No one really gives a damn

[_Mercury]

I spent two years pushing book of Mormons onto people. It sucked or was good based on who you were with. If you were with someone who wanted to have fun, you had fun. If you were with a tightwad who was interested in useless things such as tracting, etc then it was LITERALLY HELL.

After I returned and before the cog-dis left my mind I told myself that it was the best thinkg I could have done for myself.

Now I see I was dead wrong. I could have finished school 2 years earlier, my career could b etwo years ahead, my social network could have been much larger. All of these things are direct benefits for not wasting two years of my life trying to make my round peg fit in the square hole.

Mormon missions are a point of pride for the believer. Its their ticket into mainstream Mormonism. The shunning and stigma attached to individuals who did not go is astounding.

Pressure to go on an LDS mission is compounded by the fact that females will marry a loser RM over a nice non-RM.

One of the biggest surprises to my exmormon mind was the fact that noone really gives a damn wether you were an LDS missionary or not when interacting with individuals outside of Mormonism. In fact they actually feel sorry for you.

I now see my mission experience as one of the most (practical) useless two years I spent. I might as well had become a heroine addict for two years, at least I could've had SOME happiness.

[_OUT OF MY MISERY]

You have stated the truth...you are not a MORONIC Mormon

Whoa to many people do not like the truth,,,,,Watch out

[_Yoda]

One of the biggest surprises to my exmormon mind was the fact that noone really gives a damn wether you were an LDS missionary or not when interacting with individuals outside of Mormonism. In fact they actually feel sorry for you

Actually, when my husband has mentioned his mission in a couple of job circles, people have been impressed that he was that dedicated to his church. It's never been a deal breaker in a job situation, but it certainly hasn't been a deterrant, and no one has "felt sorry for him" because he went.

Maybe part of this is because we live in the "Bible belt" of the South. There is a rather large respect for all Christian religions in this area.

[_Mercury]

One of the biggest surprises to my exmormon mind was the fact that noone really gives a damn wether you were an LDS missionary or not when interacting with individuals outside of Mormonism. In fact they actually feel sorry for you

Actually, when my husband has mentioned his mission in a couple of job circles, people have been impressed that he was that dedicated to his church. It's never been a deal breaker in a job situation, but it certainly hasn't been a deterrant, and no one has "felt sorry for him" because he went.

Maybe part of this is because we live in the "Bible belt" of the South. There is a rather large respect for all Christian religions in this area.

In my experience no one outside of mormondom fully understands the LDS missionary program. It is often seen as a community service endeavor instead of a Bible salesman enterprise.

[_Brackite]

Hi There,
I served a full time two year Mission in the early 1990s, and now I wish that I didn't spend the entire two years of my life serving a Mission for the LDS Church. I now also regret it. The Poster named 'Charity' wrote this on the MA&D Board to another Poster there:

Going on a mission will be the best thing you can do.

How does Charity knows this? Has she ever been on a full time two year Mission for the Church??? I do Not believe that she ever served a full time two year Mission for the LDS Church. I just love it when People who never served a full time Mission, makes statements like that.

[_Gazelam]

I served a mission. It was great because when I went out I was about as far from religious as I could have been. I was basicly taught the missionary discussions and converted by doing the things I was asked to teach. I had THE best Mission President I could have gotten, and was instructed in the gospel properly.

I was ready to go home at first, but received an answer to my prayer, and received a change in attitude also.

Gaz

[_Ray A]

I now see my mission experience as one of the most (practical) useless two years I spent. I might as well had become a heroine addict for two years, at least I could've had SOME happiness.

I really don't think you understand heroin addiction. And your post just shows how selfish and self-centred you really are.

[_Mercury]

And your post just shows how selfish and self-centred you really are.

Care to enlighten us on why you believe I am self centered?

[_desert_vulture]

I had THE best Mission President I could have gotten, and was instructed in the gospel properly.

I have various theories about the cost/benefit analysis of a mission, from an exmo RM perspective.

