Mormon Missionaries - Door Etiquette?

[8circles]

:iagree: And why the continued casual (um gleeful?) references to murder? :001_huh:

 

:iagree: I feel like Im in the twilight zone. I can't understand your perspective at all.

[Xuzi]

I've also known more than one Elder Lee. :)

:lol:

[gaillardia]

I knew of a bishop whose last name was...Bishop.:lol:

Well, like I said in my other post, I'm not so sure the church to which we're referring is very strong in northern Michigan, especially the UP, if that's where the licensed crack shot lives.

I would think there would be enough communication in an area between the missionaries and their mission president that they would give a word of warning to one another about people with guns and dogs.

 

Say, has anyone got any new pumpkin recipes?:glare:

[Forget-Me-Not]

Heh, I know a Bishop Bishop too!

 

I highly recommend this:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-chip-pumpkin-bread/detail.aspx

 

I know the marriage of pumpkin and chocolate is highly controversial, but go in with an open mind :D

 

Now I'm just waiting for the kilts to come out. . . :lurk5:

[gaillardia]

I was hoping someone else would mention the quilts, I mean kilts!!!!first.:lol::lol::lol: And you did. Thanks. Now let's see. Oh, I wanted to mention that I knew a guy who served a mission in Ireland. I'm pretty sure he didn't wear a kilt though.

[gaillardia]

Oh, LemonPie, that looks like a great marriage. I'll give that recipe to my pumpkin-baking daughter. She is into baking with pumpkin lately.

[sewingmama]

So if someone kills a dog you set on them, in self defense from that dog coming after them, you feel justified in shooting them and the person who happens to be with them? :confused: I understand that you could conceivably "get away with it," but why on earth would you want to??

 

I'm thinking she's just trying to really emphasise the point she doesn't want missionaries on her property :D

[Heidi]

I knew a Bishop Rick:lol:

[Laura Corin]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_Judge,_Baron_Judge

 

Laura

[LittleIzumi]

Say, has anyone got any new pumpkin recipes?:glare:

 

I have a sweet potato bread recipe! It's almost pumpkin....

 

Heh, I know a Bishop Bishop too!

 

I highly recommend this:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-chip-pumpkin-bread/detail.aspx

 

I know the marriage of pumpkin and chocolate is highly controversial, but go in with an open mind :D

 

Now I'm just waiting for the kilts to come out. . . :lurk5:

 

Since when? I just polished off a package of the traditional autumn pumpkin chocolate chip cookies this week. Yum.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_Judge,_Baron_Judge

 

Laura

:lol:

[Maus]

Heh, I know a Bishop Bishop too!

 

I highly recommend this:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-chip-pumpkin-bread/detail.aspx

 

I know the marriage of pumpkin and chocolate is highly controversial, but go in with an open mind :D

 

Now I'm just waiting for the kilts to come out. . . :lurk5:

Ok, the OCD in me doesn't want to get diverted, but I can do this...

 

I love pumpkin anything with chocolate chips in it. My DS8 has inherited this. He just had his first ever Blizzard last week and what did he order? Pumpkin Pie with M&Ms stirred in. I tasted it and it was yummy!

 

My in-laws are way into anything Scottish, so my brother-in-law wears a kilt (he served his mission in Switzerland and France, though). Of course, I can't think of a BIL in any sort of a kiltish way, so I guess that sort of spoils it. :D

 

I laugh to myself because I think they have maybe one Scottish ancestor. My dad's side is almost all Scottish. We don't wear kilts, but our main, surname line, are Scottish weavers, even as late as 1974 when my dad took a research trip there and met a cousin with our surname who still owned the family kilt factory.

[garddwr]

I haven't read all the replies, but I just wanted to say how impressed I am by your understanding and willingness to show kindness towards those who are working with their whole hearts to bless others, even though their beliefs differ from yours. Your attitude demonstrates the heart of a true Christian.

[Renthead Mommy]

So if someone kills a dog you set on them, in self defense from that dog coming after them, you feel justified in shooting them and the person who happens to be with them? :confused: I understand that you could conceivably "get away with it," but why on earth would you want to??

 

But they are trespassing. She puts her dog on them for protection of herself, family and property. They go after her protection. If they'll take out the dog, they may be willing to take out her.

 

I get it.

 

People in this thread have said things like even if they are missionaries, they are still strangers and well anyone can where a white shirt with a name tag, you just never know so I'd never let them in my house.

