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What was Your Mission Like?
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2025 4:06 am
by Nolan
Hello. I’m new here, I came over from the ex-Mormon Reddit where I am just a lurker.
Don’t give away any personal information, of course, but I’m curious if folks here had the same experience as I had on my mission. A very poor one.
The people hated us, no one would talk to us, I had mentally challenged, even deranged companions, and my mission president did not give two s**** about us.
I served in Netherlands, and I absolutely hated it. But, learning a second language is rarely a negative thing, so that is the single silver lining.
(Apparently I posted this in the wrong forum earlier (Celestial))
Re: What was Your Mission Like?
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2025 8:54 am
by Dr. Shades
Mine was a mixed bag. I wanted to be there--no one forced me--so I had that going for me. I had been through training with the Marine Corps prior to my departure, so I had already done something much more difficult, so that helped too.
I served in Japan. It had both highs and lows. My first mission president was down-to-earth and lacked an ego, whereas the second one was a big businessman and ran the mission accordingly.
On balance, I got to experience another culture to an extent that no amount of book learning could've given me. I also learned a lot of valuable life lessons that I doubt I would've otherwise. Alas, it also put the first few items on my proverbial shelf.
Re: What was Your Mission Like?
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2025 8:55 am
by I Have Questions
Dr. Shades wrote: ↑Mon Aug 11, 2025 8:54 am
Mine was a mixed bag. I wanted to be there--no one forced me--so I had that going for me. I had been through training with the Marine Corps prior to my departure, so I had already done something much more difficult, so that helped too.
I served in Japan. It had both highs and lows. My first mission president was down-to-earth and lacked an ego, whereas the second one was a big businessman and ran the mission accordingly.
On balance, I got to experience another culture to an extent that no amount of book learning could've given me. I also learned a lot of valuable life lessons that I doubt I would've otherwise. Alas, it also put the first few items on my proverbial shelf.
What were those first few items?
Re: What was Your Mission Like?
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2025 3:10 pm
by Nolan
Dr. Shades wrote: ↑Mon Aug 11, 2025 8:54 am
Mine was a mixed bag. I wanted to be there--no one forced me--so I had that going for me. I had been through training with the Marine Corps prior to my departure, so I had already done something much more difficult, so that helped too.
I served in Japan. It had both highs and lows. My first mission president was down-to-earth and lacked an ego, whereas the second one was a big businessman and ran the mission accordingly.
On balance, I got to experience another culture to an extent that no amount of book learning could've given me. I also learned a lot of valuable life lessons that I doubt I would've otherwise. Alas, it also put the first few items on my proverbial shelf.
I think that’s ultimately a good experience, whether you remained Mormon or not. Would you do it again?
Re: What was Your Mission Like?
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2025 3:34 pm
by Doctor CamNC4Me
Edit: fake missionary is fake
Re: What was Your Mission Like?
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2025 4:22 pm
by Nolan
Doctor CamNC4Me wrote: ↑Mon Aug 11, 2025 3:34 pm
I’ll jump in for this question - No. I wasted two years that could’ve been spent on something else meaningful to me. HOWEVER, if this hypothetical means I get to retain my mind as it’s now? Yes. I’d be able to enjoy it, and low-key let people know what’s up with the cult.
That said, I served in the Peru Lima South mission and it was a crucible of BS. I was neck deep in the slums of Peru, whether it was the mountains of Cuzco or the jungle of Madre de Dios. I did appreciate learning Spanish fluently, though. It earned me some scratch in my time as a military man.
- Doc
I’m honestly glad I didn’t go somewhere where I would have to see so much suffering and poverty (slums). I’m sure the Peruvian people are amazing and the food is great, but I have a problem with seeing others suffer (and there is very little-to-nothing I can personally do to alleviate it.)
Did you try Guinea Pig?
Re: What was Your Mission Like?
