Visiting the Members--George's Post

A.   Visiting the Members in Their Homes

From the very outset, once we were assigned to the Zingwangwa Branch, Carole and I decided that the first order of business was to visit in their homes as many branch members as we could.  Home visits are an integral part of the Mormon experience.  The Priesthood quorums, and the Relief Society organizations, encourage their members to make monthly visits to the homes of their members—such visits being regarded as a critical part of the stewardship we owe to one another as members on the same congregation.  Moreover, we hoped visiting the members would help earn their trust.  The last eight years or so we had spent a fair amount of time attending the San Juan Branch in Friday Harbor, Washington, observing how the senior couples worked in the branch, making connections, encouraging members.  Rightly or wrongly, it seemed as though they spent much of their time tracking down the less active and encouraging members to get out to church and to do their church assignments.  President Monson is renowned for his stories of visiting the widows and less actives when serving as a young bishop in a Salt Lake City ward.  And all of this fit nicely with our desire to do one-on-one service, working in the trenches with individual members. 

It is easy to find scriptural support to justify helping directly individual members and others.  Allaying the needs of those struggling with poverty, hunger, shelter, is called out by Christ as especially significant.  “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  For I was an hundred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison and ye came unto unto me…”  Matt. 25: 34-36.  In response to the question “when” they had done this, the King answers, saying “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”  Matt. 25: 40.  Extending a helping hand to needy members is fulfilling in part the injunction of Paul:  “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.  And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.”  1 Cor. 12: 25-26.

Often we hear in the Mormon Church that the ministry is “not about programs but about people” and that well-known theme brings to mind the famous parable of the 99 and one.  “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.  How think ye?  If a man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?   And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.”  Matt. 18: 11-14  The gospel focuses on saving each individual, reaching to each a helping hand in times of need, supporting, nurturing, and guiding.  Each of us is important in the Lord’s eyes and, at some time or another, each of us qualifies as one of the lost sleep, deserving special attention, either because our faith wavers, we are sick, depressed, or sorrowful, we feel alone or discouraged.  Consequently, to administer to the needs of the entire flock, the shepherd must not lose sight of the individuality of each of the sheep, even though the sheep themselves belong to an anonymous and large crowd—the 100 sheep of the parable.  The parable makes this clear.  Those called to care for the sheep must be mindful of each, looking for opportunities to meet the needs of the individual, and not to get caught up in working with programs, watching statistics or catering to the well-heeled, because it is comfortable or easy or they are the most appreciative of the help we might offer.  None of this is possible unless the shepherd knows the sheep in the flock, hence the Lord says:  “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.”  John 10: 14.  It is impossible to minister effectively without knowing the names, challenges and trials of the members of the flock.  Only when that connection is made can one truly succor the needs of others:  “My sheep hear my voice, and I know the, and they follow me.”  John 10: 27.

The twelfth chapter of 1 Corinthians supplied the text for the short spiritual thought Carole and I elected to share with members and their families when first visiting with them in their homes.  Paul speaks to two themes in this chapter: first, the diverse spiritual gifts bestowed upon the members of the Church, creating diversity within the Church, even though these spiritual gifts come from a common source; and second, the need for unity in the Church, despite the diversity among the members, which unity was possible only because the members have the common experience of being blessed by the Holy Ghost.   “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”  1 Cor. 12: 12-13.  The Malawians easily grasp the diversity in the Mormon Church when I hold my hand next to theirs, asking them if they look the same.  Even without the little object lesson, they instinctively know how different we are from them: our white skin pales when held next to their rich brown colored skin;[1] English speaking versus Chichewa; raised in the United States, not in Malawi; indeed we come from entire different cultural frames of references, which have little in common.  They know virtually nothing of Western culture, while we, in turn, are totally ignorant of the African traditions important to them and the various tribes from which they have come.  We really like this chapter because of its simple, yet direct and powerful, lessons:  however different the saints may be, they should and can be united because they enjoy a common spirit.  We all need one another, whatever our talents or gifts may be.  No one member can say to the others that he or she does not need the rest.  The weak need the strong, and the strong the weak.  And as fellow saints, we should care for one another, rejoicing with others in times of happiness, and comforting one another in times of sorrow.  We have found the Malawians to respond favorably to this message—they like to talk about the scriptures and are very knowledgeable.[2] 

