50 years for me

Once in a while I still have nightmares
About it

35 years. I enjoyed it very much, had a great experience.....and not really because of the churchy parts.

Dare I ask where you served your sentence? I'm interested in where missions were still good experiences.

Lot's Wife Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dare I ask where you served your sentence? I'm
> interested in where missions were still good
> experiences.

New England States
Paul H. Dunn mission president, ya that guy!

You dog! They sent you to The Show!

I served in the West Indies Mission....Caribbean Islands. First stop was 7 months on St. Vincent, a beautiful lush green island, black sand beaches, with a volcano on one end. By 6 or 7 pm everyone went inside and didn't want visitors knocking so we did no tracting. Just hung out or visited with members. the people were very welcoming and friendly too, food was fantastic and the fragrant smell of ganja smoke often wafted by in the air. I was there when the US invaded the nearby island of Grenada. Used to to go fishing off rocks in the ocean, hiked through the jungle to the volcano and went down inside the caldera, walked around on a layer of hard lava, cooked lunch on hot steam vents. Lifted weights regularly on all the islands I lived on.

Next stop was 7 months on Barbados, about 150 miles east of St. Vincent. A flat coral island with white sand beaches, ganja smoke too. People were great, food was great. Played basket ball every week with the Mission President. I became an AP while there and spent 4 months traveling to the other islands to visit the missionaries....went to Antigua, St. Kitts, Nevis, Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Martin, St. Lucia several times each.

Last stop was 6 months in Jamaica, half in Kingston and half way out in the country at the base of the mountains leading to Ocho Rios on the North Coast. I made a home made BBQ and we cooked outside a lot, laid in the sun in mornings, cooled off in the landlords swimming pool. Friendly people, great food, beautiful place, ganja smoke too. Drove up in the mountains to see Bob Marley's tomb. Met his mom and several other family members....regret that I didn't share the spliff they offered us, had oranges instead. Made out with gorgeous Jamaican girl a few times, my parents flew in when I was done and we spent a week in a nice hotel in Ocho Rios...and I made out with the Jamaican girl a bit more. My Bro. in law was my stake president so we talked on the phone and he said sure, go swim, have fun, just be careful....so I did.

Mission President and his wife were super cool and laid back, no pressure. She was a former beauty queen. I used to give them both hair cuts, as well as everyone else near me in the mission. Used to borrow a guitar on St. Vincent and Barbados...I played Elvis songs and other oldies while the other guys sang back up at our zone conferences and church get togethers. They OK'd us to have church dances with popular music and dance with the girls. Had about 25 baptisms.

I was 22 when I went, had been in and of the world, sex, drugs and rock and roll, was inactive all through my teens and early 20s. I went because I wanted a change, loved to travel, and heard some pretty cool mission stories from those that went to foreign countries, so I figured...why not? It did just what I wanted it to do....get me focused....returned home like a celebrity practically and started college, left the church again for good a couple years later.

No regrets.....except that spliff with the Marley's.

I hope you developed a healthy respect for reggae. I'm surprised at how few young people listen to that remarkably complex and poetic vein of music nowadays.

I liked it before I went, but definitely liked it more after. I've covered a few Bob Marley songs in my musical performances over the years.

Did I mention I was AP? :)

Yes, but when someone farts it's polite to ignore the fact.

26 years ago Brazil Sao Paulo East. Roy G Biv or Bell Biv Devoe, that was not a mission. That was Snoop Dogg's rehab stay without the spliff.

That sounds better than my college years, no spliff either. Out of the cult 10 years now.

I heard stories from my brother (South Africa), Bro. in law (France/ Switz.), Bro. in law (Philippines), Friend (Peru), etc. and thought, that doesn't seem like a bad way to spend a couple of years.

I had just returned to church activity for a few months when I went, so it wasn't because I had a burning testimony I was dying to share.

I got lucky and went to the Caribbean. A state side mission? That could have been a different story :)

Now you've gone and made me feel old. :P

Tyson

53, but who’s counting...

I had a wonderful time, but that’s just me. That’s the kind of butt-hole I am...

Yes, as you know... been home for 53 myself. Went to So Cal, before it became unlivable. Interesting experience for a Chicago boy.

