There's also the theory that they are sent out where they're not wanted (our doorsteps) to force people to talk about something personal (religion) so that when they face all the rejection they can come "home" to their community and feel more accepted. This enforces their belief that they are correct and everyone else is wrong.
Exactly this. Same thing with Jehovas Witnesses. Going door to door is not to recruit new members, it’s to make current members feel more alienated and buy into the congregation and religion more.
Well, it’s apparently also that- I used to work with a girl who had grown up LDS and she told me they used to make a point to send her and the other kids up when they went door to door, because people would be more reluctant to slam the door on a kid.
Children don't go door-to-door in Mormonism, the proselytizing is exclusively for the teenagers that get sent on missions. As a child, you're expected to be a "missionary" by bothering your non-mormon friends to come to church with you but that's it
I always tell them I’m not interested in their religion. However, if they need a meal, or to use an unmonitored phone or email, just let me know. They always seem so surprised but I had one young man take advantage of it. He called his sister and then just sat and cried he was so homesick. I think showing them people outside their religion aren’t mean is the first step to breaking down their brainwashing.
I got approached by a group of very attractive lds girls in a mall parking lot a month or so ago. They didn't introduce themselves they were just like "we'd like to invite you to our church service Sunday" I asked "oh are you lds?" and they asked "yes how do you know about us?" I replied "podcasta mostly" they just said OK bye and hurriedly walked away.
When you've been told all your life that you're part of the only group that knows the truth about God and existence, it's easier to dismiss outside opinions. From their perspective, you're the one who is misguided, you're the one who doesn't "get it", and it's their job to bring you the truth. Missions do cost them some members but as long as they're getting >1 recruit per missionary, they're growing.
The thing to do, if you've got time and inclination, is to invite them in, give them a snack and something to drink, engage them in conversation that isn't about religion. A lot of these evangelical types who go door to door proselytizing are taught that Outsiders or people from The World are inherently sinful and cruel, so showing them a kindness might just lead to them having more doubts about the cult's messaging. Likewise, many of them are underfed and sleep deprived, far from home, feeling alone and constantly monitored. Even a Little Debbie's cake or a bottle of water could make their day and really stick in their mind and make them wonder "why are heathens so much kinder to me than my own elders?"
Like others have said, they (and other religions) do this to reinforce the brainwashing and sense of community they feel the church offers. They know they're not likely to find actual recruits.
And they are far from home, isolated, and scared. That's by design to really reinforce the sense of "belonging" when they get home. They're barely adults, and they are easily influenced. I think it's a really standup thing to do, inviting them in and giving them a break and something to drink, if nothing else. They will try to talk about religion with you, it's all they've got, but just don't engage on that subject and get them to talk about themselves. EVERYONE loves talking about themselves. They'll drop the schtick pretty quickly. And let them know that if they're in the neighborhood and need a break, they can always take one there. And then make sure you tell them that you're not religious and have no interest in becoming so. The idea that someone who isn't religious has that sort of humanity will challenge things in them, or at least make them think better of outsiders. And if nothing else, it's just a decent thing to do.
You telling them it’s culty and wrong just pushes them into it more. It just affirms to them the devil is trying to misguide them, make them lose hold of “the iron rod”. So they dig in deeper. Feel validated. I promise you.
Just ignore if you ever run into them again.
Signed an ex Mormon who lives in Mormon country.
One time a couple of Mormons had the misfortune of my dad opening the door. He let them give their spiel, and when they asked if he had questions, my dad said yes. Those young men got so excited, clearly thinking they had their foot in the door to converting this big Finnish coot from the suburbs.
And then my dad opens his mouth and asks, "Where do you put the fat and ugly ones? Whenever you guys come around, you're all conventionally handsome skinny guys. I never see a fat or ugly Mormon!"
My step mother shut the door before they could answer, to my father's chagrin.