While the only “azungus” in their meetings are the few Westerner missionaries serving in Malawi, they are very familiar with Westerner missionaries, because they have come steadily to Malawi for years—certainly since the early 2000s--even before the Zambia Lusaka Mission was formed.  Every convert to the Mormon Church (and of course virtually all the members are recent converts) can trace his/her introduction to the Mormon Church to some “azungu” missionary—whether it be an Elder Cunningham, Barton, Barnard, Allred, Sagers or a Sister Getts, Rasband, Browning, Falco or September.  They frequently pull out their scriptures to follow along--scriptures are invariably found in the home, even if they only have a few books on a slight narrow book shelf in the living room.  We try to start and close our short lessons with a word of prayer—to set the tone for our comments and discussion and to invite our Heavenly Father’s protecting hand upon the household.  Naturally we are usually, but not always, asked to offer the prayers—“Sister Beal” being asked to pray as often, or more often, than I.  They are not hesitant to take their part.

Another part of our standard routine is to take a photo of the member or the member’s family at the conclusion of our visit.  Digital cameras are a marvelous invention.  Within a week or so of the lesson, we go to a local photo shop and order at least two copies of the best of the family photos, one copy to be displayed on a pin board in the meetinghouse, and the second to be given to the family.  This gives us a natural reasons for a follow up visit to the family, irrespective of how well the first visit went.

Making these first visits is not as easy as you might expect.   In Blantyre, there are no (or virtually no) street signs or home numbers or current city maps showing the various neighborhoods and their street configurations, complicating first-time visits.  The first family we visited were the Bandas who lived on the north flank of Mt. Soche—the prominent landmark on the south side of Blantyre--Brother Banda serving as the Zingwangwa Elder’s Quorum President, and Sister Banda as the Relief Society president.  The Bandas have become the favorites of many of the younger missionaries because they so are faithful, inviting—Elder Banda is musical and a greater music conductor, Sister Banda is upbeat, energetic, ever positive, the two boys—Comfort and Conscious—bright, curious, playful, and Cornie—the three year old—self assured and assertive, a classical youngest daughter in a family of older boys (much like our Mim).  For the last several months they have been raising Emily, 12 or close to 12, Brother Banda’s niece, who has fit nicely into the home, taking on the role of the big sister.  Chisomo Phiri, Brother Banda’s sister, who returned from the Kenya Mission in February, was another household member, until her recent “chinkhoswe” (engagement/marriage) to Amos Monjeza.

Sister Beal made the first point of contact, the first week we were in Blantyre, when she met Sister Banda close to her home, to join with her, the sister missionaries (Sisters Komiha and Rasband) and several other branch women, to make a compassionate service visit to Sister Mkandawire, who had just lost her mother.    Then Elder Banda introduced us to Brother Phiri, who lives just above him on Mount Soche and then, working slowly through the Phiris and Bandas, we were introduced, one by one, the homes of the Malungas, Tellas, Besser Petro, Brother Sangala, Mahsumbukas, Themukas, all of whom live on the ridges and bowls high on Mt. Soche, and whose modest brick homes overlook Blantyre and the plains and hills running to the north.  Without a guide no one could work through the jumble of homes on these slopes to find the members.  Sometimes, if one is close enough to the destination, a neighbor can help you find a member’s home, but the area’s population density is surprisingly high, so locating the right family, among a veritable warren of modest homes, can be elusive.  At first I was reluctant to ask the members, whom I had just met, for help, feeling as though I was imposing, but with time it become clear that they were more than willing to help, the visits themselves helping them to serve and giving them a feeling of accomplishment.  Later in the process, Sunday would be used as the time for scheduling our upcoming weekly home visits with members not yet visited and using a commonly recognized landmark as the rendezvous place.  So Sister James greeted us at the Three Ways market, Innocent Ambali and Louis Likusa at the Chilobwe center, Brother Kunge at the maize mill in Baluti.  Memory Munthali helped us find Joanna Thomas, Brother Mochi guided us to Brother Magombo, and Paul Maso, the younger elders and/or sisters located for us to locate new families—Ethel, the Tsegulas, Enita and Janet, the Nthendas, and Nancy Msoo.  After about three months, we had managed to visit most of the Zingwangwa members and to get their pictures up on the pin board in the foyer of the small meetinghouse.  The Zingwangwa experience was replicated about six months into our mission, once we started splitting our time between Blantyre Second and Zingwangwa.

