LDS Freedom Forum

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 1:50 pm**

Reluctant Watchman wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 1:37 pm ^^^^ Come on gradles21... you can share...

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 1:51 pm**

After I heard one of my companions was sent home for SSA, I recalled a conversation we had walking down the street where he brought up a story about another gay missionary and how I would respond in such a scenario. Mind you, I didn't know he had gay tendencies at the time. I have no idea if he was fishing or what, but I won't repeat my response here as to what I said I'd do if I found my companion sexually assaulting me.

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 2:06 pm**

Libertas Est Salus wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 1:40 pm
Reluctant Watchman wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 1:37 pm ^^^^ Come on gradles21... you can share...

I remember in the MTC fairly often seeing elders giving their companions back rubs during firesides. One time it was in the row right in front of me and the one had his arm/hand UNDER his comp's suit coat while scratching/rubbing his comp's back. The visual still makes me ill.

Wth??? Seriously? What years was this? I was there late 90s and NOTHING like that then.

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 2:21 pm**

Mindfields wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 1:07 pm
LDS Physician wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 11:09 am I recall a great experience from my mission. I was asked to serve on a panel discussion / youth fireside. The panel had myself, a stake president, a bishop, a relief society president, and one or two others. There were about 60 youth present. The youth would ask questions and the panel would answer, sometimes standing to answer. One question was asked "How can I share my testimony with people at school?"

I stood to answer and said "Sharing the gospel with others is easy if you remember that it is the Holy Ghost who does the convincing, not yourself. Simply speak truth and if their hearts are ready to accept those truths, the Holy Ghost will do his work. I've found that the most powerful truth to share is that Jesus Christ is really the Son of God and that you believe in him. So if you simply say 'I'm so grateful for Jesus Christ and all that he did for me' - the Spirit will come in and do the rest."

As I gave the example statement, the room grew very quiet and peaceful as the spirit filled the room. I've felt this many times, of course, as have all of you, but this time there was a difference. My eyes were opened somehow and I could see light filling the entire room starting at the ceiling and slowly working its way to the floor.

It was the first time I had "seen" something in the spiritual realm. Very cool experience for me!
Good point. Speak truth and stay away from the church's historical truth claims.

I was TBM then, so I didn't know that, but agree 100% now!

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 2:23 pm**

Cruiserdude wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 2:06 pm
Libertas Est Salus wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 1:40 pm
Reluctant Watchman wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 1:37 pm ^^^^ Come on gradles21... you can share...

I remember in the MTC fairly often seeing elders giving their companions back rubs during firesides. One time it was in the row right in front of me and the one had his arm/hand UNDER his comp's suit coat while scratching/rubbing his comp's back. The visual still makes me ill.
Wth??? Seriously? What years was this? I was there late 90s and NOTHING like that then.

Yes. Absolutely true. I was in the MTC August 2001. The 9/11 attacks happened while I was tracting my first week in the mission field. At the time, I would say the social norms were still not accepting of two dudes being all handsy in a crowded room, certainly not at the MTC. I remember me and the others in my district looking at each other like, "Bro, what the heck is going on?!"

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 2:23 pm**

Cruiserdude wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 2:06 pm
Libertas Est Salus wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 1:40 pm
Reluctant Watchman wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 1:37 pm ^^^^ Come on gradles21... you can share...

I remember in the MTC fairly often seeing elders giving their companions back rubs during firesides. One time it was in the row right in front of me and the one had his arm/hand UNDER his comp's suit coat while scratching/rubbing his comp's back. The visual still makes me ill.
Wth??? Seriously? What years was this? I was there late 90s and NOTHING like that then.

I don't remember anything like this at the MTC but this kind of crap was happening all the time on my mish, which was in the late 00's. My MP had to address it at a zone conferences because so many ward members were complaining to him about the back rubs in sacrament meeting. One time on a P-day me and my second companion were hanging out with one of his previous companion's on a P-day, when we were driving home the missionary that was driving nudged me and indicated that i should look behind me and i saw that my companion was sitting next to his former companion holding hands in the back seat.

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 2:27 pm**

gradles21 wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 2:23 pm ...when we were driving home the missionary that was driving nudged me and indicated that i should look behind me and i saw that my companion was sitting next to his former companion holding hands in the back seat.

