Today we sit down with Amanda, a recently returned Missionary. We talk about her being raised to explore the questions, her Mission to New Jersey, and her agenda to love and to serve. She talks about the World not needing more Mormons and she talks about not letting rules get in the way of people. If this is the next generation of Mormons then we have reason to hope…. in Israel.
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Nice podcast “Amanda”. I really like what you had to say.
The very last thing you brought up was encouraging others to go on a mission. I can get that given you mission experience. Your mission president and wife sounded great and oh how I wish that were the norm. My son is in a hard foriegn mission that if their baptisms per month goal isn’t high enough the pres will increase it. That isn’t the hard part. If you don’t make you goal, then the next p-day you have to take a few hour bus ride to the mission office and get more “training” on how to baptize” with no time to write home if you go do your shopping. Missionaries mentioned this and the pres got a call from the missionary department. So the pres tells the missionaries “stop telling your parents about the training as it gets me in trouble”. Soooo very different from your mission president.
Amanda, your perspective is so encouraging. Thank you!
To A Happy Hubby, your son’s mission president is out of line. No wonder some missionaries come home with PTSD. Thanks is guy is a control freak and mainly interested in looking good to the uppers.
Amanda, your perspective is so encouraging. Thank you!
To A Happy Hubby, your son’s mission president is out of line. No wonder some missionaries come home with PTSD. This guy is a control freak and mainly interested in looking good to the uppers.
Wow !! That is what I believe. However I continue to not find that in the LDS church. I had horrible experiences on my mission 25 years ago and it has caused me lots of harm. I have shelved all these problems for 25+ years. but now seen the broken church system of cliques and no love in my stake. As a prior TBM, I have shifted greatly and no longer believe in LDS leadership or ideas. I believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ and would like to find that community. I currently have 1 child on a mission and wonder if the rest of my children should go. Mission president roulette. I see the LDS culture dominates the mission and the stakes and there is sooooo little of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In stead of standardizing the rules and silly games…..we need to assure that people are allowed to live and follow the gospel.
Tony, just because we are not easy to find it doesn’t mean we don’t exist. I also feel like Amanda. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ, but I can’t say the same thing about church culture.
Really delightful conversation here. Amanda, it was really refreshing to hear your perspectives and hear your family dynamic. Gave me lots of ideas to implement in my own family. CTR!! Haha!
Hi Bill,
Are you sure this isn’t your daughter?
I’m so glad this episode wasn’t about how crappy the mission was like the Mormon Stories series. I’ve been noticing missions having the objective to love and serving people more… unlike the time when I served which was baptize at all costs. You are not there to make friends but to baptize. I wish I could have served in a mission like that, nevertheless I still enjoyed my mission despite my plentiful baptisms. (East LA 97-99).
On second thought it would be difficult for Amanda to be your daughter unless you had her when you were like 16 years old.
Holy heck! I’m not sure that isn’t _my_ daughter! My Amanda returned from the Morristown NJ spanish speaking mission last summer. Well, probably not the same. I didn’t do the pajamas thing after conference, after all. But what a delightful young lady you are!
Amanda, if you’re reading this, I emailed the link of your interview to my daughter. I”m sure you know her. 🙂 And FWIW, I think you represented yourself very well.
Can you help me find the quote you mentioned that Elder Nelson said about not making more Mormons on your mission?
That is why our missionaries leave their homes to preach His gospel. Their goal is not to increase the number of Church members. Rather, our missionaries teach and baptize to bring joy to the people of the world!
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/10/joy-and-spiritual-survival?lang=eng
Amanda, I share your perspective with you. It sounds to me like you had a very healthy upbringing at home. My father also taught me to think for myself. I’m 46 now and he passed away years ago, but I still can’t thank him enough.