LDS Missionaries: Do they really...?

[angellous_evangellous]

I rented a Disney movie this weekend about a Mormon missionary, On the Other Side of Heaven. It's about a missionary sent to a small island nation. The missionary is aided by a local, and both of these guys wear a shirt and tie, and the native wears a skirt instead of slacks. I'm thinking that the shirt and tie thing is a gimmick, the trademark look of LDS missionaries in the states.

So my question is simply this: do LDS missionaries wear the same familiar garb all over the world, even in island nations where this clothing is meaningless to everyone?

 

[Bishka]

It depends. Most do yes - it's partly for recognition.

I know some guy missionaries that wore 'skirts' while in the islands, but I can't count that for everyone.


Did you like the movie?

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Did you like the movie?

I'm not done with it yet.

I'm very shocked to see any missionary movie that portrays missions in a positive light. I know of four or so that I see on my regular trips to the movie rental place...

Missionaries have a very bad reputation for destroying cultures. I'm glad to see the heroism of some missionaries - their attempt to bring medical care, clean water, and food to people is honorable.

 

[Bishka]

I'm not done with it yet.

I'm very shocked to see any missionary movie that portrays missions in a positive light. I know of four or so that I see on my regular trips to the movie rental place...

Missionaries have a very bad reputation for destroying cultures. I'm glad to see the heroism of some missionaries - their attempt to bring medical care, clean water, and food to people is honorable.

That's what our missionaries do - we NEVER attempt to destory culture.

 

[Bishka]

Some missionaries do wear the lava-lavas in certian cultures - just depends on the mission I guess.

 

[Katzpur]

Missionaries have a very bad reputation for destroying cultures.

Yeah, if we are unsuccessful at destroying individual lives (which is, of course, what we do best), we go for families. If that doesn't work, we aim for entire cultures. Ideally, we'd like to dominate the entire world and force our beliefs on everyone.

 

[nutshell]

Yeah, if we are unsuccessful at destroying individual lives (which is, of course, what we do best), we go for families. If that doesn't work, we aim for entire cultures. Ideally, we'd like to dominate the entire world and force our beliefs on everyone.

Katz, are you OK? You seem aggressive today.

I don't believe AE was specifically meaning LDS missionaries. It is well documented that missionaries of various faiths have destroyed isolated cultures.


AE, read the book. It's much better.

And yes, the trademark white shirt and tie is standard.

 

[Katzpur]

Katz, are you OK? You seem aggressive today.

Actually, I'm not okay at all. I am in a totally f---ing mood and not particularly inclined to try to disguise it.

I don't believe AE was specifically meaning LDS missionaries. It is well documented that missionaries of various faiths have destroyed isolated cultures.

If that is the case, and if AE was not referring to LDS missionaries, I will immediately apologize and ask his forgiveness. To be perfectly honest, it didn't even occur to me that he was referring to missionaries in general. Like I say, the past couple of days have been absolutely beyond terrible for me.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

I was referring to missionaries in general and not specifically LDS.

 

[Katzpur]

I was referring to missionaries in general and not specifically LDS.

Thank you for clarifying that. Both Nutshell and Becky thought I probably misunderstood, and I was about to delete the post entirely. However, since you have already seen and commented on it, I truly am sorry for jumping to conclusions. I hope you'll accept my apology. :sorry1:

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Thank you for clarifying that. Both Nutshell and Becky thought I probably misunderstood, and I was about to delete the post entirely. However, since you have already seen and commented on it, I truly am sorry for jumping to conclusions. I hope you'll accept my apology. :sorry1:

No offense was taken... all is "forgiven," but IMO there is nothing to forgive.

Perhaps missionaries destroying cultures will be an appropriate topic for another thread, but franky, it's not something that I want to talk about. :ignore:

 

[Valjean]

But missionaries do change cultures, albeit with the best of intentions.
In primative, ie: unsophisticated, cultures, religion is inseperable from every other of the culture; a seamless, tightly-woven cloth. You cannot change one aspect without altering the whole thing.

 

[nutshell]

AE,

have you finished the movie yet? What did you think?

 

[angellous_evangellous]

AE,

have you finished the movie yet? What did you think?

I was happy to see a movie that portrayed mission movements in a positive light. I was also glad to see the hardships of Mormon missionaries in particular brought into the light -- perhaps folks who see this movie will treat LDS missionaries with a little bit more respect.

