A question about LDS and missions?

Question

Okay, so you go on two-year missions to convert people of third-world (and other) countries, and spend a LOT of money on it. Why not take that money, and instead of talking, try doing to show God's compassion? Build homes for the poor instead of thousands of new churches. In the past 6 months I have seen five LDS churches pop up within walking distance of my house (live in AZ) yet I see the churches doing nothing for the community. There are still homeless on the streets, and you're still sending kids out on missions. I'm agnostic-athiest-pagan and I'm doing more to help people than the LDS.
And my best friend is a Mormon, so don't think I hate all of you. I just want to know why build more churches and do more missions when you could do so much more for homeless people. Feed the starving, home the shelterless, educate the schooless. It doesn't matter what country you're in...stop trying to force beliefs and show people the compassion of God instead. Wouldn't it be better?

Answer 1

Well the LDS church does a lot of philanthropy work, like disaster relief, medical training and feeding the hungry. While, yes the missionaries pay quite a bit of money to participate, and I do find it to be a steep sum of money that could be lowered by several negotiation means, they also provide a priceless service of teaching people what they believe is true and could bring comfort and meaning to a lot of people.
I think its great your best friend is Mormon and all, but you really do ask a lot of critical questions of us as a group. There are a lot of churches that need a critical eye cast on them too. Why focus on us exclusively?
Heres a link with information on Latterday Saint Charities

Answer 2

I don't think that you hate all of us, you simply are not aware of all that the church does to help the provide relief around the world or what a mission comprises.

The church already has an enormous humanitarian program in operation. Take a moment to browse some of the things that the church is doing. Here is a link to the website:
http://www.lds.org/humanitarianservices/0,19749,6208,00.html
You will see that the church is involved in numerous local and international projects. In addition to the projects sponsored by the church's official humanitarian efforts, each church group and member is responsible for helping to meet the needs of those in our community. We do this by organizing community service projects, donating fast offerings to help the poor, etc. The church also operates canneries where struggling people can go and work canning the food that they need rather than simply receiving a free hand out.

As for the missions, they cost about $10,000. Most young people work to save all or part of that money themselves. Often their families help them with the rest. This mission changes the life of the missionary making them a better person than when they left. This, in and of itself, is well worth the 10,000. During that mission, they provide weekly service to the local community as well as teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to all they meet.

Let's say they help to convert only 1 person during their two years. If that person stays drug free, gets married, raises a great family contributes to society, has a job, and find peace and happiness, then I think that the money is definitely well spent. If that person, in turn, helps one other person the cycle continues bringing forth great blessings.

Now, if you compare what many young people are spending $10,000 on, I think that you will see why it is such an amazing thing. The money could be spent on clothes, cell phones, electronics, new cars, drugs, pornography, and other meaningless things.

So no, I don't think that it would be better spent building a home. It is like the saying teach a man to fish and you feed him for a day. If you teach the man the Gospel of Jesus Christ, whether you believe or not, you are providing him the means by which he can feed himself forever.

Answer 3

The poster above forgot to mention the church was also first to leave after the cameras stopped rolling in New Orleans, and the 'help' was only directed to the LDS church. And the complete lack of church aid in the Indonesian Tsunami and Pakistani earthquake - not enough chapels?

I have never seen a work of art funded by the church, much less a soup kitchen. The Las Vegas Bishop's Storehouse is in the middle of skid row, yet I've never seen any overt intervention - and it's about 8 miles from the LV Temple.

Answer 4

Next Sunday is Fast Sunday. Why not join with us that day. We obstain from 2 meals and donate the cost as a fast offering to help those locally in need. In addition to assistance, we share their hunger for a day. If a hundred families can make a difference in a few lifes, together we can multiple that force.

Last year we helped with ten Eagle Scout projects. Half were for Habitat for Humanity. So we do build houses, not just chapels. Call your local ward to see when you can help with a Scout project.

If you have a project to help others, ask your friend if any in the church will help you.

Answer 5

You might not know it but the LDS church helps people in a lot of ways. For an example when an emergency happens such as Katrina for an example the LDS church sent a lot of food and water to the area. They also sent and asked church members to help rebuild and search for people. There has been so many other disasters that the church has also helped with you might not hear about it but they do step in and help out. You might not know it but church members help out in the community. For an example they might paint someones house that can not do it themselves. They might collect things and donate them to the homeless shelter. There is desert industires (DI) and what ever they do not sell after a period of time then they donate them to people who are in need. At the benigng of each school year in my area they correct things for people who can't afford them and give them away they might also send those items elsewhere if they collect more than they need. There is so many things that the church does in the community and world that you might not know of.
I see that you do not understand the part of missions to. When someone goes on a mission then parents or someone else pays so much money out of month to help pay for the mission.

Answer 6

You hit the nail on the head! What really matters is not convincing others to believe like you, but living the gospel of Jesus Christ, which can be found in Matthew 5, 6, and 7.

Living this gospel entails taking care of the poor and needy as you have suggested.

You are right on. And I love the LDS people dearly.

Answer 7

I'd say that you could say this of nearly every kind of Christianity there is... or any other religion that spends money to convert.

Missionary work is largely wasteful. All kinds of money spent taking Bibles to Africa when the people are starving to death. What kind of sense does that make? How can you look at a starving village of men women and children and not want to sell all the Bibles you brought for them to read in order to feed them... or if you have enough for them, for the next village, and the next? I don't get it.

Answer 8

Improving people's temporal well-being only lasts for this life. Teaching people about the truth and how to return to God lasts forever.

That said, missionaries DO spend time doing service projects.

Answer 9

I agree with you on this.

I think most of your responses will be from people that are saying both of these things are done equally for people of all kinds- church go-ers as well as the homeless. Good question.

Answer 10

You know, when Christ said we should help the poor, He also said that the right hand should not let the left hand know what it was doing.

You have NO IDEA of what we do to help the poor. Because most of the time, we don't blow our own horn. Besides, too many of the poor out there don't WANT our help, because we don't just give out stuff without asking people to help themselves. Many poor people out thee don't want to help themselves.

Sometimes we would have beggars come ask us for money for food. My husband would give them food instead of money, and they would be so ungrateful, because they didn't want to buy FOOD, they wanted to buy cigarettes and booze.

We first help our own. Because our own pay tithes when they are working. And when they aren't working, they WANT to work.