I feel like I'm in enemy territory (BYU)

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tundramom

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I’m in “Happy Valley” right now for a couple of reunions for my old high school.

We are staying at a hotel right across from the BYU stadium. There are a ton of kids going back and forth. I’m assuming they are at football camp or some such thing.

This morning, we went out to breakfast at IHOP and there were several families there who obviously had missionaries to drop off at the MTC. I could not help but overhear their conversations because they talked to each other about where they were all going and how long they would be at the MTC.

One girl is headed for Poland. I overheard her saying to another young girl across the restaurant that she couldn’t wait to get there so she could do some “good work” at getting all those Catholics to see the error of their ways. Her glowing Mother and Father were smiling and telling her that they were proud of her that she would be going into “enemy territory” in such a short time.

So, these Mormons on the board who claim that there is no such angst among you all about Catholics… do you have anything to say about this?

I know that when I was growing up HERE in this Valley, the attitude was much the same and I, to my shame, engaged in this kind of conversations all the time. Yet, everyone tells me these things aren’t like that any longer. Somehow, after this morning, I just don’t believe it. 🤷

I wish I had a camera to get the looks on everyone’s faces when we prayed before our meal. Since we DO make the sign of the cross before and after the prayer, it can only be assumed that it may have been noticed. :eek:

Steph
 
Their definition of “enemy territory” is going into lands already evangelized (by the One True Church) and distorting the Gospel. They would never send missionaries to the places that truly need it, where people don’t know even the basics of Christianity, like places in the Arab world and China where Christianity is illegal. :rolleyes:
 
Hello Steph, I worked in a 99% LDS environment for years. Of course they all talk and think the same as you remember. lol. We all still experience it, even if the LDS who come around here tell us we don’t.

The latest one for me, a few weeks ago, was a relative who said to me that death is not as hard for Mormons as it is for the rest of the world, because they understand eternal life and no one else does.

:banghead:
 
Ah…how I remember going into the MTC in August 1984. I was 24 and all around me were 19 year olds. How excited we were do be doing the Lord’s work. I was going to be there for 2 months because I had to learn a foreign language. It is hard to believe my mission ended almost 25 years ago.

I had a LOT of baptisms in my mission and they were all Catholics.

Later, I left the Church. When I was in the Army, I was blessed to be sent to Honduras for a 6-month TDY that was inexplicably extended to one year. That gave me the chance to visit every area I had worked in as a missionary. I was able to visit many of the people I baptized and apologize to them for leading into a false Church. Many left the LDS Church.

God is indeed in Charge.
 
Yes He is in charge!

Around that time period, there were a bunch of us who used to sneak pizza in to the MTC to our friends who were there using a place near the back fence. Were you ever the recipient of those pizzas? LOL

Steph
 
tundramom said:
Yes He is in charge!

Around that time period, there were a bunch of us who used to sneak pizza in to the MTC to our friends who were there using a place near the back fence. Were you ever the recipient of those pizzas? LOL

Steph
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I was there August-Oct 1984. We did have folks who were getting Pizzas and other snacks. We figured BYU students were bringing them
 
tundramom said:
I’m in “Happy Valley” right now for a couple of reunions for my old high school.

We are staying at a hotel right across from the BYU stadium. There are a ton of kids going back and forth. I’m assuming they are at football camp or some such thing.

This morning, we went out to breakfast at IHOP and there were several families there who obviously had missionaries to drop off at the MTC. I could not help but overhear their conversations because they talked to each other about where they were all going and how long they would be at the MTC.

One girl is headed for Poland. I overheard her saying to another young girl across the restaurant that she couldn’t wait to get there so she could do some “good work” at getting all those Catholics to see the error of their ways. Her glowing Mother and Father were smiling and telling her that they were proud of her that she would be going into “enemy territory” in such a short time.

So, these Mormons on the board who claim that there is no such angst among you all about Catholics… do you have anything to say about this?

I know that when I was growing up HERE in this Valley, the attitude was much the same and I, to my shame, engaged in this kind of conversations all the time. Yet, everyone tells me these things aren’t like that any longer. Somehow, after this morning, I just don’t believe it. 🤷

I wish I had a camera to get the looks on everyone’s faces when we prayed before our meal. Since we DO make the sign of the cross before and after the prayer, it can only be assumed that it may have been noticed. :eek:

Steph
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Steph,
If you’re saying that young missionaries are usually both fairly naive and fairly full of “bravado”, then that is probably true. If you’re saying that missionary parents go along with the “bravado” to encourage their young missionary since they know they are going to face a lot of adversity wherever they go, they often probably do.

Here is a link to a talk that happened to be a father giving his son some advice before his son served in the Poland Warsaw Mission.

lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=eb9894bf3938b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

Here is a closing quote from that talk:

"Bless the lives of others with your priesthood and your presence.

Brad, love every minute of your service to those wonderful Polish people. Love their country, their food, customs, language, and heritage. They will enrich your life and understanding."

I have a son who has served an LDS mission, sometimes among Catholics. I never heard him criticize the Catholic church, nor any other religion. I have a son now preparing to serve a mission in a year and a half. He studied European history and enjoyed that. He now is quick to defend the religious beliefs of others, including Catholics. I’m sure he would have told the pre-missionary sister, had he overheard her parents, that she would soon find that she was not “in enemy territory”, and that if she continued to feel that way she would quickly need to change her outlook or would face discouragement and disappointment as she tried to communicate with the people she would be meeting.