With few exceptions, our experience in visiting member homes has been extraordinarily positive.  The members are very hospitable, anxious to have us come to their homes, greeting us with open arms, saying “you are most welcome.”  These visit bear little resemblance to what frequently happens in the United States or in many other parts of the world.  The Malawians do not make appointments they do not  intend to keep, and, though punctuality is a serious problem in Malawi, they are usually at home when we called.  They do not hide or slip out the back doors.  They do not leave us with the impression that we are imposing when we visit them.   Quite to the contrary, they treat us as honored guests.  The tradition is to escort us back to our truck after the meeting, even though it might be dark or late or the path rugged or the walk long, another way of showing respect.  Somewhat to our surprise rarely are we offered drinks or food, what would be a customary courtesy in Western countries—we imagine this is because they have so little themselves.  But whatever the reason may be, it is a blessing to us, because Carole and I have tried hard to avoid eating locally prepared foods for fear of getting sick.   Foods are often prepared in insanitary conditions.

Driving to our members’ home is not without its own challenges.  If a member is with us in the truck, guiding us to their home, they invariably lead us down narrow lanes, where it is difficult to turn around, or to get back out without scratching the vehicle’s sides, in an effort to get us as close as possible to their homes.  They have little appreciation for the difficulty of maneuvering cars in tight spaces, because most don’t drive and apparently lack the imagination to anticipate those challenges.  We suspect they find it an honor to have an “azungu” (and especially one with a big, and obviously expensive, truck) visit them—something they wish to “show off” as much as possible.   To my embarrassment, our vehicle now carries a few battle scars from these visits—scraped bumpers, wheel frames and side panels.  The worst came when I was forced to turn sharply to avoid plowing into a small group of kids playing in a narrow turn in the lane and received for my pains a scraped side panel—the accident occurred while driving Brother Tchongwe and Sister Kandioni to see Alfonsina, Sister Kandioni’s daughter, who was then bed ridden due to complications arising from a difficult pregnancy.  These experiences have made me understandably skittish about narrow lanes, so rarely do I start down a back lane without first knowing how much the road tapers at the end and whether there is a space for turning around—backing out is a trying and stressful experience, one to be avoided if at all possible.  Now we usually leave the truck in a safe spot and walk into the neighborhoods, even if the walk is quite long and the path hazardous.  Better to tackle the bad roads on foot than in a vehicle. 

There are however more significant reasons for going into the townships on foot.  First of all, it helps us get a much better perspective on the lives and experience of our members—we learn about the little aspects that make up their lives--where they shop, where the barber shops hair saloons are located, the location of the police station, the local markets.  We see the little kids, with their school bags, returning from the local primary schools, and the older kids, sauntering in small packs, from the secondary schools.  We learn where one goes to purchase Halaal prepared meat, suitable not only for the Muslims but also for those interested in purchasing the best meat.  We find the local bore holes and springs, and can trace the steps of women and small girls carrying on their heads water tanks or jugs.  But as importantly, the walking serves to erode the image, held by almost everyone, of “azungu” missionaries being a bred separate and apart from the Malawians.    We are prepared to go where they go, and to get there in the same fashion in which they get there—on foot, down dusty roads, walking along with others, not sequestered in a truck none of them could ever afford.  We have no illusions that this eliminates the social distance between us, but it does speak to an attitude—we do not consider ourselves “different” from them—unwilling to be exposed to some of the same challenges they face.

Another impediment to visiting the members is the archaic state of the membership records.   Poor membership records is not a unique problem to the Blantyre branches, but it does complicate keeping track of the members.  As evidence, though in Malawi now for nine months, we have yet to get a full membership list for Zingwangwa, working instead of a list of the “elders” and “relief society” members.  We have the same problem in Blantyre Second.  For some reason, we do not have, for each of the branches, lists of the primary age kids, the young women and the young men, even though each of those reports should come automatically off the computer stored Mormon Church membership files.

