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Posted by: overit ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 03:19PM

Picture the scene. Clinging on by my finger nails to church activity, the monthly "Feed the Missionaries" list was passed around Relief Society. (Mormon men clearly unable to organise such a challenging thing) RS president did her usual passive aggressive speech about the same families are always feeding the missionaries, so I reluctantly agreed to feed them one night. I dutifully prepared a tasty meal and desert aT considerable cost, and my children and I awaited their arrival as the food over cooked in the warming tray of the oven. 45 minutes late they arrived, and then they realised the awful truth. I WAS A SINGLE WOMAN, Worse, a solo mother. I could NOT be trusted alone with their priesthood authority. I must have had "cougar" tattooed on my forehead because these young worthies were not crossing the threshold of my house without a man to protect them both from my tiny frame. A gaggle of children was apparently not enough to save them from my desperate sex starved whiles. They teetered a while when my teenage son arrived on the scene but as he was "only an Aaronic priesthood holder" he was not able to protect them. So the dilemma...they called the ward mission leader who invited himself to dinner. That was the stage I discovered a back bone. "Elders, I have not invited the ward mission leader to dinner. I am a Temple Recommend holder, is that not evidence that I am a member of good standing" SILENCE... (answer - apparently not) Awkward missionary shuffling at the doorstep as they still are too righteous to step over the threshold of wanton single woman/mum's abode for fear of desecration) Elder 2, not tuned in to my seething anger then suggested that we, the family eat indoors, while they the oh so righteous elders eat in the drizzle turning downpour in my garden. I look at them like they are idiots. My 6 year old pipes up "Why don't the missionaries like us? Are all missionaries mean? I thought they were supposed to be kind but these ones are rude" cue snorting laughter from "not quite righteous enough teenage son" I stared at them like mad men and said "elders I invited you to dinner with my family at request of my relief society president, you can eat with us or go hungry" They chose the moral high ground and went hungry that night. I never fed missionaries again, we left the church and lived happily ever after...I wonder if this incident made it to the homecoming talk?

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Posted by: fossilman ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 03:25PM

Self-righteous ass-hattery -- the cornerstone of LD$ missionary work.

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Posted by: midwestanon ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 03:35PM

I've always thought that rule was absolute horseshit. I can understand the church wanting to protect its missionaries from liability, but I don't think that's why they do it. I think they do it because they see women as inferior and they feel the need to have a Melchizedek priesthood holder during any encounter between missionaries and a single women.

And honestly I don't really see liability being that much of an issue anyway, these are 18 year olds who drive church owned cars, that's got to be the single biggest cost Factor in terms of liability for the church missionaries.

Missionaries interacting alone with underage boys and girls is a different subject, however. I've heard way too many stories of abuse, just on this forum.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2017 03:37PM by midwestanon.

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Posted by: dp ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 04:05PM

The church wants to protect itself from liability. The missionaries must be managed to protect the church from liability, not the other way around.


;-)



midwestanon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I can understand the church wanting to
> protect its missionaries from liability,

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Posted by: midwestanon ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 04:22PM

That's why the first thing I said is 'I understand the church wanting to protect it's missionaries from liability'. My comment was that I felt that desire was unwarranted and asinine and possibility secondary to other misogynistic notions.

I don't know what it says in the missionary handbook, the MP handbook, or what they tell elders, but protecting the church is always paramount. I know your correct in that regard. The church has made that clear in many sordid, underhanded ways.

Which is why the line of reasoning is probably one in the same: the church has to be protected from liability, single women are a potential source of trouble because they are licentiousness whores who are out to tempt our virtuous elders, therefore we must make sure missionaries are never alone with this inferior breed of being.

Maybe that's what it says in the missionary handbook.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2017 04:32PM by midwestanon.

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Posted by: ificouldhietokolob ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 03:51PM

overit Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wonder if this
> incident made it to the homecoming talk?

Oh, of course.

(Elder Jensen homecoming talk)
"And talk about how Satan can tempt you...why, one time, this attractive single mother invited us over to dinner. We didn't know ahead of time she was SINGLE, of course, or we wouldn't have accepted. We were hungry, and the food smelled so good...so we were SO TEMPTED to just go inside and eat. But the still, small voice inside me [meaning the mission president's absolute orders - ed.] warned me that if we went in, we'd wind up doing something sinful. Clearly, this woman had sex on her mind with two strapping, handsome young missionaries like us.

So we offered to eat our meal standing in the rain outside. But all that did was make her angry -- showing the seed of Satan in her! She kept insisting we come inside, plying us with the evil temptation of Eve and her descendants! Finally, we righteously resolved the situation by leaving, even though we were so hungry.

I testify that the spirit of darkness was upon us that night, and we came so close to giving in to evil temptation. But the holy ghost filled our hearts, and led us out of evil (and pot roast, and potatoes, and pie), and away with empty stomachs but filled with the power of the priesthood.

