Missionary Account

[greggo]

The donations to General Missionary are used to support missionaries not serving from the US and
Canada. The funds that are sent from Ward Missionary are used to support the US and Canadian missionaries.

This is news to me. Do you have documentation on that? It's not that I doubt you - I just never heard it before.

The only documentaton I can readily access on this subject is from MLS Help which states "Funds contributed to General Missionary are used to support full-time missionaries worldwide. This fund is generally used for missionaries from impoverished areas whose families cannot support their full-time missions."

While it can be inferred that "impoverished areas" refers to outside US and Canada, I would certainly consider US/Canada part of "worlwide." I can imagine there are certain stakes of the church in US/Canada that can be considered impoverished and therefore FT missionaries from these areas are recipients of the general missionary fund.

[lajackson]

This is news to me.

The general missionary fund has always been used to assist missionaries called from outside the US and Canada.

The ward missionary fund is used for missionaries serving from units in the US and Canada. The Church sweeps the ward fund based on the number of missionaries serving from the ward. Because the amount of $400 each is no longer enough, and because there is a desire to delay an increase in that amount as long as possible, the Church is doing two things.

1. Wards are being asked to return excess missionary funds to CHQ so that they can be used with the swept funds in the US and Canada.

2. Wards are being asked to house missionaries in homes, so that the missions can eliminate the cost of apartments.

The more successful we are at doing these two things, especially the second one, the longer it will be until the cost of missionary work rises to the point where the $400 must be increased to cover the costs of missionaries serving from the US and Canada throughout the world.

And no, you won't read about this in any Church publication. You might hear about it in a priesthood leadership meeting, though, or a bishopric training meeting.

[marianomarini]

I think you must remember that church is a worldwide organisation. You speak of USA and Canada but italian and brazilian (at least) are reading and can misunderstanding.
Ward found is for "local" missionary and "general" is for not local.
Maybe you have other informations but this what we teach here in Italy.

[greggo]

I think you must remember that church is a worldwide organisation. You speak of USA and Canada but italian and brazilian (at least) are reading and can misunderstanding.
Ward found is for "local" missionary and "general" is for not local.
Maybe you have other informations but this what we teach here in Italy.

I apologize if I offended anyone outside the US/Canada. It was not intended. I have actually served as a ward and stake clerk in another country (Japan), and I know that a country shouldn't be considered "impoverished" just because they need help in funding their missionaries.

It may be different now, but I know when I served my mission in Japan, a vast majority of those serving from Japan were the ony member in their family, and of those, I'm sure very few had the funds to support themselves. I'm sure this is the case with any country with very few 2nd or 3rd generation LDS.

[MorettiDP]

I think you must remember that church is a worldwide organisation. You speak of USA and Canada but italian and brazilian (at least) are reading and can misunderstanding.
Ward found is for "local" missionary and "general" is for not local.
Maybe you have other informations but this what we teach here in Italy.

Thanks marianomarini_vi!!! It's a great true!

In Brazil, Greggo, more then a half of missionaries don't have all the money to a full time mission. Many missionaries is from 2nd and 3rd generations of LDS fellowship like you talk. Most are new members (with one or two years since their own baptism) that have the desire to serve to our Lord.

Is important that we always remember that US and Canada are blessed with the foundation of the Church and the resources of have the headquarters inside it own territory. Is important too to remember that US and Canada are countries with a good monetary system that help its citizens to be "more rich" than the people of other nations. Is important to remember that the first members of the Church have had problems of many kind, but don't lost the opportunity to serve in missions and other callings of the newborn Church.

But is important too to know that all countries have its own problems. In Italy, I believe, the Church have a small membership, with less money to help its missionaries (- members = - donations to missionaries funds). In Brazil we are a "development country" with 1.000.000 of membership, but 25% or more are "less active" from the Church. We have wards in places where the people don't have conditions to help, but boys and girls have the desire to serve. It's members walk by the faith and by the resources that members from "more rich" areas of the world can help and donate. I am is a good personal exemple. My father only can paid 50% of my mission. But I have the desire and go to serve.

We need to understand it. It's important because as a worldwide Church we need to understand these things. We live in different areas of the world, but inside a same family, or, the "family of Christ", and we need help our brothers and sisters anywhere and everywhere possible.

I understand your post above Greggo, and you are true in your words. But it's a important thing to all of these topic readers understand: The fund isn't the problem, help our missionaries is the question. The bank account isn't the problem, We need to spread the gospel to all the world!!!

(sorry for my bed English, guys).