Missionaries coming home sick or injured

[Hopefull]

I have noticed lately about 80% of the missionaries I know of have come home early due to illnesses or injury. Some have gone back and some haven’t been able to. Has there been a change in policy or anything? I have never noticed this before and am so surprised. It makes me wonder if “all the missionaries will be called home” might not be as obvious as it seems it should be.

[inho]

I have noticed lately about 80% of the missionaries I know of have come home early due to illnesses or injury. Some have gone back and some haven’t been able to. Has there been a change in policy or anything? I have never noticed this before and am so surprised. It makes me wonder if “all the missionaries will be called home” might not be as obvious as it seems it should be.

That is a huge percentage. I haven't seen anything similar. If I think of the last two or three years, I can think of only one sister who came home early due to health issues.

[gardener4life]

Regarding, "It makes me wonder if “all the missionaries will be called home” might not be as obvious as it seems it should be."

Well it's more likely that there will be degrees of small things that will become big things. (By small things do great things come to pass.)

You know its also interesting because I was thinking about this very thing right before feeling like something is happening here. I can feel it. The Spirit is strong. There's been a big focus on many of the past Ensign and Liahonna articles about missionaries coming home early. This month has it in January, and then either November or December had it and just a couple months before I think there was another article.

Something is happening here.

This reminds me someone asked me a question in gospel principles class one time. They asked if the gathering of Israel would be all at once or small one by one. And when she asked that I in that instant remembered those church almanacs that have the statistics for every country in them. One of my family members has them and when you go to their house for holiday visits its one of the things you can read there. I remember looking at some places in Central America, and Russia, and others all started with just one couple at a time. One person at a time. Then it got big.

This is how I think this is going to unroll on the missionaries. I can feel the Spirit telling me someday they will come home. As in all of them, or nearly all of them at once. That part is not opinion. We've had warnings on it. What I think will happen is it will happen right when the next big war comes out. And that is how it happened at the beginning of World War 2. I can feel the Spirit even while writing that.

So why small things first?

That's the Lord's pattern. He does it to wake up the faithful to the next phases of his plan and get them ready one at a time and get them organized and working together. (We still lack being able to work together as Saints mostly. This part concerns me. We are good at praying and going to church but not good at being more conscious of our neighbors and working WITH them.) Ahh back to the Lord's pattern. He grows it piece by piece to manage it better and micro manage keeping his Saints safe. This is also how the Stone of Daniel is rolling through the Earth. It picks up speed piece by piece and grows filling the Earth.

I don't think there's anything wrong with not going back to the mission if you have chronic health problems. I have chronic health problems and that's why I can say that. I've also noticed that our society is not good at caring for chronic health people. We tend to push them out. I think we could fix this a bit. If we accept more people that have health problems as a society then they wouldn't feel the stress of this thing of coming home early so much. We also shouldn't think that people who stay at home should be homeless or cast out as part of this issue.

But if people want to go back to their missions I think that we should let them, even if they have big health problems and if their mind is really on serving. The reason I think this is because if we can't receive those people as a church and include them then how are people who are ungodly and wicked going to treat them, who are worse than we are? If they can't have a place with us then they won't have a place with anyone letting them in.

Back to the original question for a minute.

I think the missionaries will be called home soon. These small events are getting things ready for a bigger event later. And the reason I'm saying that is because when they do we're going to need to comfort them. They're going to feel bad that they didn't have all the chances their other family members did to serve. It's going to be grief for them. So we have to be ready for that. (We need to see that we can serve everyone including faithful members because they are desperately praying for things too, not just the ones that are investigators. Also saying that I apologize to the many people I've offended on here. Some of them more than once.) Why is it that so many times this year there have been many church articles about missionaries coming home? It can't be a coincidence.

What does the Spirit tell you about that. It's going to happen soon.

There's something else I'd say too...you know I just had an interesting gospel discussion with a family member last night. We were talking about gospel subjects after Christmas dinner. And as usual it can't be helped that on Christmas Day of a year where 3 major hurricanes have laid waste to 3 different states in the same year, massive firestorms all across the Western states that same year, (recall that The Pacific Northwest including Montana had them too. We don't forget those wonderful Montana people,) and especially California...with all that people are going to bring up topics at the dinner table about the last days.

My family member told me an interesting story about when she was teaching gospel doctrine or was it gospel principles, and someone asked her how we're going to know that the time is near. And she said that right then she felt the Spirit telling her to say to 'watch Israel' (and that in addition to the other signs that we're already seeing in the scriptures and happening now, many of which have already happened). When she said that I felt the Spirit really strong confirming that part to me too.

