Posted by:
snowball
(
)
Date: July 21, 2017 10:22AM
A mission can promote quite a bit of anxiety. There are a few interrelated sets of issues that I experienced. For me it was just stressful and confusing, but I can easily see it to the point where you have a clinically diagnosable mental health disorder.
1. Unrealistic expectations linked to worthiness: Just about every one of our zone conferences (especially under my first mission president) was organized around an unrealistic baptism goal, which based on past performance was outrageous. We never met these goals, or even came close (this was Germany after all). But they would just wash, rinse, and repeat. This can make you feel really bad as a missionary. Somehow, you just can't quite do it. Now, that just means you are a normal human being. The people who were the most successful Morg salesmen in our mission later made careers in the high pressure real estate investment seminar business--go figure. Most of us are just not cut out for that sort of thing.
However, in the LDS theory of how the world works there's a different explanation. A worthy missionary will have the spirit, and testify with the spirit. The person on the street will feel said spirit, and testify to the truth of what the missionary is saying. Now, these rules are crazy and nobody will keep them all. So, the missionary can easily rationalize a lack of success as a result of their unworthiness, disobedience, etc.--rather than people in that area just don't give a hoot about Mormonism, or even religion in general. This is further exacerbated by the fact that the high pressure salesmen types often don't keep the rules--and yet baptize people. Cognitive dissonance alert!
Missionaries don't often realize the reason people aren't "buying" has to do with their product. It stinks! Only the most aggressive salespeople, who have no reservations about putting pressure on people, will succeed.
This dynamic can really damage a person's self-esteem and self-confidence.
2. At that age a person is still trying to form their identity as an adult, and the LDS Church is trying very much to mold that identity. Missionaries are expected to behave with "quiet dignity." Quiet dignity is for retired ladies and gentlemen--not 18 - 21 year olds. The message is don't have fun, don't think for yourself, do as we say. At some level, the LDS Church is at odds with some facet of many peoples' personality.
3. Coming home early, particularly in heavily Mormon communities, is embarrassing and even considered disgraceful by some people. This is true, even when the reasons for early return are perfectly legitimate. Unless you were in a serious car accident or shot--there's not much understanding from some.
This creates intense pressure to stay--even if the missionary doesn't want to be there. This creates stress for everyone. Think about the companions and roommates of that kind of missionary.
Your friend is right to be concerned, but there is one factor to weigh above all others with someone contemplating going on a mission:
The LDS Church is not what it claims to be, so going on a mission for it is a monumental waste of time!