 

Well, you do just never know. Some people DO NOT want people on their property. Period. It has nothing to do with religion. It has to do with where people draw the line for their own personal safety.

 

Would people be questioning her if this were about big scary looking guys hopping fences and coming into her yard? But because it's about young, clean cut looking guys, supposedly doing work geared to their religion (and that's THEIR religion, NOT the property owner's religion) we're supposed to say Oh it's okay then?

[Xuzi]

But they are trespassing. She puts her dog on them for protection of herself, family and property. They go after her protection. If they'll take out the dog, they may be willing to take out her.

 

I get it.

 

People in this thread have said things like even if they are missionaries, they are still strangers and well anyone can where a white shirt with a name tag, you just never know so I'd never let them in my house.

 

Well, you do just never know. Some people DO NOT want people on their property. Period. It has nothing to do with religion. It has to do with where people draw the line for their own personal safety.

 

Would people be questioning her if this were about big scary looking guys hopping fences and coming into her yard? But because it's about young, clean cut looking guys, supposedly doing work geared to their religion (and that's THEIR religion, NOT the property owner's religion) we're supposed to say Oh it's okay then?

No, I get it. I totally get it. :) It's not an opinion I personally share, but I do understand that there are people who are *very*... picky? (is that the right word?) about who they do and do not allow on their property. They have animals, or equipment, or whathaveyou that they're protective of, or they just *really* like their privacy more than the average person (not saying that's a bad thing).

 

And as far as the doberman story goes, I wonder if the doberman AND the missionary was well OFF the owners property by that time? (I've known Elders who've had dogs "set" on them so that the owners could get a laugh out of watching the elders running like mad down the street, well beyond the dog owner's property) If he was, then I would think the missionary was justified in kicking the dog (the missionary was no longer a "threat", and the owner should have called the dog off). However, if the missionary and the dog were still well on the private property, or the missionary wasn't showing very obvious signs that he was trying to leave, then I would think the kick was *totally* unjustified, and I would hope the family was compensated for the loss of their dog.

[Live2Ride]

Heh, I know a Bishop Bishop too!

 

I highly recommend this:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-chip-pumpkin-bread/detail.aspx

 

I know the marriage of pumpkin and chocolate is highly controversial, but go in with an open mind :D

 

Now I'm just waiting for the kilts to come out. . . :lurk5:

The marriage of pumpkin and chocolate is a wonderful and it's solid still today! :tongue_smilie:

 

I made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins-with mini chocolate chips- and did them in the Jumbo muffin cups...it was heaven. :D

 

oh and for those interested:

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ground clove

¼ tsp. allspice

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup cooked canned pumpkin

½ cup butter or margarine, melted

1 cup chocolate chips – mini size works great!

2 eggs

 

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease or line muffin tins – regular or mini size. Combine all dry ingredients and set aside. In large bowl, beat eggs. Stir in pumpkin and melted butter. Blend well. Add dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened. Stir in chocolate chips.

 

Spoon into muffin cups and bake 20 – 25 minutes for regular size muffins. Around 17 minutes for mini muffins.

 

Yield: At least one dozen regular size.

 

 

This recipe doubles nicely.

Edited October 15, 2011 by CountryGirl2

[Jennifer3141]

No, I get it. I totally get it. :) It's not an opinion I personally share, but I do understand that there are people who are *very*... picky? (is that the right word?) about who they do and do not allow on their property. They have animals, or equipment, or whathaveyou that they're protective of, or they just *really* like their privacy more than the average person (not saying that's a bad thing).

 

And as far as the doberman story goes, I wonder if the doberman AND the missionary was well OFF the owners property by that time? (I've known Elders who've had dogs "set" on them so that the owners could get a laugh out of watching the elders running like mad down the street, well beyond the dog owner's property) If he was, then I would think the missionary was justified in kicking the dog (the missionary was no longer a "threat", and the owner should have called the dog off). However, if the missionary and the dog were still well on the private property, or the missionary wasn't showing very obvious signs that he was trying to leave, then I would think the kick was *totally* unjustified, and I would hope the family was compensated for the loss of their dog.

 

These were people who came REPEATEDLY, despite being asked by our entire "city," not to.

 

DH and I raise our children outside the Patriarchy as much as humanly possible. We've chosen not to partcipate in patriarchal religions very deliberately. So everytime you show up with your god crap, it is offensive as heck to us. And this is MY house.

