Friday, February 22, 2013

Missionaries

When driving home last week I stopped at a red light. I looked up at the far corner to see these two gentlemen in the fading daylight waiting to cross the street.


Guys like this are a common sight in the southwest, especially here in Las Vegas. The standard uniform is black pants, short sleeved white shirt and skinny black tie. If the feel adventuresome you might find a striped tie. They travel in pairs, usually each have a small black backpack and usually are on bicycles. Seeing them on foot like this is unusual.

Back in New Jersey we frequently had Jehovah’s Witnesses knocking on our door trying to save our souls; here it’s the Mormon missionaries (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). They are usually students from Brigham Young University serving a year in service as a break from classes, sometimes posted overseas, sometimes sent to somewhere in the US. We have a friend that went to Sicily, another that went to the Philippines, others just to San Diego. Carrying the Bible and the Book of Mormon, they knock on your door and offer to discuss their religion with you. Always in pairs, the bike riders are a common site around town.

11 comments:

will said...

The very concept of missionaryism is abhorrent. It implies moral righteousness as an action item aimed at indigenous people needing "saving" via conversion. A primitive concept kept alive by powerful institutions.

JoeinVegas said...

No disagreement there Bill.

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Graciewilde said...

That makes three of us then - how dare one group decide they are the only way - blah blah blah - we have both JW and Latter Day Saint Missionaries in my town. Lucky us.

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

I'm a Mormon and I served as a missionary in Singapore and Malaysia from 2002-2004 and I have to completely disagree with the above comments. We do not think we as Latter-day Saints are any more favoured than anyone else. We just have a message to share which we believe is important, and we want to let those who are interested, know about it. Just like you are sharing your blog with those who are interested to read it. If you don't like it, you can just say "no thanks". I can never understand the fierce opposition to LDS missionaries who are just trying to do a little bit of good in the world.

Anyway, thanks for the photo, it's great, and brought back some wonderful memories from my mission :)
Duncan In Kuantan

SOL's view said...

I see more JW's than any other here. Although I have noticed they are nowhere near as common as they used to be. I used to get annoyed when they drag the little ones with them, in their Sunday best, around the neighbourhoods in the middle of summer.

Mormons are a rare sight, and always the same as you describe. I don't usually see them house to house but in passing, say a shopping centre. Nearly always friendly and pleasant.

Anonymous said...

•✰ •✰ •✰ •✰ •✰ •✰
Hello !!!!✿✿彡
Merci pour cette photo.
Je ne porte pas de jugement, chacun croit ou ne croit pas.
C'est bien de s’intéresser à d'autres religions et d'essayer de comprendre et de savoir.
MERCI A TOI pour ces informations.
GROS BISOUS ! ✿✿彡
•✰ •✰ •✰ •✰ •✰ •✰

Stuart said...

I see them somewhat often in Paris...and even once in Amboise. Same wardrobe. Mitt Romney took his turn at it in France for two years. For some reason he didn't bring that up too often in the campaign.

PerthDailyPhoto said...

We do have the same thing here in Perth Joe, I must admit that part of me really admires their dedication.

Nathalie H.D. said...

I've seen them wearing the same outfit in every country I've lived in: Tahiti, Avignon, Australia, you name it, they're there. Not my cup of tea at all but nothing wrong with them though, I've never found them too insistent or obnoxious. When I say no, that's that - full stop. I tried to discuss religious matters with them once, I no longer try. It's useless.

Rob said...

We occasionally get JWs (I think I remember seeing them at the door twice in my life) but never had a Mormon. We have their churches here (there's one a few blocks from our house) but don't seem to get doorstepped.