Missionaries

So, here's the thing.  You see them going from door-to-door, young men in white shirts, dark suits, and ties or young women modestly, but nicely dressed.  They wear black nametags with white lettering.  The young men all share the same first name, Elder, and the young women also have the same first name, Sister.

They are missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Right now there are about 88,000 of them throughout the world.  Yes, they knock on doors, visit hospitals, engage in service in the community, ride the bus, ride bicycles to appointments to teach people about our Church, and try to share a copy of the Book of Mormon with you.  Dogs chase them, passing cars plash cold and muddy water on them, people slam doors in the faces of those pesky missionaries, ministers of other faiths condemn them, and police often stop them to find out who they are and what they are doing.  Yes, people call the police on them all the time.  Over the years some have been shot at, kidnapped, robbed, beaten, and murdered.

They go on their Mormon missions at their own expense or the expense of their families.  Some young men and women save money throughout their lives to finance their missions.  They get to write home once a week and they can call home twice a year--Mother's Day and Christmas.  Sometimes they get homesick. 

Some learn a second language.  Sometimes it's a language they've never heard of before and sometimes it's a language that seems like a disease of the throat.  Some serve as missionaries in well-to-do corners of the world; others find people to teach and love and serve in grass huts, barns, stables, tin shacks, or mud and dirt "houses", all generally having dirt floors.  Some have living quarters that are quite comfortable.  Others share a room with spiders, cats, dogs, pigs, and an occasional snake that passes through.  For some missionaries, cherished Christmas and birthday gifts consist of disinfectant soap and toilet paper.  Those serving missions in foreign lands first tolerate, then embrace, and then love different foods.  When they return home they often enjoy watching the faces of people as they explain what they ate for two years.  More often than not, they eat a lot of beans and rice.  Those serving in the United States eat a lot of peanut butter and macaroni and cheese.

They leave home most often between the ages of 18 and 22.  As a criminologist I can tell you that this age group commits the highest percentage of crimes of all adult age groups.  However, this group of 18 to 22 year-old LDS missionaries does not commit crimes.  And while there are incidents of accidental death among LDS missionaries, their death rate due to accidents is miniscule compared to their non-missionary counterparts.

Missionaries come and go.  Two great missionaries, Sister Brie LeBaron and Elder Ryan Moosman, finished their missions here in Binghamton recently and returned to their homes.  One missionary, Sister Misa Morreall, just came home to Binghamton from her mission in Armenia.  Frankly, the emotions that I experienced from both of these events were overwhelming.

They leave home as 18 and 19 year-old boys and girls and return home as 20, 21, 22, and 23 year-old young adults, ready to be positive contributors to society.  They leave home with a high school diploma or a year or two of college and return home with the Master's degree in humanity, faith, hope, and charity.  What they are asked to do is difficult.  I have yet to find one who wouldn't turn around in a heartbeat and go back for another two years.

I think God loves all missionaries of all faiths.  I am pretty sure that He loves Mormon missionaries, too. I certainly do.