 

And DH is a physician. We have had whackos trying to break into the house looking for methadone (like DH keeps it here!), hence the security system. So ever darn time I have to go to the door, I have no idea who/what I'm going to find. Hence, the gate and the signs, and the security system and the 120 pound trained dog, and lastly the guns.

 

And I am picky about who comes into my house or on my land. I've got all the friends I need and my friends either know the code to the gate or know to call/email/whatever. I've got all my meat needs handled. I don't need mortgage information or magazines. All of those people are stopped by the gate (and a healthy dose of common sense).

 

And frankly, if you're too stupid or too crazy to keep coming back, then you get what you get as far as I'm concerned.

 

I am glad I called the police though because I knew that if I was feeling that irritated, that Mr. Chipmunk Slayer across the street there was REALLY feeling it. I wasn't quite sure what he was going to do next. It did scare the pants off me when he started turning all his lights out (outdoor especially) when he knew the kids were coming. Better for a sneak attack from him??

 

I've got no idea what kind of Mormons these were either. They identified themselves as LDS but from what I've learned here and the cops, it's not likely they were "real" ones - they were probably some whacked out sect trying to start a commune in the sand dunes (we've already got one of those but hey, the more the merrier?!?) :glare:

It appears the real Mormon church has learned you cannot really irritae someone into joining your kingdom.

[Jenny in Florida]

I'm sad to see how people treat others.

 

Me, too.

 

It's just a knock on the door, folks. It's not an attack.

 

For those who might not know where I'm coming from, I'll say briefly that I belong to a Unitarian Universalist church. We're a very liberal, non-creedal denomination. I'm probably about as far, politcally and socially, as one can get from most of the missionaries who would knock on my door.

 

However, that doesn't excuse, as far as I'm concerned, outright rudeness to other human beings.

 

These are young people who are trying to do a good thing. They believe what they are doing is important and make sacrifices to do it. While I don't agree with their message, I respect their dedication and their right to do their best.

 

I've literally never had a negative exchange with missionaries at my door, whether JW or LDS. I always answer, let them greet me, and say, "Thank you, but I have a church home where I am happy." I don't take literature, because I don't want them to waste it on me or add to my recycling pile. But I am always pleasant, and not one of these folks has ever been rude or pushy in return.

 

I just don't get the hostility?

[MamaSheep]

Heh, I know a Bishop Bishop too!

 

My parents had a Bishop Bishop at about the same time we had a Bishop Parsons.

[Aubrey]

I just don't get the hostility?

 

This thread is distressing, but here's the problem as I see it: two groups of posters are talking about two different groups of people.

 

One is talking about Mormon missionaries--young, grown sons, going out to do good works & share their faith.

 

The other is talking about men who have jumped their gates--repeatedly.

 

When group B says that the trespassing men are in danger of their lives, she is primarily describing her community, but when she empathizes w/ her community, what group A hears is, "I'd shoot your boys, too."

 

I think it's important to realize that two DIFFERENT groups of men are being discussed. And while group B did empathize w/ those who would shoot the trespassing men, wrt herself, she said she was a "crackshot," using :D smiley to emphasize the meaning of this word: not a very good shot. Iow, she's seriously annoyed w/ the trespassing but not actually threatening to shoot people. (I don't think.)

 

But it seems so much worse because almost everyone else is still hearing, "I'll shoot your boys!"

 

If these could be separated into 2 threads, I think it would be better. My heart aches for the way this thread looks to LDS mamas, but when I imagine men JUMPING my gate to get to my front door, that's pretty frightening, too.

 

:grouphug:

[Soror]

I've never had Mormom missioniaries but JWs a few times. I was polite and told them I wasn't interested, no problem. However, I can certainly understand that after being harassed and people trespassing repeatedly that I would lose my politeness. Regardless of how worthy they think their mission is, if someone tells you that they don't want to hear it/aren't interested then you need to stop. The missionaries in that case were the ones who were rude imo. A person should be able to have a peaceful night at home if they want, without fear of repeated harassment. Gates, signs, security systems etc should be a clear sign to stay away.

Edited October 15, 2011 by soror

[Xuzi]

These were people who came REPEATEDLY, despite being asked by our entire "city," not to.

 

DH and I raise our children outside the Patriarchy as much as humanly possible. We've chosen not to partcipate in patriarchal religions very deliberately. So everytime you show up with your god crap, it is offensive as heck to us. And this is MY house.

