Problems with LDS/Mormon History

[PaulDupre1]

If any LDS missionaries would knock on my door, I would let them in, give them some refreshment (as a former LDS missionary I can empathize) and tell them not to waste their time on me - that I am an ex-Mormon and now a Catholic. They would be so horrified that they would never come back.

But except for one time a pair of mishies came to my door because the got their appointment’s address wrong, in all my years since I left the LDS, I have never had LDS missionaries at my door.

As an apostate, I am probably on their Do-Not-Contact list. Every mission has one. They especially steer clear of ex-members. Wouldn’t want to expose the kids to any reality, would we?

My LDS brother and sister keep the LDS church up to date on where I live, etc. so the local mission can be forewarned.

My sister always has me on the prayer roll at the temple. I actually think that is really very sweet of her. We were always very close until I left the LDS.

Paul (formerly LDS, now happily Catholic)

 

[Jeremyrose21]

Sorry to hear your sister and you aren’t close anymore. I can relate. I haven’t spoken to my dad in years because he’s a Jehovah’s Witness and disowned my sister. I do find it interesting that they wouldn’t want to come to your house. You would think they would want to send missionaries to show you they would welcome you back.

 

[TexanKnight]

Your mission sounds a lot like mine - hot, humid, filthy, no AC and lots of cockroaches and other wildlife. In Taiwan (1977 to 1979) the air was so polluted that our lungs and throats ached most of the time. And don’t get me started on the fungal infections under the garments…

We also had to boil all the water we used for drinking, toothbrushing, etc. because it was contaminated with sewage and other stuff.

I must have gotten some unboiled water somewhere, because I came down with a whopping case of hepatitis A. I left for my mission at a trim and buff 174 pounds and came home at 113 pounds and yellow from jaundice. I had lost virtually all of my muscle mass (that’s one thing hepatitis does to you). My parents walked right past me in the airport, because they didn’t recognize me. When I followed them and they finally saw that it was me, they were horrified and my mother broke down in tears.

It took about 8 months of medical care, rest and good food to recover more or less fully. But for the next several years I would now and then spike a high fever for 12-18 hours for no apparent reason. My doctor said that hep hangs on a long time. I don’t recommend it.

Paul (formerly LDS, now happily Catholic)

Yep…a LOT of similarities.

When I came back from my mission, my mom saw me in the airport and I had lost so much weight that she thought I had cancer or HIV.

Several years later, I had stomach issues that caused me a lot of problems. Some of the creatures from the water had messed up my stomach lining…

But still…I loved my mission…you?

 

[PaulDupre1]

Yep…a LOT of similarities.

When I came back from my mission, my mom saw me in the airport and I had lost so much weight that she thought I had cancer or HIV.

Several years later, I had stomach issues that caused me a lot of problems. Some of the creatures from the water had messed up my stomach lining…

But still…I loved my mission…you?

I wouldn’t say I loved it. I enjoyed it for the first several months, despite the constant discomfort. I liked being a district leader, because especially since I was 4 years older than the other guys and had a lot more life experience I ending up mentoring them. I taught the LDS gospel to more elders and sisters than I did investigators. I was surprised at how much more I, a convert of barely 2 years, knew about Mormonism than they did.

Two things soured me on being a missionary in Taiwan: The first was the constant health problems, which started at about 9 months in country.

The second was that I began to see that the church was trying to turn the Taiwan Chinese into white Americans.

We were to instruct the men to wear a clean white shirt (plus a tie if possible) and full-length trousers to church. The women were supposed to wear skirts or dresses and no sleeveless anything. The people in Taiwan have a completely different idea of what “well-dressed” means, but the church apparently rode rough-shod over their cultural preferences.

Besides, most of the people I met didn’t even own anything like that, much less wear it.

There were no Chinese-sounding hymns in the hymnal, just rather poor translations of the standard LDS hymns from America.

The relief society manual was translated from the American one. Instead of teaching the women skills and crafts appropriate to their culture, they had them making plastic grapes and other ridiculous junk that they had no use for. It’s no wonder that no one showed up.

