Posted by:
Nightingale
(
)
Date: March 29, 2019 04:57PM
The universe is paying me back for all the doors as a JW I knocked on uninvited and unwanted. I'm sorry World! Mormon missionaries three times in two weeks at my door. My fault - I don't say NO decisively enough.
First it was two pretty young women. One said "We are here representing our church. We'd like to talk to you about Jesus Christ." "No thanks" I promptly responded. Then, perversely, felt guilty because as a Christian I should welcome a discussion about Jesus (right?) The missionary smiled but looked so disappointed she touched my heart. The previously silent one piped up "We would like to do some service for you". Then, my fatal error - I hesitated. There were some tasks I could use help with that leaped immediately to mind. Due to my unexpectedly slow recovery after my Christmas flu-ish-ness, the effects of which linger, but mostly because of my mom, who lives with me, who has been ill for a good while. Between the two of us sickies things slide. Especially yard work. Not that I'd ask sister mishies to do that type of task (I know, sexist). But I thought maybe they could sit with Mom while I ran out and tended to some business. Hence, the hesitation that they pounced on, while I was pondering these stray thoughts.
So I said yeah, maybe there's something you can do. I'll call you. Give me a card. Of course, whether it's a ploy or not, they didn't have any cards. (Seems strange to me but maybe it's a way they have to get your number). So I gave them mine. I said I'd think about it and let them know what, if anything, they could do and *I* would call *them*. Within a day my phone starts ringing and it’s them. Predictable. I missed a couple of their calls. Within two days, mishies at my door again – couldn’t answer – busy with sickbed stuff. Next day, mishies again – this time two “elders”, looking all of 16. It may have worked for me to ask the females to sit with Mom for an hour but not the males. They can’t do it anyway due to their rules. I wasn’t thrilled about the switch from the young women, whether I would have got their help or not. I don’t think that in the middle of a week/middle of a month it’s transfer time so why different mishies within a week?
They said they were following up on the chance to do some service for me, as discussed with the other missionaries. I told them I was not comfortable with them working for me for nothing as I knew they couldn’t take money. I said it was mainly just a fleeting thought that the sister missionaries could have visited my Mom (not that Mom would have been likely to say OK to that – I have no clue why I didn’t say a decisive no in the first place). The second lot of missionaries were friendly and chatty and personable and started explaining to me their theory of “service” and said they and others often do service in the community. “It’s what we do”. Maybe my eyes are failing me but their name tags didn’t appear to be the same as the ones I’m used to. I didn’t see a church name on them at all. Is that possible? Also, they never once used the word ‘Mormon’. The first set referred to “representing our church”, which they didn’t name. Neither set ever used the new and improved complete name of the church either. No Mormon. No Latter Day Saints.
The male missionaries sounded positively evangelical. When I told them straight up that I was not the least bit interested in discussions or conversions they smiled and said oh no it’s all about service. “We just want to bring people to Christ” or "celebrate Christ together" - I can't quite recall. Say what? Sounding a lot like Billy Graham more so than any Mormon I’ve ever spoken to. “I’m already there” I said reflexively. They went on about how people of all different beliefs and churches all work together for Christ and it’s not about converting each other (my major paraphrase – I can’t remember their exact words but that was the meaning or message I gathered).
Significant, because that’s a big change from any Mormon message I’ve ever heard.
I said I would think about it and get back to them but that they would have to take food from me as I couldn’t let them work for free (especially doing something I would pay someone else to do if I couldn’t do it myself). I meant I’d give them a few tins of beans and spaghetti type meals to take back to their apartment with them. I’m not a cook so wouldn’t subject them to a meal I prepared. They brushed it off at first but then said “We usually call on people between 5 and 7 and a lot of people are eating then so sometimes there’s food”. Could that be WHY they call around at those times? Are they still hungry? (As were many of the missionaries I knew when some of the bishops laid down the law against members feeding them any more). Don’t they know, though, that for most people that’s a fairly annoying time to call, especially without notice?
I ended up saying “I joined your church and stayed in a few years [3 to be exact] but then I went back to my previous EV church”. From their low key reaction I think they already knew. Maybe I’m still on their list somewhere – I have had other elders drop by from time to time in the past few years. One time, because they were pressing so much, I finally agreed for them to wash my outside windows. They likely still have my name as a prospect? Wouldn't you think that people who have left their church are far less of a conversion prospect than those who are new to their spiel?
I wish I had cut it off in the first place. I think I would have if it had been the male missionaries to start with. Something in the expression of the young woman got to me and I did the fatal hesitation thing. Now, for whatever reason, it’s the elders who are calling. And speaking of calling – I had left it that I would get back to them if I had any jobs for them (same as I had said to the other two). Within ONE DAY, again, they were phoning me.
It’s annoying that they don’t respect your decisions – I said *I* wanted to call them *if* I had a job for them. If they would even leave it for a few days between calls but no, they call back the next day or within two days. High pressure sales techniques.
What bugs me is that I liked them, all four of them. But I have no desire to discuss Mormonism with them, at all, and no inclination to try and convert them to mainstream Christianity (I am not the best EV Christian in that regard). I do often have a hard time saying no. In this case, I do want a bit of help with my mom, and I do need major assistance with the yard work this year. So that was their entry point. They came by just at a weak moment for me and when I do have work to do. But apart from the whole Mormon thing, it’s a bit strange to get people you don’t know to rake your leaves and sweep your sidewalks, no? I guess partly I know that they would rather do that than search endlessly for people to take the discussions. Weird how I end up thinking I can help them and they are likely thinking they can help me or even convert me. No danger of the latter.
So, in that event, we each want something from the other. An uncomfortable interaction for me, Mormon or not.
I don’t need advice telling me to Just Say No. I know that. I will likely do that. But I thought it was interesting, and wanted to share, how much the missionary message has morphed, from the frantic scramble to "take the discussions”, with member involvement, to this focus on “service” and the message that all believers of any stripe are in one big happy family together. No emphasis on everybody becoming Mormon. At least initially.
This should be a good thing – like the Mormon Church is moving towards more mainstream and inclusive ideas. Except is it really true? Or just another ruse to get people into the font? And has their basic belief system really changed? And does it matter if so or if not? What bothers me the most is the probability that it’s still not honest. “We don’t want to convert you”. “Whatever your beliefs are that’s fine”. “We just enjoy doing service”. “Representing our church” without disclosing its name. Etc. It’s nothing like the message the missionaries were armed with when I met them and there was such an almighty rush to get people baptized. I took four months to make a decision about it (having been introduced to the missionaries by a friend) and they told me that was a really long time. Now they just want to cut your grass? And they’re even bringing the lawnmower!
I know, I know. I need to Just Say NO.
I will.
Probably.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/29/2019 05:17PM by Nightingale.