"White Christmas"

I've been asked to give a lesson on Elder M. Russell Ballard's talk, Put Your Trust in the Lord, which, ironically, has rather little to do with putting your trust in the Lord, but instead focuses on missionary work.

Our ward is working toward a goal that the Bishop calls "White Christmas." This goal, to have everybody reach out and extend the gospel to at least one non-member before Christmas, was probably inspired by a quote from Elder Ballard's talk, "We are simply asking all members to pray, knowing that if every member, young and old, will reach out to just 'one' between now and Christmas, millions will feel the love of the Lord Jesus Christ."

The idea for the "White Christmas" goal may have originate higher up the food chain, perhaps at the Stake or Regional level. I'm not sure. Whenever I hear the Bishop mention it, I sort of tune out. I've heard this kind of thing before, and I don't like it.

Missionaries usually tend to adopt some kind of "White Christmas" goal, pushing themselves (and their investigators) in hopes of getting a certain number of baptisms by Christmas. I've always hated that. Yes, setting goals can help people achieve great things, but when the goal is a number of baptisms, rather than, say, the spiritual progress of the investigator, the missionaries are even more tempted to rush people toward baptism than they usually are. Yes, the saving ordinances are essential, but they mean nothing unless the people being baptized first understand that they're making important covenants, and second, are prepared to strive to keep those covenants for the rest of their lives.

Nephi described Baptism as a gate: 

Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. 

And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive. 

And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. 

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
2 Nephi 31: 17-20

Baptism puts people on the strait and narrow path, but they need to continue to follow it in order to come unto Christ. We can push people through the gate of baptism all we want, as long as we can find people who are willing to let us, but even though that'll give us good numbers, it won't do our "recent converts" much good.

I would much rather preach some non-denominational message about Christianity, and loving God, and repenting so we can come unto Christ, rather than pressuring someone to accept an ordinance that they don't fully understand and aren't really prepared for. Even if it doesn't help them to become members of this church, it can help them to become better Christians, or if they weren't Christians already, it can help them to become Christians. No matter how you slice it, it's a step in the right direction, and it's a step most people would be more likely to make. Not many non-Mormons want to talk to Mormon missionaries, but many Christians would accept the invitation to become better Christians.

Yet, that won't help them much, either. As the "gate" part of Nephi's message implies, people can only go so far along the path of righteousness without getting baptized. It could be said that in order to become the best Christians they could be, they need to be baptized. I'll admit that this "White Christmas" goal is likely to help some people a lot. I'm just worried that we'll focus so much on the baptism itself that the investigator will be left saying "Now what?" or worse, "Whew! Glad I got that taken care of. Now I can go back to what I was doing before and not worry about going to hell for it." Baptism is a commitment that everyone has to make, but it they don't understand and accept the commitment, it's virtually pointless for them to get baptized.

So, I guess what I'm saying that my only problem with this "White Christmas" goal is that it seems to be putting too much emphasis on the ordinance itself, and not enough emphasis on what the ordinance represents - a rebirth into a new life. As long as people understand that we're asking them to change their lives, and as long as they're willing to strive to do so, I don't have a problem with it. I just don't want to see people get baptized just for the sake of some numbers.