you know how it is. What is new is old, and what is old is new.
The pendulum will eventually swing the other way.
I don't know what the right answer is.
But it does remind me of my mission. Before I got there, the old mission president had many strict rules about requirements for baptism. For example of the rules was no smoking for 3 weeks. And maybe church 2-3 times.
Well, the mission president that I served under changed the rules. No smoking for one week and church once.
Baptisms were greatly increased. And the retention was the same. Net effect--a lot more Mormons. And probably a lot more missionaries that felt better about their efforts.
I wonder if the same principle can't be true about missionaries. I hear horror stories about entire missions gone astray, and that's really sad. So I don't know what went into the decision making.
I wonder what percent of mission presidents come from Utah. My guess is too many. That they are really neglecting to use the talent in other parts of the church. Ineffective mission presidents perhaps can be the result of the sometimes ineffective system of using poorly trained lay clergy.
I feel bad for guys with bad mission presidents. I was lucky to have one of the best.
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