For those who went on a mission, did most of the missionaries work and obey the rules? Did they seem to want to be out on a mission, or they go to to please family or because they were supposed to? Was there a lot of examples of missionaries doing this contrary to LDS standards like drinking and having sex on your mission?

I served in the late 70s in Germany. No doubt a few were jerk offs, but most worked hard. I think this reflected our love and respect for the MP. When we got a new one (thankfully I was heading home in a few months), the work went down hill, since the new one was a total asshat.

But many years later, I am glad I had both, so I could see how good one could be and how bad another could be. To this day, I have never spoken the second one's name. May he rot in the same hole as JS.

Which mission Crathes? If the asshat was Flade...he died two weeks ago. And, yes he was indeed an asshat!

My theory (as an RM) is that about 20% of missionaries would rather be anywhere else but on a mission. They are there largely due to family pressures etc.

At the other end of the scale about 20% are really gung-ho about being missionaries and are desperate to reach the leadership positions.

The other 60% see their mission as a rite of passage and for 2 years they will work hard if they have a hard working companion, or will happily sleep in and waste out if they have a companion that is happy to take it easy.

I personally never heard of anyone drinking alcohol but there were around 6 Elders & one Sister sent home for having sex (not all together lol).

+1

I was about to write almost the exact same thing. Some missionaries work hard no matter who they are with and some mess around(we called them "dingers", "Hey Tommy, quit playing with your dingy") no matter who they were with, but most were kind of sheep and would do whatever their companion wanted.

Looking back, I wish I had taken the time to relax and smell the roses. I was in a beautiful country (Brazil) with a rich culture and great people. I was one of the gung-ho ones even though I had doubts throughout my mission.

I'd say most in my mission were hard working. I had one senior companion that didn't want to do shit and that's about what we did for the two months we were together. While he slept in, I was doing pushups, situps, and studying the scriptures.

My mission had several really wild missionaries. And it also had several really strict missionaries. Everyone else got away with what they could when they could.

Then we got a mission president that would say things in interviews like "Your companion has made it known to me that you..."

Of course he was often lying, but the scare tactics were so effective. This same President sent about 20 missionaries home in the span of about a month, everyone was so scared they would be next that it turned into a pretty rule following mission. Before that though all sorts of things happened, strip clubs and drinking... the sisters too.

nonsequiter's mission sounds like mine in Arizona in 1980. There were 6 excommunications. My companion would meet up with one of the Elders and makeout in the desert. My MP would use the same tactic.

I was a missionary in the late 1960s. There was almost total autonomy. We received our funds directly, found our own apartments, set up our own utility accounts, arranged out own transfers, went alone on trains on our transfers and met up with a new elder on the other end, set up our own medical and dental appointments, no questions asked. I saw the mission president probably two to three times during my whole 2-year period.

I think because we were not yanked around, they got more and better work out of us. And missions back then were about find finding converts rather than about trying to force a person to conform and remain.

I'd say nine out of ten in my mission were sincere hard working missionaries. Looking back, I wish I had spent my morning study time studying more of the culture and less of the scriptures and PMG. (I can't think of any real insights I gained from all those countless hours of "study," I had already heard it all in Sunday School, seminary, etc. a thousand times) I was really lucky to have been sent overseas, it was a once in a lifetime experience that I'll always treasure. And since no one joined the church because of me, I feel embarrassed for what a brainwashed little dip$h¡t I was, but at least it's more embarrassment than remorse.

Most people on my mission were relatively obedient and hard working. I was in Alabama 2002-2004. I think most were motivated by the rite of passage, family pressures, and the prospect of being "qualified" to meet a TBM girl when they got home. A few were motivated for status.. they wanted to write home and announce they were zone leaders or APs. Very few were motivated with burning testimonies that they wanted to share with the world.

There were rumors about missionaries having sex and drinking. However, the incidents were few and far between. There was considerable control, it was difficult to get away with much if you had a really obedient companion. If people got sent home, it was more likely some "unrepented" sin from their past that got them sent home.

I went on a mission to Puerto Rico back in the late 90's. For the most part the missionaries were there willingly but there was certainly a fair share of guys that were there to please their families back at home and to avoid shame. I knew one guy in particular on the mission that took absolutely no bullshit from the MP, talked back all the time and ignored mission rules. He was eventually sent home.