Anticipating that Mitt Romney, the Mormon, might be selected as John McCain’s running mate, we created a website about Mitt Romney’s family, his mission to France, his involvement in the Church, some misconceptions about Mormonism, and issues surrounding faith and politics for Mormons:
Maybe it will come in handy in 2012 or 2016.
The Economist has a good article about the Mormon church. It mentions that the church has grown tremendously since it was first founded in New York by Joseph Smith and now has more members outside the U.S. than inside. There’s also the debate of whether to call it a worldwide church or a U.S. church with foreign adherents.
Rodney Stark, an American sociologist, pronounced 20 years ago that the Mormon faith was on the way to becoming the first world religion to be founded since Muhammad; he thought the number of adherents might exceed 260m by the second half of the 21st century.
Since then, the rate of growth has eased a little, though it remains impressive compared with many Christian denominations.
The article mentions Mitt Romney and Brandon Flowers as prominent Mormons.
It also mentions that church membership in Brazil (where I spent two years as a Mormon missionary) and Mexico constitute 1 million of the Church’s almost 13 million members.
Good article.
Source: Economist.com
Via: Sustaind.org
One of the side effects of being a Mormon missionary is that you meet lots of great people. (Probably because you simply meet lots of people, period.) Some of my best friends today are those I met while serving a mission in Brazil. That includes my mission companions, other missionaries who weren’t my companions, and families living in Minas Gerais. Those friendships and associations are among the best I have.
As I hinted above, meeting lots of people means you meet several negative or unfriendly persons as well. But those relationships fade quickly and the good ones remain.
Missionary work isn’t easy but the benefits are numerous.
When I started this blog, I intended to talk more about my experiences as a Mormon missionary. As a missionary in Brazil, many people were surprised to find out that being a missionary was a temporary assignment and that I would return to be a layman in the Church and pursue other professional goals. They were also surprised to learn that Mormon missionaries don’t receive a salary but in fact pay their own way. These sacrifices, combined with long hours of mental and physical exertion make being a Mormon missionary a demanding job.
But on the other hand, there was never a time when my tasks were so focused and clear cut. I felt important and productive. I met so many good people, among both the Brazilians I taught and among the Brazilian and Americans that were my companions. I repeatedly felt the Holy Spirit affirm the truthfulness of what I was doing and teaching and learning.
Being a Mormon missionary wasn’t easy, but I’m so thankful for what it did for me. President Gordon B. Hinckley said that missions are a tithing on the first 20 years of your life — not easy, but after doing it God opens the windows of heaven.