In San Diego, the Visitors Center is NOT located either at the temple or near the mission home complex. Rather, it's located in the Old Town section of San Diego, because the center is a "Mormon Batallion Monument/Visitors Center" and is two blocks from San Diego's historic colonial plaza. Students of LDS history should know all about the Mormon Batallion. Inside, there are usual Visitor's Center displays, but also historic displays about the Batallion and early San Diego history---with some embellishment as the size of the role played by the Batallion (some missionaries there would have you believe that San Diego was built chiefly by Mormons, ignoring the role of the Spaniards and Mexicans and non-LDS white settlers). Public exposure is to visitors is much higher in Old Town than at the temple (wedged next to I-5 in a commercial/apartment area where no one normally visits) or the mission home

The center is on Juan Street, Old Town's main drag. Across the street is a small apartment complex, with about five or six units. Given the climate, each apartment has its own exit door (front door) to the outside; there is no interior hallway. As such, when driving past it, I have noticed both young people and retired people in missionary attire (gee they really blend in here, huh?) either leaving or entering these units.

The complex does not have the usual sign listing the apartment name, the number of the rental office or management company, and either "vacancy", "now renting", or "no vacancy". At first I used to think TSCC simply rented the units for the convenience of being across from the Visitor's Center, but with the lack of signage, I wonder now if TSCC owns (or even purpose-built) the complex. Remember, this is not a compound, the Visitor's Center sits on Juan Street with little to no set-back, Juan is a public street, and the apartment house---also with very little set back----sits on the other side of this public street (no, unlike SLC, TSCC hasn't tried to buy Juan Street!!!).

So my question: if indeed the church DOES own this complex, then I assume they house the young missionaries there (maybe the ones who are assigned to work the Visitor Center). But what about the senior missionaries? Since they have to pay their own housing, do they actually cut a check to live in church-owned housing? Or do they live for free?

(I have seen both younger and older missionaries exiting and entering these apartments; younger missionaries would not need a car since there are markets within walking or bus or bike distance).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/08/2010 03:36PM by PtLoma.

From what I understand, this is one way money gets passed around and why tscc's books can be so confusing. One company in the church can own the building, while another sends the MP money to pay rent for the space.

Since their books are closed we have no way of knowing except through some "deep-throat" type informants, but supposedly that's how it works.