It was too "Disney" for me, though. Almost all the problems that the missionary faced were solved at almost the instant that they presented themselves. For example, a native girl wanted to have sex with him, and he convinces her and her mother that he shouldn't do it, and they should both abstain from sex until marriage. He simply says this, and the conflict ends immedeately. He gets a new supervisor who wants paperwork - he types all the paperwork overnight - problem solved. He can't teach a family anymore, so he does it in a prayer. Over and over again, problems come up and are quickly swept under the rug. He cleans up the town drunk...

The only sustained conflict is him missing his girlfriend and his persecution by the local minister.

Some very important conflicts are entirely peripheral: the local girls who board a ship as sex slaves is a prime example.

Some memorable quotes:

New supervisor to missionary: "The house of God is a house of order.... We have forms for this."

Native after a shipwreck: "Sometimes God calms the storm... sometimes God calms the sailor."

I do have a question...

The missionary blesses a boy to heal him, perhaps from death. He writes to his girlfriend, "I helped the God heal a little boy." Is this consistent with Mormon theology or was it an error in the script? Can LDS missionaries help God do anything? Anyway, the statement seemed to contradict what the missionary said when the natives picked up their boy, "I didn't do anything..." = seemingly giving God all the credit.

 

[nutshell]

I was happy to see a movie that portrayed mission movements in a positive light. I was also glad to see the hardships of Mormon missionaries in particular brought into the light -- perhaps folks who see this movie will treat LDS missionaries with a little bit more respect.

It was too "Disney" for me, though. Almost all the problems that the missionary faced were solved at almost the instant that they presented themselves. For example, a native girl wanted to have sex with him, and he convinces her and her mother that he shouldn't do it, and they should both abstain from sex until marriage. He simply says this, and the conflict ends immedeately. He gets a new supervisor who wants paperwork - he types all the paperwork overnight - problem solved. He can't teach a family anymore, so he does it in a prayer. Over and over again, problems come up and are quickly swept under the rug. He cleans up the town drunk...

The only sustained conflict is him missing his girlfriend and his persecution by the local minister.

Some very important conflicts are entirely peripheral: the local girls who board a ship as sex slaves is a prime example.

Some memorable quotes:

New supervisor to missionary: "The house of God is a house of order.... We have forms for this."

Native after a shipwreck: "Sometimes God calms the storm... sometimes God calms the sailor."

I do have a question...

The missionary blesses a boy to heal him, perhaps from death. He writes to his girlfriend, "I helped the God heal a little boy." Is this consistent with Mormon theology or was it an error in the script? Can LDS missionaries help God do anything? Anyway, the statement seemed to contradict what the missionary said when the natives picked up their boy, "I didn't do anything..." = seemingly giving God all the credit.

Hmm... are you sure you're quoting it right? We don't help God do anything. We are simply the tools He uses to accomplish His purpose.

I strongly recommend reading the book. I think it's much more powerful and there are some differences.

For example, the scene where the girl comes in and wants to have sex with him is different. In the book, he didn't know what to do. He started praying for help and then started vomitting uncontrollably - that ended things real quick. It was after that experience that he taught the family about abstaining. I guess vomit was very "Disney" so they left it out.

I read the book while I was on my own mission so I am particularly fond of it as I could relate to many of the experiences at the time.

 

[Bishka]

A_E

Did you know this is an actual story of an actual missionary?

I met Elder Groeberg (the real one) earlier this year in about March or so. He's an amazing man.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Hmm... are you sure you're quoting it right? We don't help God do anything. We are simply the tools He uses to accomplish His purpose.

I strongly recommend reading the book. I think it's much more powerful and there are some differences.

For example, the scene where the girl comes in and wants to have sex with him is different. In the book, he didn't know what to do. He started praying for help and then started vomitting uncontrollably - that ended things real quick. It was after that experience that he taught the family about abstaining. I guess vomit was very "Disney" so they left it out.

I read the book while I was on my own mission so I am particularly fond of it as I could relate to many of the experiences at the time.

I'm positive. I even replayed it with the subtitles on to make sure that's what he said.

 

[nutshell]

I'm positive. I even replayed it with the subtitles on to make sure that's what he said.

Interesting.

Well, I would interpret that to mean he "helped God" in that he allowed himself to be a tool in God's hands.

 

[marinda]

do LDS missionaries wear the same familiar garb all over the world, even in island nations where this clothing is meaningless to everyone?

My brother is currently serving in Tonga where the movie other side of heaven was filmed. Hes part Tongan so he likes to he likes to show respect for his culture by wearing what is traditional in the islands. His current companion isnt any slight bit tongan but still wears the traditional tongan 'tupenu' (or commonly known as the skirt men wear).

Its always being that way to dress respectfully, especially when your going tracting. So yes, they all where the same. I would always use the analogy that missionaries look like penguins because of their suits lol