The Mormon Missionary Part X: Enthusiasm!

A few weeks ago, a coworker found out that I'm a Mormon. She immediately proceeded to tell about another church member with whom she had recently worked in another country. As she described him to me, she couldn't refrain from smiling. You could tell her esteem for this gentleman was very high. “He has one of the biggest personalities I've ever seen. He was always a fun person to work with,” she told me.

Hearing success stories like this always makes me happy. It means that some Mormon somewhere made a positive and lasting impression on someone. And this is not an isolated incident. There are many successful Mormon diplomats out there making similarly positive impressions. I often hear observations about Mormons that go something like this: “They are always so happy,” or “They smile so much” or “Even if they have no rhythm it is entertaining to watch them dance.” As members of the church, one of the best ways we can represent the Gospel which so defines our lives is to be seen as happy, positive, and most especially, enthusiastic people.

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

Another way to put it is like this:



I believe this memorable scripture refers, in some part, to the type of personality we should all try to foster. Granted, not all of our lights will shine in the same way. But nevertheless, if we are the kind of people who leave lasting positive impressions on others, we are doing the missionaries a wonderful favor.

There are a few caveats, however, when it comes to being enthusiastic Mormons. First of all, we can make all the good impressions we want, but it won't do squat for the cause of Mormon diplomacy unless they actually know that we are Mormons. Believe it or not, Mormonism is a religion and not an ethnic group (well, with Utah possibly being an exception...). Our fellow earthlings probably won't know we are church members unless it is brought to their attention by us or somebody else. That doesn't mean that we have to suffocate others with declarations of religion. “Hi, I'm Joe, the Mormon” may not be the best first greeting. However, there are more natural ways to fit it into a conversation.

Also (and I may be primarily talking to myself here) it is best to give an impression that is more substantive than simply entertaining. While entertainment is fine, alone it seldom wins real respect. Showing enthusiasm in other regards, such as in our work ethic, in helping others, etc., will paint a better picture of who we are as a religious people.

As I missionary, I was once presented with a riddle: “What's the difference between a geyser and a mud pot?” The answer: A geyser has enthusiasm. Enthusiastic people make friends. People who make friends make better missionaries.

If you are like many who have more naturally introverted personalities, the idea of enthusiasm might not sound as appealing to you. That's okay. Again, there is more than one way to skin a cat. One doesn't need to standing on tables and singing in crowded cafeterias to exhibit enthusiasm. But, little things do make a difference. It could be a conscious effort to open up a little more when talking to others, striking up simple conversations with strangers, or even making an effort to smile and say hello to people you pass by in public.

I hope we all can be a bit more enthusiastic as members of the Church. After all, we have a lot to be happy about.

The Mormon Missionary Part IX: The Life After

Of all the fascinating changes one experiences as a missionary, the most challenging are often met head-on during the first few days (or weeks, or months) after returning home. Within a matter of days, one relinquishes their full-time dedication to missionary work, replacing it with a platter full of real-world concerns, such as school, finances, dating, and in many cases, hours of endless boredom.

Every returned missionary (or RM) ends up dealing with their post-mission life in a different way. For some, they take the kid-in-a-candy-store-approach, jumping from one shiny toy to another, catching up on movies, music, friends, and food they haven't had for two years. In many cases, catching up on sleep is also involved. There are others who go through a stage of denial, almost refusing to admit that their mission is over. I've heard stories of RMs coming home and continuing to follow the missionary morning study schedule, wearing a suit and tie, and keeping other missionary habits, all because they know of no other way to react.

In addition, RMs face the challenge of being the only person who really gives a rip about their mission experiences. They find that others are unable to grasp the magnitude of their adventure, and while some show polite interest, they and the friends that went through the experience with them, are the only ones who really “get it.” No matter who they are, and how adaptable they may be, every RM must face this inevitable transition. It can be a time of depression, confusion, anxiety, or resentment.

I am a big fan of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy. These movies all were released during the course of my mission, and I may have been the only person on planet Earth who hadn't seen them when I got back. When I finally did watch them, I identified very personally with a particular scene from the end of the final installment. After their long, trying adventure, and after destroying the one ring of power (and by so doing, saving Middle-earth), the Hobbit heroes return home to their quaint Hobbit-village in the Shire. Their friends and acquaintances from childhood had continued to live their lives, oblivious to the turmoil happening in the world (note that this is one of the major diversions the movie takes from the book). They find that they simply no longer fit in with the simple life they had left behind. They had toiled and suffered, stood in the presence of kings and watched good triumph over evil, while their village went about their day-to-day, mundane lives without a clue.

