I came across a missionary couple in the supermarket the other day. It was a mid-week afternoon, not P Day. I saw the name tag on his suit (thank you, inspired leaders, for giving the disbelieving world a little warning sign) but her back was to me. She was dressed exactly as you’d expect a proper septuagenarian TBM helpmeet to be. And they looked so joyless. There were moms with crying infants and whining toddlers who looked happier.

This region is dominated by Catholics, evangelical Protestants and atheists. The Work must be tough here. Maybe they’ll be among the senior missionaries who come away a little disillusioned.

I wonder how many members leave at the point they are doing a senior mission. It would certainly be an upheaval, you'd think, after a lifetime in the church. If you came to the point of disbelief in your middle or later years it could well be a challenge to feel much satisfaction in how your life had been spent to that point. All those hours sitting in boring meetings and all the years of upholding beliefs you later come to reject. Not to mention losing contact with many of your church friends as so often the bonds can't survive your separation. There would be some relief, you'd hope, in branching out and focusing on the world outside the church. Joy even.

Was she wearing a long skirt, a sport coat and sensible shoes? You can really spot them a mile away.

Pink floral print dress with lace trim.

"And they looked so joyless ..."

Trudging along the Treadmill to Zion with 10 bricks in one's backpack will have that effect.

While those who served in my mission (30+ years ago) greatly assisted with proselytizing and working with members. Many went sightseeing during the week (they would network with other SM's and spend the day together). They would take in the local culture, go to community events (plays, festivals and rodeos-livestock shows-football games). It's as if they were on a mini-vacation with a little church work on the side.

I remember having a nice fellow (he was a retired engineer from Boeing in WA) wanting to get the full missionary experience. So he joined me for "splits" where you have permission to be Mormon-legally separated from your companion. So we started around 10am and went down the street tracting/knocking doors. At 10:45, we had not found anyone.

It was getting hot in Texas, and he wiped his forehead and asked -When's lunch?

Uh, not until we teach 2 discussions. We need to go back up the street now.

-Can't we take a break, it's getting hot?

I told him we could rest for 5 minutes.

He went back to his apartment to rest before we went back up the street. I was dropped off at the church and waited by myself for about an hour until the others came back.

He didn't realize how brutal it was physically and psychologically from those not interested in the church. Add the unrealistic expectation of teaching 2 discussions between 10am and 12pm; 5 days a week. That was a mission expectation that you had to prove with reported stats and your weekly missionary planner.

I felt bad for another couple. They drove down from Idaho in their personal RV (not a fancy RV, but a smaller one which had seen better years). They lived in an RV park and had a 2 door Yugo which sported mismatched tires.

He suffered a stroke and she ended suffered a heart attack. He passed away. She recuperated and attempted to drive home to ID. About an hour into the trip, the RV caught on fire and she was hospitalized a 2nd time for burns. I think some distant relatives had to come for her to get her home. I don't think the church did anything to help.

A very sad situation.

The "doctrine" when I was a missionary was that if anything bad happened to you it was because you had sinned and were therefore unworthy of divine protection. If that couple had been in our mission we probably would've thought, "Wow, they must have been terrible sinners."

Senior couple missionaries are neither subject to nor are expected to follow the insane set of rules for the young missionaries. In short, they are actually treated like adults.

OTOH, these senior couples pay far, FAR more for their missions. There is no cost equalization for couples. My aunt/uncle's mission to Sweden cost well in excess of $100K when all was said and done.