The rigors of the mission field

[_Bond...James Bond]

Recently I've been reading Runtu's blog and he's been talking about his mission experiences. Something that has stuck out in my mind is the intestinal sickness he faced because he went to Bolivia, where living conditions and water conditions aren't great. My question is...isn't it irresponsible to send church members to a place where they're more likely to get sick than if they stayed in their normal home where conditions are better? Doesn't the church care that they're throwing their members into a dangerous situation, or is it a necessary evil to keep the Lord's work moving?

I guess the main defenses for the Church are:

1) The missionaries signed up for it. Freedom of choice. Can go home at anytime.

2) The missionaries were being irresponsible and should have taken more precautions.

3) The missionaries of any religion are in danger in 3rd world countries. Tell it to the Assemblies of God people!


Just a thought.

[_moksha]

Missionaries, explorers and pioneers of all sorts may have been safer if they stayed home.

[_Inconceivable]

I guess the main defenses for the Church are:

1) The missionaries signed up for it. Freedom of choice. Can go home at anytime.

2) The missionaries were being irresponsible and should have taken more precautions.

3) The missionaries of any religion are in danger in 3rd world countries.

You opened up a can of worms here,

Going home at anytime was nearly unthinkable. There are a few similarities between the commitment of Japanese Kamakazi pilots and Mormon missionaries. It has a little to do with shame and family honor.

[_Bond...James Bond]

You opened up a can of worms here,

Going home at anytime was nearly unthinkable. There are a few similarities between the commitment of Japanese Kamakazi pilots and Mormon missionaries. It has a little to do with shame and family honor.

Yeah. But the only people who know it's unthinkable are people who know something about LDS culture. For nevermos who aren't in the know the story that you can just pull out and call it "the college try" and not be thought bad of is at least plausable (although most people seem to think that if you don't go through with something you say you will you are some sort of failure).

[_Inconceivable]

As a new missionary, I roomed in a 50 year old flat with 3 other missionaries. It was a 4plex building with a phone that serviced all 4 flats just outside our back window. When it rang we would simply open the window and answer. Unless we were expecting a call, we were quite reluctant to answer it.

Across the little street was a pub. The upstairs 2 flats were rented by prostitutes. 1-3 times per night I would be wakened by the sound of the bedboard banging and banging against the wall. It brings to mind a scripture,

1 NOW faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.

(New Testament | Hebrews 11:1 - 2)

Anyways, we used to yell "not it" if the phone rang. If it wasn't for us, one of us had to walk upstairs and knock on the door and be greeted by one of the young scantilly clad night shifters.

My point is that there were more dangers than just parasites and hoodlums.

[_Gazelam]

A missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was attacked by two masked thugs outside his apartment in Mesa, Arizona on April 4th, 2008, and police are considering hate crimes charges because the victim reported he was targeted because of his religion. Full stories published in the East Valley (AZ) Tribune, the Arizona Republic, and aired by KPHO Channel 5 Phoenix and KSL Channel 5 Salt Lake.

The missionary, who has not been identified, woke up at about 4 A.M. Friday April 4th to sounds of tapping on his window. He walked around his apartment building just north of Brown Road on Recker Road, adjacent to the church's Granite Reef Ward chapel to investigate but found nothing. When he came back, he was confronted by a man dressed in dark clothes and wearing a ski mask. The man knocked him to the ground, began punching him and was joined by another man, also in dark clothes and ski mask, according to police. During the attack, one of the attackers cursed at him and specifically referred to him as a Mormon.

Police responded, but could not find the assailants. The missionary received medical treatment at the scene and required no hospitalization. On Saturday, he said he was recovering well and ready to resume his duties.

[_Gazelam]

LDS Missionary Deaths from 1999-2006

Matthew Turley of Ridgefield, Connecticut, was hit by a drunk driver and killed on April 23, 2006. He was serving in the Mendoza, Argentina mission, in the city of San Luis.

Matthew Turley's companion, Elder Tyler Watts, of West Valley City was also injured and hit by the drunk driver, but is expected to make a full recovery and yes, FINISH his mission of course. He has around 5 months to go.

