It was 22 years ago today that I returned from my mission. I spent 2 years in Detroit peddling religion for the Lord because the Lord commanded it. I saw things that would have scared my mother had she known about them.

I had a gun pulled on me. A lady was raped in the walkway of our apartment. I witnessed two Detroit police officers get shot and killed in October 1988 at a house that we had just tracted out about 2 minutes earlier. A guy who didn't like us teaching his girlfriend threw a knife at us as we opened our door to go out one day. We saw him and slammed the door just as the knife hit and stuck next to the peephole (we stopped teaching her). I saw kids murdered for their jewelry and shoes.

I spend many days in the parks of east and south Detroit playing basketball as it was more productive than banging on doors all day. I learned about guns and how to react when a drive-by occurs. I ate all kinds of food from the various ethnicities we lived near- Liberian, Polish, Iranian, Cuban, Thai, and of course the Coney Island dog. I learned to tolerate companions from Utah Valley and appreciate those from the "mission field".

My bike was stolen- twice. Our car was vandalized- three times. I found out where the out-of-town major league baseball teams stayed and would call the rooms of LDS players and ask for tickets to the games (thanks Wally Joiner and others for getting us box seats). I watched Ohio State beat Michigan in the Big House my first Saturday in Ann Arbor. I saw the Tigers, Red Wings, Lions, Pistons, and Wolverines play. And my companion and I held the mission record for most BOM's passed out in a week with 440 (we went to a park in south Detroit and handed one to everyone we saw whether they wanted it or not, 10 cases worth).

I baptized 12 people. I taught hundreds of first discussions but not many seconds. I attended the first Detroit Branch meeting on October 14, 1988 in a convert's home in east Detroit. We had so much pressure to baptize her so we could use her home (she had a piano) that the MP waived her Word of Wisdom issues in her interview. Our first meeting had 6 members and 8 missionaries and I still have the cassette recording of the meeting. After I was transferred she went inactive and would not allow the church to use her home anymore. I'm sorry the church used you, Sister Childers.

I learned that the church is all about numbers. How many discussions you teach, how many hours prostelyting, how many BOM's, how many hours working with members, how many this, how many that. If you report good numbers your name gets highlighted and you get promoted. When I figured that out I was called as District Leader and when my District reported good numbers I was promoted to Zone Leader, and so forth. When serving as ZL I was interviewed by F Burton Howard and asked to report on what we needed to be successful in the inner city. I guess what I told him never made it back to church HQ's because nothing changed.

I trained other missionaries and taught them things to help them survive in Detroit. Things such as don't be out after 7PM, even on summer nights. Don't wear red ties. Don't wear blue ties. Don't make hand gestures to people, even funny gestures. Always call men "sir" and women "ma'am". Never wear P-Day clothes on P-Day when you are in the city because they don't like white boys in the hoods unless you are from the church and boys from the church wear white shirts and ties. Never mouth off to someone even when they deserve it. We had two Elders shot shortly before I arrived in Detroit because they took offense to comments made about their sexuality and decided to do something about it. Walk away from any disturbance or confrontation.

I learned that Robert C Witt is an asshole. A major ASSHOLE. May he die a slow and painful death. I learned that Arnie Ferrin, the UofU Athletic Director, and Gareth Homer from Idaho were honorable men who looked out for their missionaries and weren't interested in climbing the political ladder within the church. Did I mention that Robert C Witt was an ASSHOLE. His leadership mentor must have been Boyd K Packer. And speaking of Packer his gransdon served with me and couldn't have been more different from his grandpa although everyone in our mission including Bishops and Stake Presidents bowed down to him because of his last name.

My last night in the mission home before leaving the next morning was one of reflection. I wasn't the die-hard nose to the grindstone missionary that my family thought I was but I wasn't the slacker, goof off missionary that Witt knew I was. I was a kid from a small western town who had managed to survive two years in the hell-hole of Detroit and came away with some great experiences and some not so great experiences. I learned how people's emotions affect their decision making and how to play on those emotions. I learned how to read body language. I learned how to talk with people and make friends. I learned the art of salesmanship and utilize that in my chosen career today.

But most of all I learned that the leaders of the church aren't inspired. They are men who take themselves too seriously. They are men who use their positions of authority to rule over others and call the weak ones to repentance. I met with 4-5 GA's and every one struck me as shallow and self-centered. It was as though I was supposed to marvel at their authority. They expected us to fear them while worhipping their feet. And I realized that they were not leaders as Christ would have them lead but they were leaders of an organization looking for a return on investment. I was simply an investment, or a pawn, in the business of religion and I was a means to an end. And when I had to make my report to the High Council 22 years ago tonight I had to lie and tell them that I loved my mission and loved Detroit. I loved what I experienced but not how I was manipulated to get there. And it made it easier to leave the church 10 years later because I knew that they had no power over me.

By the way, did I mention that Robert C Witt is an ASSHOLE?

except that he's an asshole.

glad you survived and flourished. All parents of prosective afterlife insurance salesmen should read your excellent post.

I love hearing mission experiences because I was of the generation when we were supposed to encourage every young man to go on a mission (I'm 54). It has been really eye-opening to hear the stories.

My disabled brother has told me some things that happened on his mission. My mother, who babied him all his life, would have been horrified had she known some of the things he went through.

I concur... Great post.
And you just reminded me that it will be 17 years tomorrow that I'm back from my mission (Fresno Cal.)
and I'll be celebrating with my 4th class in University to get a Baccalaureate (funny enough, I started to want to do something with my life at the same time that I decided to leave the church)

I hope your wife and children, if any, are free of the cult, also.

