Any celebreties exempt from missionary service?

[LiveCoug]

Sure.

But you heard what President Monson said.

There are a lot of things you can or cannot do and, eventually, you can obtain a temple recommend. Not sure that is a great metric for determining whether or not a full-time mission is a duty, obligation, etc.

I'm not talking "eventually". I'm talking about a 19 or 20 year old kid who decides to forego a mission. Can he right then be worthy of a temple recommend?

[NorthwestUteFan]

Very soon the entire leadership of the church will be made up of people who would have been of missionary age during Vietnam. IIRC stakes were only able to obtain 3-4 waivers per year for missionaries, due to the draft. Many great men, my own father included, were not able to go on a mission. Of course it wasn't a requirement or necessity back then.

In fact my dad has 5 partners his own age (and several my age now too). Of those original 5, I think 1 went on a mission. Every one of them has now been a bishop, 2 were in stake presidencies, another has been a high councillor for decades, and 1 of them is leaving to be a mission president this coming June.

In many ways I wish I skipped going on a mission to stay in school. However a kid who skips a mission in SLC is immediately branded an 'outcast' so I guess I went out of peer pressure. I had a decent experience and grew a lot during the two years, but I would have been better off just going away to school or the Air Force (which likely would have put me in Saudi for Desert Storm), something like that. If my boys want to go I will support them 100%. But they will have to do something with their lives at age 19, whether a mission, going away to school, going into the military, etc.

[Donuthole]

I'm not talking "eventually". I'm talking about a 19 or 20 year old kid who decides to forego a mission. Can he right then be worthy of a temple recommend?

Yes. Though I've not heard of it happening for someone who wasn't getting married (not because the person isn't worthy, but because really, how many 19 y.o. kids who aren't going on missions are interested in going to the temple? Not many). I've only heard of it happening for someone getting married.

[Indy Coug]

I'm not talking "eventually". I'm talking about a 19 or 20 year old kid who decides to forego a mission. Can he right then be worthy of a temple recommend?

My best friend, who chose not to go on a mission, married the girl I was going out with before I went on my mission. They were both 20 when they were married in the Mesa Temple.

[Paperback Writer]

I'm not talking "eventually". I'm talking about a 19 or 20 year old kid who decides to forego a mission. Can he right then be worthy of a temple recommend?

A young man can be temple worthy, want to serve a mission, and still not be called because of a past indiscretion. In other words, Bishop and SP are OK with a young man serving (and going to the temple) but SLC can still say "No".

[Paperback Writer]

My best friend, who chose not to go on a mission, married the girl I was going out with before I went on my mission. They were both 20 when they were married in the Mesa Temple.

So they got married while you were on your mission? In other words, you and her dated each other, you then went off to the mission field, and he stayed home and married her? That would suck.

My non-member HS girlfriend ended up marrying one of my best friends - but not until after my mission. But we broke up before I left on my the mission. I took it harder when they divorced after a couple of years then when they got married. When they got married, I was really happy for them even though I wondered if she might have been "the one" since I was still single and had not been in a real dating relationship since; despite being a student at BYU for two years.

[Moliere]

Very soon the entire leadership of the church will be made up of people who would have been of missionary age during Vietnam. IIRC stakes were only able to obtain 3-4 waivers per year for missionaries, due to the draft. Many great men, my own father included, were not able to go on a mission. Of course it wasn't a requirement or necessity back then.

In fact my dad has 5 partners his own age (and several my age now too). Of those original 5, I think 1 went on a mission. Every one of them has now been a bishop, 2 were in stake presidencies, another has been a high councillor for decades, and 1 of them is leaving to be a mission president this coming June.

In many ways I wish I skipped going on a mission to stay in school. However a kid who skips a mission in SLC is immediately branded an 'outcast' so I guess I went out of peer pressure. I had a decent experience and grew a lot during the two years, but I would have been better off just going away to school or the Air Force (which likely would have put me in Saudi for Desert Storm), something like that. If my boys want to go I will support them 100%. But they will have to do something with their lives at age 19, whether a mission, going away to school, going into the military, etc.

Military service is obviously one out, however Monson's timing is interesting. He was born in 1927 and was 18 when he went into the Navy (1945). He served less than two years in the Navy (came back in 1946) and then went to college. He was probably 19 or 20 when he came back home from the Navy, which is plenty young to still choose to serve a mission. Instead he went to school and graduated in 1948. He could have served a full time mission but he choose not to (unless there were any other restrictions at that time that I'm not aware of).

