There are missions (the Mormon name of the geographic unit in which a specific group of missionaries work) known for being “high-baptizing” missions. In this category are missions in Latin America, the Philippines, and parts of Africa. Most missionaries in these countries find success in teaching and baptizing new church members.
At the other end of the spectrum is most of Europe, parts of Asia, and other countries known for having “low-baptizing” missions. Some missionaries even spend two years hard work without ever teaching a single person who converts. Why? At the risk of comparing apples to oranges, what makes one mission more successful than another?
Many are quick to point to the economic prosperity of a nation (or lack thereof) as an indicator of how willing the citizens might be to consider new religious ideas. They say that this helps to explain why the more prosperous countries of Western Europe are less interested, while the “developing countries” are open. Certainly, there seems to be some evidence demonstrating this, yet there are also many outliers which suggest that the economy is only one correlative factor. For example, missionaries still have considerable success in more wealthy countries such as the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, and of course, the USA, while having less success in some poorer countries, particularly in Eastern Europe.
Another possible reason is the political and/or cultural power and influence of traditional and national religions in some countries. This might explain lower conversion rates in some countries. In many nations, there are citizens who consider their religion to be an inseparable part of their national identity, thus further consolidating any traditional commitment they have to their religion.
This would make sense in explaining why conversion rates are higher in some of the poorer countries who have strong national religious identities. Yet still, there are outliers. For example, Greece is notorious as being one of the countries with the lowest missionary success rates in the world. Greeks, in general, devoutly identify with their traditional Greek Orthodoxy, to a such a level that is unrivaled by almost any other nation. But then consider Armenia. Armenians are perhaps one of the only nations where their citizens identify themselves with their national religion (the Armenian Apostolic Church) more intensely than the Greeks. Yet, Mormon missionaries have found considerable success in Armenia, much more so than many of the other countries in the region.
Considering many of these different countries, I believe that the characteristic most influential on the success of any mission is the native culture of hospitality. In Latin America, missionaries find themselves often invited into the homes of strangers out of pure hospitality, in a manner less culturally common in other countries. Armenians too, perhaps culturally influenced over the years by the neighboring Arab countries, are renowned for being among the most hospitable people in the world.
Why would this make the difference? Having seen missionaries at work in different corners of the globe, I've noticed something that makes all the difference in a missionaries success. When missionaries are able to build a personal relationships with an individual AND provide an environment in which the Spirit of God can testify of truth, they undoubtedly finds success that overcomes any other obstacle, including traditional religious affiliation, income disparity, etc. If the missionaries are able to find a way to connect to others on a personal level, they will have more chances to teach. With more chances to teach in a proper environment, there will be more instances in which the Spirit does His job.
In places where this built-in hospitality system isn't inherent, missionaries are pressed to stretch their minds and be creative. Depending on where you are in the world, there might be very means of how this might be accomplished. In Russia for instance, we found tremendous success through teaching English classes. There are many other ways in which connection can be made. Help the missionaries be creative!
Ultimately, the the Spirit is the only proper means to true conversion. The Spirit functions, irrespective of geography. The missionary's primary responsibility should be to find a way to create an environment in which the Spirit can do it's work.
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