Every week day I ride a bus into downtown SLC for work. As you may imagine, many of the other riders are on their way to the Tower of Power or Temple Square.

Lately I have noticed that on the later busses there are quite a few cute little old people with their missionary tags on. A few weeks ago I sat in front of one lady who was describing to the lady next to her what a 'blessing' her calling was.

I was sickened. This little lady had to be in her mid-70's. She could barely climb onto the bus, but here she was joyfully describing how she was originally called for 18 months, but they extended it another 3 years, and how she started at 20 hours a week of sitting at the front desk, they kept adding things to her list and she was spending more and more time there.

I wonder if my company could get away with telling our receptionist that god said she needed to start working for free, stay longer & longer every day, and then clean the bathrooms afterwards...

If they are active, using their mind, and skills, I say: good for them! Volunteer work? I think it's great. It's their choice, of course.

Some of these ladies may not have ever had a job outside the home, and in their 70's they found they are useful to someone.
It's their home, tribe, family, etc. and it's serves them well to stay busy and useful to that community.

I agree with your 1st sentence Susie Q#1 but my problem is that the morg makes sure it plans the way you will spend your time. It is the same for the older generation as it is for the younger generation. Missions are pushed and pushed so that members believe it will be better to serve the way the morg says (mind control). I would prefer it if they let the older generation choose for themselves how they will 'volunteer'. There are lots of hospitals, homes, neighbours etc that could do with help and they would be able to do only the hours they can cope with.
Don't want to sound rude but I get very angry about the way the morg treats people, having spent 30+ years with them. I'm glad I've seen the light. Just wish all members could see the same.

I take the position that no one can take advantage of you without your permission. Everyone has the right to say NO. And, from my experience, many LDS people do say NO.

I have no anger over what other people choose to do with their lives, that includes LDS folks. I enjoyed my life as a Mormon as much as possible. It was like everyone else's live that I knew: the Good the Bad, the Ugly! :-)

I changed my mind, and others can do the same, and they do, if they want to.

I don't have any problem with volunteering your time. I do it, from time to time. I did it for years also. It was my choice.
I honor everyone else's right to make those choices also.

Not cool! I'm happy that my mother has a social life, but I have a huge problem with her money being stolen. Her Social Security income! Especially when I have to listen to her fret about how she's going to pay this, that, or the other bill.

I know this not what you taught me at the SusieQ School of Faith Defending. Are you gonna flunk me now? :-)

and she told me that there are no longer any part time jobs at the COB - because all the part time work is now classed as a "missionary opportunity". It always makes me sick to see people making huge sacrifices for the nothing that is Mormonism.

On the other hand, my best friend is the head nurse at a nursing home and has a gereontology BA. Keeping older Americans active and feeling needed and important makes a huge difference not only in life span but in quality of life, helping combat mental degeneration etc. If someone has a good plan for their post-retirement life that's great but some people retire and just flounder so having something to do is actually good for them. I just wish the time was being used for something that actually helps the world, rather than being used to build up the finances of a heartless cult.

Them being able to get out and stay active is a great point, so I'll try to look at it from that perspective.

It is still a little frustrating that they're doing away with paid positions and using them for that though.

My mom is about to retire from the DI. They are trying to convince her to go on a Senior Mission, likely at a bishop's storehouse or at another DI. They want her to pay the church to do what she used to get paid for.
When she told me I simply told her that her grandchildren would miss her and it would be sad that she would miss so many of the things they do as they grow up.
She is know thinking about simply volunteering at the local temple. I guess that is a better than a full time mission, but still a waste of time when she could do so much good volunteering at a shelter/school/or anything.