Missionaries sent home early

[MikeWaters]

http://www.religionnews.com/2013/12/...n-face-stigma/

My mission president, as far as I know, only sent one missionary home during his three years. Was a very weird, likely mentally ill elder, who was sexually inappropriate around children. I heard he would start touching himself when children were around.

We were largely obedient. At least about the big stuff.

One of my former companions had been hanging out in bars with his companion. Even this didn't get him sent home.

My mission president operated out of respect. He respected the missionaries and we respected him. We didn't want to disappoint him and let him down. He wanted everyone to have a positive experience.

But as you can imagine, with thousands going out there are going to be those with mental illness, and just some bad apples. And kids for whom a mission is just not the proper thing. Too immature. Don't like it. No testimony.

Kid in my ward came home from the MTC. He was so broken up about it. He couldn't look anyone in the eye. I really respected him that he could feel so awful, yet still attend church. I couldn't imagine attending if I felt half as bad as he did. A year later he went back on his mission and did great, and I think he's the better for it.

[SoonerCoug]

In my mission there were two stabbings. One missionary died. The other survived. A parent of one commented: "I would rather have my son come home in a wood box than come home unworthy."

Then a missionary was sent home because of a variety of terrible struggles. His mother responded: "I would rather he come home in a wood box than like this."

One more example that religion probably has no correlation with goodness.

[byupepsilover]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

http://www.religionnews.com/2013/12/...n-face-stigma/

My mission president, as far as I know, only sent one missionary home during his three years. Was a very weird, likely mentally ill elder, who was sexually inappropriate around children. I heard he would start touching himself when children were around.

We were largely obedient. At least about the big stuff.

One of my former companions had been hanging out in bars with his companion. Even this didn't get him sent home.

My mission president operated out of respect. He respected the missionaries and we respected him. We didn't want to disappoint him and let him down. He wanted everyone to have a positive experience.

But as you can imagine, with thousands going out there are going to be those with mental illness, and just some bad apples. And kids for whom a mission is just not the proper thing. Too immature. Don't like it. No testimony.

Kid in my ward came home from the MTC. He was so broken up about it. He couldn't look anyone in the eye. I really respected him that he could feel so awful, yet still attend church. I couldn't imagine attending if I felt half as bad as he did. A year later he went back on his mission and did great, and I think he's the better for it.

Another example that the "punishment" is dependent upon the whims of men.... With no standards enforced the loss of privileges and amount of shame is dependent on the mood of someone who has no psychological testing requirements - interesting......

[LackingOxygen]

I too had a mission president that would rather not send any missionaries home. When I was a ZL, he had me on several scare calls with missionaries that he was close to send home. He felt he should work with them on a personal level to figure out how to help them. He was well off financially (retired from a Fortune 500 company at the age of 39) and a very smart individual. With his military background, he only needed a few hours with each "struggling" missionary and they would be back up and running their area again. He showed compassion on a level not many would be willing to give. My second mission president was an exact opposite. He was a mission president that would ridicule any mishaps that took place while playing the part of "god's mouthpiece" to the mission. I had a hard time with him. I only had 6 months with my second mission president and he left me alone because he knew I had the support of all the missionaries. He even asked me to be his AP and I turned it down and asked to be placed in a non-baptizing area with a missionary that was struggling. He ridiculed me for this and told me one day I would seriously regret doing this. My goal in the last 3 months of my mission was to have fun, but also help the moral of a specific missionary. I did just that and left with a greater sense of who I wanted to become. I didn't want to be the guy that sends the missionaries over to his friends home to baptize or reactivate them. I wanted to be the guy that has compassion towards another human being and tries to understand them. Ultimately I think this approach will make the world a better place to live in. Almost like paying it forward.