W8sted2years is in his seventies? You always struck me as a younger man, in his 30s or perhaps even 20s. There's a youthful maverick feel to many of your posts.

I hope Mrs. 2years is equally young and sprightly!

Lot's Wife Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> W8sted2years is in his seventies? You always
> struck me as a younger man, in his 30s or perhaps
> even 20s. There's a youthful maverick feel to
> many of your posts.
>
> I hope Mrs. 2years is equally young and sprightly!
That comment made my day..I'm 69

W8sted2years Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lot's Wife Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > W8sted2years is in his seventies? You always
> > struck me as a younger man, in his 30s or
> perhaps
> > even 20s. There's a youthful maverick feel to
> > many of your posts.
> >
> > I hope Mrs. 2years is equally young and
> sprightly!
> That comment made my day..I'm 69
Oh & btw
Mrs. 2yrs divorced me after 40 years of marriage when I retired and refused a senior Mission Call or any further Church Activity. Im single and ready to mingle.

Well you act like a 30-year-old so you should hit the clubs--when it is safe to do so again!

43 years for me. I had a great experience. But I was a TBM back then. If I knew then what I know now, there is no way I would go. I feel like I lied to everyone I taught and baptized. I hope they're out now!

They went really fast. All 62 of them

40yrs to the day. Released from my sentence the same day John Lennon was killed.

What mission were you in? Japan, obviously, given your "tasteful" moniker!

Was in the famous Tokyo South. Meet em N Dunk em.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/08/2020 06:43PM by mankosuki.

Wow.

I know a lot of people who were in that mission. Groberg came to power in the summer of 79, no? So you had what, a year under him and Kikuchi?

I'd love to hear more about your experiences there. What a disaster, so many people harmed.

Off 1 summer. But your good! 78?
Don't know his exact time. He was there when I arrived and didn't leave til the summer after I left. Only President I knew. Things were ramping up before I left but he didn't hit over 1,000/month until I was home.

Shoot me an email if you want more. Address in my profile.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/08/2020 07:47PM by mankosuki.

It's been about 36 years now. I even had a mission oriented dream last night, but to show the depth of my disaffection, it included sex.

About 30 years.

Had I seen the church satellite broadcast for the rainbow set of discussions and missionary guide of selling the church, I probably wouldn't have gone.

They (Haight and Perry) bragged about spending years and millions of dollars in surveys about convert baptisms. And I thought feverish prayer and thought should have brought revelation. Silly me!

35 yrs ago for me.
I had a great time, in Oz, except for the part where I had to lie to innocent people to get them to fork over their hard earned cash to the MORGUE.
Had my own pet cockatoo, like Fred on Barretta.
Had to leave him behind however, with friends.

50 years.Still have anger from some of my companions. What total useless dipwads. Other than that I had some great times out there.

32 years for me. Philippines Manila and Cebu East Mission. I recently looked up the number of cult missions in the Philippines and it seems like 2 dozen of them! I loved parts of my mission but i really hated being there. I felt like i was simply doing my time so I could return home with honor and marry my girlfriend, who later dear johned me. Oh well. She's dead now.

I regret aspects of my mission but i did learn a lot about that part of the world and what it means to live in extreme poverty. That is something I will not forget.

I was in the hospital a few times for various diseases. The worst was Typhus fever.

The Phillipines: a wonderful country.

On experiencing poverty (and a corrupt justice system), I have a friend who is an expert on North Korea and several African countries. We were sitting in a meeting about 20 years ago with a bunch of government officials and the usual uber-optimistic American liberal academics as the latter explained how everything would be better if people just got to know each other. These people were probably almost all Dems although their thinking coincided with that of the neocons on the right, who thought that if you just eliminated the dictatorships democracies would arise in their place because people are, doncha know, democrats at heart.

Anyway, my friend leaned over with a smirk on his face and said, "Every American college student should be compelled to spend a year in a Third World country." We both laughed. The point, as you know, is that until you've lived in such a place you really don't understand how the vast majority of earth's denizens think and how politics really work.

Your experience sounds great.

Tomorrow, December 9th will be the 44th year anniversary of the day I entered the MTC. Was called to the Argentina Buenos Aires Norte Mission.

