You should treat the missionaries with respect. Most of them are
sacrificing a lot as missionaries because it is what they honestly think
they should do. The world needs more people who are willing to do that,
and it needs to respect the ones that already are. Of course there are
some missionaries that are so self-righteous or hypocritical that they
don’t deserve much respect, but those are in the minority. When you meet a
missionary give him the benefit of the doubt and show him respect. How
do you respect the missionaries? First of all, call them by their
title—Elder for males and Sister for females. Some people don’t
acknowledge the alleged validity of the Mormon priesthood, and they feel
that calling a missionary "Elder" would somehow imply that they believe
the Mormon priesthood is valid. Others refuse to address them with the
title Elder because they don’t even recognize them as valid ministers in a
general sense. And others refuse to use the title "Elder" because they
think by arguing about whether or not it is a valid title that they will
be able to some how get the missionary to snap out of the trance that
Mormonism has put him in. Others do it just to be rude. I’d like to
suggest that the concept of good manners supersedes all of those
objectives, and therefore you should call the missionaries by their titles
unless they request otherwise.
The next thing I’d suggest is that you become familiar with the
missionary rules, and encourage the missionaries to stick to them. I am
not saying that you should be a vigilante, spying on them and
reporting every infraction of the rules you see. Rather, I’m just saying
that you should be aware of the rules and host the missionaries in a way
that is in harmony with them.
At the same time, the rulebook is so patronizing towards the poor
missionaries I find the rulebook itself contemptible. If an idea for an
activity comes up that breaks a rule or two, I think it is ok to suggest
it—just don’t try to pressure them into accepting. For example, you can
say "I realize this might be an inappropriate activity for missionaries,
but I am taking the wife and kids to go see The Little Mermaid
tonight and you guys are invited to come with us. We’re stopping by Baskin
Robbins on the way home—my treat." Now if they decline, you shouldn’t try
to pressure them into it. Rather just say, "I respect that."
Regardless of whether you’re a member, an investigator, or a potential
investigator, if the missionaries are doing their job they are going to
ask commitments of you—the commitment pattern
is drilled into their speech pattern. When the missionaries do ask you to
do something, give them a straight, honest answer. If you tell them
you will do something, then do it. If you don't want to do
something, then don't say you will. For example, if
you promise to read 5 pages of the Book of Mormon by next Thursday, then
you need to make it a priority to keep that promise. Breaking commitments
isn’t just being rude to the missionaries, it is also bad for your own
sense of integrity. And try not to be wishy-washy with the
commitments—don’t say, "I’ll try" (Si Dios quiere). Say yes or no. Or, offer a more acceptable promise, "5 pages
seems like a lot, but I will promise to read 2 pages."
There is one major exception to what I just said--for heaven's sake,
don't get baptized just because you promised the missionaries that you would.
If you change your mind about that commitment, then by all means back out
of it. Just as its better to cancel a wedding than a marriage, it is
better to cancel a baptism than a membership in a church.
When you set up an appointment with the missionaries, it goes without
saying that you should be there. Furthermore, why don’t you go the extra
mile and call them the night before to confirm the appointment? Riding a
bike 5 miles or more to an investigator’s house is a big sacrifice of
their time and energy. Even if they have a car, they have very tight
mileage allotments. They will likely be a bit hesitant to call you up the night
before to confirm an appointment, because they are afraid that you would
use that as an opportunity to cancel. They will be thrilled if you give
them a call and let them know that you remember them and will be there.
When they arrive, always offer them something to drink. If water is all
you have, then that’s great—many missionaries’ drink of choice. You may
also offer them a little snack—crackers, cookies, carrots sticks—that kind of thing. If you want to offer them a
snack, do it when they first arrive. They should only be staying for about
an hour, and the last half of the visit will usually be more focused on
teaching, and they don’t want people munching on things while they are
expounding the mysteries of the universe.
If after a visit or two you find that you and the missionaries enjoy
each other’s company, then invite them over for dinner some time. They
live on a shoestring and depend upon good people offering them meals. On the nights when they aren’t invited to somebody’s
house for dinner, they usually end up eating macaroni and cheese or some
other meal-in-a-box for 79 cents. What should you feed them? In most parts
of America, people frequently feed the missionaries either spaghetti or
casserole, so you might want to give them a break from that and choose
something else. Stir fry, hamburgers, tacos, fish, chef salad, and pizza
are some ideas that come to mind. It doesn’t need to be fancy. If you’re
not sure what they’ll like, when you set up the appointment think up a
couple of ideas and offer them a choice. Don’t just ask them what they
want without throwing out some ideas—most missionaries are uncomfortable
with carte blanche.
One of the mission rues is don't debate. Sometimes, Evangelists
will try to argue with the missionaries and prove that they are wrong
because their views don't conform to what the Bible says. They tempt
the missionaries to open up their scriptures and defend their views from
the Bible. In missionary jargon, this is known as "Bible Bashing".
Don't engage in that. It's fine to talk about what you believe, and
ask them questions about what they believe and why, but don't argue about it.
If you follow these guidelines, your encounters with the missionaries
should be pleasant and informative.
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