"Hobbit RMs"

I guess you could say I felt like a taller, only slightly less hairy version of our Hobbit friends. I hadn't saved the world, but I had been through an experience that changed my life in nearly every way. My friends and family were kind enough to show some interest in what I had done, but having not experienced it themselves, they couldn't fully understand what had happened to me.

While it didn't bother me too much, I did feel in some regards that I had taken a significant step backwards in my life. Why, for instance, was I able to do some many things as a missionary, yet still be unable to get a job for $6.00/hr.? Why had I been able to strike up deep conversations about life and eternity in Russian with strangers, but still feel so ridiculous when trying to talk to girls?

Reconnecting with old friends was nice, but compounded the difficulty of the situation as well. Many of them had also had their own missionary experiences apart from mine. They had changed too. Others had made even more significant changes in their lives, such as being married and even having children. It's amazing how much can change in two years.

Little by little, I acclimated to a new life epoch. Step by step, I regained my normal life skills and abilities. In the short-run, it's as difficult as any transition, but in the long-run, it's a good and necessary change. No matter what, something remains changed in the heart of the RM forever. The experience will go on to influence the remainder of their life. With each passing day, my mission becomes an ever-more-distant memory. But still, not a day passes where I don't reflect on what happened during that time of my life. The life after extends well beyond those few awkward months. A mission has the potential to forge the RM's path for eternity.

The Mormon Missionary Part VIII: Issues of Geography and Spirituality

There are missions (the Mormon name of the geographic unit in which a specific group of missionaries work) known for being “high-baptizing” missions. In this category are missions in Latin America, the Philippines, and parts of Africa. Most missionaries in these countries find success in teaching and baptizing new church members.

At the other end of the spectrum is most of Europe, parts of Asia, and other countries known for having “low-baptizing” missions. Some missionaries even spend two years hard work without ever teaching a single person who converts. Why? At the risk of comparing apples to oranges, what makes one mission more successful than another?

Many are quick to point to the economic prosperity of a nation (or lack thereof) as an indicator of how willing the citizens might be to consider new religious ideas. They say that this helps to explain why the more prosperous countries of Western Europe are less interested, while the “developing countries” are open. Certainly, there seems to be some evidence demonstrating this, yet there are also many outliers which suggest that the economy is only one correlative factor. For example, missionaries still have considerable success in more wealthy countries such as the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, and of course, the USA, while having less success in some poorer countries, particularly in Eastern Europe.

Another possible reason is the political and/or cultural power and influence of traditional and national religions in some countries. This might explain lower conversion rates in some countries. In many nations, there are citizens who consider their religion to be an inseparable part of their national identity, thus further consolidating any traditional commitment they have to their religion.

This would make sense in explaining why conversion rates are higher in some of the poorer countries who have strong national religious identities. Yet still, there are outliers. For example, Greece is notorious as being one of the countries with the lowest missionary success rates in the world. Greeks, in general, devoutly identify with their traditional Greek Orthodoxy, to a such a level that is unrivaled by almost any other nation. But then consider Armenia. Armenians are perhaps one of the only nations where their citizens identify themselves with their national religion (the Armenian Apostolic Church) more intensely than the Greeks. Yet, Mormon missionaries have found considerable success in Armenia, much more so than many of the other countries in the region.

Considering many of these different countries, I believe that the characteristic most influential on the success of any mission is the native culture of hospitality. In Latin America, missionaries find themselves often invited into the homes of strangers out of pure hospitality, in a manner less culturally common in other countries. Armenians too, perhaps culturally influenced over the years by the neighboring Arab countries, are renowned for being among the most hospitable people in the world.

Why would this make the difference? Having seen missionaries at work in different corners of the globe, I've noticed something that makes all the difference in a missionaries success. When missionaries are able to build a personal relationships with an individual AND provide an environment in which the Spirit of God can testify of truth, they undoubtedly finds success that overcomes any other obstacle, including traditional religious affiliation, income disparity, etc. If the missionaries are able to find a way to connect to others on a personal level, they will have more chances to teach. With more chances to teach in a proper environment, there will be more instances in which the Spirit does His job.

In places where this built-in hospitality system isn't inherent, missionaries are pressed to stretch their minds and be creative. Depending on where you are in the world, there might be very means of how this might be accomplished. In Russia for instance, we found tremendous success through teaching English classes. There are many other ways in which connection can be made. Help the missionaries be creative!

Ultimately, the the Spirit is the only proper means to true conversion. The Spirit functions, irrespective of geography. The missionary's primary responsibility should be to find a way to create an environment in which the Spirit can do it's work.