Next month, January 16th will mark the 44th year anniversary of me getting so pissed at MTC Prez Pinnegar and G.A. Carlos Asay that I called them "sons of bitches" and walked out of the MTC.

Never made it to Argentina.

I think I remember Devoted Exmo (I think it was her) mentioning that at that time she worked in the offices at the MTC and was probably around when mine and other "early returned missionary's" cases were brought up.

51+ years. Argentina South. Pres. Bettilyon. He was a fish out of water,or,lawyer out of the courtroom.

I was a fish out of water too. I never felt part of the mission, never was part of the "guys" but loved every minute of the country, the people, the food, and the fact that they had no interest in our message and I noticed they were just fine without it and not miserable and unhappy without the one true gospel as I had been taught all my life. Still, I never applied that to my life. I was like the undead as far as Mormonism was concerned. A duty doer.

My trunky first companion took me to see Midnight Cowboy the first week. Didn't really get it. Next week was Funny Girl. Loved that.

Last half of my mission I was the one they gave the problem missionaries to. The mission secretary told me that was happening on purpose. That got old.

My brother got a companion who had a reputation for being impossible to be around.

They left that companion with him for over six months.

Turns out my brother was the only companion who hadn't punched the dude and so they left him in place until he went home.

None of us should have gone, but the ones I had REALLY shouldn't have gone.

I had one senior I wish I could've punched out. Insufferable sanctimonious prick who had to walk ahead ten step and would walk faster if you tried to catch up until you got shin splints, all the while saying, "C,mon Elder. There's the Lord's work to be done!"

They decided if I could put up with him, I could put up with anything.

I've lost track but even today I would be tempted to tell Covid where he lives if I knew.

29 years, 30 in March.

I was sent to an archipelago of around 2 million people. They were very poor or rich. No middle class. The islands depended upon tourism. Beautiful place. I would like to see it again before I die.

Really it was a romantic adventure worthy of a novel. And checking The Internet I found one.

https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Souls-Paradise-Mormons-Mission/dp/1686662513

I will get a sample and see if I want it.

33 years last July. Same mission as Roy G. Biv, and most of the same islands. The location made it less shitty, but still not the greatest.

38 years ago.. Texas Houston Mission. Half English/ Half Spanish since I'm bilingual

Almost 45 years for me.

Had some amazing experiences in a very exotic location, but if I could go back and warn my 19-year-old self, I’d say “don’t go!!!”



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/09/2020 01:26PM by CrispingPin.

Forty-five years as well. Milan, Italy. Loved the people,country and language. Three months in Lugano enjoyed tracting in the alpine villages surrounding the town, since I was DL and the town got completely tracted every six months I made that inspired executive decision. Worst time was in Milan with a companion that almost bled to death one night. Had to take him to the emergency room to get his nose cauterized and packed. When I told the APs we needed to take a couple of days off for him to rest and recover they told me that if we weren’t throwing up on every doorstep we were to be out tracting. :O Of course the fact he was white as a sheet and had a nose the size of a grapefruit apparently was inconsequential. Fortunately a few months later we got a new mission president and I was able to see, “Coppelia” at La Scala.

There was news recently of a Lady Missionary who slipped & fell down a mountainside in your mission's neck of the woods. Did you or any of your fellow priso... missionaries ever come close to such a fate?

With that limited amount of info, do you have any thoughts on the matter?

Forty Nine years for me. New England, Paul H. Dunn & some Clarke president after him. For years I had dreams about my time in the hole, but that's all ancient history now.

39 years. Hong Kong, BCC. I don't regret the experience.

32. I still have nightmares.

58 years. HAWAII Mission! Had a great experience & was like I was on a vacation in paradise!

45 years. Illinois, Chicago. Didn't have to learn a language, so I became a scriptorian. A lot of good that does me now. While in Chicago, I was sent several times to O'Hare to try and intercept Elders fleeing their missions. O'Hare was a hub for flights to/from Europe.

Someone should make 30 minute podcast interviews of those of you with real stories to tell...

I will need my mask to cover my eyes too in that case, cuz, uh . . .

1971-73

olderelder Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 1971-73


curious where .. if you can share?

Alberta-Saskatchewan Mission

I never went missing

Almost did...
Never got the "call"
Never grew a foot or 2.