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 2:35 pm**

I got life threateningly sick on my mission. I served in Seoul Korea. When I left for my mission I was 215lbs, after I caught Giardia I went down to 120 ish pounds. I looked like a skeleton. I'm 6'2" so it wasn't pretty. Anyway I ended up having kidney surgery in Korea because the doctors didn't think I would survive the plain flight home (14 hours). So I tried to recover in Korea, that is when I started waking up to the lunacy of the traditions in the church and the all of the pharisical rules that everyone must follow. Anyway a few weeks after my surgery I was back to tracting and I wasn't feeling anything, I wasn't getting any answers to prayers. I talked to my mission pres about it, and he promised that if I did everything right for the next 2 weeks I would start getting answers again and life would be great. Well 2 weeks go by, and I tried my hardest, I followed every rule to the T and still nothing. I talked to my MP again and he said something like - well it must have been your fault... I basically lost it on him. I told him to his face that he lied to me while looking me in the eyes, that the revelation he received for me was false, and that all of these stupid rules were limiting my ability to feel the spirit. He got pissed, I got even more pissed and then it fell into a cuss filled room. Lol looking back on it, it all seems so surreal. Anyway, my health rapidly tanked again, because of stress, and a few days later I asked him to send me home. He happily obliged, and I was released on medical issues. It was quite a trip, one I wish I never had taken.

Adding to the dreams, I continued to dream only in Korean for the next 4-5 months then my dreams started changing back to English. Now 25 years later, I can still read Korean, but I can't understand it when I hear students around me speaking it. And I constantly had the dream that I was back on my mission, with all sorts of different scenarios playing out.

A lot of people say their mission was the best time of their lives, but my mission sucked sooooo bad. There are other stories, maybe later.

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 3:11 pm**

gradles21 wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 2:23 pm
Cruiserdude wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 2:06 pm
Libertas Est Salus wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 1:40 pm

I remember in the MTC fairly often seeing elders giving their companions back rubs during firesides. One time it was in the row right in front of me and the one had his arm/hand UNDER his comp's suit coat while scratching/rubbing his comp's back. The visual still makes me ill.
Wth??? Seriously? What years was this? I was there late 90s and NOTHING like that then.
I don't remember anything like this at the MTC but this kind of crap was happening all the time on my mish, which was in the late 00's. My MP had to address it at a zone conferences because so many ward members were complaining to him about the back rubs in sacrament meeting. One time on a P-day me and my second companion were hanging out with one of his previous companion's on a P-day, when we were driving home the missionary that was driving nudged me and indicated that i should look behind me and i saw that my companion was sitting next to his former companion holding hands in the back seat.

Wow.
I've got no personal beef at all with the individuals themselves that deal with gay stuff, but I still can't get over how much 'gayness' has gotten in amongst our people and culture. BLOWS MY MIND.

Edit: and maybe it was always there, I can be pretty naive. Who knows.

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 3:12 pm**

While I was in the MTC a district of missionaries went rock climbing in the canyon. One fell 200ft to his death. Everyone who went out or knew that they went were sent home.

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 3:14 pm**

ransomme wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 3:12 pm While I was in the MTC a district of missionaries went rock climbing in the canyon. One fell 200ft to his death. Everyone who went out or knew that they went were sent home.

Holy moly

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 3:20 pm**

honestseeker12 wrote: ↑October 29th, 2023, 6:19 pm I am curious, though. Have any of you that served missions have recurring dreams that you are on a mission again? I have these dreams from time to time where I am on a mission again, and I know in the dream that it is a second mission.

Over the decades I've had many dreams about being on a mission again!

But what's funny is after I got divorced I never had them again!

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 3:21 pm**

I met some interesting characters in the MTC. One guy was enamored with explosives. One time were outside and he looked up at Y mountain and pointed to the big trees on the horizon and said something like, "One time we filled a bike tire tube with explosives and wrapped it around a tree up there on the ridge with a timed blasting cap. It pulverized the base of the tree and it fell over. We were hiding under a bush for hours as a helicopter circled the area looking to see what happened."

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 3:25 pm**

In the MTC there was a missionary from Wyoming in my branch who had pictures of himself castrating a sheep with its testicles in his mouth.