Your mother would have a heart-attack if she read your story! I hope she has left Mormonism, too--or she probably will--after reading this! Maybe your post should be mandatory reading for every parent who thinks of sending their child on a mission.

Agree. Great write-up. Poignant.

I love the idea of it being mandatory reading. Hey, we can always hope.

Even after all this time, I can't wrap my head around a mission being mandatory (or as good as, the way it is in Mormonism). In the regular world of "normal" religion (where I have spent a lot of time) it's a choice and only a minority go, while the rest of the congregation supports their efforts. That approach makes a lot more sense to me.

I'm glad you made it through, thedrive. I hope to see a lot more publicity one day about this aspect of Mormonism.

I 'served' in detroit about 20 years BEFORE you did! It was part of the Great Lakes Mission (Ft Wayne, IN) then!

Great Post!

Thanks thedrive for sharing your story. This is the most honest and touching missionary 'homecoming' talk I've read, even if 22 years later. I'm glad you survived and that you brushed up on your EQ and survival skills.

I think there should be another board like the Bio Board, something called "My true missionary experience" or something like that for stories like yours. I read RaptorJesus memoirs about his mission and those stories belong together so that people like me can see what missionary life is like.

Thanks again,

D

IMO the ONLY thing/way that missionaries 'survive' today is because they've toned down the conversion aspect.

ALL the pressure to go seems identical, all the trappings, etc.
It's like ChurchCo & missionaries are caught in a Time Warp!

and I've read a bunch of really good ones! Thanks so much for the blunt honesty of your story. Stick around, I hope to read many more of your posts.

theDrive - looks like Witt did not die a painful death, but it appears he did die:

Robert Charles "Bob" Witt passed away peacefully in Alamosa, Colorado, September 15, 2004 surrounded by loved ones. He was born October 31, 1927 to Leroy Chester Witt, Sr. and Sarah Clarissa Dewey in Glendale, California. He attended public schools in Glendale, and graduated from Glen-dale College and UCLA. He was drafted into the U.S. Army at the end of World War II, and served for 15 months. After that, he was called to the French Mission, where he served in both France and Belgium for a period of 31 months. He married Marilyn Ruth Gardner in the Salt Lake Temple August 21, 1951. His professional career included positions with the Tulare County Health Department in Visalia, California, and with the Dow Chemical Co. in Chicago Heights, Illinois; Midland, Michigan; and Tulsa, Oklahoma.



He is survived by Marilyn, his wife of 53 years; his six sons and five daughters, Brian (Trudy) Witt, Pamela (John) Dunford, Merilee (Kenneth) Otto, Laurice (Kurt) Jones, Glen (Pat-ty) Witt, Arlene (David) Wilson, Evan (Stephanie) Witt, Janine (Martin) Perry, Mark (Denise) Witt, Galen (Janet) Witt, and Christopher Witt; his sister, Joyce Cannon; and 43 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Cynthia; his mother and father; and his brother, Leroy C. Witt, Jr.



Bob served faithfully in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout his life, including callings as bishop, stake president, regional representative, and mission president. During his retirement he served seven fulltime missions with Marilyn, his eternal companion - California Santa Rosa, Michigan Detroit, Philippines MTC, Provo MTC, Salt Lake Temple Square, Ivory Coast Abidjan, and Colorado Colorado Springs. He passed away while serving his mission in Colorado. A memorial service will be held Sat. Sept. 25 at 12 noon at the Suncrest 10thWard chapel, 90 North 600 West, Orem. A visitation will be held two hours prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to the Perpetual Education Fund.



Published in the Deseret News from 9/19/2004 - 9/20/2004.

SEVEN senior missions -- gag.

Family Centered -- wrong!!!

Crathes Wrote:
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> theDrive - looks like Witt did not die a painful death, but it appears he did die:
> Robert Charles "Bob" Witt passed away peacefully in Alamosa, Colorado, September 15, 2004 surrounded by loved ones.
> Published in the Deseret News from 9/19/2004 - 9/20/2004.


This warms my heart. He died on a mission serving the Corporation for a 7th time. A 7th time. He worked his way to heaven.

Stupid cult.

Having been a dupe for the morg church in downtown Oakland Calif. I can attest to the danger missionaries were placing themselves into. Our Ford Pintos (yes - with exploding gas tanks and all) was shot at and as close as we could determine missed our gas tank by about 4 inches.

I'd been hit multiple times by flying beer bottles and worse.

But what should I have expected working for a church known to the locals as the church: "up there on that hill with REAL gold spires, and blacks aren't allowed in".

Both statements were true enough at one point (the gold came off the spires long before the stigma of blackness did) -- so how was a young missionary to defend himself? -- my tactic: "Hey, how many of the Israelites did God allow in the Temple anciently? -- nope not everyone!!" Yep, God's a bogot so so are we !!! Yep that sure worked.

I'm sure it didn't seem that way at the time, but that godawful Detroit mission made you the person you are today.

Dave in Long Beach Wrote:
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> I'm sure it didn't seem that way at the time, but
> that godawful Detroit mission made you the person
> you are today.


Very true my good man. Very true.

And if you had died in the service of the Lard, you would have been lauded as a martyr. Your mother would be told to not mourn, as you have gone straight to the arms of.... Oh, wait, that's for muslims.

Sorry, no 72 virgins.

I was wondering if anyone here has heard that Robert C Witt was an ASSHOLE? I'm guessing there are about 180 men that will go to their grave with that on their lips. I for one and thinking of a tattoo that states "Robert C Witt was an ASSHOLE".

nomo Wrote:
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> http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20
> 040919/ai_n11477855/


Yep. That's the ASSHOLE.