Mormon children are taught a song — what a better way to inculcate messages that would be otherwise seen as drastic or draconian, than in song. [give examples of church hymn lyrics]
Let’s examine what the church hopes you get out of going on a mission.
The top two are:
1. to convert oneself.
2. to convert others to the gospel.
…in both cases: to secure long term tithe payers for the church.
Think about how much the church invests in its children. Weekly meetings, daily seminary in high school is nearly mandatory. (if you don’t think so, see what social forces and leadership attention is brought to bare against a child who chooses to not attend)
The church spends millions on educating (that’s a polite term) their youth. From the church’s perspective, they’re preparing and strengthening these weak youth against the daily power of the Adversary (i.e. Satan, the Devil, etc.). But from another perspective, from a cost-benefit for the church perspective, it’s benefits are obvious. They rely on converting the youth, to survive as a church.
So thus are Mormon youth subjected to daily stories of non-sequiturs and bad logic. (i.e. anything that precedes, “and so the church is true” or “and so satan is real” or “and so we see God’s hand in action”) The ways how and why they lie to our children are the product of having been lied to as children. And so it goes — a bad cycle enforced by pride and status and strict control of information.
Anyone ever read “Brave New World?”
— “I hope they call me on a mission” — said 4000 times between the ages of 5 and 18. Works almost every time.