How much success have we had from our home visiting?  In about three months we were able to visit the homes of most of the fairly active members of Zingwangwa,[3] and to populate two pin boards in the small foyer with member pictures and a few photos of branch activities—baptismal services, branch socials, returning and departing missionaries, and young adult activity climbing to the top of Mt. Soche.  No longer are we compelled to call upon members and the full-time missionaries to help us find members not yet visited.  We can usually get a sense for where they “stay” by triangulating from other known positions—commonly recognized landmarks or the homes of other members we have visited.  Some families we have visited many times—either because they are so welcoming or have special needs or are conveniently located close to other members—while others we have seen only once or two.  For example, now it is harder to get out to see the Nthendas because, after the destruction of their modest home in Manja, they now “stay” in a neighboring village, not easily accessible by car, out by Limbe, almost an hour and a half walk from the Zingwangwa meetinghouse.  We have also found that visiting specific members goes in spurts—often without any particular rhythm or reason—for a while we will catch the Makawas whose home is high up Mt. Soche, almost directly above Chilobwe Center, reading with them out of the Book of Mormon—and then not see them, other than at church, for weeks.  And, at least as far as Zingwangwa is concerned, our home visits have tapered off considerably over the last four months, coinciding with our beginning to visit the members in the Blantyre Second Branch and assuming the office responsibilities for Blantyre.  The other day, when sitting in Sacrament meeting, I was thinking how Carole and I needed to track down a couple of regulars attending in Zingwangwa, whose faces were familiar but whom we had yet to visit—prior to that we knew almost everyone coming out to church, other than the new investigators, who flood in and out of attendance.

Perhaps home visits shouldn’t make as much difference as to how I interact with members but I have found they do.  Once I have been in their homes, my relationship with them is transformed, and theirs with us.  The week after the visit they light up when they see us in church.  Suddenly, the connection is personal.  It is as though they then have a claim on me, and one on them.  No longer do they come up as an anonymous face, without a history.  Instead, we know where they live, how many children they have, whether they live with family or friends, what village they are from, how long they have been in the church, whether they do piece work or have a full-time job.  We can envision their home or living circumstances—whether they have electronics in the house—one of the signs of prosperity—or whether they have a concrete or packed dirt floor—whether the parents have accepted or are fighting their membership in the church—if they are thinking about going on a mission or plan to continue in school.  With this knowledge, the nature of our personal prayers change—no longer do we speak in generic terms of “blessing” the members of the Zingwangwa Branch—but instead of blessing the Ambalis, helping Angela get better, comforting the Nthendas over the loss of their home, supporting Brother Mpamba as he struggles being separated from his wife, asking for the Lord’s help in getting Khama out on his mission.

This approach to service is personal, one-on-one, hands on, and rewarding, but it is not “leveraged.”  It is not the same as training the District Presidency, providing district-wide training to priesthood leaders, working with the primary-age children on Sunday or even speaking in Sacrament meeting—each an activity that simultaneously reaches out to a broader audience.  And often it is hard to see how much impact we are having, a theme I have touched upon before.  From experience we know we can almost “badger” a less active member into attending church for a while by visiting them over and over again, but they may not continue attending once the visits drop off.  Yet we always harbor the hope that our little encouragement creates a tiny fire able to sustain itself and grow even once we are no longer supplying the kindling. 

One of my greatest fears is that, as our administrative loads has expanded, the office duties will force too much of a cutback in our home visits.  It has certainly had that effect, but we are trying to strike a better balance. 

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[1]We look sickly when standing side by side with Malawians.    On the other hand, their facial features hardily show up on photos, unless the lighting is just right.

 

[2]One of the mandatory subjects in the primary and secondary schools is “bible knowledge.”  As a consequence, Malawians, both young and old, are generally better versed in the stories of the Old and New Testament than folks back in the United States.  They recite passages of scriptures, know key phrases in the bible, better than most in the United States, because much of their school instruction requires routine learning and memorization.