 

And DH is a physician. We have had whackos trying to break into the house looking for methadone (like DH keeps it here!), hence the security system. So ever darn time I have to go to the door, I have no idea who/what I'm going to find. Hence, the gate and the signs, and the security system and the 120 pound trained dog, and lastly the guns.

 

And I am picky about who comes into my house or on my land. I've got all the friends I need and my friends either know the code to the gate or know to call/email/whatever. I've got all my meat needs handled. I don't need mortgage information or magazines. All of those people are stopped by the gate (and a healthy dose of common sense).

 

And frankly, if you're too stupid or too crazy to keep coming back, then you get what you get as far as I'm concerned.

 

I am glad I called the police though because I knew that if I was feeling that irritated, that Mr. Chipmunk Slayer across the street there was REALLY feeling it. I wasn't quite sure what he was going to do next. It did scare the pants off me when he started turning all his lights out (outdoor especially) when he knew the kids were coming. Better for a sneak attack from him??

 

I've got no idea what kind of Mormons these were either. They identified themselves as LDS but from what I've learned here and the cops, it's not likely they were "real" ones - they were probably some whacked out sect trying to start a commune in the sand dunes (we've already got one of those but hey, the more the merrier?!?) :glare:

It appears the real Mormon church has learned you cannot really irritae someone into joining your kingdom.

I totally 100% agree with you that those missionaries were in error to keep coming back repeatedly, and should *NEVER* have jumped over your fence! (YIKES! I bet if their mission president had gotten word of that those elders would have gotten a good talking to!). I hope that others' experience in this thread has shown you that what you experienced is a regretable annomoly in LDS missionary behavior. We really *do* try our best not to be irritating, while still performing the job we feel in our heart of hearts that we're called to do. Hopefully that expeirence is never again repeated! (by our "boys", or anyone else's)

Edited October 15, 2011 by Xuzi

[Jenny in Florida]

This thread is distressing, but here's the problem as I see it: two groups of posters are talking about two different groups of people.

 

Boy, you said it.

 

I don't want to live in a world in which people think it's acceptable to attack someone who is trying to make the world a better place the best way they know how.

 

It think it's sick.

 

And, no, there are not two kinds of people. There are just people. All of us. We're just people.

[Jenny in Florida]

she said she was a "crackshot," using :D smiley to emphasize the meaning of this word: not a very good shot.

 

Umm, no. "Crackshot" means a very good shot.

[Xuzi]

Boy, you said it.

 

I don't want to live in a world in which people think it's acceptable to attack someone who is trying to make the world a better place the best way they know how.

 

It think it's sick.

 

And, no, there are not two kinds of people. There are just people. All of us. We're just people.

But I can see her point (and I think it's even actually happened before), that "anyone" can throw on a white shirt, dark pants, and a nametag to take use that good reputation for nefarious ends (isn't that why police are willing to slide their badges under the door before you open the door for them? So you can make sure they ARE who they say they are?)

[cin]

Me, too.

 

It's just a knock on the door, folks. It's not an attack.

 

 

 

While I don't get the hostility, I do get the extreme cautiousness in today's world. What if it's NOT a missionary at the door? What if they are knocking to see if anybody's home, and if not, well then, they decide to help themselves to the house...

 

Ted Bundy and Dennis Roy Yancy, if dressed in a suit, would easily pass for missionaries. So being cautious, having a dog and gun handy, is not always a bad thing.

 

And then there is the basic policy of My House My Rules. No means No. What part of Not Interested do you not get? While persistence is an admired character trait, it needs to be balanced with common sense.

 

Put in a situation, I DO answer the door during the day, while talking to someone on my cell phone :) And my girls are in the family room. (hidden from view).

 

Yeah, I probably do watch too much crime TV :D

[Maus]

But I can see her point (and I think it's even actually happened before), that "anyone" can throw on a white shirt, dark pants, and a nametag to take use that good reputation for nefarious ends (isn't that why police are willing to slide their badges under the door before you open the door for them? So you can make sure they ARE who they say they are?)

Apparently ICE agents have pretended to be missionaries.

 

And it's a fairly common tactic of the "street preacher" type protesters to have a couple of their young guys dress up as missionaries so that the "preacher" can publicly befuddle them with his superior scriptural knowledge. (Real missionaries are taught to avoid that kind of confrontation, so they have to use fakes.) A variation has an older "member" come out of the crowd to their "rescue," to add more realism. (These protesters show up regularly at Temple dedications, county fairs, and things like the Manti pageant.)