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 3:28 pm**

Cruiserdude wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 3:14 pm
ransomme wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 3:12 pm While I was in the MTC a district of missionaries went rock climbing in the canyon. One fell 200ft to his death. Everyone who went out or knew that they went were sent home.
Holy moly

Our next devotional was somber to say the least.

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 3:35 pm**

DivineSpark wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 2:35 pm I got life threateningly sick on my mission. I served in Seoul Korea. When I left for my mission I was 215lbs, after I caught Giardia I went down to 120 ish pounds. I looked like a skeleton. I'm 6'2" so it wasn't pretty. Anyway I ended up having kidney surgery in Korea because the doctors didn't think I would survive the plain flight home (14 hours). So I tried to recover in Korea, that is when I started waking up to the lunacy of the traditions in the church and the all of the pharisical rules that everyone must follow. Anyway a few weeks after my surgery I was back to tracting and I wasn't feeling anything, I wasn't getting any answers to prayers. I talked to my mission pres about it, and he promised that if I did everything right for the next 2 weeks I would start getting answers again and life would be great. Well 2 weeks go by, and I tried my hardest, I followed every rule to the T and still nothing. I talked to my MP again and he said something like - well it must have been your fault... I basically lost it on him. I told him to his face that he lied to me while looking me in the eyes, that the revelation he received for me was false, and that all of these stupid rules were limiting my ability to feel the spirit. He got pissed, I got even more pissed and then it fell into a cuss filled room. Lol looking back on it, it all seems so surreal. Anyway, my health rapidly tanked again, because of stress, and a few days later I asked him to send me home. He happily obliged, and I was released on medical issues. It was quite a trip, one I wish I never had taken.

Adding to the dreams, I continued to dream only in Korean for the next 4-5 months then my dreams started changing back to English. Now 25 years later, I can still read Korean, but I can't understand it when I hear students around me speaking it. And I constantly had the dream that I was back on my mission, with all sorts of different scenarios playing out.

A lot of people say their mission was the best time of their lives, but my mission sucked sooooo bad. There are other stories, maybe later.

That sucks. That'd be very hard to go through. I'm not trying to be a putz, but the mission really was a great time for me. It's sad that some are subjected to some RIDICULOUS things, as you were, on the mission. Especially with the stigma we have in our culture on 'going home early' from the mission... I feel for you, hermano, I really do.

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 3:38 pm**

Reluctant Watchman wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 3:21 pm I met some interesting characters in the MTC. One guy was enamored with explosives. One time were outside and he looked up at Y mountain and pointed to the big trees on the horizon and said something like, "One time we filled a bike tire tube with explosives and wrapped it around a tree up there on the ridge with a timed blasting cap. It pulverized the base of the tree and it fell over. We were hiding under a bush for hours as a helicopter circled the area looking to see what happened."

Hahahaha

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 4:48 pm**

I served in Russia close to 30 years ago in a brand new mission.

Super interesting times to say the least. Still a lot of Soviet era leftovers. Troubled times.

We had a great mission president, and very good missionaries. Although we had two missionaries sent home and labeled spies by the government, because someone called the cops on them while they were taking pictures of their area up on a hill.

I never served in a ward or branch because things were so new.

I opened an area with other missionaries. We met for sacrament meeting for a couple months with just is 8 missionaries. Good times. Really awkward when we had our 1st investigator.

We usually baptized people in cold pools at public saunas.

Plenty of spiritual experiences. We had a miracle with some members' young daughter (a healing).

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 4:51 pm**

Reluctant Watchman wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 9:48 am I find it quite fascinating that so many of you/us have dreams related to returning to their missions. I never thought this would have been a trend.

Not necessarily a good thing as it can indicate stress and psychological trauma. I know a lot of people who get dreams about exams in school still.

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 7:31 pm**

LDS Physician wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 11:09 am I recall a great experience from my mission. I was asked to serve on a panel discussion / youth fireside. The panel had myself, a stake president, a bishop, a relief society president, and one or two others. There were about 60 youth present. The youth would ask questions and the panel would answer, sometimes standing to answer. One question was asked "How can I share my testimony with people at school?"

I stood to answer and said "Sharing the gospel with others is easy if you remember that it is the Holy Ghost who does the convincing, not yourself. Simply speak truth and if their hearts are ready to accept those truths, the Holy Ghost will do his work. I've found that the most powerful truth to share is that Jesus Christ is really the Son of God and that you believe in him. So if you simply say 'I'm so grateful for Jesus Christ and all that he did for me' - the Spirit will come in and do the rest."