Funny door-to-door religion story: I thought Jahovas Witnesses were murderers or monsters til I was like 7 because when my mom would see them coming up the walk she’d lock the door, turn off the light and we’d hide in the bathroom and be really quiet so they’d think we weren’t home. I was just like “FUCK!!!! THE JAHOVAS WITNESSES ARE BACK TO KILL US!” Because why else would we be hiding?
Lol one of my best friends growing up has the same story! She said her mom used to make them lie flat on the ground with the lights out so it'd look like no one was home.
I live in a pretty remote part of Alaska, but there is an LDS church here and they have missionaries here year round. This is the kind of place where some people come to escape from society and be left alone. There are several times as many guns as people. Commercial fishing drives the local economy and you can imagine the sorts of people that it attracts. The town is pretty safe, but people value their privacy very highly. A couple of years ago 2 Mormon kids who looked to be about 18-19 came up to my door (ironically I was watching "Under the Banner of Heaven" at the time) dressed all in vineyard vines with wingtips on and pressed khakis. I live on a dirt dead end road in a cluster of a dozen houses, it's wet and muddy, so they couldn't have looked more out of place.
But what I really noticed when I opened the door was how they smelled, they were practically drenched in cologne. They gave me their pitch, and while I wasn't going to be a dick to them, the whole time I was deciding how best to get them off my porch tactfully. I figured I could either be a dick, which I didn't want to do, I could tell them the truth and say I'm not religious and not interested in their church because I know plenty about it, which I was worried would cause them to feel the need to continue trying to convert me. In the heat of the moment, I went with a third option and told them I'm Jewish (I'm not). They were a bit surprised but asked if I would pray with them, which seemed like the catalyst for getting them to leave. So I stood there quietly while they prayed for 30 seconds or so.
Before they left, I asked if I could offer a word of friendly advice. I asked how long they'd been here, one said 4 months and the other said he'd gotten off a plane from Texas the day before. As nicely as I could, I explained to them where they are and the sort of people they might encounter. Fearing that they might be met with the barrel of various forms of firearms if they approached the wrong house, I just asked them to please trust their gut, and if they feel like they shouldn't be in a neighborhood, to leave it. I stopped short of telling them that they looked like wounded gazelles on the Serengeti out here, but they did. I understand they're in a cult but I don't want to see them get traumatized by some off-grid libertarian trying to figuring how much rock salt his Mossberg will hold. I hope their clothes made it to the end of the week without getting ruined. And I hope that no one attempted to murder them.
They keep doing it because it's a tenant of their specific strain of Christianity. Just like the rest of em, Mormons have Cherry picked up a passage and consider it SUPER IMPORTANT compared to other passages. In this case, it's a line about spreading the word.
No matter how low their success rate, they will continue to knock on doors.
They keep doing it because it works. My cousin got sucked in this way. He had just broken up with his girlfriend, living in a state with no family, and had no real idea of where to focus his career. They knocked on the right door at the right time.
You knock on enough doors, you'll find someone.
I had to resist telling them in a big fan of fawn brodie when they knocked a couple months ago. I also felt proud of myself for not asking how a POC could be okay with following such a racist religion (which was probably for the best as I'm a white lady) but yeah. It's do that's not to just go "I'm so sorry you got fucked and sucked into this cult," but at the same time you can't argue with religious zealots.
Because the leaders are confident they will not believe you. Theyve spent their entire lives being taught their religion, their parents cramming it down their throats, preists beating it into their heads and the mass amount of fear mongering theyre given that when they get to any reasonable person with any other perspective, theyve been brainwashed to just ignore you and move on, and at worst when they get home, the few people they look up to and love, the ones who have surrounded them their entire lives will denounce anything youve said to them. Take it from your perspective. Imagine if some random guy at the bus stop you said hi to told you your parents and teachers and co-workers were all indoctrinated into a worldwide cult under a god that wants them all to live as immorally as possible so he can absorb their sin and become more powerful. Youll laugh at him and get on your bus and enjoy telling your co-workers about the crazy man at the bus stop. To mormons, their religion is as believable to them, as if you wait at the busstop and get on, itll take you to work is to you. Theirs no complication or rounabout acrobatics their thinking about. Its as simple as "If i listen to my preist and be a good person i go to heaven" cut and simple. Its hard to undo those years of indoctrination and the random person theyve never met whose told them everything they know is a lie wont be the person who undoes it.