[Tangerine]

DH's family is LDS. He is NOT. We have moved 7 times in the 7 years we've been married. (Military and other). The missionaries have found us every. single. time. It gets to be infuriating. We are perfectly nice and polite, but we tell them every time that he is not active, and has no intention to be. The last time they stopped by when DH was not home they asked me "What would be a better time to catch him?". I said "he doesn't want to be caught". That didn't stop them though. It is getting to the point that it seems the only solutions is to remove his name from church records. Something DH was trying not to do just out of respect for his parents. A "knock on the door" is one thing, but it gets to the point that you feel you're being stalked all over the country. Enough.

[Maus]

While I don't get the hostility, I do get the extreme cautiousness in today's world. What if it's NOT a missionary at the door? What if they are knocking to see if anybody's home, and if not, well then, they decide to help themselves to the house...

 

Ted Bundy and Dennis Roy Yancy, if dressed in a suit, would easily pass for missionaries. So being cautious, having a dog and gun handy, is not always a bad thing.

LDS missionaries do actually have an official I.D. In Austria, it was a big old, multi-stamped and embossed thing with a photo that said we were official representatives of a state-recognized church.

 

The U.S. version is much smaller, slightly bigger than credit card sized, with no photo. It still says they are official representatives of the Church.

 

Most missionaries forget they have it, since they are rarely needed. We carried ours at all times, since the police can still randomly stop people on the street and ask for papers in much of Europe. I actually only ever used it once -- to visit a member in the hospital outside of visiting hours.

 

DH says he only used his once -- to visit a member in prison.

[Forget-Me-Not]

I've got no idea what kind of Mormons these were either. They identified themselves as LDS but from what I've learned here and the cops, it's not likely they were "real" ones - they were probably some whacked out sect trying to start a commune in the sand dunes (we've already got one of those but hey, the more the merrier?!?) :glare:

It appears the real Mormon church has learned you cannot really irritae someone into joining your kingdom.

 

If you knew they were probably not legitimate missionaries (and based on the info you've given here, I'm pretty certain they were not), then why post AT ALL, let alone repeatedly, to this thread? Why the continued gleeful references to violence and even murder? I get that you want to protect the privacy of your property, and frankly if I felt truly threatened and had a 120-lb dog, I would probably set my dog on them too. . . but this thread was never about how to terrorize unwanted visitors out of your yard. It was how to kindly turn *REAL* LDS Missionaries away from your door. You've admitted more than once that the ones who visited you were likely NOT real, and the point has long since been made that your experience was FAR FAR FAR outside the norm.

[gardenmom5]

I've also known more than one Elder Lee. :)

 

 

If you've ever seen 1776 - Richard Henry "Lee" would feel delightful-LEE ;)

[DawnM]

We now live a bit out in the country so we rarely get anyone, but the only ones we have gotten since we moved here were girls! That surprised me.

 

Dawn

[gardenmom5]

I've got no idea what kind of Mormons these were either. They identified themselves as LDS but from what I've learned here and the cops, it's not likely they were "real" ones - they were probably some whacked out sect trying to start a commune in the sand dunes (we've already got one of those but hey, the more the merrier?!?)

 

and yet, you keep bringing them up on a thread asking about "real" LDS Missionaries - who always wear easily discerned ID tags.

[gardenmom5]

Apparently ICE agents have pretended to be missionaries.

 

And it's a fairly common tactic of the "street preacher" type protesters to have a couple of their young guys dress up as missionaries so that the "preacher" can publicly befuddle them with his superior scriptural knowledge. (Real missionaries are taught to avoid that kind of confrontation, so they have to use fakes.) A variation has an older "member" come out of the crowd to their "rescue," to add more realism. (These protesters show up regularly at Temple dedications, county fairs, and things like the Manti pageant.)

 

wow. I guess that one of the reasons they stopped selling the little kids future missionary badges with the Church's logo on it. Seems I'd heard something about them being used by unscrupulous individuals for nefarious purposes.

[funschooler5]

I never thought about offering food or drink to the missionaries, but it sounds like such a kind thing to do. Usually I tell them I'm not interested, and they are quite polite about it.

 

I'm not Mormon or JW, but here's what I admire:

 

*Commitment to beliefs, so much they're willing to put feet to it.

*Tenacity

*Courage (because it can get ugly out there!)