[3] Activity levels are erratic.  Many members make it out to Sunday meetings once or two during the month.  There are only a few families and individuals whom you can count on to be there week in and week out.  This is even true of the branch leaders, who are often absent without explanation.  It is equally true that families who have not been out for months suddenly resurface and begin attending once again, as though they have never been gone.  Sometimes it appears as though there is little rhythm or reason for the attendance patterns.   Illness certainly plays a role—almost everyone has what they describe as bout of malaria from time to time, and frequently kids and mothers, sometimes even the fathers, leave for extended stays in the villages.  They go to the villages to plant and harvest maize, to visit an aging grandmother or aunt or uncle.  Funerals or preparing for national school exams are often given as common excuses for extended absences, and most accept these as good reasons for skipping church.

The Chikapa's New Home--George's Post

 

When we first arrived in Blantyre in early November 2014, the Chikapas were working on their new home high on Mt. Soche, with the exterior brick walls and roof in place.  Many of you will recognize the Chikapas--a household of four.  President Chikapa, who has been in the Church for 10 some years, is the branch president in Zingwangwa and a returned missionary from Kenya.  He is an absolutely wonderful local leader, fully invested in the branch, constantly on the go, shuttling between his job in Limbe, taking on piece work to earn extra money, visiting with members and working on his house.  While he has done much of the work on his home himself--typical here in Malawi, he has also acted much like a general contractor, hiring others to help out, because of his busy schedule.  Sister Chikapa is from Uganda, also a returned missionary from Kenya (where they met).  She is a counselor in the District Young Women's organization and, like her husband, is constantly on the move.  She and President Chikapa speak English in the home, since Chichewa is not her native language, though she now gets along pretty well with the local dialect, after having been here for a number of years.  They have one son--Nimrod--who is about the age of Joel and Stephanie's twins--close to three--we are constantly watching him with the thought we are seeing roughly the development of our twins.  Nimrod is an active little fellow, often at loose, certainly at Church when his parents are tied up with their church callings.  Most Malawian children are surprisingly passive when compared to their US counterparts--but that is not true of Nimrod.  Having seen so many "azungu" missionaries, he is comfortable around us, and, when he is not down with the sniffles, is willing to sit on our laps at Church.  The fourth member of the household is Time, a 12 year old nephew of the Chikapas, who has been living with them for some time.  

 

 

 

The second week in Malawi Carole and I joined Elders Hiltbrand and Chiliza and Sisters Komiha and Rasband for a service project at the Chikapa's home site. Their parcel sits about 200 to 300 feet above the lower road ending at the Seventh Day Adventist Church and a local secondary school, and is accessed by this dirt path.  The path is rutted, steep and the footing treacherous, especially in the rain.

These several pictures give you a feeling for the terrain.  It is not a easy hike up and takes us about 5 to 10 minutes of steady hiking to get to the Chikapa's home site.

Great views over Blantyre from the top--Mount Ndirande in the distance on the far right.  Our task for the day--moving home-made bricks from a pile above the site down to the property.  The bricks will be used to add on an additional room to the original plan, construct the interior walls and the outbuilding the Chikapas will use as a toilet and bathroom.

The type of construction you see is typical for this area--although many of the homes in the area do not use "fired" bricks and do not have plastered walls.  Unlike the Pacific Northwest, "timber" is at a premium here, and is utilized only for the roof tresses. 

Carole, in normal attire, on the path high on Mt. Soche.   As you can see, she is always game for an adventure, though climbing the hills around Blantyre, can be exhausting and a tad treacherous at night or in the rain.  Climbing is not her favorite sport.  Both of us have had a few spills, but fortunately have been spared a twisted ankle or sprained knee.

By mid-July 2015, the Chikapas were ready to move from their rental home in Chilobwe to the new home in Chimwandkhunda.  Given the logistics, they arranged to stage the move over several days.  The next three photos are of loading our truck up for one of shuttle runs.

The Chikapas "stayed" in a comfortable little home in Chilobwe before the move.  I was surprised to learn the other day that President Chikapa had lived there for a number of years after returning from his mission.  With the landlord's consent, he also used the home for his "chicken" raising project--he used the profits to cover his college fees.  He has some very funny stories to tell about raising chickens.  He plans to raise chickens at the new home site but this time around not in the same living quarters, but in a separate building yet to be constructed.

Sister Chikapa with the first load to the new house.  Brother Chimaliro, second counselor in the branch presidency, and a painter by trade, is on the roof.

