I was reading the blog of the TBMest TBM, she takes it to an extreme level where she believes life circumstances are 100 percent up to the lawd, no human intervention required (adult thought or constructive work and planning) or expected.

Her son is a missionary in Brazil, and from the looks of it he's in an impoverished area full of favelas and riddled with violent crime, he's already been jumped by gangsters.

This past month, he witnessed the direct aftermath of a stabbing, sharing a revoltingly gruesome picture, and indicated he and his comp prayed with the murderer-still holding the weapon. The mission president's program for safety was just that they're to wear their suits at all times and have a BoM in their hands at all times so gangsters will know they're "ministers" and not drug dealers.

The blogger, his mother (who is known to be off kilter to begin with), didn't seem to have much trouble with this.God will protect and this is where he's needed to be. (keep in mind, she's on a low tier of mormon royalty, but royalty no less). Though she's reading the BOM for the 85th time, for life's answers. Why would she allow her kid to stay in that region and not insist on a transfer. That's two violent crimes in a couple weeks.

What would it have taken for you to leave, or for you to force morcorp to reassign your kid before they are killed? Or at your most TBM would you, like this blogger, have felt that this mission location was the most important and will come with rewards from the lawd?

I'm not posting a direct link, but the blogger is nieniedialogs and the post is dated 9/24

My father told me after I came home from my mission that he had seriously considered bringing me home early.

The letters that I wrote about the lying and cheating going on along with one Elder who got angry with me and punched me in the face (he was 6"4", golden gloves boxer). Then there was the medical incident were I walked near 2 miles back to the chapel. Arriving wearing a blood soaked slipper since I could not wear a shoe, the MP's wife chastized me for my attitude and brushed me off. This due to my being released from an emergency room after being treated waiting for hours with nobody coming to pick me up, the doctor was pretty pissed off. The Zone Leaders had forgotten about me since a after Zone Conference basketball game at the chapel was more important.

Then there was the arrival home, where I was subjected to false claims of my activties with girls in the mission field, and my being grilled and attempt to force a confession from me for something I never did.

Yep, my Father said he regretted not bringing me home early. He was a doctor, and said he clearly could see the emotional damage it did to me for months after. He told me it was one of his greater regrets.

But my younger siblings gained per my experiences. When my father caught wind of anyting amiss on their mission, he was on the phone demanding action from their MP. This action on behalf of my father saved the life of my youngest brother, who if not for my fathers intervention, would not be alive today.

I'm irate for young Silence is Golden!!

It seems tscc has radicalized its members to a point they will only do what they are told what to do. Thinking logically is not allowed. Seems like a problem of society these days.

I would have stayed no matter what. I did what church leaders said. Period.

Knowing what I know now, my father would have maybe probably pulled me although back then it's hard to believe anyone would. Google hadn't tempered our testimonies yet.

Today? I think lots of parents would pull their kids.

Now this is hysterical: "Though she's reading the BOM for the 85th time, for life's answers." How thick do you have to be not to realize after the first time that there are no answers. It's bad fiction. Even as a TBM teen I didn't see anything in the way of answers or guidance for life. What? I should cut off my arms so I didn't go to war?

As a true, devout missionary, it never even crossed my mind that I could choose to leave, though I did think that all of the missionaries in the country where I was serving might be sent home.

During a time of political unrest, one day I literally woke up in a constitutional democracy, and went to bed that night in a military dictatorship. The country was put under martial law, and any police officer could jail anyone for six months without even any charges. My companion and I were arrested because someone thought we were communists-luckily, we were released after a brief interrogation. The church stopped sending new missionaries for a few months (many missionaries callings were changed), but they didn’t withdraw any missionaries currently in the field. That confused me. If there was no danger, why did they stop sending new missionaries? If there was danger, why did they leave us there? If only they had some divine way of knowing what was best to do.

I had a relative whose Father said he preferred his seriously ill son die than come back early.

It irrevocably damaged the father son relationship for 50 years.

Myself, I'd never send my kids, do everything possible to stop them. If needed I get on a plane and rescue them.

It's ironic and mindbogglingly contrary that the same church that touts "families can be together forever" destroys families to the extent that they wouldn't want to be together forever.

anonynon Wrote:
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> It's ironic and mindbogglingly contrary that the
> same church that touts "families can be together
> forever" destroys families to the extent that they
> wouldn't want to be together forever.

So long as every member does his/her role as outlined by Heavenly Father (the church).

This follows the same nonsense that defines freedom not as individual choice with multiple outcomes but choosing one choice as outlined by the church.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/2023 11:51AM by messygoop.

-Why would she allow her kid to stay in that region and not insist on a transfer?

Probably because there is perceived honor as dead missionary, a martyr for the faith. She will be pitied for years and receive special consideration of the mother whose son died tragically or called to a special mission in the CK. There's plenty of go ____ me fundraising for burial and transportation costs, probably get that new SUV that she's always wanted.

My mom took out additional life insurance. She probably was more disappointed that I came home and not dead or maimed.

