I regret neither my mission nor my temple marriage. At the same time, I think the military, which I did consider at the time, would have been an excellent choice, too. I came close to enlisting in the Air Force, but I decided to go on a mission. I hold those who serve our country honorably in the Armed Forces in high regard, and I appreciate their willingness to do a difficult job.
My wife and I fully supported each of our three sons who fulfilled honorable missions, two of them overseas. These experiences stood them in good stead for their follow-on careers. So far, all missionaries in our grandchildren's generation have been female. They have also done well - so far. I have my doubts, however, as to the longer-term viability of the traditional two-year Mormon missionary experience.
Nonetheless, had it been up to me, I would not have recommended that any of our children or grandchildren go into the military. Thanks to their mother, they were smarter, more settled, and more self-aware than their father had been at that time in their lives. The military would have likely not been the best use of their time.
"Generally speaking, the errors in religion are dangerous; those in philosophy only ridiculous." (David Hume)
"Errors in science are learning opportunities and are corrected when better data become available." (DrW)
My wife and I fully supported each of our three sons who fulfilled honorable missions, two of them overseas. These experiences stood them in good stead for their follow-on careers. So far, all missionaries in our grandchildren's generation have been female. They have also done well - so far. I have my doubts, however, as to the longer-term viability of the traditional two-year Mormon missionary experience.
It is wise to doubt. Listening to Mormon Stories' recent podcast on missionaries was sobering. Young missionaries are placed in an untenable position, if you ask me. I did not have to contend with the Internet when I was a missionary. Now the Internet is a threat to every missionary who serves, partly because of the sorry state of the LDS Church and its inefficacy at addressing the challenges the Internet poses. The LDS proselyting mission is probably on its way out.
Nonetheless, had it been up to me, I would not have recommended that any of our children or grandchildren go into the military. Thanks to their mother, they were smarter, more settled, and more self-aware than their father had been at that time in their lives. The military would have likely not been the best use of their time.
I do not know how I would have fared. My doubts are what nudged me in the direction of the mission instead. Maybe I gave/give myself too little credit. I certainly would have turned out differently. I am who I am partly because of what I chose. Whether that is for the best or not I don't know.
“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about the answers.”~Thomas Pynchon, Gravity’s Rainbow
I regret neither my mission nor my temple marriage. At the same time, I think the military, which I did consider at the time, would have been an excellent choice, too. I came close to enlisting in the Air Force, but I decided to go on a mission. I hold those who serve our country honorably in the Armed Forces in high regard, and I appreciate their willingness to do a difficult job.
for what it's worth, I am so grateful that the LDS missionaries that taught me and I got to know well, chose to serve their mission. It certainly had a huge impact on my life. I really wish I could tell them.
The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession... The LORD set his love on you and chose you... The LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery. Deut. 7
for what it's worth, I am so grateful that the LDS missionaries that taught me and I got to know well, chose to serve their mission. It certainly had a huge impact on my life. I really wish I could tell them.
That’s true of many people who touch our lives. They may never know, and it may not turn out as they intended, but that does not make it less positive or less significant!
“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about the answers.”~Thomas Pynchon, Gravity’s Rainbow
The LDS proselyting mission is probably on its way out.
Not to derail because I too am very supportive of those that made decisions to serve in the military rather than serve missions…but I disagree that proselytizing missions are on their way out.
Matthew 28:19
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”
I don’t think that the Lord is rescinding this injunction at this juncture. The world is in commotion. Many need the gospel in their lives. To know that God lives, Jesus is the Christ, and that salvation through Him is REAL.
Not a fantasy as some would surmise/assume.
I’ll leave it at that.
Dr. W, and other veterans and currently serving military and Coast Guard, thank you for your service.
Not to derail because I too am very supportive of those that made decisions to serve in the military rather than serve missions…but I disagree that proselytizing missions are on their way out.
Matthew 28:19
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”
I don’t think that the Lord is rescinding this injunction at this juncture. The world is in commotion. Many need the gospel in their lives. To know that God lives, Jesus is the Christ, and that salvation through Him is REAL.
I never said proselyting would end. I am saying that the current configuration of an LDS mission is on its way out.
“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about the answers.”~Thomas Pynchon, Gravity’s Rainbow
Not to derail because I too am very supportive of those that made decisions to serve in the military rather than serve missions…but I disagree that proselytizing missions are on their way out.
Matthew 28:19
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”
I don’t think that the Lord is rescinding this injunction at this juncture. The world is in commotion. Many need the gospel in their lives. To know that God lives, Jesus is the Christ, and that salvation through Him is REAL.
I never said proselyting would end. I am saying that the current configuration of an LDS mission is on its way out.
You said:
Now the Internet is a threat to every missionary who serves, partly because of the sorry state of the LDS Church and its inefficacy at addressing the challenges the Internet poses. The LDS proselyting mission is probably on its way out.
It sounded like you might be saying the church wasn’t going to send missionaries out into the world on proselyting missions. If this is not what you were saying then, OK.
Now the Internet is a threat to every missionary who serves, partly because of the sorry state of the LDS Church and its inefficacy at addressing the challenges the Internet poses. The LDS proselyting mission is probably on its way out.
It sounded like you might be saying the church wasn’t going to send missionaries out into the world on proselyting missions. If this is not what you were saying then, OK.
Regards,
MG
Yeah, as it currently exists. But even if I were saying the LDS proselyting mission were on its way out, period, then that would not be the same as saying that the Church was going to cease proselyting altogether.
“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about the answers.”~Thomas Pynchon, Gravity’s Rainbow
Now the Internet is a threat to every missionary who serves, partly because of the sorry state of the LDS Church and its inefficacy at addressing the challenges the Internet poses. The LDS proselyting mission is probably on its way out.
It sounded like you might be saying the church wasn’t going to send missionaries out into the world on proselyting missions. If this is not what you were saying then, OK.
Regards,
MG
Yeah, as it currently exists. But even if I were saying the LDS proselyting mission were on its way out, period, then that would not be the same as saying that the Church was going to cease proselyting altogether. What I think is on the way out is young people going out to proselyte for two years away from their families in their late teen years. This configuration of a "mission," a direct descendant of missions past in circumstances more favorable to such a configuration, is currently looking like a bust. Too many kids are struggling and going home. Too many kids are losing their testimonies in the middle of it. Too many young guys are spanking the monkey to online porn and not keeping the standards they are supposed to live.
I am not blaming the young missionaries here. I blame the LDS Church. They have screwed this up badly, and it is failing.
“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about the answers.”~Thomas Pynchon, Gravity’s Rainbow
It sounded like you might be saying the church wasn’t going to send missionaries out into the world on proselyting missions. If this is not what you were saying then, OK.
Regards,
MG
Yeah, as it currently exists. But even if I were saying the LDS proselyting mission were on its way out, period, then that would not be the same as saying that the Church was going to cease proselyting altogether.
To be clear, the church will follow the command given by the Savior in Matthew 28.
Baptizing is a bit difficult to do without actually going out into the nations and proselyting.