The Chikapas elected to have the roof painted blue.  Now it is possible to spot their home easily from lower on the mountain.  President Chikapa's elder brother, who lives and works in South Africa, brought the solar panel from South Africa, when he came back home a couple of weeks ago to marry a Malawian girl.  It generates enough energy for lights and the TV.  President Chikapa plans, however, to link up with the public power lines when the utility finally brings up the lines with a couple of new poles.  He hopes to make the connection sometime within the next year.

The concrete gutter ringing the house is to divert the rain water--which is certainly needed during the rainy season.  Once when helping at the Chikapas, we were stuck for a couple of hours in a bad storm, waiting for the rain to abate. 

The day I helped with the move, the Chikapas enlisted the help of nephew Time and two of their workers, to act as porters moving the household goods up to the home.

This is the secondary school below the home, and close to the path to the Chikapas, which is as far as we can drive up the hill. 

Here are the three intrepid porters, "Time" to the far left.  Time is a very funny-loving pre-teen, and the Chikapas have to ride herd on him to keep him at his school work.

 

President Chikapa at his home, a week later, when we visit the Chikapas when Tomicah is in town.

A nice view of the finished home.   Just like home, the last job is the landscaping.  Sister Chikapa is looking to plant some flowers off to the left where you see the small mounds of soil.

This ditch is above the house site.  It will be filled with crashed rock as a base and large slabs in a dry stacked wall, which will be used to divert water away from the house.

In short order, Tomicah got the hang of it and was ready to adopt the Malawian way of transporting goods.

Tomicah and President Chikapa.

This was one of many large boulders at the site.   To crack up the rock, Malawians build a fire at the base, sometimes burning rubber, and then throw cold water on the heated rock.  The rock slabs are then used for the dry stack walls.

As you may be able to tell, Nimrod has the sniffles and wasn't very chipper this day.  Usually he is full of mischief.

In the new house and most of the moving and packing done.

Joining the Mormon Church for the Wrong Reasons--George's Post

A.   Joining the Mormon Church for the Wrong Reasons

When exposed to the Mormon Church, whether by meeting full-time missionaries on the street or having neighbors who are members, Malawians tend, at least initially, to view the Mormon Church in the context of other Western institutions and Christian churches that have come to Malawi to dispense aid and provide humanitarian services.  They wonder if joining the Mormon Church (accepting the missionaries’ invitation to be baptized) can get them access to something tangible to make their daily lives easier—such as food, financial aid, transport money, medicine, health care, loans for education.  This may seem to be a cynical way for them to view Church membership, but in a poor country, where most live on the margins, anything that makes their lives a little easier must be taken into account.  They need to provide for themselves and their families and to take advantage of whatever edge they can get.   Without knowing much about Mormonism, many Malawians probably think there is little to distinguish Mormonism from other Christian denominations—it is just another “good” church-- so why shouldn’t they choose to affiliate themselves with whichever church provides the most aid.  They may think of church “aid” itself as evidence of the Christian virtue of “charity,” certainly one of the most important fruits of the gospel.[1]   It seems perfectly rational for the Malawians to ask the question—“what’s in it for me and my family?”

This practical approach to selecting a church in terms of “expected” material benefits is not unprecedented, indeed at one level, it is probably what many individuals do when trying to decide which among several churches they should join.   It is interesting to note that a similar question was, in effect, put to Christ by certain Hebrews.  They said to Christ that their fathers had gotten “manna from heaven,” and asked “What sign shewest thou then that we may see, and believe thee?”[2]  They hoped that Christ might offer them something as tangible, and life sustaining, as the manna that sustained the Hebrews for the forty years they wandered in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land.  They did not expect, and probably were disappointed, to hear that in lieu of “manna from heaven” Christ offered to give them only the “bread of life,” not a currency convertible into wheat, flour and perishable bread.[3]  This is a repeat of the theme that men should “not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”[4] a reminder that the gospel is about spiritual and not material blessings.  It is not surprising, however, that those struggling for their daily bread might be more focused on obtaining their daily bread, before focusing on the “bread of life” or other spiritual truths.