I was never TBM, but as a missionary serving in a hot climate, I had my "I'm going home no matter what" established. It involved air conditioning. I wanted a cool apartment to return to after being outside in the sun from 11am - 9pm.

My mission started becoming penny pinching. This came on the heels of Elder Ballard who was running the church's missionary dept, he specifically called out our mission for being reckless with church resources and utilities. So we had this "hot apartment" policy as no a/c was to be running while we were out and about.

Well, the little a/c window unit was worn out and couldn't properly cool down the slum apartment. It would keep the apartment 82 degrees if it ran continuously. We tried shutting it down to keep with mission "hot apartment" policy, but it was too damn hot. We were threatened that missionary apartments would be visited and violators would have their a/c cords cut. This was my ultimatum- If I returned from doing the church's work and found my a/c cord cut, then I was getting on the Greyhound back to Calif.

**I estimate that the slumlord rented the unfurnished apartment at 100 dollars a month. The other tenants were paying much less. For each pair of missionaries, 700 was collected by the church: 250 for subsistence (125 per month per elder). This means that the church/mission made 350 in surplus every month. I obviously didn't serve my full 24 months in that hell hole, but for 2 years (or longer) the church/mission made 350 every month for 2 years ~ 8.4 K

I think this is probably spot on. The blogger and her husband (the missionary's mother and father) were in a bad plane accident, which resulted in severe, disfiguring injury, lots of sympathy bucks (which they burned though quickly) speaking tours and a book, and a victim mentality, though interest has waned in the past 12 or so years since it happened, she still constantly posts odes of sympathy about/to herself.

I'm sure she doesn't want her son to die, but at the same time, the idea of returning to her victim-y glory and center of attention probably excites her in some way.

I think she'd also take it as a sign of her own personal, special connection with HF and how he knows her and know what she needs, and the lessons she needs to learn, etc.

I've always believed that the missionary program was one of their biggest moneymaking schemes, and for decades, it's been more about that than bringing in converts. The focus on relatively inexpensive locations in undeveloped or developing countries where they'll never get ideal converts or converts they can retain is really a purposefully designed fool's errand, and they're skimming a couple hundred dollars per month off the majority of missionaries.

Viral encephalitis was my ticket home (eventually).

the gate at the airport, I told my 2-year-old son he would never serve a mission and I continued to tell him that. He isn't the type that would do well on a mission if he believed. He told me when they'd sing I hope they call me on a mission in primary he'd think to himself "I don't have to go!!!"

My brother was a completely changed person when he got home. His mission was horrible for him.

I'd be on my way to pick up my kid the minute he needed me no matter what it was.

Here they built up missions so much and then I find out later how horrible they were. Just had to have an RM at all costs. Oh yes, I got one.

My "ex" went on a mission. The last 5 bishops in this ward did not.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/10/2023 05:02AM by cl2.

People come home from modern missions broken, cynical, unable to trust the church. So yeah, in many cases it is those who have NOT served missions who are naive and faithful enough to do what the church wants from bishops.

I have mentioned this before: the church does not look after the best interest of its members, they look after themselves.

Young people who are unsure and naïve are deceived into serving a mission because HF won't allow you to fail. Well maybe he's so damn busy finding keys to be bothered because church missions are anything but equitable. If you don't look after yourself~ translation be selfish and conceited then a church mission will be miserable.

This missionary is probably more immature and naive than most. He was encouraged to finish his senior year early so he could go on a mission immediately after he turned 18. He was already a few months into his mission while his classmates went to prom and graduation.

A nurse in my son’s mission told him he had thyroid problems. The mission president would not let him see a doctor. He called early one morning and informed us of the problem. I called the missionary dept. that morning and started screaming at the brother who answered the phone. My son was on the next plane home and was treated for his thyroid condition.

Not going Wrote:
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> A nurse in my son’s mission told him he had
> thyroid problems. The mission president would not
> let him see a doctor. He called early one morning
> and informed us of the problem. I called the
> missionary dept. that morning and started
> screaming at the brother who answered the phone.
> My son was on the next plane home and was treated
> for his thyroid condition.

That's the only way to get it resolved. You have to resort to screaming and cursing otherwise the person on the line will be dismissive.

My sibling called the mission home when my grandmother passed away. The MP answered that Elder Goop could not be disturbed. The MP hung up. My sibling became out of control livid and psycho-called him 3 more times until the MP relinquished my local phone #. My sibling offered to pay for my trip home, but he would wait for my decision until the following day. My parents weren't even going to tell me until after I finished my mission :(

I ended up staying on my mission because I was caught between a rock and a hard place. My mom didn't want me coming home because it would break my dad's heart to leave home for a 2nd time. My MP made it very clear that he wouldn't fight for me to return to "his mission". I would be reassigned or have my mission declared dishonorably served. That would have sent me to live on the street as my mom made it clear that I was to serve a full 2 year mission at all costs or not return home.

What are the parents thinking about their children in Israel and the situation with the Hamas?

Bring them home or make them stay?

It's amazing more doesn't happen to missionaries. Maybe they really are looked after. But too much does happen.