Bradley Isle New Zealand 1/5/2006 Auto accident Accident

Jonathan Talmadge New Zealand 1/5/2006 Auto accident Accident

Morgan W. Young U.S./Virginia 1/2/2006 Shot Witnessed crime, gunman shot him

Benjamin Ellsworth Argentina 12/5/2005 Train accident Fell under train

Joel Galindo Flores Mexico 11/9/2005 Hit by car Accident

Michael Joshua Bent Samoa 11/23/2003 Drowning Accident

Nathan Scott Godfrey Argentina 3/10/2003 Electrocuted Accident, trying to save another

Lym Kelly U.S. 10/18/2002 Auto accident Accident

Johnson Gregory Scott Mexico 9/29/2002 Electrocuted Accident

Atchley Adele Ivory Coast 8/3/2002 Murder Robbery

Leaunae Limuula Samoa 1/30/2002 Auto accident Accident

Platt Spencer U.S. 12/17/2001 Auto accident Accident

Thomas Jonathan Reed Argentina 8/29/2001 Hit by train Accident

Gleason Mark England 6/12/2001Auto accident Accident

Teodorescu Mihai England 6/12/2001 Auto accident Accident

Pixton Clark Henry Ukraine 7/14/2001 Fall Accident

Driggs Eric Robert Argentina 4/6/2000 Auto accident Accident

Christiansen Jaysen Ray U.S. 1/28/2000 Auto accident Accident

Pulham Jared Mont U.S. 1/28/2000 Auto accident Accident

Roundy Daniel Byrne U.S. 1/28/2000 Auto accident Accident

Savage Bradley Alan U.S. 1/28/2000 Auto accident Accident

Peterson Melissa U.S. 1/21/2000Auto accident Accident

Barrett Jonathan Philip Ivory Coast 4/24/1999 Stabbed Attacked by drunken man Papenfuss Jaarl Michael Canary Islands 1/18/1999

Prymak Joshua Matthew Canary Islands 1/18/1999 Drowning Accident

[_Gazelam]

I got this from a website called Mormon Truth, which has a few lists of injured or deceased missionaries. A guy on one of the lists responded:

I'm Bradley Hall, and I'm in your list of missionaries who have been killed or hurt on their missions. (1986) The entry here, and on other web sites, from where this list was evidently copied, has my incident listed as "shot by burglars; temporarily paralyzed; survived."

Let me make it clear that my paralysis is permanent, and the rumor circulating that it was only temporary has always been a mystery to me.

However, saying that the General Authorities don't care and that there's no publicity when something like this happens is utterly untrue -- certainly in my case. I understand from talking to my family and lots of other people that my story was on the news throughout Utah and Idaho. An article on the incident was printed in the Church News, and a short paragraph appeared in the Ensign. It was also covered by lots of newspapers, including the Deseret News, Salt Lake Tribune, and BYU's student newspaper (which REALLY shook up my former companions and fellow MAC missionaries.)

I also can't count the number of visits that I received from General Authorities while I was in rehab at the U of U medical center. At least a dozen members of the 70 dropped by, and there were a lot fewer of them back then. Boyd K. Packer and Dallin H. Oaks dropped by one day (I kept them waiting 20 minutes because I was downstairs playing computer games! OOPS!) Then Elder Oaks started visiting me on a regular basis, took me to a fireside at the tabernacle where he was the featured speaker, had me over to his house for dinner, and has continued to show interest in my life ever since. His now deceased wife even set my unmarried brother up with some single girls she knew!

But M. Russell Ballard was the real hero. He was in Argentina when I was shot for the annual visit with the South America South Presideing Bishopric's office. He had a full schedule for days, since it was the only time an apostle was scheduled to visit during the entire year.

After hearing what happened to me, he asked what he should do in his nightly prayers, and was told to drop ALL his meetings, which couldn't be rescheduled due to time constraints, and fly to Cordoba a soon as possible to see me and determine what help I needed.

As for my condition at the time, I'd been shot by a group of burglars who were TARGETING missionaries, based on the fact that they made 5 attempts to rob us before we confronted them face to face in the act inside our apartment. I was shot while subduing one of them, my companion was shot at and would have been killed except the bullet hit the end table he was attempting to use as a weapon, which was no wider than a baseball bat. (Yeah, we were stupid not to anticipate the burglars might have guns, and we certainly weren't black belts...)

I was hit by a .30 caliber bullet at the T10 vertebrae, which paralyzed me instantly. The pain was indescribable, and although it has faded over the years, I still hurt every second of every day, but I've taught myself to ignore that pain as much as possible. 10 years later I developed cysts around the wound in my spinal cord, which left me in debilitating chronic pain which I can't ignore. A nasty double whammy, but it didn't affect my testimony. Back to my story...

