Hi - long time lurker who posts on occasion. My DH converted over a year ago and I am ok with missionaries, HT, etc coming over as long as I am not home. From time to time I will "bump" into them leaving our home and say hello, but normally that's about it. Well last night they were still over when I got home from my holiday shopping. And I noticed that everytime I do "bump" into these fellows, there is always a new companion. It's probably every one to two months that I see them. Which seems like a quick turnover for this one companion to constantly have new companions. Last night I had asked DH (after they left) why is it that that guy always has someone different with him. His response "I'll google it".. he said he didn't come up with anything that explains WHY they are constantly changing, just that it's normal procedure.

Personally, I am happy that I got him to google it. I also have been renting documentaries to get his brain thinking. So far they have all been very innocent, I plan on throwing in a really good one soon. :)

They switch companions frequently for several reasons. But the biggest reasons are:

1--To make the missionaries more socially "rounded", they feel it helps them mature better as adults to work hand-in-hand with lots of different people.

2-- To keep missionaries from forming personal relationships that are "too close". Either with their companions, or with the people they are teaching. They are not allowed to date or have romantic relationships, and its also considered somewhat inappropriate by many church leaders for them to get too close to even members of the same gender. Its supposed to be a more "religious teacher" or "religious companion" type relationship, rather than "bosom buddies" or romantic. Transferring them frequently helps to prevent this from happening.

Ideally (I've been told), even their companion is not supposed to know their first name, or where they are from (although most will at least tell what state they are from, some will even say what city, lol). In the church's opinion, missionaries are there to work and serve the lord, not to enrich their social or romantic life.

Of course, it still happens... I've heard of several cases where ex mission companions traded contact info, and kept in touch as great, life-long friends. And I've also heard of cases where a missionary would be visiting a family that had a daughter 17-21 years of age, and since missionaries know your name and address, they would later contact the girl after they got home. And even cases where missionaries would break the rules and be romantic or sexual even on their mission.

Now when they get home, they are looking up people on Facebook that they taught on their mission, and keeping in touch. They also have people assigned to serve online missions where they share the gospel on Facebook, and in blogs and forums. This has now been approved by the church, so you're going to see it a lot.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/16/2010 11:59AM by melissa3839.

so they'll have less energy to think about what they're doing. Plus people who form relationships are less likely to rat on each other for not following the zombie weirdo freak prison rules.

Tinker, tell your husband to google "lds missionary rules."

That most kids don't run screaming from the MTC and that parents who have been through this let their kids do it only prove what a finely tuned coercive system it is.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/16/2010 12:36PM by munchybotaz.

This too, yes. I agree.

Huh? They aren't supposed to know each other's first name or where they came from? When did that happen? We all knew each other's names and where we came from. Why the hell would that be a requirement? Are you sure?

Ron

Agree with EMR. Missionaries usually knew each other's first names in my mission. It was true (in my mission and in others I've heard about) that we weren't supposed to tell members/investigators our first names. Even pretty obedient missionaries would occasionally relent on this, however.

I've never heard of missionaries being prohibited from telling anyone their hometowns. That, uh, sounds made up.