Let's talk about Mormon missionaries...

I'm thinking of Sari and how excited I am to get her email in a few hours.  I thought it would be a good time to talk about Mormon missionaries.

Here in Baton Rouge when you say you or your child is on a mission everyone gets super excited!  They've all been on missions, or their kids have or their neighbor or their neighbor's kid.  The thing is Mormon missions are very different.  Here's how:

First of all, the Mormon missionaries all pay their own way.  Sari worked her tuckus off at Sonic as a skating car hop to earn a lot of the money for her mission, her clothes, and other preparation expenses.  She could have done a lot of things with the money but instead is using it to pay her own expenses in Argentina for the next 18 months.  She will come home broke but filled with experiences that cannot be bought.  Mormon missionaries are not paid for their work.

Let's talk about the time of missions.  This is another difference.  Mormon missionaries leave home and serve for a full 18 months if they are girls and 24 months if they are boys.  They do this voluntarily!  During this time that don't call or skype or text or facetime home or friends.  In fact, they don't even take a cell phone with them.  Their music players can't have video capabilities. They read and send email once a week on their "preparation days" from a public place, like a library.  They also use a preparation day to wash their clothes, clean their apartments, grocery shop, and send snail mail.  They can usually call or Skype home on Mother's Day and Christmas.  Click here for our first Mother's Day call with Sari!

Speaking of social networking, Mormon missionaries also don't date.  That's right.  People ask us if we miss Sari and of course we do but Larry always answers, I feel better about her being in Argentina than in Idaho!  I know she's not dating or out late at night alone. Haha.  That's a dad for you!

Alone is something Mormon missionaries are not.  They are assigned a companion of the same gender and together they work to bring people closer to Jesus Christ.  They work together all day, in the morning they study the scriptures and the gospel.  They eat their meals together and travel together.  They plan their day together.  They get up at the same time and go to bed at the same time.  When you are a Mormon missionary your companion should always be within eyesight.  Obviously you take care of your bidniz alone, but with that exception, you even sleep in the same bedroom!

How does one become a Mormon missionary?  Well, the first thing they do is prepare themselves by living worthily, such as keeping the Word of Wisdom, paying tithing, being morally clean, and so forth.  There are doctor and dentist appointments (get those wisdom teeth gone!)  When the young adult decides to go, they fill out the paperwork on line, then they have interviews with the Bishop (leader over a local congregation) and Stake President (leader of about nine congregations).  When everything is done it is turned into the LDS Church Headquarters, which is located in Salt Lake City.

The LDS church has Twelve Apostles, just like Jesus did when he was on the earth.  Some of the Twelve Apostles have the assignment to assign missionaries.  My favorite articles about how this works are here, here, and here.  Basically, the prospective missionary has no say or idea about where they will serve, the language they will speak, or when they will leave.  This is a gigantic leap of faith.  And it makes waiting for that big white envelope to arrive in the mail a real test of patience.

I am proud of the kids (and adults - senior couples can go on missions too!)  who decide to put their education, social lives, and jobs on hold and spend time serving the Lord by helping people have a stronger relationship with Jesus Christ.   Right now there are about 74,000 Mormon missionaries world-wide.  I hope that if you see one, well, two (companions, remember?) you will give them a drink of water and spend some time chatting with them.  That's what they are there for!