How Effective Was Mitt In Converting The French To Mormonism?......

[global1]

He was a missionary there. How many French people did he convert? How big is the Mormon church in France? What is the predominant religion in France? Certainly Mormon's can't be that big a faction there. The French like their wine too much.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. France is predominantly Catholic.

I read somewhere that he got maybe 5 converts the whole time he was there.

[Democrats_win]

2. Mormon missionaries are a joke.

1. They have no adult supervision--just a bunch of undisciplined rich kids

2. They only "serve" for two years while real missionaries do it their whole lives.

3. Why would anyone follow these know-nothing kids? A lot of them are away from home for the first time and they are struggling. Some are discovering that they are gay. None of these kids should be telling US how to live our lives when they can't even run their own lives!

Mormon missionaries are a fantastic mess.

Just think, today the dead-beat Mormons will descend on our nation's libraries to write their reports to their grand pooh bah. Most businesses will purchase their employees computers as a cost of doing business. But not the Mormons! In spite of getting tax breaks, they will use public computers to do their business. This hypocrisy is a shining light of what's wrong with Mormons.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. I remember being besieged by Mormons.

This would have been back in the late 70s. It seemed like they'd turn up in our neighborhood on an almost weekly basis, and they were persistent and annoying and would not take no for an answer. One time we saw them coming up the walk but the screen door was open so we couldn't pretend we weren't home. Instead we just dropped to the floor where they couldn't see us and waited for them to give up and go away, but I was afraid they'd hear us laughing.

Strangely, although I now live only about 6 blocks from a Mormon church, I never see them any more. I read somewhere that they won't visit you if you are single (which I am now) because single people aren't worth the effort or something like that. Fine with me. Few things are more irritating than religious proselytization.

[hollysmom]

16. the continually come around my neighborhood year after year

I found a solution. My door bell broke, and I never repaired it, my friends know to use a knocker or to call when they are outside.

[TlalocW]

17. They used to wake me up from sleeping late on Saturday

I put a No Proselytizing sign on my storm door specifically targeting Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons but letting it be known that I generally did not want to be solicited for anything.

Then I got Mormon Underwear as a Christmas Gift so I took it down and would sleep in it on Fridays in hopes that I could greet them in the morning in it while drinking a Pepsi and holding porn.

Alas, I had scared them off by that point.

TlalocW

[SheilaT]

11. My understanding is that all young mormon men

are expected (required maybe?) to do the two year mission thing, starting at age 19. That's the age when they might otherwise be in college and learning about the world, or out working and starting their own lives. Instead, they're spending two years trying to convince others to embrace their religion.

Think about it. Most of us at that age are not strong-minded enough to truly begin thinking for ourselves. If we've been raised in a very strong belief system, we may not have done a lot of questioning yet. (Some of us have, but that's beside the point.) So instead of going out into the larger world in some way, instead at this crucial stage of life you go off and spend two full years very immersed in your religion. It's going to impact you profoundly.

It is my opinion that most religions do not want their members, especially their younger members, thinking critically about the religion. Different sects handle it differently, but the requirement to go off on a mission is absolute genius.

[el_bryanto]

13. That's one way to look at it

The assessment being that if a religious belief is challenged, it usually crumbles, I guess? But I am not sure that a mission is the best way to go about it. The process of talking with other people inevitably exposes you to ideas that are't your own. On my mission I talked to Catholics, Muslims, French Protestants, Atheists, Jehova's Witnesses and plenty of other belief systems.

Religious belief is a tricky thing, because, at least for me, the key component of religious belief is that experience with the divine, which is hard to talk about rationally.

Bryant

[SheilaT]

18. I would not say that challenging a religious belief necessarily

causes it to crumble. Often, quite the opposite will occur.

But I'm suggesting that the precise age at which young Mormons do on a mission, and just how they go about it, would be absolutely instrumental in reinforcing their belief system.

You have really touched on an important thing by saying that the key component of religious belief is experience with the divine. I would suggest that many people who hold strong beliefs not not necessarily have that sort of experience with the divine, but for those who have it, I think their belief would be very difficult to shake. Least of all with reason, because as you pointed out, it is something hard to talk about rationally. Thank you for pointing this out.

[el_bryanto]

3. The Mormon Church is pretty small compared to Latin America or the United States

But there are still a number of members. I served my mission in French Speaking Belgium, Northern France, and the Lorraine. Generally the Missionaries are sent to regional areas called Missions - there are Missions in Bruxelles (where I served) Paris, Bordeaux and, I believe, one in French speaking Switzerland.

It was probably a pretty difficult mission as these things go - Paris when I served (1989-91 or thereabouts) was considered much tougher than Bruxelles.

Bryant

[msanthrope]

4. Converts? Oh, trés, trés! nt

[pinboy3niner]

5. Effective enough in converting him from 1-A to exempt. nt

[Whovian]

6. I heard from Rick that the entire nation is now Mormon.

(LOL)

[Nye Bevan]

7. 35,000 (or 0.1% of the population).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints_in_France

Not sure how many of these were due to Mitt's persuasive powers.

[ck4829]

8. How many ducks did Cheney and Scalia shoot on their hunting trip before the energy task force trial?

There's your answer.

[jsr]

9. The sightseeing was fantastic.

[Surya Gayatri]

12. In general, the French tend to be a fairly

cynical and sceptical people--not prone to jump on the first cult band wagon that comes along.

Their educational system trains them to be critical thinkers (to a fault) and they readily exercise that faculty, especially in matters of belief.

[pinboy3niner]

14. They converted a lot of Pâté de Foie Gras, batards and brie

Does that count?

[Bluenorthwest]

15. At the time of Mitt's 'mission' the LDS dogma was still very racist and openly so

and I doubt that went over well in Paris.

[KurtNYC]

19. He claims to have gotten 2 converts in 30 months

but the source for that is Mitt Romney so no one knows the real number.