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2025 4:30 pm
by Doctor CamNC4Me
Nolan wrote: ↑Mon Aug 11, 2025 4:22 pm
Doctor CamNC4Me wrote: ↑Mon Aug 11, 2025 3:34 pm
I’ll jump in for this question - No. I wasted two years that could’ve been spent on something else meaningful to me. HOWEVER, if this hypothetical means I get to retain my mind as it’s now? Yes. I’d be able to enjoy it, and low-key let people know what’s up with the cult.
That said, I served in the Peru Lima South mission and it was a crucible of BS. I was neck deep in the slums of Peru, whether it was the mountains of Cuzco or the jungle of Madre de Dios. I did appreciate learning Spanish fluently, though. It earned me some scratch in my time as a military man.
- Doc
I’m honestly glad I didn’t go somewhere where I would have to see so much suffering and poverty (slums). I’m sure the Peruvian people are amazing and the food is great, but I have a problem with seeing others suffer (and there is very little-to-nothing I can personally do to alleviate it.)
Did you try Guinea Pig?
Yes, I was served guinea pig on occasion and it was delicious. As far as Peruvians being amazing and the food being great, well, meh. They’re humans like us and weren’t any more or less spectacular than anyone else. The food was mid, To be honest. I understood why we were catching the abuse levied on us, and I’m talking about both the church and the Peruvians, but it took its toll… I struggled with feelings of failure for years afterward. It wasn’t until I left the Mormon church ten years later that I realized how much the organization makes a person feel either defeated, or elitist if selected for promotion.
- Doc
Re: What was Your Mission Like?
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2025 4:34 pm
by Nolan
Doctor CamNC4Me wrote: ↑Mon Aug 11, 2025 4:30 pm
Nolan wrote: ↑Mon Aug 11, 2025 4:22 pm
I’m honestly glad I didn’t go somewhere where I would have to see so much suffering and poverty (slums). I’m sure the Peruvian people are amazing and the food is great, but I have a problem with seeing others suffer (and there is very little-to-nothing I can personally do to alleviate it.)
Did you try Guinea Pig?
Yes, I was served guinea pig on occasion and it was delicious. As far as Peruvians being amazing and the food being great, well, meh. They’re humans like us and weren’t any more or less spectacular than anyone else. The food was mid, To be honest. I understood why we were catching the abuse levied on us, and I’m talking about both the church and the Peruvians, but it took its toll… I struggled with feelings of failure for years afterward. It wasn’t until I left the Mormon church ten years later that I realized how much the organization makes a person feel either defeated, or elitist if selected for promotion.
- Doc
Some of the Norwegian dishes I tried were just…spectacularly awful. It’s probably why I’m so food sensitive today.
Re: What was Your Mission Like?
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2025 11:58 pm
by Everybody Wang Chung
Nolan,
Dr. Shade's missionary journal used to be online at this link:
http://www.mormoninformation.com/Missionary_Journal.pdf
For some reason, the link is broken. Hopefully Dr. Shades can provide you with a working link. His missionary journal is really interesting.
Also, we have a poster here named John Williams. He wrote a book about his missionary experiences in Bolivia. It's well worth a read:
https://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Up-Here-J ... 1105296946
Re: What was Your Mission Like?
Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2025 12:22 am
by Tom
Nolan wrote: ↑Mon Aug 11, 2025 4:06 am
Hello. I’m new here, I came over from the ex-Mormon Reddit where I am just a lurker.
Don’t give away any personal information, of course, but I’m curious if folks here had the same experience as I had on my mission. A very poor one.
The people hated us, no one would talk to us, I had mentally challenged, even deranged companions, and my mission president did not give two s**** about us.
I served in Netherlands, and
I absolutely hated it. But, learning a second language is rarely a negative thing, so that is the single silver lining.
(Apparently I posted this in the wrong forum earlier (Celestial))
Were most people non-religious? Did you spend most of your time tracting or street-contacting? I assume baptisms were uncommon.
Looking at the chronology of Mormonism in the Netherlands, I’m wondering why it was dedicated for missionary work in the early 1990s rather than decades earlier.