And on and on…

This was important to me later when I discovered how Catholicism blends seamlessly into every culture, not changing it but transforming its purpose from pagan or profane to sacred and Christian.

Paul (formerly LDS, now happily Catholic)

 

[TexanKnight]

I wouldn’t say I loved it. I enjoyed it for the first several months, despite the constant discomfort. I liked being a district leader, because especially since I was 4 years older than the other guys and had a lot more life experience I ending up mentoring them. I taught the LDS gospel to more elders and sisters than I did investigators. I was surprised at how much more I, a convert of barely 2 years, knew about Mormonism than they did.

Two things soured me on being a missionary in Taiwan: The first was the constant health problems, which started at about 9 months in country.

The second was that I began to see that the church was trying to turn the Taiwan Chinese into white Americans.

We were to instruct the men to wear a clean white shirt (plus a tie if possible) and full-length trousers to church. The women were supposed to wear skirts or dresses and no sleeveless anything. The people in Taiwan have a completely different idea of what “well-dressed” means, but the church apparently rode rough-shod over their cultural preferences.

Besides, most of the people I met didn’t even own anything like that, much less wear it.

There were no Chinese-sounding hymns in the hymnal, just rather poor translations of the standard LDS hymns from America.

The relief society manual was translated from the American one. Instead of teaching the women skills and crafts appropriate to their culture, they had them making plastic grapes and other ridiculous junk that they had no use for. It’s no wonder that no one showed up.

And on and on…

This was important to me later when I discovered how Catholicism blends seamlessly into every culture, not changing it but transforming its purpose from pagan or profane to sacred and Christian.

Paul (formerly LDS, now happily Catholic)

so many similarities, except I really liked my mission.

I was also older than the other missionaries. I was baptized in 1983, went on my mission 18 months later. I was 24 when I left, so 5 years older than most. I was a DL most of my mission. They wanted me to serve in the Mission office, but I begged not to. I wanted to be a missionary. I thought I was serving the Lord, so I was incredibly happy doing it. I already had a college degree. I quit a job and left a fiance behind.

 

[Arandur]

Hey, former LDS missionaries, I’d like to hear your thoughts about the good and the bad of the mission process and what might be good to bring to Catholicism. Maybe if you all could gradually band together, you could help advance something…

FOCUS (the Fellowship Of Catholic University Students) is the nearest equivalent I’m aware of: young adults who sign up for 2-year terms of full-time missionary work at universities, with TONS of formation. They do have to raise funds to support themselves and their mission (I think it costs about $25,000 to keep them in the field, covering their needs and formation).

I’m a huge supporter of FOCUS–I think they should automatically be fully staffed at every Catholic university and brought to all the highschools, and I’d love to see an offshoot program expanded to parishes, hospitals, etc. They have a wonderful approach they boil down to “Win, Build, Send.”

I dated a Mormon very seriously in college and was in touch with her missionary branch (and she went on a mission eventually) and admired the missionary drive.

I would love to see a culture built up among Catholic youth where there is great emphasis and appeal to go on mission of some sort while their young–a similar sort of thing, where everyone just assumes/expects to go on a mission for a year or two and is excited about it. Of course, we are far, far away from that in Catholic culture today and it would take generations to get there, but just imagine…

If many faithful young Catholics had the regular, peer-supported experience of dedicating a year or more of their life to work for the Church, with the proper formation and support, we would change the world.

The New Evangelization has re-asserted the call of all the Baptized to mission in various ways. Various forms of formal mission for a period of life would be great–and even give a new vigor and calling in life if promoted for “empty nesters” and retirees, serving in their parishes and communities and as mentors.

St. Paul Street Evangelization and the Legion of Mary, I understand, both have great, Catholic forms of local community “missionary work.” Training in sharing the Gospel, door-to-door work that is more about inviting and offering prayer and support than about prosyletizing, about charity and sharing the truth in love.