 

For these reasons, it wouldn't occur to me to be rude. I used to go door to door (but for something altogether different) and there were always a handful of people that were mean. Guess what? This is a small town and I remember them. I no longer patronize their businesses. Rudeness benefits no one.

 

:iagree:

 

That said, I've literally never met an LDS individual or missionary who has evangelized, proselytized, or tried to convert me. And I'm Catholic! And we're talking someone who has lived in towns with temples!

 

But you know what I have encountered? Happy, nice people. Pure, unadulterated, niceness. Now, personally, I don't believe in the tenets of the LDS church. But that is irrelevant.

 

I've decided that the "public niceness" angle is how the LDS church converts people. Your average person will be cruising along, and they'll see this smiling, happy family, and they'll wonder "what is THAT all about?" And it snowballs from there.

 

Niceness plays better than beating people over the head with bible verses, apparently.

 

 

 

:iagree:

 

A misson is optional, not a requirement. I think anyone that is willing to stand for what they believe no matter what other people think, are made of strong stuff indeed. We need more people like that in our country. It's already filled with enough people who are shady, shifty and weak.

 

:iagree:

 

Me, too.

 

It's just a knock on the door, folks. It's not an attack.

 

For those who might not know where I'm coming from, I'll say briefly that I belong to a Unitarian Universalist church. We're a very liberal, non-creedal denomination. I'm probably about as far, politcally and socially, as one can get from most of the missionaries who would knock on my door.

 

However, that doesn't excuse, as far as I'm concerned, outright rudeness to other human beings.

 

These are young people who are trying to do a good thing. They believe what they are doing is important and make sacrifices to do it. While I don't agree with their message, I respect their dedication and their right to do their best.

 

I've literally never had a negative exchange with missionaries at my door, whether JW or LDS. I always answer, let them greet me, and say, "Thank you, but I have a church home where I am happy." I don't take literature, because I don't want them to waste it on me or add to my recycling pile. But I am always pleasant, and not one of these folks has ever been rude or pushy in return.

 

I just don't get the hostility?

 

:iagree:

 

I agree, especially with the bolded.

 

We're an atheist family, but I have nothing but respect for LDS missionaries. They've always been polite and respectful of our beliefs when they come to our door. I can't imagine them being pushy after being told they're not welcome....unless missionaries are different in other parts of the country :confused:?

 

Out of all the people in our homeschooling community, the LDS families have made us feel the most included. They have always been extremely nice to us and treated us like we're one of them. They don't bug us about where we go to church, or what curriculum we're using. Our oldest DD even occasionally attends church youth activities with her LDS friend. She's never been preached to, or felt pressured to participate in anything she didn't want to. They're honestly the nicest, most sincere group of people I've ever met.

[Jennifer3141]

and yet, you keep bringing them up on a thread asking about "real" LDS Missionaries - who always wear easily discerned ID tags.

 

They self-identified as LDS. It's not my job to do research into what "kind" of Mormons they are. Frankly, I couldn't care less. I don't think I have "asked" any questions about them here either. I have stated that it interests me that apparently, not all Mormons are like this so perhaps we've got a weird subsect of them. It's possible up here.

[kalanamak]

 

I just don't get the hostility?

 

I don't like spam or marketing calls, either. I think it impudent and selfish to think one has the right to disturb someone like this.

[TranquilMind]

Last night I had two very nice young men show up at my door during bath time for the littles (7:30ish). I actually answered the door with the 1 year old wrapped in a towel as I had whooshed her out of the tub to go see who was at the door.

 

It was raining and dark and they were very polite and asked me if they could do "service" to help me out after I had told them I was very content with my own religious practice. I told them no, thanked them and shut the door. I have to admit I felt really badly that I'd let them go without offering them food or something else yet at the same time I was alone with my kids, it was bedtime and just not a good time for me. I wasn't going to invite two strange men into my home while alone with my children, no matter how nice they seemed at the door.

 

My question is this: When missionaries come to the door, if you do offer food, drink, etc. do they view this as interest in being witnessed to? I really don't want to be yet I appreciate what they are trying to do and I'd like to be kind and be a Christian witness in return via my actions towards them.

 

Also, do these boys go to a hotel, stay with local families or what? It just seemed odd to me that they would be out in the middle of a storm, at night in the dark going door to door at dinner time.

 

Wow, I'm overwhelmed at how nice you are.

 

I don't ever answer the door. Ever, unless I've invited someone to my home. So this would never happen.