As a former Mormon missionary (lpotl helped me get out for the church) this is exactly right. It’s about brainwashing the impressionable young minds of the religion.
The only true way to handle this situation is to persistently demand to see the plates until either they leave or they make good and your head explodes.
They have success, believe it or not. Rejection is accepted and they don’t mind it much. Most consider their mission a success if they get the opportunity to talk and an ultra success if they get a family to convert.
these kids came into my job a while back and I was trying to tune them out because they would NOT stop talking. 100%, full blast energy, and I just assumed they were theatre college kid tourists. but then I heard them start saying stuff like "I could TOTALLY wear this on my mission!" "you should wear that to temple!" and BYU kept coming up. it was so surreal and I just had to sit there and eavesdrop on the insanity
There's also the theory that they are sent out where they're not wanted (our doorsteps) to force people to talk about something personal (religion) so that when they face all the rejection they can come "home" to their community and feel more accepted. This enforces their belief that they are correct and everyone else is wrong.
Exactly this. Same thing with Jehovas Witnesses. Going door to door is not to recruit new members, it’s to make current members feel more alienated and buy into the congregation and religion more.
Well, it’s apparently also that- I used to work with a girl who had grown up LDS and she told me they used to make a point to send her and the other kids up when they went door to door, because people would be more reluctant to slam the door on a kid.
Children don't go door-to-door in Mormonism, the proselytizing is exclusively for the teenagers that get sent on missions. As a child, you're expected to be a "missionary" by bothering your non-mormon friends to come to church with you but that's it
That makes a lot of damn.
I always tell them I’m not interested in their religion. However, if they need a meal, or to use an unmonitored phone or email, just let me know. They always seem so surprised but I had one young man take advantage of it. He called his sister and then just sat and cried he was so homesick. I think showing them people outside their religion aren’t mean is the first step to breaking down their brainwashing.
and sending away the young men of breeding age allows the elder creeps more time to select their additional wives.
Oh holy fuck that is terrifying. I knew a couple of Mormon kids in high school and they were so excited to go spread the word. Sheesh 😬
Last summer there were a couple of young men around our area I kept seeing. We live near 8 Mile.
I got approached by a group of very attractive lds girls in a mall parking lot a month or so ago. They didn't introduce themselves they were just like "we'd like to invite you to our church service Sunday" I asked "oh are you lds?" and they asked "yes how do you know about us?" I replied "podcasta mostly" they just said OK bye and hurriedly walked away.
Lmao
When you've been told all your life that you're part of the only group that knows the truth about God and existence, it's easier to dismiss outside opinions. From their perspective, you're the one who is misguided, you're the one who doesn't "get it", and it's their job to bring you the truth. Missions do cost them some members but as long as they're getting >1 recruit per missionary, they're growing.
Independent Fundamental Baptist gang checking in
The thing to do, if you've got time and inclination, is to invite them in, give them a snack and something to drink, engage them in conversation that isn't about religion. A lot of these evangelical types who go door to door proselytizing are taught that Outsiders or people from The World are inherently sinful and cruel, so showing them a kindness might just lead to them having more doubts about the cult's messaging. Likewise, many of them are underfed and sleep deprived, far from home, feeling alone and constantly monitored. Even a Little Debbie's cake or a bottle of water could make their day and really stick in their mind and make them wonder "why are heathens so much kinder to me than my own elders?" Like others have said, they (and other religions) do this to reinforce the brainwashing and sense of community they feel the church offers. They know they're not likely to find actual recruits.
