Ending A Missionary Tradition: Swine Flu Breakout Catalyst for Eliminating Missionary Tradition of Missionary Drop-off Devotionals

This week Bored in Vernal and I discovered the elimination of the Mormon practice of taking your missionary to the MTC and reported on it in our new blog He Said/She Said. The swine flu breakout precipitated the decision on the part of the missionary executive committee to discontinue the practice. On the blog He Said/She Said are differing reactions to the policy. In many ways it was a faith-promoting experience that required a constant outlay of people power to coordinate the arrival of new missionaries. In addition it tied up the presidency of the MTC and a member of the First Quorum of Seventy who was usually on site to greet the families.

Tiarna Bronach reported about dropping off her brother this week:

On a completely different note (and in a completely different emotional direction), my one and only little brother went into the MTC today. We couldn't even go inside because they're having swine flu and regular flu issues, so we had to just hug and say goodbye on the curb where we unloaded his luggage.

'Twas very sad. ;_;

In Bored in Vernal's account she lamented about the discontinuation of the practice:

So with all of the policy changes which have taken place in the past few years, I very much regret to see another of our Mormon traditions bite the dust: the MTC drop-off.

It's been a wonderful tradition, ever since the Provo MTC was built in 1978, for families to be able to bring their missionaries to the campus, check them in, take pictures, participate in a brief orientation, and then bid their missionary goodbye. Families exit one door, and missionaries another, amid many tears. As a young convert missionary in 1981, I had no family to take me through this ritual, but I watched with a tender heart as mothers hugged their sons goodbye, little brothers shook hands solemnly, and the families wept. I loved being a part of it. I had the opportunity to take my oldest two daughters to the MTC in 2006 and 2007. When my third daughter departed this past January, we were unable to go with her, but three of her sisters, who were attending BYU took her through the rigamarole.

I actually saw the utilitarian side and the vast amount of effort and resources that were being expended in keeping the tradition going and felt that the Church was doing the socially responsible thing in ending the practice. In my commentary on the practice on He Said/She Said I agreed with the decision because:

I am not sure what their experience will be now that this sappy tradition is ended. I think of the literally tens of thousands of hours spent in saying goodbye and the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent in traveling to Provo by families who would come from all over the country. The Church ending this tradition is being more health and resource conserving.

I fully agreed with Richard G. Hinckley and the Church's reasoning in discontinuing the practice for health security:

Hinckley says they've had outbreaks of other viruses before and similar protocols are used. However, this time it will permanently change how parents say goodbye to their children at the MTC.

"Those [parents] who typically do come, from this area, will be asked to drop them off, from this point forward in time, at the MTC and say goodbye to them at the doorstep and not come into the buildings," Hinckley said.

Check out the He Said/She Said blog for a deeper look at the subject and take the poll to express your feelings one way or the other on the topic.

New Blog Takes on Controversial LDS Issues: He Said/She Said

My wife and I decided to combine our two opposing viewpoints on a new blog called He Said/She Said. My wife is a feminist Mormon housewife and somewhat on the liberal side who writes the Hieing to Kolob blog. She suggested to me that a Mormon audience would be interested to see an opposing viewpoint blog where an ultraconservative Ezra Taft Benson Mormon like me who writes the Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord blog takes on a feminist like her on hot Mormon issues.

Sometimes we take a consistent side but often we might have alternating viewpoints. Most of us are more complex than labels make us. Many of my wife's Sunstone friends even suggested to her that I should come to their conference this year so they could have the conservative point of view. Unfortunately I don't have the extra money or time off at work so they will have to read my opinions on our new blog He Said/She Said.

We intend to cover several controversial topics including, for example, birth control, stay at home moms, abortion rights, evolution, should LDS members sign internet protests, should temple goers wear their garments all the time, should members stay in the church versus leaving it, breaking the Sabbath Day, the inclusion or exclusion of gays, when you know a person has broken an LDS principle should you turn them in, is there a stigma to being married many times, should women give blessings, should every LDS girl serve a mission, is the lottery really gambling, what constitutes an honest tithe, can men read their minds wives, is Isaiah boring, is masturbation a sin, oral sex, do you have to live polygamy in this life, will fundamentalists or other religious people be in the Church of the First Born, is the LDS Church the only true church on this earth, etc. Our topics will draw on current issues and other controversial issues, you can consider this a mainline Mormon taking on a representative of the Seventh East Press or Sunstone or Dialogue or fundamental Mormonism or even a bleeding heart liberal. Let the smack down begin. There is no telling what we might say.

If you know Bored in Vernal (BiV) or me Dr. B. there is certainly going to be some fireworks that lead to knock down drag out written fights on our blog. We will try to be respectful and let our viewpoints speak for themselves. Many people out there already think some of my conservative and moderate ideas are whacked out already or that Bored in Vernal is really out there with her feminist liberal perspective. Others see us as having fresh perspectives and being in harmony with what they believe. We want people from all perspectives to come and comment whether LDS or not. We will use pictures, polls, and other experimental techniques to jazz up our participation.

We really hope that this will help us be closer as a couple since we will get to know each others views in a neutral environment and come to a more moderate viewpoint by considering new ways of thinking about LDS issues when we try out our thoughts in an open public forum. It will require thick skins and mature minds. I hope after a year or two we are still married and that this will be a constructive way to air our difference and expand our way of seeing our religion and faith. We both feel that even diversely opinionated people can have a healthy relationship and that this new blog He Said/She Said will help us as well as others clarify what they believe. I think the minds of many members are not so uniform as others believe.


Check out our first few posts:

He Said: Throwing Out the Hamburger
She Said: Throwing Out the Hamburger

He Said: Abortion Rights
She Said: Abortion Rights

He Said: Should Women Give Blessings
She Said: Should Women Give Blessings

He Said: Should We Always Accept Church Callings?
She Said: Should We Always Accept Church Callings?

Feel free to give your own comments conservative, moderate, liberal, whatever.