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Flying home to Kentucky this evening, I was surrounded on all sides by perhaps a dozen bright-eyed, cheerful, and (my gosh!) young LDS missionaries--bound, as myself, for Louisville. I'd caught up with them in Atlanta. I struck up generic, how-do-you-do conversations with a couple of them.

ME: "Are any of you heading to Frankfort?"
Missionary: "We don't know yet."

I'd seen a couple of them earlier at the Atlanta airport's D-concourse Burger King filling their medium-sized cups with (!) Coca-Cola. First thought: Hmm. Not sure if that's allowed. Second thought: Man, I spend too much time thinking about Mormonism if I'm unconsciously taking on the role of WoW police for a bunch of fresh-faced missionaries. Third thought: Good for them! I know not all LDS hold as strictly to WoW prescriptions as others.

As the plane filled up, pre-flight, I'd commented to my seat-mate: "Now, this is a bevy of Mormons!" Turns out he hailed from Utah. The boss at his last job (in Kentucky) had been Mormon. Seat guy had a wicked cold. Nice guy. Which is neither here nor there.

As the flight finished taxiing to the gate, and the fasten seat belt lights darkened, the missionaries in front of us began to move about and collect their luggage from the overhead compartments. One particularly-young looking male (there were two sister missionaries among the males) glanced in turn at his companions and said softly, "Two years." Another echoed, "Two years." Another, more quietly, "Two years." Each, in turn, responded.

I can't imagine what they must have been feeling, thinking. I'm barely, but adequately, old enough to have been father to the youngest among them.

I turned to my seat-mate and said, "Two years. That's a long time." He just chuckled.

There were lots of things I wanted to say to the group of missionaries. Things like: It's not your fault if the baptisms don't roll in. You'll probably never really please your mission president. Oh, and, Joseph Smith was not a true prophet.

I said none of those things, of course.

I managed: "If you guys get to Frankfort, I'm downtown on [...] Street. I'm on the list. Look me up; we'll have dinner."

Then we were all off on our various quests--them to meet their mission president (waiting outside the security area with, I'd guess, his wife, and a couple other young missionaries); me, directly to baggage claims.

I think I've sufficiently mapped out the Coke drinkers. I'm going to stock up on Coca-Cola just in case they come knocking.

cksalmon wrote:I think I've sufficiently mapped out the Coke drinkers. I'm going to stock up on Coca-Cola just in case they come knocking.

My dad loved missionaries. He'd feed them, give them cold water on hot days, get them talking about their homes, and he never minded being counted as a number. The concept of a mission (or at least leaving home for 2 years) was one he endorsed as important in a young man's life; he equated it with military boot camp, which was one of his most cherished memories of growing up.

Thank God for non-members like you and my dad.

harmony wrote:

cksalmon wrote:I think I've sufficiently mapped out the Coke drinkers. I'm going to stock up on Coca-Cola just in case they come knocking.

My dad loved missionaries. He'd feed them, give them cold water on hot days, get them talking about their homes, and he never minded being counted as a number. The concept of a mission (or at least leaving home for 2 years) was one he endorsed as important in a young man's life; he equated it with military boot camp, which was one of his most cherished memories of growing up.

Thank God for non-members like you and my dad.

Two years is a long time!

I'm at the point now at which I say, "Look, guys. I really don't wanna talk about that (missionary discussions), but, come by anytime. Call ahead, and we can just hang and eat." Sort of a safe haven, with no mission-related expectations.

I do so admire their commitment to their cause, even if very much from afar.

I imagine myself and my cat holding down some sort of missionary way station.

Chris

I see the same pair of missionaries in my store at least once a week. They like to come in and look at the fishing supplies and the pillows that are on sale. Weird. I usually just say hi.

Bond...James Bond wrote:I see the same pair of missionaries in my store at least once a week. They like to come in and look at the fishing supplies and the pillows that are on sale. Weird. I usually just say hi.

Those pillow fights in the MTC were crazy. Some guys were getting knocked out with those heavy goose/down down pillows.

Bond...James Bond wrote:I see the same pair of missionaries in my store at least once a week. They like to come in and look at the fishing supplies and the pillows that are on sale. Weird. I usually just say hi.

What is your interest in Mormonism again?

Bond...James Bond wrote:They like to come in and look at the fishing supplies and the pillows that are on sale.

Fish aquariums were pretty popular in my mission. We liked to fight the bettas.

cksalmon wrote:
There were lots of things I wanted to say to the group of missionaries. Things like: It's not your fault if the baptisms don't roll in. You'll probably never really please your mission president. Oh, and, Joseph Smith was not a true prophet.

... your own opinion, of course.


The missionaries used to stop by my house. I had them coming by for about a year, it was great. The first couple were females, that is how they get in the door, send the females. They were nice and even talked me into visiting their church once. Then they sent the males, they were'New Testament so bad we'd talk about football most of the time. I was always up front in mentioning I am not interested in your church. So I fed them quite a bit and figured that my house was their way of getting away from the mission for a while. But they kept changing missionaries and eventually I got a couple of rude ones and told them not to come back. Haven't had missionaries at my house since. I noticed the biggest problem these missionaries have is the church doesn't educate them enough. I have an old missionary handbook that the Utah Church used probably 100 years ago, or maybe 50 something like that and it has a lot of information in it. I offered to let a couple of the missionaries take it to read a get notes, they said they wouldn't even be allowed to read that. I admire what they are doing and my door is always open to them, until they are rude. I will not argue with them over religion, and I will not have someone come into my house and tell me that they are the only church that is right because they 'got a feeling' and everyone else is wrong. The Utah Church needs to encourage it's followers (especially missionaries) to have an actual testimony rather than the same old rant "I know this church is true because I feel it".

RockHeaded wrote:

cksalmon wrote:

... the biggest problem these missionaries have is the church doesn't educate them enough ...

There is a hungarian saying. In my loose translation it is:
The blind governs (leads? guides?) the sightless.

Who should educate them? Who could educate them?

ludwigm wrote:

RockHeaded wrote:

cksalmon wrote:

... the biggest problem these missionaries have is the church doesn't educate them enough ...

There is a hungarian saying. In my loose translation it is:
The blind governs (leads? guides?) the sightless.

Who should educate them? Who could educate them?

You'll find that in the Bible:

Luke 6:39

And he spoke a parable to them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?