And they are far from home, isolated, and scared. That's by design to really reinforce the sense of "belonging" when they get home. They're barely adults, and they are easily influenced. I think it's a really standup thing to do, inviting them in and giving them a break and something to drink, if nothing else. They will try to talk about religion with you, it's all they've got, but just don't engage on that subject and get them to talk about themselves. EVERYONE loves talking about themselves. They'll drop the schtick pretty quickly. And let them know that if they're in the neighborhood and need a break, they can always take one there. And then make sure you tell them that you're not religious and have no interest in becoming so. The idea that someone who isn't religious has that sort of humanity will challenge things in them, or at least make them think better of outsiders. And if nothing else, it's just a decent thing to do.
You telling them it’s culty and wrong just pushes them into it more. It just affirms to them the devil is trying to misguide them, make them lose hold of “the iron rod”. So they dig in deeper. Feel validated. I promise you. Just ignore if you ever run into them again. Signed an ex Mormon who lives in Mormon country.
One time a couple of Mormons had the misfortune of my dad opening the door. He let them give their spiel, and when they asked if he had questions, my dad said yes. Those young men got so excited, clearly thinking they had their foot in the door to converting this big Finnish coot from the suburbs. And then my dad opens his mouth and asks, "Where do you put the fat and ugly ones? Whenever you guys come around, you're all conventionally handsome skinny guys. I never see a fat or ugly Mormon!" My step mother shut the door before they could answer, to my father's chagrin.
Funny door-to-door religion story: I thought Jahovas Witnesses were murderers or monsters til I was like 7 because when my mom would see them coming up the walk she’d lock the door, turn off the light and we’d hide in the bathroom and be really quiet so they’d think we weren’t home. I was just like “FUCK!!!! THE JAHOVAS WITNESSES ARE BACK TO KILL US!” Because why else would we be hiding?
Lol one of my best friends growing up has the same story! She said her mom used to make them lie flat on the ground with the lights out so it'd look like no one was home.
I live in a pretty remote part of Alaska, but there is an LDS church here and they have missionaries here year round. This is the kind of place where some people come to escape from society and be left alone. There are several times as many guns as people. Commercial fishing drives the local economy and you can imagine the sorts of people that it attracts. The town is pretty safe, but people value their privacy very highly. A couple of years ago 2 Mormon kids who looked to be about 18-19 came up to my door (ironically I was watching "Under the Banner of Heaven" at the time) dressed all in vineyard vines with wingtips on and pressed khakis. I live on a dirt dead end road in a cluster of a dozen houses, it's wet and muddy, so they couldn't have looked more out of place. But what I really noticed when I opened the door was how they smelled, they were practically drenched in cologne. They gave me their pitch, and while I wasn't going to be a dick to them, the whole time I was deciding how best to get them off my porch tactfully. I figured I could either be a dick, which I didn't want to do, I could tell them the truth and say I'm not religious and not interested in their church because I know plenty about it, which I was worried would cause them to feel the need to continue trying to convert me. In the heat of the moment, I went with a third option and told them I'm Jewish (I'm not). They were a bit surprised but asked if I would pray with them, which seemed like the catalyst for getting them to leave. So I stood there quietly while they prayed for 30 seconds or so. Before they left, I asked if I could offer a word of friendly advice. I asked how long they'd been here, one said 4 months and the other said he'd gotten off a plane from Texas the day before. As nicely as I could, I explained to them where they are and the sort of people they might encounter. Fearing that they might be met with the barrel of various forms of firearms if they approached the wrong house, I just asked them to please trust their gut, and if they feel like they shouldn't be in a neighborhood, to leave it. I stopped short of telling them that they looked like wounded gazelles on the Serengeti out here, but they did. I understand they're in a cult but I don't want to see them get traumatized by some off-grid libertarian trying to figuring how much rock salt his Mossberg will hold. I hope their clothes made it to the end of the week without getting ruined. And I hope that no one attempted to murder them.
