questioning them. They don't like people that want to debate. The people who will accept stuff, no questions asked, are few and far between. So the LC is stuck in this situation of very little increase, and it's a problem that can't be addressed without major changes to the LC.
Of course, the hard facts about the lack of increase in the LC don't very well suit the grandiose view of the LC that they want members to have. So what do they do? They instead divert the focus to something else, something that might be a bit more productive. In the early 90's everyone was told that the Lord 'opened' the doors to Russian and that was where the Lord was moving. I remember a few who went there. Presumably there was some amount of success, but it is interesting is to consider such a focus on Russia was likely only due to the lack of success in the U.S. If we go back to the failure of the new way, none of the promises of how successful door-knocking would be ever played out. But there wasn't time for people to reflect on that. Attention was diverted to Russia.
This is the same thing I see with them contacting Syrian refugees. There is still very little growth in the U.S. Rather than address that problem, LSM is ready to send FTTA trainees overseas to an area that everyone is unfamiliar. It's another one of those LC propaganda things. Supposedly the Lord is moving in some distant place. Only trainess and LSM can provide the official reports of what is happening. The propaganda aspect is enough to convince members that something significant is happening, and more importantly, it keeps them from noticing their own desolate condition.