The Redneck Elder (his term for himself) in my wife's ward is being transferred today. He and his companion stopped by last night to say goodbye before he left. It was few weeks ago that Elder Redneck took me off to the side after SM to "make sure we were good."

It came up again last night and my wife chose to pursue it because she was afraid that she had said something that gave Elder Redneck the impression that I was angry at him. (Nothing could be further from the truth because Elder Redneck has got to be my favorite of all the missionaries I've met.)

He assured us it was nothing either of us had said, but that he was talking with a missionary from the ward we had just moved from a few months ago. Elder Redneck looked up the teaching records from the old ward to determine whether it was us, and sure enough it was. He discovered that they had a file on me going back to 2013, which was just after my wife and I married.

What prompted him to make sure we were good was that one of the teaching reports noted that I "appeared very angry" and "seemed to be on the verge of throwing the missionaries out." I remember the incident well, and that was a very good summary.

Elder Redneck didn't know what the previous missionary had done to anger me, but he didn't want to repeat that missionary's mistake.

He also told us that the first teaching report on me included the note: "He's a nice man, but he's never going to convert."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/07/2019 09:40AM by GregS.

Probably just notes in their missionary area book.

An area book consists of a ward list, a ward map, a list of previous investigators, and other notes that stays in the ward so that subsequent missionaries new to the area can know what's going on. The first thing a new missionary does is read through the book and follow up with part members and former investigators.

It's subtly more efficient then cold calling and knocking on doors.

Or it's the Gestapo and you're doomed.

RR Wrote:
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> Probably just notes in their missionary area book.
>
>
Yeah, just as RR explained. Nothing more sinister than that.

Wasn't too concerned about anything nefarious, though I was a little surprised and amused that somebody was keeping notes about me.

I was a little disappointed that I wasn't described as "a dangerous man," and said as much to Elder Redneck. We both laughed at that as we descended down a path of silly references to movies involving espionage and surveillance. I even threw in a creepy "quid pro quo, Elder Redneck" reference with a h/t to Anthony Hopkins in "Silence of the Lambs."

I wonder whether a the next entry in my file will recommend that I be strapped to a dolly with a mask over my face.

RR Wrote:
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> ...so that subsequent missionaries new to the
> area can know what's going on.


It must not be universal, because there are so many reports here of missionaries seeming totally clueless about the people they're contacting. Maybe it's just their general cluelessness.

Greg, if it's any consolation, my first and continuing impression of you was that you are a nice man who's never going to convert - and all power to your elbow, sir! ;-)

Tom in Paris

No worry. Your secrets are safe with us.

;o)

As a non-member spouse to a member of record, you're going to be a perennial target to convert. It all depends on the missionary what type of comments/feelings are forever recorded in such document. Oh, and these are regularly discussed-analyzed with local church leaders. If it gives you any solace, I'm sure that there is a 6 inch binder on me. I have had numerous verbal altercations with the missionaries trying to rescue Brother Goop. I'm sure that these reports have been copied and sent to the stake president (in case I would ever think of crawling back to the cult, they want a form of payback for my animosity and perceived hostility).