skylark1 said:
Hi MF,
.......
One of the rules that surprised me when I read the list was the little contact that is allowed with a missionaries family. I did not realize that they were only allowed two phone calls home per year. Now, I can better understand a friend's level of excitement when she told me that she had received a phone call from her missionary son. Of course, I would assume that a mother would be very excited to hear from her missionary son even without this rule. One reason that I was surprised by this rule is the emphasis that LDS put on families; families forever, familiy home evening, etc. For a church that promotes family togetherness so much, it is difficult to understand why they would discourage family contact to this extent.
A lot of what you perceive is culture. I grew up knowing that this is how it is done. It surely seems "peculiar" to those outside of our faith, and that to us is a compliment.
The minimal communication is accepted before we go. It establishes a standard as to the degree of devotion we give to the Lord. Sacrafices are integral with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and it helps prepare youth for greater responsibility and leadership. Writing letters to home weekly is a rule.
Also, there are a miriad of variables to consider about the rules. When I was in Argentina, it would cost a fortune for a three minute call. (Another rule I broke, my parents called me in Argentina to give me the news that my little brother was called to my same mission, and we served as companions for 3 months.)
skylark1 said:
The other rules that surprised me are the rules concerned with being with their assigned companion to the extent that the must even get up and go to bed at the same time, and never go anywhere without them. I find Ammon's explanation that women are so obsessed with LDS missionaries inadequate. It seems like the missionaries are not trusted. If I was required to be with someone night and day, every day, I would gladly get up a little early in order to have a few moments to myself. When they pray, are the missionaries expected to always pray together?
My understanding of the rule of being with your companion is in sight, or within earshot in some cases. While teaching a young woman in Argentina about repentance, she broke down and cried, saying that she was not a bad person. She was apparently having guilt conflict with our lesson. This situation was not in the handbook, and I used instincts and grabbed her hand, clasped in both my hands. My companion sensed the need for confidential communication, and he excused himself to the next room. Things worked out well, but I could tell by that experience, how emotions can take over very quickly. I was glad my comp. was near.
Often times we had to travel alone. You are correct that the missionaries are not given full trust. They are trusted by the fact that they are sent. But most of us hardly have the experiences to know if we can trust ourselves at that point.
I was not regularly "hit" on, but there were a couple of times. Many foreign girls would love an instant citizenship to the USA, and naive young Elders are that ticket. We were counseled not to take a foreign wife home, stating that when they break down, it is hard to find replacement parts. (just checking to see if you are actually reading all of this)
We taught and baptized a family that had two young ladies close to our age. They were a very sincere family, but I know now in retrospect, that they wanted a better life for their daughters than Argentina could provide. (They were Hungarian)
With a missionary program so large, using young men, barely out of boyhood, rules are a must. You probably will not fully comprehend this, but I accepted these rules as if by the Lord Himself. To this day I am greatful for this foundation of discipline, where I have seen so much advantage over others in the job market.