As I gave the example statement, the room grew very quiet and peaceful as the spirit filled the room. I've felt this many times, of course, as have all of you, but this time there was a difference. My eyes were opened somehow and I could see light filling the entire room starting at the ceiling and slowly working its way to the floor.

It was the first time I had "seen" something in the spiritual realm. Very cool experience for me!

Great short answer, too.

Posted: **October 30th, 2023, 7:47 pm**

I remember traveling with a second companionship to another town for P-day eve to hang out with four additional elders. Which I’m pretty sure was against mission rules, especially since we took a boat to get there. We had a bbq with a few local girls who were taking english classes. That night a group of us went to a park and they played the guitar. Myself and another young missionary still wet behind the ears were really tired and fell asleep on some blankets in the park. Next thing I knew people were shaking us awake and telling us we had to go.

A police car had spotted a group of us in the park after hours and shined his light across the park. We got up and walked like zombies back to the apartment. The kicker? It was 3:30 or 4 in the morning. I have no idea what my trainer and the girls did until that early in the morning.

The next day we went to a stream where a lot of families would hang out, kind of like a beach. Again, my companion somehow acquired swim trunks and was wading in the stream fishing. He was also flirting with the girls in their bikinis… such a weird start to the mission.

Posted: **October 31st, 2023, 3:04 am**

ransomme wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 3:25 pm In the MTC there was a missionary from Wyoming in my branch who had pictures of himself castrating a sheep with its testicles in his mouth.

What on earth?!
Bleh…

Posted: **October 31st, 2023, 6:32 am**

I believe I may have left earth on my mission.

Served in korea in early 2000s.

Was in an area on one of the korean islands. Very remote and beautiful place.

Decided to take a bus to a far flung place on the island and proselyte(knock doors).

Walking through the tangerine groves/farms for hours deeper and deeper into this beautifully remote island.

Suddenly our path leads to this neighborhood behind some orchard. To our surprise they are very traditional western style homes, like right out of Connecticut or something. Sidewalks too with lawns (very rare in korea).

I also remember a weird glow in the air(late summer evening).

Go to a house and it's all lit up like it's on fire inside. Glowing. Mom answers and there's a beautiful family inside. Dad comes to door and says hi. Mom hands us fruit. They tell us we are working so hard and we kind of just leave (like it didn't feel like we needed to go inside). I remember how lit up the house seemed.

Anyways we walk back to a road and catch a bus. Whole time my chest is on fire/ burning. Whole last hour seemed like it was a dream or something/felt very supernatural.

We went back later and could never find the neighborhood (serious).

Posted: **October 31st, 2023, 8:02 am**

Pnwlivesmatter wrote: ↑October 31st, 2023, 6:32 am I believe I may have left earth on my mission.

Served in korea in early 2000s.

Was in an area on one of the korean islands. Very remote and beautiful place.

Decided to take a bus to a far flung place on the island and proselyte(knock doors).

Walking through the tangerine groves/farms for hours deeper and deeper into this beautifully remote island.

Suddenly our path leads to this neighborhood behind some orchard. To our surprise they are very traditional western style homes, like right out of Connecticut or something. Sidewalks too with lawns (very rare in korea).

I also remember a weird glow in the air(late summer evening).

Go to a house and it's all lit up like it's on fire inside. Glowing. Mom answers and there's a beautiful family inside. Dad comes to door and says hi. Mom hands us fruit. They tell us we are working so hard and we kind of just leave (like it didn't feel like we needed to go inside). I remember how lit up the house seemed.

Anyways we walk back to a road and catch a bus. Whole time my chest is on fire/ burning. Whole last hour seemed like it was a dream or something/felt very supernatural.

We went back later and could never find the neighborhood (serious).

There are a couple of American towns in Korea. Either that or the saucer people took you

Posted: **October 31st, 2023, 8:49 am**

ransomme wrote: ↑October 30th, 2023, 3:12 pm While I was in the MTC a district of missionaries went rock climbing in the canyon. One fell 200ft to his death. Everyone who went out or knew that they went were sent home.

I heard Elder Holland was mad.

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