Roxylynn, my elders quorum leader smokes. He smoked before he was called to that position. He smoked before he received the Aaronic and melkizidec priesthood. He smoked since he was 13. Everybody knew he did including the bishop and stake president before he was called. He has brought more people into the gospel and labors for the Lord like a warrior. Retention comes when we fellowship one another in spite of all our weaknesses. When we truly love each other and look thru each other's weakness into the heart and soul of a person instead of the very fragile and mortal skin we wear on this earth.
Elder WachApril 26, 2016
Teach repentance, Baptize converts! The goal of missionary work is not Baptisms, it is converts. Perhaps now we are baptizing more converts but have less baptisms.
RoxyLynneApril 23, 2016
I'm not sure how the standards for baptism have changed. They seem pretty low in our area. Our ward retains very, very few of the people we baptize. I taught with the sister missionaries and the woman kept saying she was an atheist and although she was reading the Book of Mormon, she wasn't praying at all. But those sister missionaries had a baptism date, by golly. Our neighbor was baptized and not two weeks after, he was in his driveway smoking. In our part of the vineyard, the laborers are few.
JediMormonApril 22, 2016
I've been defending my beliefs on the 'net for over 20 years now (currently on YouTube) on a daily basis. I often see claims from the anti-Mormonism crowd that the internet has been the cause of fewer baptisms (supposedly because the "truth" about Mormonism is being made known). Interesting that the church is tightening up the qualification for someone being baptized. I agree with the policy.
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DanApril 27, 2016
Roxylynn, my elders quorum leader smokes. He smoked before he was called to that position. He smoked before he received the Aaronic and melkizidec priesthood. He smoked since he was 13. Everybody knew he did including the bishop and stake president before he was called. He has brought more people into the gospel and labors for the Lord like a warrior. Retention comes when we fellowship one another in spite of all our weaknesses. When we truly love each other and look thru each other's weakness into the heart and soul of a person instead of the very fragile and mortal skin we wear on this earth.
Elder WachApril 26, 2016
Teach repentance, Baptize converts! The goal of missionary work is not Baptisms, it is converts. Perhaps now we are baptizing more converts but have less baptisms.
RoxyLynneApril 23, 2016
I'm not sure how the standards for baptism have changed. They seem pretty low in our area. Our ward retains very, very few of the people we baptize. I taught with the sister missionaries and the woman kept saying she was an atheist and although she was reading the Book of Mormon, she wasn't praying at all. But those sister missionaries had a baptism date, by golly. Our neighbor was baptized and not two weeks after, he was in his driveway smoking. In our part of the vineyard, the laborers are few.
JediMormonApril 22, 2016
I've been defending my beliefs on the 'net for over 20 years now (currently on YouTube) on a daily basis. I often see claims from the anti-Mormonism crowd that the internet has been the cause of fewer baptisms (supposedly because the "truth" about Mormonism is being made known). Interesting that the church is tightening up the qualification for someone being baptized. I agree with the policy.
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