Yep, it’s true. My grandmother, in her 80s, went into the MTC (Missionary Training Center) for Seniors today and will train for one week to be an LDS missionary. What’s more, she’ll be a proselytizing missionary, which surprised me when I heard of it. I thought they only gave seniors cushy mission jobs like tour guide at Temple Square or something, but she’s actually going to be walking the streets (er, somehow that doesn’t sound quite right…) Good luck, Grandma! See ya in a year!
Now, everyone, be nice. It’s his grandmother, for heaven’s sake.
Oops, I made a mistake. She won’t be on the streets after all, but will probably work on re-activating inactive members instead. I’m glad she’s not going to be going door-to-door!
This woman (the grandma in question) is probably the nicest woman I’ve ever met.
I hope she doesn’t mind the weird weather down there.
It finally rained, after a 2 month drought.
I’m glad she’s not going to be going door-to-door either. That’s dangerous for anyone but I especially wouldn’t want my grandmother doing it!
BTW, how do you reactivate non-active members? (This is a serious question–no teasing!) I’m sorry but I have this mental image of a giant labratory filled with replacement batteries!
They go to the MAC, missionary activiation center, where they receive an jump start from the giant LDS car.
It only takes a few minutes, they sip some tea whilst waiting.
Beth, you go to their homes, ask them how they’ve been, how is life going, encourage them to go to church. Show some interest in them. If you do it right, it works. If you come across like self-righteous prick, it doesn’t. And if you keep trying over and over and over, never getting the hint, it doesn’t work.
Right now I dont have a nice grandma missionary. Although, those are the best kind. I have the entire Relief Society. I moved from being a Young Women’s responsibility to a Relife Society Project. Fun huh?
SO, if she came across this in the newspaper, does it mean she was applying for a missionary position?
Yes, you’ve come across a little bit of Mormon vocabulary. Rather than use loaded terms like “reprobate” and “sinner” (we’re all saints, after all!), Mormons who don’t show up at church very often are referred to as “inactive” members. As pepperlandgirl stated, you “re-activate” them by getting them to start coming to church again, whereupon they become “active” members. Of course, like most euphemisms, the term “inactive” has come to mean the thing that you tried to avoid saying in the first place, and there are plenty of Mormons who would be just as insulted if you called them “inactive” as they would if you called them “no-good, dirty-rotten, church-skipping reprobates”. Lately the term “less active” has come into use to try to sound a little less judgemental, but as you can see, it’s only a very little less so.
In a similar vein, we’ve been encouraged lately to not use the term “non-members” to refer to people who are, well, not members of our church. (You know – Catholics and Episcopalians and Buddhists, etc.) Okay, fair enough; it’s probably not a good idea to define people by what the are not. However, the suggested alternative is – “NOT YET members”! Somehow I don’t think the not-yet-members are going to feel any better about their new name.