 

But it happened once. I spent 2 or 3 hours with these guys early in our marriage (pre-kids), and it was an exercise in futility, though we were all really respectful. Yes, an offer of food or drink would appear to be a request for the evangelization. Now, if I ever run into them and they attempt to go through the spiel, I just say, Hebrews 1:8 - God calls Jesus ...GOD. And we are done.

[MamaSheep]

Wow, I'm overwhelmed at how nice you are.

 

I don't ever answer the door. Ever, unless I've invited someone to my home. So this would never happen.

 

But it happened once. I spent 2 or 3 hours with these guys early in our marriage (pre-kids), and it was an exercise in futility, though we were all really respectful. Yes, an offer of food or drink would appear to be a request for the evangelization. Now, if I ever run into them and they attempt to go through the spiel, I just say, Hebrews 1:8 - God calls Jesus ...GOD. And we are done.

 

 

I don't want to be pushy or seem disrespectful, but I am honestly puzzled about your statement. Hebrews 1:8 in no way conflicts with LDS belief. I feel I must be missing something in what you were saying. :confused: When I looked it up, it says:

"But unto the Son he saith, Thy

throne

, O God, is for

ever

and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom."

 

 

[Maus]

Now, if I ever run into them and they attempt to go through the spiel, I just say, Hebrews 1:8 - God calls Jesus ...GOD. And we are done.

I don't want to be pushy or seem disrespectful, but I am honestly puzzled about your statement. Hebrews 1:8 in no way conflicts with LDS belief. I feel I must be missing something in what you were saying. :confused: When I looked it up, it says:

"But unto the Son he saith, Thy

throne

, O God, is for

ever

and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom."

 

 

Oh, good! I'm glad it's not just me. I don't see how it could scare off missionaries either. We know and use this scripture.

[Jenny in Florida]

I don't like spam or marketing calls, either. I think it impudent and selfish to think one has the right to disturb someone like this.

 

I will admit to some irritation when I get too many marketing calls, but I think there's a huge difference between "don't like" and "letting loose the dogs and pulling out the shotgun."

 

I guess I'm just not that "disturbed" by folks wanting to talk to me.

 

I'm going to have to stop reading this thread. It seriously depresses me.

[kalanamak]

I will admit to some irritation when I get too many marketing calls, but I think there's a huge difference between "don't like" and "letting loose the dogs and pulling out the shotgun."

 

I guess I'm just not that "disturbed" by folks wanting to talk to me.

 

 

Well, not to worry, I wouldn't do dogs or shotguns. :)

 

I like to lounge in old clothes. If I'm home alone, I don't always comb my hair in the morning. If it is a work day, I'm usually doing school or cleaning the kitchen while watching pasta, etc, and I don't want to have to wonder if I have flour on my face, and no tomato splatters on my shirt. I don't want kiddo to have a reason to jump up from the dinner table or school table, etc.

Also, I sometimes work over night or 16 hour stretches and I could very well be taking a needed nap.

So yes, I am "disturbed" by folks wanting to push what is important to THEM onto my porch.

 

Worst of all is that my hungry-for-adult-contact husband gives them hope, and then it takes me several episodes to convince them he's not going to go to their church, and neither am I.

 

I also have gotten sick of those who corner you at the children's playground. The last one, when I told her I wasn't interested, had the gall to ask me what I "was afraid of". It is the psychological game some of them play trying to make it seem you are weak or running from the devil if you don't want to hear their good news. To me, that is rude, and I trot out my coldest voice and move. My standard I'm-rather-unhappy-with-you line is "America has freedom of religion, which means freedom from it if I so choose". It is the only time I trot out "AMERICA - rah rah", I'm so desperate for them to leave me alone!

[goldberry]

I stopped by this thread to see why it was lasting so long, and I wish I hadn't. The statements being made here, by mostly one poster, are sickening.

 

Said poster seems to feel ok identifying her neighborhood as extreme and filled with gun-waving "good old boys" who make people disappear and apparently have no respect for either human life or the law, but then freely admits she mostly likes these people and also admits to behavior that would fit right in.

 

For someone to think it is ok in any manner to joke about murder and the other types of behavior mentioned...well, that person is not someone I am even comfortable being in the same discussion with.

[scrapbabe]

:iagree:

 

 

 

:iagree:

 

 

 

:iagree:

 

 

 

:iagree:

 

I agree, especially with the bolded.