I was never really a mORmON though.
Just grew up down that way though.

I followed the wad of wisdumb though, even as I occasionally partook of 'soft drinks', like barley and hops like a rabbit, and 'factory' work... so that probably kept me from going [thank (you) God].

Would have been about the time Rollerblades came out. I became a blader, with a bladder, of course, instead. It was a blast! Best few years of my life. I converted quite a few. It was partly my dew. What could I do?

I've been home also 50 years since Thanksgiving Day. Since about 1997, have not been in a chapel more than 4 times. Don't miss it at all.

Returned 44 years ago from an 18 month mission in Louisiana and Mississippi (1975-76). I envy those who discovered the con earlier than I did. Left over ten years ago along with my husband and we have never been happier.

That's interesting timing, I think. That was around the time my parentz parted ways and my mother got mormonized, and about the time I was made to be baptized. Hattiesburg steak! You weren't around the "Hub City" were you? That's where I started - and later stopped - being lsd and going to Mormon Seminary 'church', in grand southern Mississippi.

Was that called the Baton Rouge mishy at the time? We used to have to drive All The Way to Washington, D.C. to baptise dead names at the Templeton there, and then all the way back. Then it was Atlanta, Georgia (a days drive in either direction - shortened to just two days on the road). I never went to a temper after D.C. (for Dead Ceremonies, I think). Now they drive to Baton Rouge like it's two hours (each way), because it is.

Did you baptise anyone there.
No offense, but, hope not.

Hope you hada great(enough) 'missing' though.

35 year. Germany Munich mission.

47 years, from the New England Mission --- a couple of months under Paul H. Dunn, and the rest under John Clarke, retired President of Ricks College.

I found serving a mission to be a worthwhile experience, but not really enjoyable. Most missionaries tried to be dedicated, but were nearly always just counting the days left before they could go home and resume normal life.

I wish I could go back and tell the approx. 18 people I had a hand in baptizing that I no longer believe Mormonism is true.

After my mission, I returned to BYU, found my wife, got married in the temple, served in various bishoprics and on the Stake High Council. Then, after years of doubt, finally found the courage to resign, along with my BYU wife. We've been happy and fulfilled ever since.

Older elder. I am in Alberta. Which pasrts did you go to?

England south mission 72-73 about 47 years ago, been out since 97 when I discovered the internet.

27 years

England Coventry Mission.

I suppose that I was relatively TBM & pumped up to go and serve the Lord.

I was never a fan of tracting or (barf) street contacting but bar a couple of companions that were hard work, I have plenty of good memories from my time.

Phoney Moroni Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 27 years
>
> England Coventry Mission.
>
> I suppose that I was relatively TBM & pumped up to
> go and serve the Lord.
>
> I was never a fan of tracting or (barf) street
> contacting but bar a couple of companions that
> were hard work, I have plenty of good memories
> from my time.

Boston Band iz Phony Moroni song, heh
ETA oh Yeah, Apollo Sunshine
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vDEpdWF3j9I



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/2020 06:05PM by josephssmmyth.

11

I went in the Spring of 1969, and got back in the Spring of 1971. I went to Italy. Not only was Mormonism new to Italy, but it was a far better time to be on a Mormon mission. Our mission president did not interfere in our lives, we were trusted to travel long distances by ourselves during a transfer (like those who were transferred from Lugano, Switzerland, clear down to Palermo, Sicily). I had a 2-day transfer once, from Torino to Cagliari, Sardinia. It involved a train, an overnight ferry, another train, and a taxi. We wrote letters from our own apartments using local post, and didn't have to keep our location secret, as they do now.

The fact that we were not under constant scrutiny and meaningless rules meant that we listened to music on our P-Day ("Diversion Day" back then). Speaking of Charlie Pride (which we're not), my time in Milan was when I was introduced to him, because we had a couple of his albums we played on D-day. We went to movies, too, and if not for the newsreels, I wouldn't have known about Kent State and Woodstock. And there were naked wimmens in the story about Woodstock! We used to hang around in family pubs on D-day, too, and play the juke boxes. That's how I was introduced to CCR, Neil Young, etc.

For those planning LDS missions, don't go now. Go back then, in the 1960's. Great time. Can't time-travel? Don't go on a mission.