The Mormon Church is painfully aware of this mindset in Malawi and elsewhere in Africa—seeing the Mormon Church as a potential source of “aid”-- and is anxious to teach new converts and existing members that the gospel message has a different focus—it is about spiritual blessings and teaching self-reliance.  No one should join the Mormon Church with the expectation of getting something monetary from the Mormon Church.  Quite to the contrary, the opposite is true.  One joins the Mormon Church to learn how to bless the lives of others by giving and in the process to gain one’s salvation.   Mormons are not apologetic about the self-sacrificing aspect of Church membership.  It is in line with the Savior’s surprising, and paradoxical, counsel in the tenth chapter of Matthew: “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for make sake shall find it.”  Matt: 10: 39. 

The sacrifices the Mormon Church expects of its members are well-known and few in the United States would ever think of joining the Mormon Church in hopes of “getting” something of material value from membership.  Indeed, on its face it makes little financial sense to become a member.   One of the early principles taught by missionaries is that of the law of tithing—each member being asked to contribute to the Mormon Church 10% of his/her income.   This is in addition to the principle of “fast offering,” where members are asked to contribute each month to the Mormon Church an amount equal to the cost of two meals (which the members are expected to forego), in support of the poor and needy.  Those outside of the Mormon Church may be surprised to learn how faithful many members of the Mormon Church are in observing these principles, this despite the fact that collection plates are not passed during services, there are no boxes or other receptacles present in meetinghouses for receiving donations, no fund raisers, and the topic of church contributions is not frequently discussed during the year.[5]  The annual campaigns on television or through other public media to meet donation goals are not a part of the Mormon culture. 

Though recognizing that the Mormon Church expects its members to live in accordance with the laws of tithing and fast offerings, faithful members see observance of these “fiscal” principles as blessing, rather than handicapping, them and generally do not consider these commandments to be the hardest to keep.    The promises of Malachi are taken literally:  “Will a man rob God?  Yet ye have robbed me.  But ye say, Wherein have we robbed there?  In tithes and offerings. … Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts. If I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”  Mal: 3: 8, 10.  But the blessings are usually thought of as “spiritual” blessings—not money for money. 

Furthermore, as every active member knows, the Mormon Church expects far more than economic sacrifice.  Members are expected to give freely of their time in the service of others and in the worship of God.  They are asked to hold Church callings, teach classes, work with primary-age children, help out with young men and women—all activities pulling one out of the home.  It’s not a Sunday only Church.  Frequently, much of Saturday and weekday evenings are consumed with activities and meetings as well.  Many, if not most, members see their own time commitments to the Mormon Church to represent a far greater sacrifice than the money they are asked to contribute.  

One of the most-oft quoted passages from the Lectures of Faith is Joseph Smith’s startling observation of the centrality of sacrifice in bringing about salvation:  “Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things, never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation.”  Lecture 6: 7a, Lectures of Faith.   As a consequence, no one who really knows anything about the Mormon Church thinks of joining it to “get something monetary.”  Those introduced to the Mormon Church in the United States have to get comfortable with these commitments before joining the Church.  While it may be true that many join the Mormon Church without fully appreciating the level of sacrifices that they will be asked to make over time, most do understand that they will be asked to sacrifice, and certainly do not expect the Mormon Church to give them “aid” or “support.” 

At least initially, the calculus is somewhat different for the Malawians introduced to the Mormon Church.  Because of the overwhelming poverty in Malawi, and the vast amounts of foreign aid—much of which is channeled through Christian churches, Malawians are likely to have a different orientation—having even less appreciation of the need to sacrifice as a church member.  Tithing and fast offering, the subject of early missionary lessons, may not sound as bad—Malawians earn very little and much of their income is tied up in agricultural production—so many bags of maize or pigeon peas from the fields they work.  They may not know that they are expected to “tithe” on the crops they harvest.  Fairly early on, new members learn that the Mormon Church does provide some aid to members.  It covers transport costs on occasion to get members to District meetings; members can be loans to attend school (under what is called the “perpetual education fund”); and, if they are needy, and have urgent needs that cannot be handled with family support, they may turn to the Mormon Church for temporary assistance.[6]

