Online mission calls

[Northwestcoug]

Speaking of changes to the missionary program, this is from a weekly email from one of you former YSA students. The church is testing a program where missionaries wear normal clothing, no name tags, and go by first names.

Just yesterday I saw two young men crossing the street. They both wore khakis, very similar-appearing casual dress shirts, and black backpacks. No nametags. I wondered if they were two missionaries, but I thought better of it then. Maybe they were!

[Jeff Lebowski]

Just yesterday I saw two young men crossing the street. They both wore khakis, very similar-appearing casual dress shirts, and black backpacks. No nametags. I wondered if they were two missionaries, but I thought better of it then. Maybe they were!

Hey. I forgot to mention that this sister is serving in Portland!

[Bo Diddley]

I was promptly trained not to wear my name tag on my mission, but to present it when introducing myself as a missionary. It would rest just inside that outside pocket ready for me to flash my credentials as needed. We always wore them to meetings and official functions as well.

[Northwestcoug]

Hey. I forgot to mention that this sister is serving in Portland!

That would be a separate mission. But right next door.

If it is them, I'll have to give them some fashion advice. The color was a nice touch, but they still looked way too similar

[clackamascoug]

Hey. I forgot to mention that this sister is serving in Portland!

We've got two sister missionaries in our ward... now I'll have to learn their names and report back.

[MartyFunkhouser]

Had a kid in my ward years ago who could've used an online option. He was a stud baseball player and had been drafted by the Dodgers out of HS. He chose to serve a mission and his mother was furious, she wasn't churchgoing and she wanted a him in the bigs someday. The kid worked all day while waiting for his call to come and his mom was always home and got the mail each day. She ripped it up and never told him about it. SP finally called SLC and had them resend. She ripped it up and never told him about it. I can't remember if they finally just told him over the phone, but he served in Brazil, just went later than he'd planned.

Good intentions by the mother, but poor execution. Her son was an adult. She can tell him he is making a horrible mistake, but ultimately he gets to make that mistake.

[Art Vandelay]

Good intentions by the mother, but poor execution. Her son was an adult. She can tell him he is making a horrible mistake, but ultimately he gets to make that mistake.

Or she could have behaved like an adult herself. When I told my dad I wanted to go on a mission. He responded with, “ I don’t understand it, but I know it’s important to you. I saw the good it did for your brother. If that’s what you want to do, I’ll support you in it.”

But feel free to use the passive-aggressive guilt approach with your kids. I can tell you from personal (and sad) experience how it usually works out.

[falafel]

Good intentions by the mother, but poor execution. Her son was an adult. She can tell him he is making a horrible mistake, but ultimately he gets to make that mistake.

What were the good intentions again? To control her adult son's life?

[SteelBlue]

Good intentions by the mother, but poor execution. Her son was an adult. She can tell him he is making a horrible mistake, but ultimately he gets to make that mistake.

Honestly, in her case I don't even think she knew what a mission was except that he'd be gone for two years. She just didn't want him to leave her. She was an alcoholic and had been increasingly sick and was using him to cope day to day where she was starting to fail. Typical guilting and selfishness that goes with that territory.

I'd actually forgotten another frustrating part of this story. He found out that I knew Jeremy Guthrie's family and as you might imagine he was a big fan of Guthrie, having a similar back story. I told him I'd talk to Jeremy's dad and see if I could have Jeremy talk with this kid about having given up baseball and some big money to serve first. I got it all set up, but this was in the days before everyone had cells. Jeremy called the landline and the mother would always say he wasn't there. I believe he tried several times but never did get to talk to him.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Honestly, in her case I don't even think she knew what a mission was except that he'd be gone for two years. She just didn't want him to leave her. She was an alcoholic and had been increasingly sick and was using him to cope day to day where she was starting to fail. Typical guilting and selfishness that goes with that territory.

I'd actually forgotten another frustrating part of this story. He found out that I knew Jeremy Guthrie's family and as you might imagine he was a big fan of Guthrie, having a similar back story. I told him I'd talk to Jeremy's dad and see if I could have Jeremy talk with this kid about having given up baseball and some big money to serve first. I got it all set up, but this was in the days before everyone had cells. Jeremy called the landline and the mother would always say he wasn't there. I believe he tried several times but never did get to talk to him.

Wow. That is sad.

[Green Monstah]

I don't know if this is true, but I've heard that the white shirt and dark pants/suit requirement was actually implemented to help us to look more mainstream and normal, but as fashion trends became more casual, it was then seen as a way to stand out. Could be hogwash, but if you've ever seen the stands in a 1950s era baseball game, it's a sea of white shirts and ties.

I find the nametag worship to be strange. I think I mentioned this in one of the "Random Thoughts" threads, but I just don't get it. I remember being sad when I wasn't Elder Monstah anymore, and I was very proud of the nametag I had, but it looks ridiculous to wear all white baptismal clothes with a goofy black nametag or to clip them to P-day clothes.

[falafel]

I don't know if this is true, but I've heard that the white shirt and dark pants/suit requirement was actually implemented to help us to look more mainstream and normal, but as fashion trends became more casual, it was then seen as a way to stand out. Could be hogwash, but if you've ever seen the stands in a 1950s era baseball game, it's a sea of white shirts and ties.

I find the nametag worship to be strange. I think I mentioned this in one of the "Random Thoughts" threads, but I just don't get it. I remember being sad when I wasn't Elder Monstah anymore, and I was very proud of the nametag I had, but it looks ridiculous to wear all white baptismal clothes with a goofy black nametag or to clip them to P-day clothes.

You baptized with your nametags on? I'm really asking.

As for the p-day tags, I agree it looks stupid. But I'm guessing that its more about reminding these young men and women that they are still representatives of the Lord, even when they are dressed like normal 18-21 year olds, than it is about anything else.

[Green Monstah]

You baptized with your nametags on? I'm really asking.

As for the p-day tags, I agree it looks stupid. But I'm guessing that its more about reminding these young men and women that they are still representatives of the Lord, even when they are dressed like normal 18-21 year olds, than it is about anything else.

I didn't, but in the emails I get from missionaries in the field, they all sport their tags in the baptismal clothes.

[Pelado]

I didn't, but in the emails I get from missionaries in the field, they all sport their tags in the baptismal clothes.

Weird.

[beefytee]

More Missionary changes today:

https://ksltv.com/403657/latter-day-...unces-changes/

all missionary candidates, no matter their health concerns, will be able to use the missionary online recommendation process. Those who can’t serve in a proselyting capacity will be assigned as a “service missionary.”