Sales Pitch Strategies

Yesterday I finally went to the ward I'm supposed to attend. It wasn't much different than other student wards that I've been to. The congregation was packed with beautiful people, and peppered with a few of those weirdos that clearly are not getting out of the singles' ward anytime soon.
The sacrament service was headed up by the Tempe, Arizona mission president and his wife, the Craigs. Their talks were nice, and it was clear how much missionary work meant to them. Their message was somewhere along the lines of, "Every member is a missionary, so if you reactivate members who have fallen away from the church, then there will be more missionaries!"

There are several approaches that people involved in missionary work can take, most of which just irritate me. There is the salesman method; if you let them in, they won't leave till you buy the product and they have filled their quota. Then there's the force-feed technique; they chase everyone they see so they can jam their beliefs down your throat. Of course there's the lazy-ass missionary; they went out to please other people and aren't really into the mission thing so they just screw around and go through the motions. There are many more I'm sure, but the missionaries that drive me craziest are the spirit-leaders: they spend every second of their missions waiting for the spirit to tell them what to do, even what to order in the McDonald's drive-thru.

The Craigs seemed to focus on the service and sharing approach. This by far is my favorite! Basically their theory is that if you live like Christ, and try to help others who cross your path, they will come to you with a desire to know Christ, because of the way you emulated him.

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My brother-in-law is getting baptized in ten days. I have very mixed feelings about this. He dated my sister for over 2 years, when she had little to no activity in the church. Then they got married and she hopped on the Molly Mormon Train. In all of the eight and a half years that they have been married, never have I heard him express ANY interest in joining. He has gone to church with her every Sunday and even held callings. Dozens of missionary companionships have taught him the discussions who couldn't resolve his dozens of questions. Then out of no where, last Thursday my oldest sister tells me that these new missionaries are getting him baptized.

He and my sister live in Scott's home ward, so I was recently there for sacrament meeting. Every time I've ever been in that ward, someone mentions their Stake's goal of having 5 convert baptisms a month. This last time I went the High Counselor was spouting off statistics about how they hadn't met the quota last month, but had surpassed it the month before.
My jaw hit the ground as I sat in disbelief. How do those new members feel hearing that? How could they NOT feel like another notch on a bedpost?

I haven't ever had a really deep relationship with this brother in law. I see him once or twice a week, but never would I just call him up to have a conversation. Yet, he is still probably the person in my family I would be most comfortable discussing my sexuality with. I don't know really what his views of homosexuality are, but he has always given the impression that he's accepting. He and Tiffani used to be really good friends. Like BEST friends.

If he's doing what he wants, and it will make him happy, good for him! But I'm so confused! Why now? Why is he getting baptized?
Looks like the Craigs' techniques are working out...