Over the years, many RMs have said how they hated proselytizing and tracting; that they would have preferred giving full-time community service to the places they were assigned, instead.

Did anyone here actually enjoy proselytizing and tracting when they were missionaries?

I didn't "enjoy" it but I had a couple of companions who made it fun. You know those YouTube videos where the 'Ring' camera catches the elders goofing off? That was what I liked to do and it made tracking if not enjoyable, at least tolerable. Plus I had the bonus of not carrying a whit if anyone heard my message.

Tracting helped me to learn to act like an extrovert. It's just a game to be played, but it can be tiring.

Most people think I'm "outgoing", but it's all a ruse. I just like laughing, and if people are around, I'll include them in my play.

Nope.

I didn't mind. Tracting in the Caribbean islands wasn't so bad except for some hot/ humid days. People were friendly and welcoming and very open to hearing our "message about Jesus Christ". I could count on one hand the times someone shut the door on us after opening it.

On some islands like St. Vincent, after sundown, everyone went inside and didn't want visitors, so all our evenings were free due to the local custom.

I enjoyed my mission very much, more so for the personal growth I experienced and the locations I lived and visited, rather than the religion itself.

No it was not fun, since most people in the country where I was a missionary had heard missionaries at their door many, many, many times. We kept tracting books so we knew many of the houses and apartments had been approached several times over a few years.

Tracting in below zero temperatures and high winds was not fun, tracting in raging rain storms was not fun. Sometimes watching my companions from California fall on their butts on the steep icy paths was sort of entertaining.

Towards the end of my mission, a third Elder was assigned to us since his companion had got in some sort of trouble. My senior companion was very, very trunky and mentally not up to tracting, the new companion did not give a f--- about being on a mission. Tracting as a threesome your chance of getting in is about 0. We tried to make the best of it. Elder Trunky would write a story at the end of the day that included all of the people who rejected us in a surreal play. Elder Don't Give a F... would invent a new name for each person who rejected us. The names were vividly descriptive and definitely un-Christ-like. I always wondered if the next set of missionaries who got our district enjoyed the new names in the tracting book.

I enjoyed it in good weather, especially when we did splits with members and I could get away for awhile from the companions that were awful. I was on the French Riviera a lot of my mission and just being around the sun, sea, and surf was delightful. Wish I hadn't been transferred right before the Canne Film Festival.

I didn't and I hated bothering people who had better things to do. My first 6 months wasn't too bad and then my MP came to his senses that young people lie about proselytizing. He sent zone and district leaders to spy on us. That lead to unpleasant interviews with the MP during zone conferences.

"How come you only have two teaching appointments between 10 am and 12? I bet you two were goofing off! Let me pull up my map/gazette and look at the streets where you said you were teaching."

You were expected to have your planner full of names at half an hour intervals. If you were honest and didn't fill in imaginary people, then you received his wrath. He would have you stand in front of the group and shame you--call you a worthless sloth.

If you made up names then you ran the risk of having to prove that those people did indeed exist. We had to bring the area book of missionary records and produce a detailed record of their progress (discussions, notes of issues/doubts to resolve, list of members who were supposed to be felowshipping and proposed baptismal dates. (I never faked names and took his wrath for having "gaps" in my weekly planner.

I might have enjoyed it more if I felt that I was trusted and valued as a missionary.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/2020 06:36PM by messygoop.

+Messygoop:
Let me be honest as a nevermo.
I think it is pretty stupid to ask a kid to go to some distant land and have him knock on doors and try to sell Jesus.

How about these elders (or whatever they want to call themselves) present themselves in front of professionals, such as historians, archeologists, geneticists, physicists, biologist.
Have some debates a few hours long and lets broadcast it.

This isn’t about enjoyment. It is about whether you or him or any mormon takes facts seriously.

Why are they forcing 18 y old kids to go on missionary work? Are they dangling the keys of heaven in front on you?

~~~~iceman9090



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/2020 09:29PM by iceman9090.

Hell no!