Oh, and I heard later that this evil single woman had -- gasp! -- left the church. More evidence that she clearly had nothing but evil on her mind.

I testify in the name of no thinking, Amen.

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Posted by: Done & Done ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 03:54PM

Haha. Good one. So funny because that is probably exactly what happened at the homecoming.

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Posted by: overit ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 04:02PM

Hahaha that is hilarious!

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Posted by: Gentle Gentile ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 05:36PM

Ohhh, if only this was actually satire.

I think any worthy penishood holder reacts these ways -- your "exaggeration" and the OP's story. Most nevermos wouldn't know that the truth ISN'T an exaggeration.

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Posted by: seamaiden ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 05:55PM

I can't not stop laughing!!

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Posted by: caffiend ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 08:03PM

You just made my Friday night, H2K!

On a serious note, this is a perfect example of LDS pharisaism. The "law," excessively applied here, is to avoid the appearance of evil. Ordinarily, a good principle. But the misshies were not allowed any stretch.

Let's take this to a silly extreme: The misshies arrive, and a child opens the door. The child says, "Mommy is sleeping on the floor and she won't wake up!" Would the missionaries think, "Hey--a heart attack, a stroke, gas leak in the house? We better get in and find out!"

Or would they say, "We can't come in--we'll just call 911 and wait on the front steps. Sure is raining pretty hard!"

I imagine that would somehow be turned into a faith-affirming anecdote.

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Posted by: Done & Done ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 03:51PM

What a story. My first thought was, 'Unbelievable!" but then I thought for a second and when you know Mormons, it is unfortunately very believable.

I was so tickled by the way you handled the absurd rudeness. Mormons are clueless at how often they are extremely offensive. A superiority complex will do that to you--especially when peppered with ignorance.

High five to your kids. It was good for the elders to hear that and see their faces. Some day they will remember and hopefully have grown enough to feel a little embarrassed.

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Posted by: TriedOne ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 03:57PM

I fell sorry for the missionaries today. It seems like they just keep piling on more and more rules.

I recall a couple of times being hit on by single sisters, or spiritual crocodiles as we called them, (from an old seminary video). At the time, I was certain it was the devil trying my faith. Looking back, those were some of the best memories of my mission. Thanks Satan.

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Posted by: yorkie ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 04:01PM

Members are supposed to feed the missionaries, but then tscc puts ridiculous rules in place to make it as difficult as possible for everybody. This is just one example, another one I've known is making it compulsory to have a non member present.
Absolutely crazy and then they wonder why the missionaries aren't getting fed.

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Posted by: messygoop ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 04:22PM

It was bad enough to be 45 min late (in this day and age of cell phones and i-pads), but to be rude was plain unacceptable. I applaud you for standing up to request for the WML to join dinner. I blame the mishies (they have access to ward lists that shows Head of House standings and the RS prez nit wit. They know the rules and this should never have transpired.

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Posted by: Heartless ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 06:56PM

I experienced the reverse.

The Sister missionaries consisted of a rather buff farm gal from Canada and a rather large gal from Samoa that could have tossed me across a football field.

They happened to show up at lunch time on a rather hot day. So I asked them to stay for lunch.

They refused to enter my home. But happily ate in the breezeway.

Then.....they entered the house together to freshen up but I had to wait outdoors.

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Posted by: catnip ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 07:13PM

Or maybe it was, but it was widely ignored.

"My" mishies (whose ages added up precisely to mine, so it wasn't like there were cougar issues!) used to enjoy stopping by my house, and I enjoyed cooking for them. I had been recently divorced, and my despicable husband had done some very nasty things to "prove" that I was an unfit mother, (not true, BTW - I was the sole caretaker of my son until he was 11.) So I was alone, and the mishies became sort of surrogate sons.

They could, and did, leave most of the religious stuff at the door. We had supper, watched G and PG-rated movies, sometimes pooled our money and had pizza and soft drinks. Sometimes, with permission, they invited other mishies over. I think I had an entire zone, a time or two, and we had such a good time!

One youngster, a Maori who had happily kicked off his shoes and lay, sprawled comfortably on the carpeted floor, said it felt "almost like being at home." I was happy to provide that environment for them.

If the movie lasted longer than their appointed bedtime, none of us worried about it. They knew I would never snitch on them (the MP was a Nazi who has subsequently risen in the ranks, as far as I know) and they never snitched on each other.

Those were very happy times for all of us.

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Posted by: - ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 07:16PM

Ah... Thanks for the memories. People like you were the only reason I have anything good to say about the cult's quasi-slavery service.

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Posted by: Babyloncansuckit ( )
Date: March 25, 2017 02:51AM

Also back in the 80s, the missionaries were out tracting when they knocked on our door, a single mom with several teenagers. Mom explained that we were already LDS. We were watching "The Ten Commandments" on TV at the time, so we invited them in and darned if they didn't watch the movie with us.