 

We're an atheist family, but I have nothing but respect for LDS missionaries. They've always been polite and respectful of our beliefs when they come to our door. I can't imagine them being pushy after being told they're not welcome....unless missionaries are different in other parts of the country :confused:?

 

Out of all the people in our homeschooling community, the LDS families have made us feel the most included. They have always been extremely nice to us and treated us like we're one of them. They don't bug us about where we go to church, or what curriculum we're using. Our oldest DD even occasionally attends church youth activities with her LDS friend. She's never been preached to, or felt pressured to participate in anything she didn't want to. They're honestly the nicest, most sincere group of people I've ever met.

 

 

Thank you Andrea. :001_smile:

[MamaSheep]

Oh, good! I'm glad it's not just me. I don't see how it could scare off missionaries either. We know and use this scripture.

 

Good...so it's not just me then...:)

[TranquilMind]

I don't want to be pushy or seem disrespectful, but I am honestly puzzled about your statement. Hebrews 1:8 in no way conflicts with LDS belief. I feel I must be missing something in what you were saying. :confused: When I looked it up, it says:

 

 

"But unto the Son he saith, Thy

throne

, O God, is for

ever

and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom."

 

 

 

 

 

 

You are right! I so misread the OP and mentally inserted JWs where Mormons were discussed.

 

My apologies. I've only engaged the JWs around here; not Mormons.

[MamaSheep]

You are right! I so misread the OP and mentally inserted JWs where Mormons were discussed.

 

My apologies. I've only engaged the JWs around here; not Mormons.

 

Well ok, that makes more sense then. :) Thanks for the clarification. My mind is officially un-boggled.

[MamaSheep]

For young women and retired couples, it is completely voluntary from both a doctrinal and a cultural perspective. For young men, it is voluntary from a doctrinal perspective, but there is, unfortunately, a fair amount of cultural pressure to go. Girls that won't date a guy who didn't go, for instance.

 

They aren't children, as young as they look. Too old for their parents to "make them go" or "keep them from going." (Except by influence.) Young men must be 19 and can't be more than 26. Young women must be 21, but don't have an upper age limit.

 

I would say that while it is absolutely voluntary for all missionaries, it is considered a "duty" for young men, which is one reason there is more cultural pressure for them. Of course if there's a good reason they can't, or shouldn't go the young men are honorably excused with no repercussions. And there are no ecclesiastical consequences even for those who just prefer not to go, but there is an expectation both culturally and doctrinally for the young men, and just choosing not to go without what would be seen as a good reason (medical issues, for example) is sometimes viewed in the church as an indication that a young man lacks conviction, which is one reason some girls won't date a guy who didn't serve a mission (again, unless there was a good reason). Totally voluntary? Absolutely. Optional? Well...depends on how you define optional, I guess. IMO.

 

ETA: I think perhaps a lot of people don't realize that we view missions as being every bit as much (maybe more) for the benefit of the missionary as for anyone they might ever teach while on their mission. It gets them out in the world and helps them learn to better love and understand people who are different from them. It helps them "grow up" into capable adults who can think on their feet and who have the courage to move ahead even when circumstances are unfamiliar or intimidating. It reinforces lessons of hard work and dilligence in a good cause. And...y'know...stuff...

Edited October 16, 2011 by MamaSheep

[zenjenn]

I've always politely declined and I've never seen one be pushy. Once, when they were out in 110 degree summer heat, after declining then, I was on my way out, I grabbed a couple of cans of chilled Sprite to give them on my way out. They were very appreciative. I have no interest in the religion whatsoever, but I'm not going to NOT offer some nice young people who are riding their bikes doing their work in that kind of heat something to drink. But, I've never invited them in.

 

I like Mormons. I don't care what their theology is. They're nice.

[gardenmom5]

ETA: I think perhaps a lot of people don't realize that we view missions as being every bit as much (maybe more) for the benefit of the missionary as for anyone they might ever teach while on their mission. It gets them out in the world and helps them learn to better love and understand people who are different from them. It helps them "grow up" into capable adults who can think on their feet and who have the courage to move ahead even when circumstances are unfamiliar or intimidating. It reinforces lessons of hard work and dilligence in a good cause. And...y'know...stuff...

 

 

A number of years ago, there was an article in the New Era (the church's teen magazine) about LDS Cadets at the Air Force Academy. It used to be that those cadets who chose to serve a mission, then had to reapply to the Academy. Then the Academy noticed what they were getting back - now, the cadet's place is held and they are automatically readmitted.