# some Mormon questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 12, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-mormon-questions/201237 "2003-09-12T17:05:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-mormon-questions/201237/101 "2003-09-18T23:24:26Z")
In my mission we had a lot of native Korean missionaries too–of the six companions that I served with, three were American and three were Korean. That definitely helps with the cultural part. (The LDS members there manage to practise the gospel in a very Korean way–I imagine the same thing happens in other cultures.) Some of the Korean elders were just as awkward and geeky as the American elders, though. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-mormon-questions/201237/102 "2003-09-19T16:57:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MelCthefirst \* > \*\* I think my point is the cultural and religious arrogance of sending 18 year olds to other countries to convert and the combination of them not knowing the bible and the culture is my point. \*\* This surprises me for some reason. Having had fairly lengthy discussions with my best friend who is L.D.S., I am of the mind that an 18 year old LDS missionary is more immersed in his/her religion from a factual and faith-based point of view, than many older adults of other religious inclinations. It is a carefully followed plan, and from the very early ages right up to when they leave, LDS youth seem to be raised to understand their place within themselves, within their family, their Church and their life here on this Earth. I thought I had a fairly complete Jewish education, but I’ve learned over the years that rote repetition and listening to dry tales is no replacement for a living breathing faith. The 18 year olds who you see as arrogant are, IMHO, more fully prepared to educate others than I was at 18, and perhaps ( and I mean no presumption or offense by this ) than you might have been at 18. Or at 48. That’s not arrogance, that’s confidence in one’s education. 🙂 There’s not ham-handed prostyletizing, there is an exchange of ideas and beliefs, and an education- always at the behest of the person who lives behind the door that’s knocked on. I appreciate that, at least with the Missionaries I’ve met. If I wish to have a dialogue, they are prepared fully to have one. If not, they are most respectful and genteel in their acceptance of a decline of the invitation to engage in dialogue. YMMV depending on which religious groups’ Missionaries you find at your doorstep, but it doesn’t seem to vary with regards to where in the world you are when an L.D.S. Missionary comes a-knockin’. Cartooniverse, lapsed jew, early Quaker, re-establishing connections with the Friends… ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-mormon-questions/201237/103 "2003-09-19T17:14:43Z")
Cartooniverse: MelCthefirst’s basic premise is “Mormon missionaries are culturally arrogant and they therefore don’t know anything, let alone their own religion’s scriptures.” He has no proof of that premise, yet demands others disprove it. When others have, he’s dismissed those proofs. ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-mormon-questions/201237/104 "2003-09-19T17:24:17Z")
Young men missionaries are 19-26, not 18. Young Women are 21-26. **Helena** I’ve appreciated your comments. Undoubtedly, I could tell you stories of smart, mature, charming, charismatic, awkward, immature or ignorant young men I’ve met who were serving a mission. LDS young people, like all other young people come in a wide range of ability, attitudes and work ethics. The young people who decide to serve a mission, do not base their decision on whether or not to choose to go because they think they are smart, learned or master scriptorian’s. They go because they have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and they feel that he wants them to dedicate a short time of their life teaching it to others. They go because they believe they are serving their God. ---
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-mormon-questions/201237/105 "2003-09-21T03:16:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\*You falsely stated that the purpose of the temple recommend interview was for the purpose of gratification. Even non-LDS posters in this thread have demonstrated to you that such assertion is false. \*\* You’re not telling the truth! NOWHERE did I claim that the “purpose” of the temple recommend was for the “purpose” of gratification!! The fact that some of you folks can state such blatant falsehoods without invervention by a moderator is not reassuring. There was nothing false in what I reported! Here are a tiny few of the **FACTUAL** reports I described… [http://www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon197.htm](http://www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon197.htm) > [@](#): > > Any Mormon reading this report will recognize that virtually all LDS girls are taught from childhood to do all 24 of the following: > > … > > • submit to male-originated personal-matter (including sexual) private interviews. > > … > > More About “Worth” . . . The “Personal Worthiness” Interviews > > For LDS women, male definition of female worth begins early. LDS females are taught from childhood that males who are divinely appointed have authority over central aspects of these girls’ own bodies, thoughts, and behavior. This occurs in regular, private “personal worthiness” interviews, conducted, usually with good intentions, by one or another of her male bishopric during her childhood/teen years. > > **Even worse, despite generally good intentions, sometimes male prurience accompanies the process.