Mission reunions anyone?

[No Tof]

It's. Been 37 years since I returned from my mission and now that I'm a complete heretic I feel like going to the reunion this conference.

I've never been to one before due to distance and lack of motivation but I'm seriously considering the long drive to Utah.

Have any of you had experience at these types of events sunset you're awakening? I'd prefer a reunion with the NOM or exmo RMs but doubt there will be the same effort to invite that group.

I'll have to think of something witty to respond to the quip "see you at conference"......

[FiveFingerMnemonic]

I just friend my old mission pals on FB and reach out to those that post any articles from the SL tribune.

[Red Ryder]

I've never been to one of mine. Mostly due to leaving Utah after returning home from the mission. I've met up with a few comp/mission buddies over the years. I've been back to the mission probably 20 times since because it's a popular vacation spot state side.

My MP passed away about 10 years ago and over the years mission reunions felt like ... 3rd grade reunions? The common theme seemed to be updating everyone on how many kids you now have and to prove your wife was still hot!

The hardest working elders ALWAYS have the hottest wife! They earned it, right?

[Korihor]

The hardest working elders ALWAYS have the hottest wife! They earned it, right?

Paging TrophyWife - please confirm.

[Deepthinker]

I've never been to a mission reunion, although I've thought about going a time or two. Schedule and distance to get there were always an issue.

If its something you feel like you want to do, I'd say go for it.

[Just This Guy]

Never been to one myself, mostly because they are in Utah and airfare is expensive. They have talked about trying to organize one in the DC area for us out here on the East coast, but they never seem to go beyond the concept phase. I may consider one, but I can't attend one that doesn't have an address.

[wtfluff]

Not.

Even.

Once.


Not as a believer, and definitely not now.

[Eiriceach]

I would like to go just to be a fly on the wall and try and spot other heretics. But most likely the heretics won't show up, so I wouldn't get anything out of it.

And to be honest, I don't have anything in common with those guys. Even when I was a full on believer and saw a few of them at a YSA dance right after the mission, I realized the only thing we had in common was the mission. Well, the mission was over so they became just some dude on the street. We had a connection through a common experience that we experienced together. But that experience was over. It's like being on a roller coaster and high fiving the guy next to you because you both thought it was awesome. But after the ride you see the guy in the park and you're not going to stop and ask how the kids are and when you're going on your next ride together. Most likely you'll ignore him. That's like the mission for me. You all rode together, high fived each other, and now you're off the ride and moved on in life.

[Corsair]

My mission did hold reunions regularly for several years after my mission president was released. But they were always scheduled for general conference weekend in Utah which was always in the middle of the semester as well as in another state. I ended up never attending a mission reunion but I'm not disappointed at this point. Both of my mission presidents must have passed away by now or are at least so elderly that more mission reunions would simply not work out.

[No Tof]

I would like to go just to be a fly on the wall and try and spot other heretics. But most likely the heretics won't show up, so I wouldn't get anything out of it.

And to be honest, I don't have anything in common with those guys. Even when I was a full on believer and saw a few of them at a YSA dance right after the mission, I realized the only thing we had in common was the mission. Well, the mission was over so they became just some dude on the street. We had a connection through a common experience that we experienced together. But that experience was over. It's like being on a roller coaster and high fiving the guy next to you because you both thought it was awesome. But after the ride you see the guy in the park and you're not going to stop and ask how the kids are and when you're going on your next ride together. Most likely you'll ignore him. That's like the mission for me. You all rode together, high fived each other, and now you're off the ride and moved on in life.

I think this really is the way I feel too, and yet being the fly on the wall intrigues me just the same.
Practical obstacles will probably keep me away this one as well.

[redjay]

Never.

I don't live stateside.

I quickly lost contact with the few decent fellas I met - easy to do do in the days pre-internet and coming home, getting married toot suite and working 12 hour shifts.

Biggest reason though - I didn't particularly like a lot/most of the missionaries I met. There were a few really decent chaps, but what I really saw was latent racism and pious elitism - not surprising when you look at the way the church is run, but I really expected more. I went out expecting to serve with people who were striving to be more christlike, instead I found that we were being moulded into corporate obedience. I learned pretty quickly there was more compassion and caring amongst my old (and dropped) drinking, dope smoking friends than there was among the 'generals from the pre-existence'. Came home with no desire to meet up with them, as a group, and with no desire (even as a TBM for another 20 years) to ever go on another mission. I found the experience sycophantic and cultish.

[No Tof]

Never.

I don't live stateside.

I quickly lost contact with the few decent fellas I met - easy to do do in the days pre-internet and coming home, getting married toot suite and working 12 hour shifts.

Biggest reason though - I didn't particularly like a lot/most of the missionaries I met. There were a few really decent chaps, but what I really saw was latent racism and pious elitism - not surprising when you look at the way the church is run, but I really expected more. I went out expecting to serve with people who were striving to be more christlike, instead I found that we were being moulded into corporate obedience. I learned pretty quickly there was more compassion and caring amongst my old (and dropped) drinking, dope smoking friends than there was among the 'generals from the pre-existence'. Came home with no desire to meet up with them, as a group, and with no desire (even as a TBM for another 20 years) to ever go on another mission. I found the experience sycophantic and cultish.

Thank you for your post. I thought I was the only RM who became more anti mission after mine.