MovieChat Forums > The Best Two Years (2004) Discussion > Mission Rules?

Mission Rules?

posted 20 years ago by Pink_Bunkadoo
11 replies | jump to latest

I got to see the movie recently, while in Provo for my sister's BYU graduation. I quite enjoyed it, but a couple of things didn't quite sit right--the fact that the elders were teaching the investigator in their apartment, and the time they were teaching with their P-Day clothes on. I served in Korea (Taejon) about ten years ago, and we weren't allowed to have anyone in our apartment unless we got permission first. And we would never have taught a discussion in our P-Day clothes. (We also didn't wear our name tags on our P-Day clothes, but I have seen people do this.) I know different missions do have different rules. Does anyone else have any insight on this?

[–] nicver 20 years ago

It's a question of budget, my friend. It means one less set.

[–] solomonrf 20 years ago

Mr. Bunkadoo, NICVER probably answered your first question. I do remember holding one group discussion with investigators (including females) in our 4-man apartment--with all four missionaries present. I don't remember what the White Bible (Missionary Handbook, as of 1984) said about situations like that, but I wouldn't be surprised if we violated church-wide mission policy on that occasion. I don't remember why we held the discussion there, but there must have been a reason.

On your second question: You must have missed the dialogue about the investigator showing up early for his appointment with the elders, before they had a chance to change out of their p-day duds.

[–] 20 years ago

[deleted]

[–] michaelglasscook 20 years ago

In Michigan in 2002 we were allowed to have men but not women in our appartment. Some of our best discussions were taught there. I liked teaching over a meal.

[–] EtrnlyUrs 20 years ago

Yeah, in 2002 I actually helped with a sister missionary to teach an investigator in the missionaries apartment, it was a weekly appointment there. Plus it helped with having the spirit in the room. Just as long as no "guys" were in the apartment it was fine.
As for the name tags on the civie clothes, well I've seen that too, until just recently the missionaries have to wear pros clothes to do anything even on P-days, unless they are playing sports.
Rules do change over time and it does depend on the mission, but totally the movie was accurate from what I've experienced first hand (in the past few years). =0)
~EtrnlyUrs

[–] jjtanner 19 years ago

We could teach males in our apartment as missionaries; that was totally fine. We also were supposed to wear our name tags while in casual P-day clothes. So, I think it just varies mission to mission (at least when I was on a mission a few years ago).
Also, if the opportunity arose for us to teach and we were in casual P-day clothes, we would.

[–] ctr_rwh_ette 19 years ago

I guess it is true that it varies from mission to mission, because I know for a fact that no one can enter the missionaries apartment where I live other that currently serving missionaries. However, I have yet to see a missionary in their P Day clothes without their name badge on them, although I have heard of a greenie that we had last year doing this in the ward he went to right after he was transfered out of ours, and apparently, because they were not wearing their badges, they we flirted with quite a bit. I guess this is why most of them tend to wear their name badge, it helps others to remember who they are. But I have been taught at least 2 discussions where my missionaries were in their P Day clothes, because it would be on P Day, and it would be right before or after the YSA FHE, and this is very current, as yesterday was my 8 month mark from my baptism.

[–] ldsgurl_2002 19 years ago

I have been in a sister missionaries apartment...i was going to get them while my mom waited in the car and they let me in...didn't think anything was wrong with it....

[–] Filky 18 years ago

On the name tags with P-day clothes....There has been no official announced churchwide policy concerning this, except in cases of community service due to a natural disaster i.e. missionaries in flood ravaged, tsunami-torn areas. It depends on your mission. Also, the white handbook does not state specifically concerning teaching someone in your apartment. That is also up to the mission president's discretion. In my mission, the England London Mission, we weren't allowed to have anyone of the opposite sex (including sister missionaries and even the mission president's wife) enter our apartment. However with every rule, there is an exception. Our landlady was, of course, a female; and she was of course allowed in.

[–] mec98 17 years ago

All I can say is that I agree that it depends on the mission. In mine (Houston, TX) we were required to be in prosyliting clothes whenever we left the apartment (unless we were going to play volleyball or basketball, wash the car, etc.). When we did go out in P-Day clothes we were required to wear our name tags. No one was allowed in our apartment except the mission president or the District Leaders (if they were there to inspect it, and in that case, we had to stand outside).

As far as the statements referencing the white handbook, I have yet to see what changes have been made to it since Preach My Gospel came out. I got PMG about halfway through my mission, and we kept hearing that they were going to print a new version of the handbook, but I never got one. I guess they were still working on it when I left...

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Was today really necessary?

[–] neuroplasty001 15 years ago

wow, really old thread. i served in the singapore mission in malaysia 2002-2004 and being an islamic nation we never wore our name tags, and we taught quite a few people at our house. we lived upstairs, and the downstairs was the old chapel. so we always had people in our house. so there is no absolute church standard. every mission is shaped differently.