Don't ask me why, but every once in awhile I get hooked on watching mission call openings on YouTube. It's like a train wreck you can't turn away from. I'll find myself clicking on "just one more" several times.

I ended up there the other day and saw something I hadn't in a long time. Several different kids surprised their parents with the FACT that they were going on a mission when they got their call. "Look ma, it's a big packet from Church Headquarters" kinda thing.

One extremely beautiful girl gets all her girlfriends together and they all go giggling to show the letter to Mommy and Daddy. The look of shock on their faces was hard to describe. It seemed to be one of hurt that they didn't know, combined with excitement that their daughter got a mission call, combined with sheer terror that they are faced with 10k+ that they have to cough up that they hadn't planned on.

I know those kids are adults and don't need their parents' permission. But why would a bishop let a kid go through the whole process without even discussing it with the parents? Without making sure they are on board and able to do it financially? My chin dropped in disbelief. And the culty vibes gave me goosebumps.

Is this something new? Has the competition for who can make the best mission calling video just gotten so tight that it's just a new twist on that competition?

Here are a couple:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKjDvf_PpeQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt0_SLFfRYs



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/30/2015 04:48PM by NormaRae.

My opinion is that if the parents are expected to financially support this, they have a RIGHT to know from the very beginning!!!

How can their financial support be taken so totally for granted (regardless of their family financial situation!!!) that they aren't even given a head's up for this kind of financial commitment???

If this is a "thing," it is one of the most uncaring, self-centered, selfish "things" I have ever heard of...and those doing it are not mature enough by any standard to be considered adults.

Very well said! Since they're paying for it they need to know!!

Well, Kaitlyn has two *very* large houses next door to her and a driveway that won't quit. So I'm guessing that the cost of a mission won't trouble her parents too much. But even so, common decency dictates that you should involve your parents in any decision that involves a large cost to them.

Most Mormons stop maturing at a junior high level. Well, actually, 5th grade for some. I know this too well.

Trivializing a two year investment of your time, parent's money should not be treated like a surprise birthday party. It is a very serious undertaking. But are they concerned with the religious aspect of it? Are they seriously committing to full time work for Heavenly Father?

These surprise calling openings just illustrate how little these kids know of what they are signing up for and how much it is NOT a spiritual experience. This is nothing more than a cute way to show off to peers.

Two months and they will be racking their brains for ideas on how to come home early with honor.

I know. I think that's what's so addictive about watching them. It is just so unbelievable that these kids have their heads in the clouds and don't even seem like they have any clue what they are signing up for other than the excitement of opening the letter and the big celebration.

Most of them are obviously from Utah and truly think the world is just out there waiting for them to thrust in their sickle. No. Nobody cares about their silly little cult. It sounds so exotic to go to New York or Florida or Italy or Zambia. But the reality of what they are going to be faced with day to day for 2 years is a completely different story.

It's been a long time since I've gotten myself into THAT rabbit hole!

It was a sick kind of voyeurism that I just LOVED. Don't know why I stopped.....

I always start to like them but the underlying smug arrogance and of the whole thing made it easy to go cold turkey and never look again.

It's the Mormon 15 minutes of fame. With a future of mission, too young marriage, callings, and tithing, I hope they enjoy this brief moment of conceit. They will need the memory.

I've never understood the whole "gather-everyone-up-make-sure-the-video-is-running-open-the-mission-call-envelope" drama.

When my mission call came in the mail I was the only one home. I opened it, read it, threw it on the kitchen table for anyone else to read later, and then went off to work.

I don't get it.

Yeah, that was me too, Mr. Happy. Went to the mailbox, opened my calling then called home and told my parents and anyone else I thought might be interested.

My TBM mom loves these and is always posting her favorites on Facebook. I don't think she realizes how strange the whole thing looks to those unfamiliar with Mormonism. It certainly isn't inspiring.

And my guess is, the reason that a bishop would let a kid go through the whole process of putting in their papers for a mission without consulting their parents is because that bishop isn't in the child's home ward. He is probably their bishop at BYU or BYU-I Do or one of those universities and is only concerned with getting a lot of his ward to go on missions, if they haven't. He doesn't care about parents because he knows that somehow they will scrape up the money for the mission, if the kid gets a call. I'm surprised parents don't have to sign anything but as someone else said, these are adults. I can't imagine being so disconnected from my parents at that age that I wouldn't have asked their advice about going. If I hadn't been able to pay for it myself, I can't imagine putting my papers in without asking my parents if they could shoulder that kind of financial burden. The whole system is messed up nowadays, not that it was ever a great idea in the first place.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/30/2015 04:30PM by CA girl.

I think it isn't so much that the kids are selfish as it is that missionary work is so expected that the consent of a parent is a forgone conclusion.

You know I kinda wish mine was on video. I remember opening my letter, saw where I was going, paused and said to my self, oh yah, that's a state. That put me about 4 hours close to home. I use to plot my escape every month. For some reason I always envisioned boating up the rivers to get back home.