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Posted by: Babyloncansuckit ( )
Date: March 25, 2017 02:56AM

Apparently the MP has a fear of errant kitties.

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Posted by: getbusylivin ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 07:31PM

When I was active I desperately tried to justify the bizarre, irrational behavior of missionaries. Once out, the whole ludicrous joke came crashing down.

I don't pity them, though. They're old enough to know better. If they've been brainwashed by the Cult to adhere to stupid and hurtful rules, the missionaries get zero sympathy from me.

Actually I give the missionaries less slack than their adult keepers. At least the keepers are doing something rational: exploiting free labor. It's the slaves who have to rise up, not the slave masters.

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Posted by: - ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 07:34PM

Right. They aren't legally old enough to take a drink, but they can sell thier bodies to a cult for two fucking years because they are "old enough to know better".

BS. They are used. Nothing more.

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Posted by: getbusylivin ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 08:06PM

Oh, poor babies!

They're old enough to enlist in the armed services, go to the Middle East, and kill people.

They get ZERO sympathy or respect from me.

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Posted by: texsaw ( )
Date: March 25, 2017 07:21AM

getbusylivin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Oh, poor babies!
>
> They're old enough to enlist in the armed
> services, go to the Middle East, and kill people.
>
> They get ZERO sympathy or respect from me.


These are my exact words to my ex-mo wife. Missionaries are not welcome in my home.

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Posted by: - ( )
Date: March 25, 2017 02:10PM

Many of us here have been missionaries. You must either think we are all raging assholes trying to harm you or that we are complete imbeciles deserving of your disrespect.

Keep your respect and your sympathy. We don't need either one from someone who can't understand how people are manipulated to do the bidding of the powerful against their own interests.

As for me, I'll go right ahead and hate the cult lies and keep the people. One of them is worth something, despite your unthinking dismissal.

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Posted by: getbusylivin ( )
Date: March 25, 2017 05:33PM

Who does more damage than missionaries? It's a short list.

They are no different from you or me: they must be held accountable for the effects of their actions.

Their intentions and their alleged innocence and alleged impotence in the face of their families and other authority figures cuts no ice with me.

I live in a developing country where missionaries have convinced extremely poor people to give up 10% of their income to an organization about which the missionaries lied and withheld the truth.

MISSIONARIES ARE EVIL.

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Posted by: Itzpapalotl ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 07:48PM

Make up your mind cult, do women have sex drives or not?

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Posted by: Itzpapalotl ( )
Date: March 24, 2017 08:38PM


Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2017 08:39PM by Itzpapalotl.

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Posted by: seamaiden ( )
Date: March 25, 2017 05:27PM

Oh Women have a sex drive, but they shouldn't! At least keep it in check!!


My feels about that...
http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/ah61/Lynn_Bezio/4cd7ffae72823c4f4e46fccbd13a4808_zpslypqcbc0.gif



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/2017 05:32PM by seamaiden.

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Posted by: Recovered Molly Mo ( )
Date: March 25, 2017 02:05PM

What is really interesting as a single woman, NON member, those missionaries took every opportunity to give me the lessons to convert me. Once I agreed to baptism, the rules changed.

As a single LDS member, I was no longer allowed to be alone with missionaries.

As a married LDS member, it was tolerated sometimes if my husband was not around or in same room.

As a DIVORCED LDS member (at least on the books, but definitely inactive) I found missionaries at my doorstep on a regular basis.

That quickly changed and I was downgraded to unperson VT's then really, really rude VT's who decided to text me instead of visits.

Lesson learned: If IM not going to add to the numbers in one way or another to Church, Inc...Im not welcome.

Aw...darn! ;)

RMM

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Posted by: Exmoron ( )
Date: March 25, 2017 05:38PM

All I know is that as a missionary in London, we had a single woman invite us over for dinner. We jumped at the chance because, like most British women, she was very beautiful. To our surprise, she had invited two other single woman from the ward all in their lower 20's - all three just amazingly hot. We had a great dinner, played a game, and then left. No hanky panky, but I remember thinking, "British women are so cool and so beautiful...glad I ignored that stupid rule."

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Posted by: Lilith ( )
Date: March 30, 2017 04:28PM

I'm not a Mormon and never was, but as one of the few in this Midwest town who would let them in my door, they returned again and again to my home> I made brownies for them. It was two or three sets of missionaries over time. Finally one day they knocked on the door and said they weren't allowed to come inside anymore. They were so embarrassed. I laughed. They were mortified. I let them know I knew it wasn't their fault and we talked on my patio.
You must KNOW that they were younger than my kids so it made the church look stupid and crazy again.
I must admit I listened to them and asked about their families. But I called BS on their religion. I like to think I planted doubt.Im surprised I wasn't a marked house long before.

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