Pressure on LDS young men to serve missions ....

[_Jason Bourne]

There is as much emphasis on serving a mission as there ever was, not less at all. It is taught, breathed, pushed cajoled, considered a major rite of passage and so on for all LDS boys. Sure it is a choice, but it is still portrayed as a duty and a commandment.

Is there anything conceptually wrong with this?

It depends. But the point of my comments were in response to comments in the article, that young men are not pressured to serve a mission. That is simply utter nonesense.

I know the Longshore family well. I'm sure they would appreciate being left out of this discussion.

Their comments were in a public forum and thus fair game for discussion.

[_Brackite]

I know that there is pressure within the LDS Church to go and serve a full time Mission, since I did grow up within the Church, and I ddi serve a full time two year Mission. I remember pretty well sing the song titled, ""I Hope They Call Me on a Mission" in Primary. Another thing to keep in mind about this is that there are a few of the LDS Apostles, now serving as Apostles within the LDS Church did not serve a full time Mission. or example, Dallin H. Oaks did not serve a full time Mission, but instead he got married when he was 19 years of age.

[_Rollo Tomasi]

There is as much emphasis on serving a mission as there ever was, not less at all. It is taught, breathed, pushed cajoled, considered a major rite of passage and so on for all LDS boys. Sure it is a choice, but it is still portrayed as a duty and a commandment.

Is there anything conceptually wrong with this?

I think so.

I know the Longshore family well. I'm sure they would appreciate being left out of this discussion.

Then why was the boy's mother giving interviews?

[_ajax18]

I know that there is pressure within the LDS Church to go and serve a full time Mission, since I did grow up within the Church, and I ddi serve a full time two year Mission. I remember pretty well sing the song titled, ""I Hope They Call Me on a Mission" in Primary. Another thing to keep in mind about this is that there are a few of the LDS Apostles, now serving as Apostles within the LDS Church did not serve a full time Mission. or example, Dallin H. Oaks did not serve a full time Mission, but instead he got married when he was 19 years of age.

To me this is yet another example of the Church sugar coating it's true history. When I asked about this in Church, I was told after a long scolding and considerable anger at the question coming up, that he didn't go because he had to go in the military. I suppose it's just like the salaries. Since one or two GAs have lived off past money, that means that's how they all supported themselves. So since one or two GAs had to go into the army, that's why they all didn't go.

[_harmony]

When I asked about this in Church, I was told after a long scolding and considerable anger at the question coming up, that he didn't go because he had to go in the military. I suppose it's just like the salaries. Since one or two GAs have lived off past money, that means that's how they all supported themselves. So since one or two GAs had to go into the army, that's why they all didn't go.

I'm just impressed you brought it up, although now you know why we don't pose these types of questions in our quorums, Relief Society meetings, and gospel doctrine classes. The scolding and anger you were on the receiving for is pretty normal. And the excuse you got is as lame as usual.

[_ajax18]

I'm just impressed you brought it up, although now you know why we don't pose these types of questions in our quorums, Relief Society meetings, and gospel doctrine classes. The scolding and anger you were on the receiving for is pretty normal. And the excuse you got is as lame as usual.

Now I can see how foolish it was to ask the question in Church, but I was still a teenager and in my defense brought up under the illusion that the Church had all the answers.

I'm not really a believing Mormon now anyway, just trapped in the social structure and unable to get out, or I know that what it would take to get out would not be worth the cost. I still have a good family in my opinion.

[_Coggins7]

Plutarch, I only have one thing to say. Give up. Relent. Surrender. There is no hope.

Even Jason is slowly, ever so slowly beginning to show some true colore here, and its painful, to say the least, to see yet another head spinning exercise in tendentious mudslinging at things most here clearly have virtually no understanding of (but actually think they can fool those who do know with their verbiage).

Mormons who don't go on missions are not thought of as second class citizens by members of the church. They are not stigmatized, they are not ostracized, they are not thought less of, and nothing is held against them by "the church" Anyone who says that this is the case is a smiling ear to ear liar and should now remove him or herseslf to the flat rock from which he or she emerged.

I did not go on a mission. I have never been punished or otherwise kept out of church callings or activites becauses I didn't. Nobody I have ever known has ever held it against me, nor shunned me because of it. The Bishipric in my Ward when events transpired such that I chose not to go, held nothing against me. This does not mean they were not dissapointed. This does not mean they would have rather I had gone. I would have rather gone. It was the damn dumbest mistake I ever made in my life, second only to my first marriage.

