Kids and Missions

[Colly Wolly]

Are you going to insist that they go? What will the expectation be? What will you tell them if they ask questions about your mission?

Growing up, it was expected that I was going on a mission. I knew I was going and dreaded it. I knew that not going on a mission would be absolutely devestating to my parents (both converts, but dad did a mission in his mid 20's). I was guilted into going.

While I was out, I worked hard and had some success, both in personal spiritual growth and in helping others joined the Church. I look back on my mission generally with fondness. I enjoyed the experience. I liked the spiritual growth, but hated the salesman aspect of it.

My testimony isn't as strong as when I was out, but I've lost "energy" in the Church mostly just because I find the meetings boring and callings bothersome. I still believe in Joseph Smith and the deeper doctrines about the plan of salvation, nature of God, etc.

My point in all this is, I think I will tell my sons that I loved my mission, that it was very hard and very rewarding. I think I will approach it differently than my parents did it with me. From the get go I will let them know that serving a mission is up to them, and I will not be heartbroken if they don't go want to go. Maybe a little bit disappointed, but nothing more.

Can anyone relate to this or have any thoughts on how you plan to handle this with your kids?

[MikeWaters]

I'm going to tell my kids about all my adventures, frienships, heartaches. All the privations, remoteness, primitiveness, far far away from western civilization.

They will be jazzed to go. Until they open the letter and read "Cleveland, Ohio."

[exUte]

Originally Posted by Colly Wolly

Are you going to insist that they go? What will the expectation be? What will you tell them if they ask questions about your mission?

Growing up, it was expected that I was going on a mission. I knew I was going and dreaded it. I knew that not going on a mission would be absolutely devestating to my parents (both converts, but dad did a mission in his mid 20's). I was guilted into going.

While I was out, I worked hard and had some success, both in personal spiritual growth and in helping others joined the Church. I look back on my mission generally with fondness. I enjoyed the experience. I liked the spiritual growth, but hated the salesman aspect of it.

My testimony isn't as strong as when I was out, but I've lost "energy" in the Church mostly just because I find the meetings boring and callings bothersome. I still believe in Joseph Smith and the deeper doctrines about the plan of salvation, nature of God, etc.

My point in all this is, I think I will tell my sons that I loved my mission, that it was very hard and very rewarding. I think I will approach it differently than my parents did it with me. From the get go I will let them know that serving a mission is up to them, and I will not be heartbroken if they don't go want to go. Maybe a little bit disappointed, but nothing more.

Can anyone relate to this or have any thoughts on how you plan to handle this with your kids?

church to a 'leaner'? Let others do the work because callings are bothersome?

[Colly Wolly]

Originally Posted by exUte

church to a 'leaner'? Let others do the work because callings are bothersome?

How am I a leaner if I don't want to go to meetings, don't want my hometeachers coming over and wasting my time, etc? To whom am I a burden? I have no problem paying tithing. I'll continue to bankroll the church without sapping any resources. The bishopric should be grateful.

[The_Tick]

Because your Home Teachers have been given an assignment and you are denying them the blessings of serving.

If I had sons I would let them know that the Lord expects all worthy young men to serve a mission. If they chose not to that is going to be between them and the Lord. I will be disappointed though for sure.

I have told my daughters that if they want to serve missions that is great.

[Colly Wolly]

Originally Posted by The_Tick

Because your Home Teachers have been given an assignment and you are denying them the blessings of serving.

Bizarre.

[Runner Coug]

I'll encourage my kids to go, but I'm not going to constantly hassle them about it. If they don't go, it won't be the end of my world.

I'll make it very clear though, that those 2 years won't be spent sitting on the couch if they don't go on a mission. They will have to do something.

[Colly Wolly]

Originally Posted by Runner Coug

I'll encourage my kids to go, but I'm not going to constantly hassle them about it. If they don't go, it won't be the end of my world.

I'll make it very clear though, that those 2 years won't be spent sitting on the couch if they don't go on a mission. They will have to do something.

Agreed. My sons will definitely be out of the house at this time. They better be at a good college.

[Surfah]

Originally Posted by The_Tick

Because your Home Teachers have been given an assignment and you are denying them the blessings of serving.

If I had sons I would let them know that the Lord expects all worthy young men to serve a mission. If they chose not to that is going to be between them and the Lord. I will be disappointed though for sure.

I have told my daughters that if they want to serve missions that is great.

I am in line with this.

I'm not the best home teacher. I currently don't have a home teaching assignment (praying I don't get one soon either). But I do think it's important. Home teaching as a youth partnered with my dad was a great experience for me. We shared in the calling. We'd alternate months with lessons. Whoever didn't have the lesson set up the appointments.

I remember one part member family we home taught. The wife was a less active member with 3 kids all around my age. She was the only member in her family. Her husband was an African American Muslim (USC Trojan baseball alum). He allowed us to visit. But he would not permit a gospel message or prayer. He never sat in on the visits. However, we were persistent and never missed a month. He eventually became a friend. He began to sit in on our visits and began asking for gospel messages and prayers. Mind you this happened over several years. He never accepted the gospel, but came to appreciate it's tenants and the fellowship of the ward family. He played basketball and softball with our ward. The wife was reactivated after several years also and the two youngest children were baptized. The youngest, two years younger than me, attended BYU and married in the temple. Throughout the years as home teaching assignments changed we always kept this family. This will always be a special experience for me and has helped me to understand the need for home teaching.

Sorry for the threadjack.

[TripletDaddy]

I loved my mission. I will definitely encourage it. Even the hard parts added to what makes missions special. Some of my greatest periods of growth were during the hard times. My kids have already seen pics of me on my mission and they seem to grasp that at one time, I was a missionary like the Elders that come to our house for dinner.

It is definitely up to the individual, though. I do not believe in incentives to go on a mission (I will buy you a car, I will pay your tuition, etc...) nor do I believe in getting pissed off or devastated if they don't go. I personally believe they will be making a poor choice and I will let them know it, but it certainly wont be the first or last poor choice in their lives.