Hello again, everyone! Breaking news has again been reported from the Church. Missionaries will now begin to receive their mission calls electronically by e-mail. The new procedure, which has been tested in a few instances, will start being utilized immediately in Utah and Idaho, and by the end of this year, prospective missionaries all around the world will be able to receive their calls through this method.
This is being done for a few reasons: First, the Church continues to utilize technology to further the work more effectively. Second, this will cut down on waiting times and postage. A missionary living in a region as far away from Salt Lake City as possible who was assigned at the same time as a missionary in the United States will be able to receive and read his or her call at the same time. Third, this will allow the process of preparing for missionary service (including, where required, obtaining the necessary visas) to be expedited.
Some may try to claim that this will cheapen, devalue, or replace the tradition of missionaries gathering with their family members to open their calls. But that can still be done. The only difference is the way in which the call is delivered. Once each missionary receives word that their call is waiting for them, they can gather their families together and open it at their convenience. For more details, you can read this article (from the Church News) or this release (from Mormon Newsroom).
It is exciting to realize how much the Church is embracing the age of technology. Hopefully most will see this as a positive change. I continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple developments and will do my level best to keep passing them along to you all as I become aware of them.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
BREAKING NEWS: Church Begins Sending Mission Calls Via E-mail
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
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I can see the tradition of opening letters as a big event but I remember my letter came and I just opened it. No big fanfare other than my immediate family present and then we called others to share the news. No of this video taping it and huge gatherings I see happening now.
ReplyDeleteAnd guess what?, my mission was the same either way. I had a small farewell gathering before I left. I think the whole letter opening ceremony is getting out of control. After all it is only the first sentence that anyone reads out loud anyway.
Thank you, Kenny, for stopping by to comment. I understand your position in a way. I have previously been invited to "mission call readings" of various family members, and I enjoyed the chance to gather with family to celebrate these milestones, which ought to be seen as special.
ReplyDeleteThat said, as I may or may not have mentioned before, with my situation (serving essentially two part-time missions), my call to serve at the temple was only marked quietly as I was set apart to work there, though we let members of my family know what was going on there.
The authorization of my call to begin serving as a welfare services missionary came in the form of a letter which my bishop read over the pulpit to the congregation, and the bishop represented the stake president in setting me apart in that capacity. Again, my family was notified later of this action.
And such private settings worked in that scenario, as that also seemed to work in what you describe above. I understand the enthusiasm missionaries have for sharing the moment their calls are open, and for that reason, I am glad that electronic delivery will jump-start the process of getting a prepared missionary completely ready for their service.
At the same time, I feel that whatever works for those missionaries and their families would be the most appropriate thing to do. Some enjoy having family close by when such calls are opened for the first time. Others may prefer for that to be a more private thing. While I feel that, at minimum, immediate family members should be present for a significant moment such as that, I have heard stories of missionary candidates who have wanted it to be more of a private thing, opening their calls when they are by themselves and letting all who are interested, including their parents and siblings, know the destination after they have a chance to privately enjoy that moment.
Having never experienced that process personally firsthand, I am not sure what I would have preferred. But i do know that the process by which prospective missionaries receive their calls is a very exciting thing for them and for their families. With that in mind, I applaud the Church making this change. I really appreciate the fact that a prospective missionary waiting for his or her call in South America or Africa will be able to get it just as swiftly as prospective missionaries in utah waiting for the same thing. And to have that process be worldwide wherever there is a good internet connection by the end of this year is nothing short of miraculous and awe-inspiring. Thanks again, Kenny!