Yes, it is a duty. Yes, it is a commandment and mandate from the Lord. Yes, there is pressure, and so what?

There is also pressure on young LDS men to do a lot of other things, and many of those are or the either utterly trivial, compared to going on a mission, or stupid, immature, or unambiguously evil

If you don't like it, don't worry about it, its none of your business. Find another church, get a life, eat, drink, and be merry at Dairy Queen, pull up your pants, turn your hat around, and get a job.

[_Brackite]

Hi ajax18,

You wrote:

To me this is yet another example of the Church sugar coating it's true history. When I asked about this in Church, I was told after a long scolding and considerable anger at the question coming up, that he didn't go because he had to go in the military. I suppose it's just like the salaries. Since one or two GAs have lived off past money, that means that's how they all supported themselves. So since one or two GAs had to go into the army, that's why they all didn't go.

Thomas S. Monson and Boyd K. Packer went into the military instead of serving a Mission. However, Dallin H. Oaks neither went into the military, and he did Not go on a Mission. Dallin H. Oaks instead got married when he was 19 years of age. Now Dallin H. Oaks is married and sealed to a second lady for all of eternity.

[_Coggins7]

Thomas S. Monson and Boyd K. Packer went into the military instead of serving a Mission. However, Dallin H. Oaks neither went into the military, and he did Not go on a Mission. Dallin H. Oaks instead got married when he was 19 years of age. Now Dallin H. Oaks is married and sealed to a second lady for all of eternity.

Thank you so very, very much for the above little point of order.

And now, for everyone else here who had anything to do with this dispicable little thread:

would you like a blindfold...

[_harmony]

Plutarch, I only have one thing to say. Give up. Relent. Surrender. There is no hope.

Even Jason is slowly, ever so slowly beginning to show some true colore here, and its painful, to say the least, to see yet another head spinning exercise in tendentious mudslinging at things most here clearly have virtually no understanding of (but actually think they can fool those who do know with their verbiage).

Mormons who don't go on missions are not thought of as second class citizens by members of the church. They are not stigmatized, they are not ostracized, they are not thought less of, and nothing is held against them by "the church" Anyone who says that this is the case is a smiling ear to ear liar and should now remove him or herseslf to the flat rock from which he or she emerged.

I did not go on a mission. I have never been punished or otherwise kept out of church callings or activites becauses I didn't. Nobody I have ever known has ever held it against me, nor shunned me because of it. The Bishipric in my Ward when events transpired such that I chose not to go, held nothing against me. This does not mean they were not dissapointed. This does not mean they would have rather I had gone. I would have rather gone. It was the damn dumbest mistake I ever made in my life, second only to my first marriage.

Yes, it is a duty. Yes, it is a commandment and mandate from the Lord. Yes, there is pressure, and so what?

There is also pressure on young LDS men to do a lot of other things, and many of those are or the either utterly trivial, compared to going on a mission, or stupid, immature, or unambiguously evil

If you don't like it, don't worry about it, its none of your business. Find another church, get a life, eat, drink, and be merry at Dairy Queen, pull up your pants, turn your hat around, and get a job.

You're talking nonsense, Loran, as usual.

If a missionary goes out because of duty, or commandment, or mandate, or pressure, they're going out for the wrong reason. There is no reason to serve a mission, EXCEPT if one feels a personal call to go. All other reasons/excuses/commandments/mandates are unacceptable reasons and result in poor missionaries and poor mission experiences for those who really WANT to be there. So if you don't really want to go, STAY HOME.

As far as the other, not only are young men who choose to not go stigmatized and ostracized, so are young men who go, and serve honorably, but have to come home because of medical reasons. We are not a forgiving people, and we jump to wrong conclusions on a regular basis. We assume that when a young man comes home early, he did something bad enough to get sent home. I've seen this phenomena played out over and over again, the old biddies (male and female) gossiping about the young man... was it sexual? how did he break the rules? was he too wimpy?... when in reality, the young man came home because he got a parasite that couldn't be treated in a 3rd world country, or his appendix burst and he almost died, or he ruptured a disk in his back and had to be released. Honorable releases, but those young men were trashed because of gossip and rumor.

Who knows how far up the priesthood food chain you could have gone, had you served a mission. Good grief, Loran! With your understanding of the gospel, you could have been a bishop by now... or a stake president! At the very least. Too bad, though. You didn't serve a mission and now you'll never know what potential you squandered.