...which I normally avoid as much as possible.

I bought on their website a very cheap floor lamp, to replace one that I bought years ago in Las Vegas and brought with me when I moved here. It finally died. They offer free shipping but the store is close to me so I drove there today about 11am to pick up my new lamp.

I used the entrance on the 2nd floor parking area and as I walked in there were two missionaries with bags of groceries in a cart. They may have been waiting for someone to pick them up. Both of them were on their cell phones and one boy (and OMG they look so young) was arguing with someone on his cell. Not sure if it was his family or the mission president or a girlfriend. I wanted to sit and listen but thought it was bad taste.

I went and picked up the lamp from their fancy tower thing and was done. When I got back upstairs the boys were still there, not on the phones but the one who had been arguing looked very pissed. I felt like I should offer them a ride but decided I didn't want to get involved. I'm not sure if they are allowed to take rides from people like me.

Maybe they're called Elders to disguise how immature many of those boys really are.

Ouch. Have you never argued with anyone on your cell phone?

There's nothing particularly immature about that (anymore than for any other person). Buying groceries at the grocery store is certainly not an immature thing to do.

>>Ouch. Have you never argued with anyone on your cell phone?

Nope.

Mormons missionaries are walking/talking avatars for that meme.

Expectations: Mission miracles, inspiration at a level rarely if ever experienced before the mission, being guided to honest searchers for truth who are thirsting for the gospel, being guided by priesthood leaders who are for all intents and purposes prophets, seers and revelators for the mission they preside over, healing the sick, casting out demons, drawing upon the powers of heaven, feeling the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, suddenly being faced with temptation from the devil in the form of lascivious and incredibly beautiful women (or men) who would never have given you the time of day before you became one of god's warriors (i.e. a missionary).

The reality: Everything's the same, except that you have to wear a white shirt and a tie EVERY FORKIN' DAY, you're stuck with a constant "companion" assigned to you by the Mission President, you have no privacy at all, your every move is monitored by some stranger (the aforementioned MP) who claims the right to exercise control over every detail of your life...and you still don't understand the creepy temple ceremony, even though you know that you have to play along and pretend like it's the greatest thing you ever experienced. Oh...and most people you meet look at you like you're a complete and utter moron...not Mormon...MORON. Fun times.

But when it's all over, and the youngster has stayed the course, he gets to return home to the festival of carnal joy that is marrying in haste.

Those poor missionaries have to be around each other 24/7 without a break. After a while they get on each others nerves.

I was with a companion I didn't particularly like for over 3 months. At the end of the three months we could hardly look at each other. I was finally transferred out, just to start over again with another nut case I had to be around constantly for another three months. Missions really try to break the missionary.

"I used the entrance on the 2nd floor parking area " ... you were at the Wal-Mart at 1500 So. 300 West.

Bingo! It's the closest to me and since I do the grocery pickup thing they have, I don't have to go in the store as often as I used to.

The older I get, the less I tolerate shopping that isn't on a website somewhere.

You must live in my old neighborhood. I used to live 2 blocks from that store.

I live north on No. Temple, not far from the Red Iguana.

I've eaten at that red iguana. I heard there is a second red iguana but I can't remember where it is.

Lucky U; I saw 4 mishs at the Sequim WM today, I'm not sure if they'd been to the library yet (internet, email) or not.
white shirts & ties, no matter what, at least they weren't out tracting...

Saw four at the Lacey WA Costco today (must be everyone's P-Day), lots of price comparison while deciding on the brand of cold cereal to get.

All had the white shirt, tie and name tags on display.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/2019 02:14AM by tumwater.

Monday is usually the designated day to do their shopping and washing. I think church leaders got annoyed seeing young missionaries in their scrubs in public so they crafted a policy that they have to shop in their white shirts and name tags.

I think the entire missionary program needs a giant overhaul. It's neither converting the youth nor bringing converts into the church. If they focused on humanitarian assistance and vetted those that truly want to help, then they might have something.

that it was more about "converting" the missionaries than getting new converts. In the past, there may have been some truth to that, even though it mostly just sounded like an excuse for the pathetically low productivity of most missions.

But now, putting the missionaries out there where they have to speak daily to non-members, who are in many cases armed with historical facts and logical arguments that the missionaries did not often have to deal with in their sheltered lives, is likely having a net negative result even with regard to "converting" the missionaries themselves.

Strike one: They go on their mission and realize that the hype and faith-promoting stories about mission work were bogus.

Strike two: They see that the rules and leaders are arbitrary, uninspired and often counterproductive...and obedience does not lead to blessings.

Strike three: They learn that the "gospel" really does not have all the answers and that they're having to go to the missionary version of punting ("well, our answer to that is that you have to have faith") at every turn.

For missionaries who are just cultural/social Mormons, it probably won't make a difference. They checked of the "serve a mission" box. Then it's on to "temple marriage" and so on. The only important thing to them is remaining in good standing in their family and community. They've never thought deeply about most of it anyway. No need to start doing so now just because they wasted two years accomplishing nothing.

For missionaries who actually care about logic, facts, truth and so on, the missionary experience can often be the turning point-- the thing that raises the red flags and trips the alarms.

I agree that it's in poor taste to be arguing in public as church representatives. Sometimes it can not be avoided. I remember being in an area knock out. That's where a bunch of us missionaries would go to an area and spend an hour or two finding new people to teach (teaching pool). I was paired up with a hard ass district leader. The missionary that worked the area told us that they went down the very street last week, but this hard ass wouldn't budge by going a block or two further. So I argued with him and we got a lot of cat calls and chased by dogs. Of course it didn't help that we were arguing among ourselves and the entire street life was enjoying it.

The Mormon strategy is to blindside their followers.

Nothing prepares you for the joke/trauma of the temple. The Temple prep classes are useless crap trying to fool you into thinking you are prepared as you enter that gauzy realm. The prep is to get you to feel like you "got it" when you didn't and then be too embarrassed to tell anyone you didn't and then tell others that it was the most special experience of your life.

Blindsided.

Nothing in Mormonism prepares you for the mission. Quite the opposite. Lambs to the slaughter. As Wally points out, it is built up as this great experience wherein one believes they are becoming a spiritual warrior with special gifts that magically appear courtesy of HG. But then the missionary hits the wall. You are a joke to the world stuck with a companion you can't stand, bored out of your gourd, and all you can do is double down and "take it" because mom and dad. HG nowhere in sight.

Mormonism throws you to the lions with no armor and no sword and it's your fault if you get chewed up.

Standing waiting in some mall somewhere arguing with someone on a phone. For me getting shin splints because my dick of a senior HAD to walk ten steps ahead of me at break neck speed to prove he was the most spiritual of all as he yelled, "C'mon, Elder. There's the Lords work to be done!"

Blindsided.

They would be wise to take a ride from (someone like) you. BUT, let him not seek WISDOM.

He was probably bummed because ill-planning, and because the other missionaries wouldn't pick them up for a ride.

When I was out, there was SOMETHING called 'business contacting' (!?); I never found out what it was from start to finish; like most 'programs', it was 100% HYPE, no substance whatsoever...

I was in mid-america, Michigan & Indiana, small towns & large cities Detroit, Indianapolis, Bay City & Benton Harbor, Michigan, on and on... They all were pretty much the same after a couple of days, honest; 'only the companions changed'.

I see them at Winco frequently. When I accidentally make eye contact with one of the sisters, they always smile and say hello. Since I'm there by myself and don't have a wedding ring on, maybe they think I'm a potential prospect. Or maybe they're taught to say hello to everyone.