Is serving a full time mission a commandment? No. Is it beneficial to the kid serving? Mostly yes. Is the missionary program broken? Depends. Will I encourage my boys to serve? Yes, most definitely, but I won't scorn them for not serving.

[byu71]

You have to leave no openings for children. I tell my children drinking is evil and of the devil. I can't say, but some adults do it and they are fine people. They would have an out when they turn 16.

Young people should not put off marriage for anything. You should not let getting an education get in the way of getting married. Advice given in the 60's and 70's and yet I know an apostle advised his own son to wait until he got his education.

Pay your tithing, don't steal, don't kill anyone, yea, no exceptions. There are others too, but a lot of it isn't as black and white as some like to think. IMHO

[NorthwestUteFan]

Military service is obviously one out, however Monson's timing is interesting. He was born in 1927 and was 18 when he went into the Navy (1945). He served less than two years in the Navy (came back in 1946) and then went to college. He was probably 19 or 20 when he came back home from the Navy, which is plenty young to still choose to serve a mission. Instead he went to school and graduated in 1948. He could have served a full time mission but he choose not to (unless there were any other restrictions at that time that I'm not aware of).

My FIL is of a similar age (about 7 yrs younger). He did 4 years in the Army during Korea, THEN went on a 3 year mission (left at 22), then went to college on the GI bill and graduated around '58 or '59. The option was out there for those who chose to do it. I doubt I would have gone on a mission after 4 yrs in the army, but more power to him for doing it. He actually went to the New England States mission, and loved visiting us when we lived there.

[Indy Coug]

So they got married while you were on your mission? In other words, you and her dated each other, you then went off to the mission field, and he stayed home and married her? That would suck.

I remember her telling me her Patriarchal Blessing said she would marry a returned missionary. Maybe she should have paid closer attention. They got divorced after 15 years or so of marriage.

It certainly hurt at the time, but things have worked out just fine for me.

[Eddie]

I'm sure if he was called to Boise, ID he would have reconsidered. Also, his plan was perfect. Play as a freshman, go on a mission, then enter the draft straight from the mission. He had every excuse as to why he wasn't in tiptop shape for the draft. The result was a very high draft pick and a lot of money, probably more than if he stayed an played longer at BYU. He also had a modest career in the NBA, not worthy of a top pick but at least he hung around for a bit.

It seems like as I recall it, the NBA was restructuring and the rookie salary structure came into play the year after Bradley went straight to the draft rather than returning to play at BYU.

So he certainly did earn more by not returning to school.

But I often wonder if he would've returned to school had the salary structure not been changing. I also wonder if another year or two in college would've prepared him better for the NBA.

I just think it's tough enough for a HS kid or NCAA freshman to go straight to the NBA. But a kid who hasn't played ball in 2 years? Crazy.

[LA Coug]

I think it would be too distracting for someone like David Archuleta to serve a mission. IMO, his celebrity would get in the way. He is the one guy I can think where the traditional 19 yr old missionary path might not be best.

[happyone]

Wasn't Donny Osmond asked not to go?

That was the rumor when I was out ( I'm a year older than he is )

[NorthwestUteFan]

Prince Rogers Nelson ('Prince', who happens to be one of the greatest guitar players and most accomplished musicians of all time, and the best Superbowl halftime act in recent memory) sometimes tracts with the JWs from his Kingdom Hall up in Minneapolis.

How distracting would it be for The Purple One to go tracting? He is one of the most recognizable music figures of the past 3 decades. I can guarantee I would welcome him into my house even if I couldn't care less about the message.

Anybody with the stones to kick Kim Kardashian off the stage at Madison Square Garden for being a poor dancer is OK in my book!

[il Padrino Ute]

It seems like as I recall it, the NBA was restructuring and the rookie salary structure came into play the year after Bradley went straight to the draft rather than returning to play at BYU.

So he certainly did earn more by not returning to school.

But I often wonder if he would've returned to school had the salary structure not been changing. I also wonder if another year or two in college would've prepared him better for the NBA.

I just think it's tough enough for a HS kid or NCAA freshman to go straight to the NBA. But a kid who hasn't played ball in 2 years? Crazy.

According to my uncle - who coached Bradley in high school - Bradley was contacted by an agent when he had been out for a year and kept in contact with him a few times a month, then weekly for the last 3 months of Shawn's mission. The agent was at the airport when Bradley's flight touched down and met him with the paperwork to be his agent.

Returning to play at BYU was never a part of Shawn's plan the last year of his mission.