** Our daughters once asked me if they had to submit to these private, very intimate interviews conducted by an LDS man they described as “dirty-minded and creepy.” I replied, “Not if you don’t want to; it’s entirely up to you.” They didn’t want to and they didn’t. I then just let our bishop’s negative reaction roll off my back without comment. But not all LDS fathers are as self-assured in defense of their daughters’ right to choose privacy from personal sexual questions. Not even I, as their father, ever subjected them to that intrusion. Nor did their mother. [http://www.exmormon.org/whylft136.htm](http://www.exmormon.org/whylft136.htm) > [@](#): > > Once, while still in the Bishopric at BYU, the SP asked me about oral sex and masturbation during a temple recommend interview. I replied that I didn’t think it was appropriate that he asked that question as it was not on the list of questions. He replied that he holds his Bishoprics to a higher standard and would like an answer. Needless to say, I refused. He complained and basically convicted me of oral sex (as if it were a crime – but guilty as charged) and recommended that we don’t participate any longer. > > When I was finished, it was Erica’s turn. I told her not to answer any questions she didn’t feel comfortable sharing with a stranger. Ten minutes later she came out crying. He reprimanded her for participating in unholy sexual practices. I went back and shared my thoughts on the subject with him and was extremely vocal about it. > > A few weeks later, I was released from the Bishopric. I don’t know how it happened, but people in the ward knew that I was released because of “sexual sin”. > > … > > When I was sitting in the SP’s office (a new SP), listening to and responding to the questions, I heard one question and just stared at him. The question was “do you and your wife participate in any impure sexual practices?”. I asked him if this was a new question. He said it was his question. I told him I had been through this before and that I didn’t need to answer the question. He persisted. Without any warning he told me that if I didn’t answer, I wouldn’t be receiving a temple recommend. I then told him that I wouldn’t be receiving a temple recommend then. He said my failure to answer was enough of an answer to him and that he would like to discuss these impure practices with me. I asked him to define impure practices and he replied that anything outside of sexual intercourse was impure. I laughed right in his face. He told me that members needed to live up to high standards, blah blah, blah. > > … > > Erica was waiting for her turn. I told her not to go in and that we should go home. She saw that I was shaken and I told her the “question” came up again. She said she could handle it. I told her I didn’t pass the interview and she gave me a look of bewilderment as she followed the SP in to his office. > > Again, after about ten minutes, Erica came running out crying. She didn’t even wait for me. She ran outside and got in the car… [http://www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon150.htm](http://www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon150.htm) > [@](#): > > I got a call from my Bishop wanting me to come to his office… This bishop, an old hunting buddy of mine, proceeds to tell me it beaks his heart to tell me, but if I continue teaching against the church he and the stake president will recommend I be disfellowshipped or perhaps even have to stand before a church court. He informed me that he had interviewed my 15 year old son. My son had disagreed with the Bishop when the Bishop asked him if he masturbated. My son, followed my counsel, and told the bishop it was normal to masturbate and was personal and non of his business… > > … I want to work within the church’s own rules and take this abuse to somebody, but who can I report this to? Can the church really do this to me for speaking to my own kids? This is god damn outrageous!!! This is not the first time this bishop has threatened me with church discipline. I have stated nothing but **FACTS**. So please stop fabricating disingenuous falsehoods about what I said, Monty. Only facts are allowed here, and all your posts to me have expressed nothing but personal opinions and untruths rather than facts. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-mormon-questions/201237/106 "2003-09-21T03:42:09Z")
Hey, ambushed, you tell a lie and I’ll call you on it. You told one and are now telling another. I did not tell an untruth. You purposely worded your posting to say that the church authority conducting the temple interview was doing so for gratification. [Exmormon.org](http://Exmormon.org) is not a reputable site, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-mormon-questions/201237/107 "2003-09-21T06:45:37Z")
I think we’re done here. Go play in another forum, kids. bibliophage moderator GQ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-mormon-questions/201237.md?page=5)