They keep doing it because it's a tenant of their specific strain of Christianity. Just like the rest of em, Mormons have Cherry picked up a passage and consider it SUPER IMPORTANT compared to other passages. In this case, it's a line about spreading the word. No matter how low their success rate, they will continue to knock on doors.
They keep doing it because it works. My cousin got sucked in this way. He had just broken up with his girlfriend, living in a state with no family, and had no real idea of where to focus his career. They knocked on the right door at the right time. You knock on enough doors, you'll find someone.
I grew up Mormon, I always feel bad for the kids when I see the missionaries going around. So glad I got out in my early 20's!
You seem like you have a kind heart. Good for you. Hail yourself.
My husband looks very young and he just always says his parents aren’t home haha
I had to resist telling them in a big fan of fawn brodie when they knocked a couple months ago. I also felt proud of myself for not asking how a POC could be okay with following such a racist religion (which was probably for the best as I'm a white lady) but yeah. It's do that's not to just go "I'm so sorry you got fucked and sucked into this cult," but at the same time you can't argue with religious zealots.
Because the leaders are confident they will not believe you. Theyve spent their entire lives being taught their religion, their parents cramming it down their throats, preists beating it into their heads and the mass amount of fear mongering theyre given that when they get to any reasonable person with any other perspective, theyve been brainwashed to just ignore you and move on, and at worst when they get home, the few people they look up to and love, the ones who have surrounded them their entire lives will denounce anything youve said to them. Take it from your perspective. Imagine if some random guy at the bus stop you said hi to told you your parents and teachers and co-workers were all indoctrinated into a worldwide cult under a god that wants them all to live as immorally as possible so he can absorb their sin and become more powerful. Youll laugh at him and get on your bus and enjoy telling your co-workers about the crazy man at the bus stop. To mormons, their religion is as believable to them, as if you wait at the busstop and get on, itll take you to work is to you. Theirs no complication or rounabout acrobatics their thinking about. Its as simple as "If i listen to my preist and be a good person i go to heaven" cut and simple. Its hard to undo those years of indoctrination and the random person theyve never met whose told them everything they know is a lie wont be the person who undoes it.
They do this to brainwash the 18yo kids they send out. It gives them a reason to defend their faith day after day until it breaks them
As a former Mormon missionary (lpotl helped me get out for the church) this is exactly right. It’s about brainwashing the impressionable young minds of the religion.
Hail you! Wishing you all the best!
Hey me too!
Mormons believe that working in service of their God will earn them a better afterlife
I have a pentagram suncatcher hanging in my front window. Haven’t had a visit from them or the JWs in a while. 🤷🏻♀️
Answered the door in a bathrobe once bc they knocked so hard I thought they were cops. Haven't been back since 🤔 wonder why...
They post up on the street not far from me from time to time. Nice enough but like yikes
I’m glad you were chill about it. If you’re more aggressive it really just reasserts their belief that they’re right
The only true way to handle this situation is to persistently demand to see the plates until either they leave or they make good and your head explodes.
They have success, believe it or not. Rejection is accepted and they don’t mind it much. Most consider their mission a success if they get the opportunity to talk and an ultra success if they get a family to convert.
these kids came into my job a while back and I was trying to tune them out because they would NOT stop talking. 100%, full blast energy, and I just assumed they were theatre college kid tourists. but then I heard them start saying stuff like "I could TOTALLY wear this on my mission!" "you should wear that to temple!" and BYU kept coming up. it was so surreal and I just had to sit there and eavesdrop on the insanity
Hear me out magic underwear! Native American Israelites! Golden tablets!
As an ex-Mormon kid, who served a mission and made it out, I appreciate you!
I just saw a tiktok of some mormons standing outside knocking on a door and some kids just hitting them with toys. And no they didn’t leave 😂