Peace, Steph.
I hope you find enjoyment in your high school reunion. At the ones I’ve attended, I’ve just as much enjoyed seeing my old Catholic friends as any other friends, and enjoyed hearing about their families and the blessings in their lives.
 
I have said a little prayer and asked for intercession from a very Great man who happened to be Polish that this girl would indeed fall in love with the people of Poland. I have no doubt that he is on it even as we speak. 👍

Thank you for the kind words ParkerD. I will enjoy the reunions, although I am sure I am probably the sole Catholic among them, I DID learn to at least pronounce Latin from my choir director in high school. I had a great deal of fun teaching some of the members of my current Parish choir how to pronounce Laudate Dominum correctly. LOL

Steph
 
SirThomasMore said:
I was there August-Oct 1984. We did have folks who were getting Pizzas and other snacks. We figured BYU students were bringing them
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I’m sure there were some students from BYU bringing them too, but there were a bunch of us high schoolers who couldn’t resist either. I graduated in 1985 and started helping others smuggle in the pizza in 1983. It was probably the most daring thing we did. LOL

Steph
 
tundramom said:
One girl is headed for Poland. I overheard her saying to another young girl across the restaurant that she couldn’t wait to get there so she could do some “good work” at getting all those Catholics to see the error of their ways. Her glowing Mother and Father were smiling and telling her that they were proud of her that she would be going into “enemy territory” in such a short time.

Steph
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So, you heard a girl shout across the room that she was going to do good work at getting all those catholics to see the error of their ways? Was that her exact words or did you just hear that she was going to do good work since only good work is in quotes? Please let us know. I have this feeling that you just heard good work and assumed the rest.

I have a hard time believing that someone would shout across the restaurant that she was going to have the catholics see the errors of their ways.
 
there you go again calling me a liar.

I didn’t say “shout”. She spoke to another girl across the restaurant. Yes, the words were indeed “error of their ways” and she did say “Catholics”.

Anything else you want to call me a liar for whyme?

Steph

Edit-- “good work” was in quotes because I don’t see it as such. Are you going to turn English professor on me as well?
 
tundramom said:
I’m sure there were some students from BYU bringing them too, but there were a bunch of us high schoolers who couldn’t resist either. I graduated in 1985 and started helping others smuggle in the pizza in 1983. It was probably the most daring thing we did. LOL

Steph
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Then I owe you a thanks. You saved me midnight munchies more than once!

👍
 
tundramom said:
there you go again calling me a liar.

I didn’t say “shout”. She spoke to another girl across the restaurant. Yes, the words were indeed “error of their ways” and she did say “Catholics”.

Anything else you want to call me a liar for whyme?

Steph

Edit-- “good work” was in quotes because I don’t see it as such. Are you going to turn English professor on me as well?
Click to expand...
👍
 
tundramom said:
there you go again calling me a liar.

I didn’t say “shout”. She spoke to another girl across the restaurant. Yes, the words were indeed “error of their ways” and she did say “Catholics”.

Anything else you want to call me a liar for whyme?

Steph

Edit-- “good work” was in quotes because I don’t see it as such. Are you going to turn English professor on me as well?
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He and the other mormons tend to call us liars when they dislike what we say. Of course, then they tell us WE are not acting in a Christian manner.

They follow a “prophet” who was known for lying then dare call US liars.

Just hang in there and pray for them
 
tundramom said:
I’m glad!
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The night of my MTC Farewell, we were up ALL night. We had a long devotional, then we had to pack…our bus to airport left at 4am.

Someone brought is a bunch of pizzas and we ate on those pizzas all night.

What a hoot if you were one of the ones who supplied those pizzas…
 
SirThomasMore said:
He and the other mormons tend to call us liars when they dislike what we say. Of course, then they tell us WE are not acting in a Christian manner.

They follow a “prophet” who was known for lying then dare call US liars.

Just hang in there and pray for them
Click to expand...
Not to mention that some of the mormon posters actually condone lying. I guess it’s only bad when a non mormon does it.
 
SirThomasMore said:
He and the other mormons tend to call us liars when they dislike what we say. Of course, then they tell us WE are not acting in a Christian manner.

They follow a “prophet” who was known for lying then dare call US liars.

Just hang in there and pray for them
Click to expand...
Thanks STM. I pray daily for them. I’m actually really glad I overheard that girl was going to Poland. I missed out on loving JPII for so much of the time he was our Holy Father. Now I know he is praying for her. It’s awesome!

Steph
 
tundramom said:
Thanks STM. I pray daily for them. I’m actually really glad I overheard that girl was going to Poland. I missed out on loving JPII for so much of the time he was our Holy Father. Now I know he is praying for her. It’s awesome!

Steph
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Maybe SHE will get converted!
 
SirThomasMore said:
The night of my MTC Farewell, we were up ALL night. We had a long devotional, then we had to pack…our bus to airport left at 4am.

Someone brought is a bunch of pizzas and we ate on those pizzas all night.

What a hoot if you were one of the ones who supplied those pizzas…
Click to expand...
that would be a hoot! Wish there was some way of finding out.

I wonder if they get away with that now… I’m not that far away… maybe I should do a little peeking tonight? LOL
 
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