3 Things You Don’t Know About LDS Missionaries

Kay McMillan
Aug 23, 2017 · 4 min read

You’ve probably seen Mormon missionaries before. The Church of Latter Day Saints sends out (mostly young) men and women to serve their communities — they’re the ones in the button down shirts and ties, the little name tags with titles like Elder Smith, and usually a smile on their face.

If you’re like most people, the thought of missionaries makes you cringe.

But why?

What’s so upsetting about someone coming to see how they can serve and help you, sharing what they believe is the secret to happiness without asking for anything in return? What makes people so uncomfortable with the idea of religion?

Part of it might be personal insecurities, but one major reason that people are so standoffish (and, let’s face it, nastily rude) towards missionaries is ignorance, pure and simple. Most people have no idea what a missionary does, and in their ignorance, they’re horrible and rude towards some fine young men and women.

The author of this article is not Mormon, but after talking to members of the Mormon church, the missionaries in her neighborhood, and her friends who have trotted out some bizarre ideas about what those missionaries really do — as if they have some kind of evil, secret agenda — she thought it was time to share a little bit of knowledge.

Missionary Fact 1: Their Lifestyle Is Very Rigorous

During a mission, there’s a strict schedule and set of rules that missionaries must follow. For many of these young men and women, their mission is their first time away from home, and they’re only allowed 2 phone calls per year. They get an email account to use during their mission, but can only use it on Saturdays. Many missionaries choose to save MyLDSMail messages when they return because it’s almost like a mission journal.

On top of that, each missionary is assigned a companion, and those companionships spend all day, every day together. Most missionaries serve far from home, often in an area where they’re not yet fluent in the native language, and their companion is like their lifeline.

Each day is laid out in a schedule, with most of their time dedicated to the actual work of the mission, which isn’t what you might think…

Missionary Fact 2: They’re There to Serve, Not Necessarily To Get You To Convert

Missionaries set out to bring souls to Christ. They don’t do this by preaching at you, whether you want to hear it or not. They do it by doing God’s work, serving members of the community, and educating those who show interest.

In other words, the first thing a missionary is going to do when they knock on your door is look for a way to help you, whether that’s helping you clear weeds from your garden, taking out the trash for you, or digging a drainage ditch in your back yard to stop your basement from flooding.

They will talk to you about their faith. They will invite you to church. They will answer any and all questions about Mormons, the LDS Church, or the missionary lifestyle…

But they won’t ever try to force you, and they’ll leave you alone if you ask. Even if you want them to come back to help but ask them not to preach or talk about religion, they’ll do it. Missionaries devote their time and energy to service, because that’s how they invite people to learn more.

Missionary Fact 3: After Their Mission, Mormons Are Primed For Success

Missions are demanding, difficult, and often transformative.

Imagine spending every day offering to unconditionally serve your community, only to be ignored, insulted, and threatened by most of the people you encounter. Could you do it?

Missionaries learn a lot about human nature, about their own resilience, and about maintaining their priorities and standards regardless of how other people respond. Those are skills that are useful in business, in marriages, and in basically anything competitive or difficult.

A 20 year old male who has just returned from his mission is likely to be far more mature, disciplined, and ready to take on life and succeed than one of his peers who went to college instead. Mormons who went on missions are often successful in business, take positions of leadership in clubs and organizations, and find it easier to adapt to the ever-changing conditions of their environment.

Summing It Up

Sure, the Mormon lifestyle and religion seems strange to those who haven’t been around it, but so does Orthodox Judaism, Catholicism, and Buddhism. Just because their customs and beliefs are different than yours, that doesn’t mean there’s something sinister. Most of the suspicion of Mormons (and other religions) comes from the fear of the unknown, and we as a culture are better than that.

Next time you see a LDS missionary in your area, smile and be kind to them. They’ve had quite enough hostility already, and they really are out there to make the world a better place. Even if you don’t want a new religion, at least be respectful of the few people who have the courage to go out into the world to try to change it for the better.

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Kay McMillan

Written by

Kay is a full-time professional blogger and digital marketer in Las Vegas.

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