I was raised in a strict authoritartian home, with little to no freedom. I went to a mission with a very cool, loving guy as the MP. Result? I liked my mission. It gave me more freedom than I ever had at home, with my wretched parents in their totalitarian regime. It also gave me the opportunity to learn a foreign language, and learn about foreign cultures. To me, it was a net positive.

But change a number of the variables around a little bit, and I can easily see how it could be a net negative too. None of the variables, by the way, have anything to do with whether Mormonism is or isn't true. The variables that I think affect whether or not a mission is viewed as a net positive or net negative experience have to do with 1) How you were raised. If raised by loving, caring parents then a mission has more probability of being a negative experience. If raised by authoritarian assholes as parents, the mission is an escape to a new existence of freedom (however sick that may sound) 2) What type of MP you get. If you get an authoritarian bastard as an MP, then you have a higher probability of not liking your mission. If you get an understand christian person who listens and cares, you probably have a higher probability of enjoying your mission. 3) What type of companions you get. Same goes here as with the parents, and MP. Assholes=negative. Nice christian guys who are fun=positive.

So I don't think a mission is either good or bad, in a vacuum. It really depends on all of these variables, and your personality type. I saved a year of college by testing out of many language classes in my major as a direct result of my mission. Again, to those who go English speaking, there is no added benefit of learning a foreign language, which can be useful in the business world, college, etc.

[_harmony]

My sons have had good and bad come from their mission experiences. They came from a loving, forgiving atmosphere at home, with a faithful father and a mother that thinks outside the box, so perhaps they were generally able to make lemonade out of this particular life's experiences' lemons.

#1 son's mission experience has been an overall plus. He learned a difficult foreign language and learned to manuever successfully within that culture. His knowledge of the foreign language and culture (Japanese) has helped him in his business (as a consultant with an international computer business). His MP was an almost complete SOB, but my son didn't spend much time with him, because he was never in a leadership position (the MP wouldn't have known an inspiration if it bit him in the butt). Overall, I'd give it a thumb's up.

#2 son's experience was almost universally negative. He was hurt in the MTC, and the pain he endured for the next 10 months was excruciating, not the least of which was brought on by the fact that his MP thought he was lying. Only when the MP's wife intervened was he able to be treated for a rultured disk in his back. (I was livid, and remain livid about this to this day). The pain drove him to a clinical depression, which he was treated for before they sent him home after 10 months, essentially in a body bag. Even with all that, he was a successful missionary according to their standards, because he has a sunny nature and is generally a joy to be around. His back still troubles him today, 10 years later. He was in a Spanish speaking mission, and it gave him an opportunity to see one of the world's largest cities (New York City), something none of the rest of us will ever do, but overall, I'd give it a thumb's down.

#3 son chose to not go.

#1 daughter chose to not go.

#4 son's experience was both positive and negative. This son is intensely connected to his family, so going to a Central American country was torture for him. However, once he was able to get over that hurdle, the experience was positive (except when visiting GA's visited. Then it was torture). His MP was a good, kind man who spoke no English. His Spanish was good enough to test out of Spanish in college and gain him a Spanish minor with little trouble. His Spanish was better than his Spanish teachers, so he ended up correcting papers and tutoring for the Spanish department. Overall, I'd give it a cautious thumb's up.

#5 son's experience was both positive and negative. This son was held back from going for 3 months, while our SP decided if he was good enough. This enraged me. He had no sin; what he had was an unfailing honesty that would not allow him to claim something he didn't possess (he refused to say he knew the church was true, when he knew he didn't know any such thing). After clearing that hurdle, he went to a southern states mission, and his first assignment was a ward in which a previous missionary had molested a little girl. He had to establish trust again with them, which turned out to be not terribly difficult, since a long lost member of our extended family turned up in that ward (serendipitously, I might add). He had a relatively untroubled mission after that. He holds his mission in great esteem. Overall, I'd give it a cautious thumb's up.

#2 daughter was not eligible to go. She was married at 20.

#6 son chose to not go.