RFM & Bill Reel explore Missions and how an LDS Mission can contain some strange experiences and difficulty. They accomplish this by sitting down with with someone who had just that sort of Mission.
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1985-1987 Australia Brisbane mission. We were expected to baptise a person a month, and the reason it didn’t happen was because we didn’t have faith. Because: “God will never ask you to do something save he will prapare a way for you to accomplish it…” yada yada yada.
Total shame based system. not just destructive — but evil.
I saw multiple missionaries break down with sever depression. IN fact, I saw several missionaries go home broken. It was horrible. HORRIBLE!
Its a known but hidden fact in the Salt Lake corridador that thousands of missionaries come home and go right into psychological counseling. I have that on the authority of a clinicial pyschologist. The conselor also mentioned that <> masturbation is a consistent problem!
Church is messed up.
Barry, Thanks for being vulnerable and telling your story. I am two years younger than you.
I went on my mission in California. It was just a big, stressful baptism contest and after the mission I had mental problems that went on forever. I had no idea what had happened to me. The counselors did not know how to fix me. I was on antidepressants for years. At the age of 59 I happened to read a book written by a therapist from back east. I diligently overachieved by doing his specialized type of journaling 3 times a day (morning, noon, evening). I was stunned when I realized I had retrained my brain and I was well. The problem was about my repressed emotions all along
Do you remember when they used to say “My mission was the best time of my life.” My cousin wrote home, “I will be glad when the best time of my life is over.” For some of us it goes on and on and on…..
I need to leave a criticism of this episode if I am allowed. Bill Reel states that Utah has the highest use of antidepressants in the country and that it has to do with Mormonism and its culture. While this was the case back in 2000-2002, newer studies have actually shown that West Virginia is the state with the highest use as of 2 years ago, and Utah is number 12 on the list. Also, correlation does not mean causation (the old phrase a rooster crowing in the morning does not make the sun rise comes to mind).
Don’t get me wrong, Mormonism was terrible for me, and I am actually in the process of getting my name removed from the records of the church. But assumptions like this only lead to active members of the church being upset with exmormons like us, and we should treat the church and its members the same way we would like to be treated.
This episode both made me sad and was validation for my own experience going to Germany from 1992-1994. The story is far too long to expound on here but I will just say this. I have had the same dreams about either being called back, being back or being on the plane back for all of the 30 years since I returned.
Thanks you for sharing Barry! Man I just wanted to reach through the speaker and shake your hand.
One last point. I used to have those dreams multiple times per week. Since resigning the church I have only had this dream a few times and the funny thing is that I reject the dream every time now. I either jump on a plane home or meet with my mission president and let him know what he can do with himself:)