PREACH THE NETT said:
What is the deal with that...Im not knocking the relgion so don't get mad..this is a fasion thing...everytime I see them, they crack me up...
I'm not mad, just incredulous that you're so easily amused. Dark suits and white shirts crack you up? What is it I'm missing here?
I thought theyy were mormons...Wait, you said missionaries...Do mormons go to other countries and do missionary work?
Uh... Now it's your turn not to get mad, Preach, but what planet are you from anyway?
I didn't think there was a living soul (at least not in the U.S.) who wasn't aware of our missionary program. Here, from the Church's official website (
www.lds.org) is a brief summary of that program:
We operate more than 330 missions in the world. A mission covers a geographic area and has a central headquarters. Each is led by a mission president who is selected from the ranks of Church membership to a three-year position. The mission president relocates with his family to the mission area and directs the work of the missionaries.
Currently, some 56,000 Latter-day Saints are participating in proselytizing missions around the world. Approximately 75 percent of the Church's proselytizing missionaries are young men between the ages of 19 and 26. They are referred to as "Elder" because of their ordination to that priesthood office. Substantial numbers of single women (about 18 percent) and older couples (about 7 percent) also serve proselytizing missions. Each elder or sister missionary accepts an assignment from Church leaders to serve in a specific mission. Missionaries generally work 60-65 hours per week, for two years (elders) or 18 months (women and couples), teaching the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and participating in community service.
In addition, about 5,100 individuals (including couples) are given special service assignments. Health specialists and doctors go to developing countries where the Church's health services program teaches preventive care. Craftsmen, artisans and construction supervisors train members in local building projects. Agricultural experts train people to produce food more effectively and economically. Other mission assignments include education, family history research and leadership training.
The missionaries or their families donate money to the Church to pay for their personal expenses. When his or her assignment is completed, the missionary returns to home to pursue vocational, academic or other personal goals.
Before leaving on a mission, each missionary is assigned to one of 17 missionary training centers around the world. Those required to learn another language spend eight weeks in training before traveling to their assigned mission. If the missionaries do not need to learn a new language, they attend only two or three weeks of basic orientation.
Aside from their brief orientation at a missionary training center, missionaries receive little formal training for their ministry. Missionary preparation comes primarily from personal study and, in many cases, from examples taught in the home from childhood.
As far as I know, all of the Latter-day Saints on RF were born and raised in the Church. I could be wrong, though. Sooner or later you'll probably meet a genuine convert to Mormonism. It might actually not be so far in the future. More than two-thirds of our 12 million+ members are first generation converts. Roughly 900 new convert baptisms take place each day.
