The Law of the Harvest: Retention
Spiritual Heritage, Commitment, and True Conversion
By David Stewart![]()
"For every seed bringeth forth unto its own likeness." Alma 32:31
Converts, to a great extent, will be like the missionaries who taught them. "Do what I say, not what I do" gets no mileage in missionary work. What they believe, know, and expect of themselves will to a great degree be a reflection of what you have, or have not, taught them both by what the missionaries say and what their unspoken actions and attitudes convey. Just as a parent has great influence on a child, so you will have a great influence on those you bring into the Church, although ultimately they have their free agency. Just as a parent cannot prevent every mistake of a child, but does have a great influence on who that child becomes. Many children are turned off to the Church by parents who talk about its importance, but fail to read scriptures with their family daily, fail to observe the Sabbath day properly, and convey in their conduct strong discrepancies with the gospel teachings they honor with their lips, children become negatively conditioned towards the gospel: they learn to speak and not to do, and often it is more difficult to get them to live the gospel later in life than if they had never heard it at all. So it is with converts. Just as parents are responsible for the sins of children who they do not teach properly, so do missionaries answer upon their own heads the sins of those not taught properly and fully in word, deed, and demeanor.
"This people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men." Isaiah 29:26
The General Authorities (and most importantly the Lord himself, throughout the scriptures) have emphasized that conversions, and not just baptisms, are important. Much inactivity is avoidable. There is much members can do to help increase retention of new members. However, many investigators are programmed for inactivity – or activity - by the attitudes and actions of the missionaries who teach them. The retention process does not start after baptism and confirmation. It begins much earlier – the moment missionaries walk in the door. As President Hinckley stated in the letter he read in conference from a young man who grew inactive when he was not fellowshipped, inactivity "creates a strong negative impression" that is difficult to overcome.
A child's early upbringing has a profound influence on the attitudes and practices he or she will exhibit as an adult. So, likewise, the content and quality of the "upbringing" of investigators by missionary "parents" before baptism has a profound influence on future activity and the attitudes and beliefs the individual will exhibit as a member. Rational people accept the gospel when they feel the spirit, understand basic doctrine correctly, and follow through on their commitments. It is important for investigators to understand the gospel (as demonstrated by both mental comprehension and righteous living) before accepting baptism. Righteous habits, like daily prayer, daily scripture reading, and keeping the Sabbath day holy, do not develop overnight. The time before baptism is a valuable window period during which potential converts develop habits that are likely to stay with them as members in the church. Shortening or eliminating this critical preparation time almost always has serious long-term consequences. If investigators are not willing to institute these habits before baptism, it is unlikely that these habits will be developed later. It is important to be kind but firm.
Missionaries should make sure that investigators are really converted as demonstrated by keeping commitments as well as their words. If a person is not reading the scriptures and attending church consistently before baptism, they are unlikely to do these things after baptism. "See that ye are not baptized unworthily" (3 Nephi). It is much better to delay an investigator's baptism for a week or more to solidify their commitment and gospel habits than to rush them to the water. Those who have studied psychology will recognize that one of the most effective ways of deconditioning (or engraining behavior contrary to that which is desired) is to show actions inconsistent with one's words. Rushing investigators to baptism or baptizing them in spite of irregular or inconsistent fulfillment of the core commitments gives the message that commitments are not important, and those individuals are less likely to be good members even if they do stay active. One of the greatest problems is allowing dogmatic adherence to a prematurely set baptism date, emotional attachment to the person and not the gospel, or a desire for more baptisms (without understanding of conversion) to lower the bar for baptism. Accepting excuses about missing church attendance before baptism, not reading scriptures, etc. conveys that these activities are not genuinely important and virtually guarantees the persistence of these attitudes and behaviors after baptism.
In the 1980s (and in some regions still today), a popular practice in some areas was to rush investigators to baptism as soon as the investigator was willing. In some cases (especially in South American missions), an individuals would routinely be taught the discussions over one to two weeks, or in some cases in as little as a single day, and then baptized. While this policy may result in temporary increases in baptisms, it rarely leads to true conversion. Instead, it results in extremely low retention and serious member problems.
Sometimes missionaries express that investigators need to go to church "so that they can get baptized." I have spoken with several branch presidents and bishops, who have noted many investigators who come to church for the first time on the day of their baptism and never return. Blaming members for not fellowshipping these individuals is pointless. In this example, the investigators who attend church for the first time on the day of their baptism are virtually programmed for inactivity. They are not making a fully competent and informed decision, since they have not yet ever committed a single Sunday to the church and are likely to be disappointed when they see any weakness in other ward membres. The problem lies not with ward members, but in the investigator's spiritual upbringing by the missionaries. Unfortunately, these problems likely could have been prevented if the missionaries had been more firm in insisting that commitments be fulfilled and that righteous habits be consistently exercised prior to setting a concrete baptismal date. Baptizing individuals who are not fully committed or prepared is not a service to them or to the Church. When individuals are appropriately prepared for baptism, wards branches are strengthened, enthusiasm rises, and the number and quality of true conversions increases.
Missionaries must focus a great deal on retention. When retention is low, what is accomplished by increasing baptisms when active membership does not correspondingly increase? Retention is generally the fruit of true conversion. If investigators are truly converted, they will be strong members. If they are not converted before baptism, no amount of member work after baptism is likely to change that. There is great danger in baptizing people who have not been truly converted. In addition to the disadvantage to the investigators themselves and the burden placed on the local members, we are held accountable for shortcomings in their teaching and their sins will be on our heads.
"And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day." Jacob 1:19
One missionary that we spoke recently with stated that his mission had a new goal of a ten-day baptismal commitment. We asked him what retention for the mission was like with this new goal. He said that the retention level was low but it had been low before with a three-week baptismal commitment. Their reasoning for this new goal, as the Elder stated was so that the people would feel the spirit and not have time to lose or forget the feelings they had and therefore get baptised soon. He also said that it was easier to track people if they are members, even if they lapse into inactivity. However, this philosophy conflicts significantly with President Hinckley's teachings stated above. For more details, see the page on proper goal-setting.
This philosophy sounds quite a bit like the great heresy of the early Catholic church in lowering the bar for baptism to "open the doors of Heaven wider" so that more people could be "saved". The truth is that the conditions for salvation are set by God, and by pretending that they are less than what they are, we only hinder those who are entering and bring down condemnation upon ourselves. No man or woman is authorized to lower the conditions of baptism that the Lord has set. Often we do this by not adequately emphasizing repentance and by looking just for the "right answers" in our baptismal screening and not for true commitment and faith as demonstrated by consistently keeping commitment. Sins of those baptized unworthily without proper repentance are not remitted, and we bring down condemnation upon ourselves.
What is the real problem? Why is retention so low for this mission? Although the spirit is important, it is not the only element to successful conversion. Commitment is the lacking ingredient. When investigators who are sloppy at keeping commitments are pushed to baptism, inactivity is generally a predictable result. When consistent fulfillment of commitments is required, retention is high and members, missionaries, new converts, and investigators alike all grow together and experience a unity of the faith. It is worth the effort to teach investigators correctly and ensure that commitments are being consistently fulfilled before baptism.
"Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" James 2:17-20
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