I live in Utah. “Missionary “is a loaded word.
When I mention that I’m going on a mission, the response I typically get is something along the lines of:
“What? You’re a Mormon?”
… No. I’m not. But I believe in Jesus.
Utah is a wacky place. And religion, God, and other such topics are extremely sticky and very sensitive. After living in Utah for about 11 years now, a few of my observations are as follows:
- Those raised in LDS families that question the doctrine or choose to “leave” the church are alienated. Thus, often the outcome is a vision of an unjust, unloving, critical, inflexible, rejecting God… that is not real.
- I put the term “leave” in quotations because a registered member of the LDS church cannot simply leave and have their name removed from the books. Mormon missionaries are often sent out to retrieve these lost sheep and will travel far and wide to do so and will return repeatedly even when asked to stop. If one is serious about removing his/her name from the church records, they often must take legal action. And IF their case goes through, what happens is basically a shunning from the church, which includes breaking their covenant, reversing their baptism and any blessing they've ever received. This can also result in this person never wanting to attend a church of any sort for fear of falling into another trap for rejection and heartache. Or worse: out of resentment, thinking that THIS is how God operates. — Well, this is not how God operates but I'm going to pause on this one.
- Life for non-Mormon children is very difficult especially if they go to a public school. Many LDS kids are taught and discouraged from befriending non-Mormon kids.
- Mormon missionaries tend to stick to the approved script and rarely speak from their own heart. I can hardly tell if they believe in what they’re saying. Not to mention, there are many missionaries that go on missions for the wrong reasons; that it’s a serious expectation from their church and family and if he doesn’t go, he’s a failure and ultimately won’t find a good wife.
- Missionary success is measured in conversion numbers. Example: I just read in an article from The Washington Post (July 2011), “In his two years as a missionary in Northern Virginia, Karren has helped convert about 41 people to the Mormon faith.” Nothing is ever reported on someone actually accepting Christ as their Savior. (Questions concerning Christ, Savior, Redeemer, etc tend to be dodged.) And as far as I’m concerned, Jesus called me to love people, not to tell them to go to church… But again, that’s another conversation.
I could carry on with this forever, but I’ll hold off for a later blog.
Conflicting thoughts of mine: No one talks about their faith or beliefs. Why? I’m always told that I’m accepted for whatever my beliefs are but am discouraged from talking about them. That makes no sense.
I strive to be a loving, accepting person. Accept, accept, accept. Then why am I a missionary?! Because there is so much that people don’t know or misunderstand what Jesus is all about! So many people focus on the aspect of sin, of wrongful actions and condemnation. But we’re missing the whole point because Jesus has all of that crap we humans do UNDER CONTROL because he TOOK the hit for all of it anyway. All we need to do is ACCEPT that forgiveness! Now all we need to worry about is what he tells us to do and that is to love each other. Not “love your family and friends and nice people”. We’re supposed to love everyone; regardless of how they act or what they’ve done to us, how they’ve wronged us. Thank God it’s not my job to judge people and what they do.
… Because loving that jerk that cut me off on the way to work is hard enough.