How dangerous is it for an individual to join the Mormon Church for the wrong reasons?  A number of years ago I can remember coming across an odd, but now quite famous, quote by the British poet T.S. Elliot:  “The last temptation is the greatest treason: to do the right deed for the wrong reason.”  However one may feel about the comment, it does tee up the question.  However, I doubt sincerely that staying in the Mormon Church with the expectation of material reward, for anyone, is a sustainable proposition over the long-haul.   Too much is asked of church members—both in terms of their financial commitments and voluntary contributions of time and service—to make that work.   So whatever benefits one might gain in the short-term are certainly offset by the financial and service commitments that members are expected to make.  Moreover, while members can get church welfare to tide them over periods of need, the Mormon leaders are careful when administering welfare assistance to ensure the program is not abused.[7]  Moreover, the Mormon Church is really only a comfortable place for “true believers”—those willing to make significant sacrifices for their faith.  Those less committed, sooner or later, feel out of place.   Membership is not just about sacrifice and service, it is also about being obedient, trying to keep the commandments.  Those not willing to do so, and intent on hiding their disobedience, will not find the fellowship in the Mormon Church reassuring—they will find themselves uncomfortable, will be quick to criticize, will seek to dissemble and hide their true intents.  Christ himself spoke to a similar issue:  “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.  But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”  John 3: 17-21.  Hence, those joining the Mormon Church for personal gain are not apt to remain active in the Mormon Church for very long—they will find it easier to distance themselves.[8]   It is usually easier to “get” aid from others. 

Is any good likely to come to those who come to the Mormon Church hoping to get “aid” rather than out of a belief in the basic principles of Mormonism?  Certainly the odds are stacked against this.  But there is the hope that association with Mormons will, over time, wear off on those less committed.  They will grow to appreciate the unique spirit felt in church meetings, take comfort in the fellowship among members, feel enlighted by Church doctrine.  There is not a congregation in the Mormon Church where less active members have not be touched, even after years of inactivity, and then been brought back into full fellowship in the Mormon Church.  Of course, having members in a congregation, who are out to get something for themselves, can be corrosive for other members.  They may become envious, jaded, or critical when they see others, less committed, get commodities from the Mormon Church.  Hence, Mormon leaders go to considerable lengths to ensure that principles of self-reliance, obedience and sacrifice are taught so that new members can be independent, have self-esteem and be contributing and healthy members of the Mormon Church and that the welfare system is not taken advantage of.

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[1] See 1 Cor. 13.

 

[2] See John 6: 30-31.

 

[3] See ______________ supra.

 

[4] See Matt. 4: 4.

[5] For example, as a part of the Mormon Church’s unified curriculum program, “tithing” will likely surface a couple times a year as a topic for discussion in Sunday School, Priesthood and Relief Society.  During the month of December, bishops throughout the Mormon Church will remind members of tithing settlement—the request that member visit individually with the bishop to account as to their observance of the principle of tithing—declaring privately whether they are full or partial tithe payers.  With such limited direct attention to “tithing,” one would imagine that members are quite casual in paying tithing, and the rate of full-tithe paying in the Mormon Church is low.  That however is not the case.  The importance of the principle of tithing is underscored in that it is one of the conditions to getting a temple recommend.

[6] An additional advantage—one never considered in the United States—is how nice the Church buildings are.  The Blantyre Building, the first building constructed by the Church in Malawi, is likely the nicest, or certainly one of the nicest, buildings most members will have seen.  Attending Church is a pleasant experience—the seats are comfortable, there is running water and toilets, carpets on the floors, nothing one would notice back home.  We have not visited in a home in Blantyre—though I am sure there are many—as nice as the Blantyre Building.  The other two meetinghouses are more modest, but even those are nice enough.  Many Zingwangwa members when arriving at Church immediately plug their cell phones into the electric sockets, sparing them the cost or hassle of charging them at home or at an internet store.  

[7] The Mormon Church believes strongly in the principles underlying its welfare program.  Those who have been blessed materially are expected to contribute to the welfare of those who are needy—that is an important part of “sacrifice” and “consecration,” learning to overcome the things of the world.  In turn, those who are needy are expected to work, where possible, for what they receive, to learn new skills, and to become self-reliant.   Great efforts are taken to ensure the program is administered tightly to avoid abuse.  See “Mormon Church Welfare Principles” supra.