When Elder Ballard arrived, I was running a severe fever, and NO arrangements had been made to get me out of the country, nearly two weeks after I'd been shot. After giving me a blessing in which he assured me I'd make it back to the states ok, he started kicking tails until arrangements were made and I was flown back to the states two days later. My fever an nausea faded just long enough for me to make the trip. When I arrived at the U of U, they analyzed my condition and told me it was quite likely that I'd have died from my fever/infection within another week. So please understand this fact: I'D BE DEAD IF ELDER BALLARD HADN'T DROPPED EVERYTHING AND SET THINGS IN MOTION TO GET ME OUT OF ARGENTINA AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE! Does that sound like the apostles don't care?? I owe them my life!

Elder Ballard has stayed in close touch over the years, and scolded me for not telling him when I was hospitalized for a bedsore a couple of years later when he came to visit me. When my dad was set apart as a mission president, the task was reassigned as part of a pile of similar ones to Elder Ballard at the last minute. I don't believe it was a coincidence, and it was a very sweet experience to have my entire family in his office as we discussed my story, his role in it, and how he'd helped our entire family through the crisis.

Elder Oaks kept me apprised of all the other missionaries who were injured or killed during the months I was in the hospital, and the pain he felt at their sacrifice was real and deeply personal. As we set out for his house for dinner, he inquired at the front desk of the hospital if the page for Mormon elders to visit a certain room had been answered, and when it hadn't, he and I went instead of the Elders who were supposed to be on call. When the grandmother whose husband lay sick in bed with a staph infection saw who had answered her request for a blessing for her husband, she burst into tears. She later sent a very kind letter of appreciation, and yes, her husband did get better. (Although it was funny that I had my consecrated oil on me and Elder Oaks didn't!)

Pres. Benson regularly asked how I was doing during their weekly meetings, although his health didn't allow him to visit me.

I've kept my testimony throughout this whole experience. Keep in mind, I was every bit as sick as you during my mission -- in fact I was violently ill with a nasty intestinal parasite for every day for the last 7 months of my mission. The U of U had to use their latest medication to kill it, since it was a superbug immune to all the usual treatments, and it took two weeks on an I.V. drip to kill the thing. To add insult to injury, I served during the period that Elders were called for 18 months, then the term was extended to 24, and if I'd just gone home when I was scheduled to, I'd be walking and pain free today.
But those facts DID NOT cost me my testimony! It was my choice to stay longer, and we were free to go home any second after our 18 months were up -- and we could change our minds and leave with just a phone call to the mission home, which a couple of people did.

I went through almost everything you did. They warned us to be careful about drinking the water, but when the members offer to feed you, it's awfully rude to refuse, and that's how I got really sick.

I had plenty of days before that where the heat or San Martin's revenge kept me from being able to work. Sure I felt guilty, but nobody ever hounded me for those days I couldn't get out and work. During those last 7 months I was a zone leader, and I learned to get out and do my job despite how bad I felt, because the zone needed me. I did quickly figure out where all the members with bathrooms lived for those times when I needed one quickly though!

I won't try to change your mind on how you feel about the church, but the General Authorities care greatly about missionaries who are hurt or killed. In my case lots of them took a personal interest, and still do to this day. You might want to take note of who speaks at the funerals of those missionaries who die during their missions -- there's almost ALWAYS an apostle or a member of the 70 present.

Being paralyzed sucks. Hurting sucks. But I don't blame the church, and I don't blame God, and I don't blame my mission. It happened, and my life was change irrevocably. But life goes on, and I can still be saved wheeling through life rather than walking through it -- although I realize you don't believe that anymore.

Just thought you could benefit from my experience. I hope it helps you realize the General Authorities aren't as heartless as you portray them.

Bradley Hall
Mission Argentina Cordoba
1984-1986

I loved that.

[_Gazelam]

This anti-mormon and his dead missionary list has gotten some great responses, heres another from a family member of a deceased missionary.......

I am a family member of one of the missionaries you list. It is so very hard to understand why you would do something like this? You honestly think that they are forgotten? You are completely wrong!!! These wonderful people are remembered everyday by their loved ones left behind. And it is very hard to believe that you yourself can be saying such cruel things, when you yourself "served an honorable mission", if that is the truth, you should understand that what you are "preaching" is wrong, and deep down in your heart you know it! When our missionary was killed, you would not believe the love and support we got from this church. Gordon B. Hinkley himself even came and spoke at his funeral along many other apostles. We still to this day, after 15+ years, receive phone calls and many visits from people he baptized and up until his death, twice a year Elder Neal A Maxwell called our family to keep in touch. I don't know what happened to you or how you were offended, but please as a family member of one of the missionaries listed, it is hard enough to live with the memory each day, but to see this cruel heartless page angers those who suffer with this each day of our lives!

[_Dr. Shades]

Gazelam:

Will you please provide links to these websites?