And with the Spirit there is also good reasoning why. Judah is Israel too. (Some unrepentant and struggling to accept Jesus still.) Israel and the Jews also have their promised land Zion a bit before we're getting ours. But because they are a covenant people too, and still going through the refiner's fire, & also Israel they will attract some of the dangerous events in the scriptures foretold in the parts about wars. (I can't guarantee we won't go through those things either). They also are linked to many of the promises of when the Times of the Gentiles will be fulfilled. That's been quoted here too. That time period is quoted as when they get Jerusalem back the time of the Gentiles will shortly come to pass. And guess what, they are getting Jerusalem back officially this year. This is their Zion. And we should have a vested interest in praying about and hoping they get and keep their Zion because that would make us worthy to get ours back, whether its here or 'there' in Missouri. So the time is short. And that's real, its not just some cloudy thing we tell ourselves to get to sleep at night. It's happening. The scriptures are being fulfilled in our lifetime right before our lives.

(Also there are a lot of messianic Jews now! They are growing in numbers. Some of my family members have met some of them on trips to Israel in the past. In talking to one of them this same family member above told me that person told her that they realized that Judaism without accepting Jesus was dead. And that they realized that they needed to accept him for anything in Judaism to have any meaning. And what's interesting is why did that chance meeting happen for that family member to get to hear that, except if it for being that Jewish people are really just like us and the people of God too.)

But some of us are sleeping through it and not appreciating how wonderful that is. We should appreciate those things and that Heavenly Father let us live in a time when we could see he and Jesus are fulfilling and keeping their promises that they'd planned, promised, and had people praying for, for many centuries. All those people didn't get to see it but we're going to get to see it if we keep being faithful.

Also recall that in the Book of Mormon it said that many of the Nephites had noticed that the signs of the times for their day had come to pass. They were watching and learning and waiting patiently. But the way its worded is that it sounds like they were much more open about it than we are. And we need to be that way too insomuch as we can do so and avoid persecution. It also says that those that wait for HIM won't be ashamed. So you shouldn't be afraid to openly think and talk about that these things are happening right now in our day and our time now. I think many people think this way but just they are afraid of being looked at funny by non-religious people as a zealot or nerd or something. Just following and loving Heavenly Father and Jesus is good and pure. The ones that don't watch and don't wait, that mock will later mourn and wish they had followed these things with us.

[Jonesy]

Mormons aren’t the only ones with these problems. The U.S. military has problems enlisting qualified youth.

https://www.google.co.jp/amp/amp.timein ... ry-service

This is from a 2014 article:

Approximately 71% of the 34 million 17-to-24-year-olds in the U.S. would not qualify for military service because of reasons related to health, physical appearance and educational background, according to the Pentagon.


The ineligible typically includes those who are obese, those who lack a high school diploma or a GED, convicted felons, those taking prescription drugs for ADHD and those with certain tattoos and ear gauges, the Wall Street Journal reports, though some requirements can be waived.

Only 1% of young people are both “eligible and inclined to have conversation with” the military about possible service, according to the Defense Department.

“The quality of people willing to serve has been declining rapidly,” Major General Allen Batschelet, the U.S. Army Recruiting Command’s commanding general, told the WSJ.

Approximately 180,000 men and women volunteer for and enter active-duty forces each year, though U.S. military activity in recent years has led to some looser standards for recruitment. Only 79% of those enlisted had a high school diploma in 2007, while that figure was 90% in 2001. During the Iraq war, the military was also less strict about soldiers’ body fat.

“We have not adopted a zero-defect mentality,” said Defense Department spokesman Nathan Christensen, who noted that the military’s recruiting targets in recent years have been met. “We evaluate each applicant from a whole-person perspective.”

[JK4Woods]

I believe the church is now sponsoring special conferences for missionaries who have returned home early.

The stigma is real, and many can't get over the societal pressure, self imposed guilt and humiliation for not completing their term of service.
We have had missionaries return and hide themselves away, with the family dropping into inactivity to cover their embarasment.

We even had one young man commit suicide because of the demons he fought within himself after returning before his expected term was up.

It doesn't matter why they came home... We had one return for a broken foot (playing volley ball with the mission president !), and after a year has gone back out. But during the medical evaluation, then surgery, then recovery period, he lived in a bitter, dark realm where he spewed forth angry hateful words toward the church organization. He eventually got himself back on track and after running a half marathon, re-submitted his papers and is happily serving another year stateside to complete his missionary service.

I think most return early because of incomplete repentance.
And a lesser amount to being whimps who can't handle being on their own or rolling with the uncertainty of mission life.

My generation was told upon going out: don't come home early, unless its in a casket.

Anyway, the Church is recognizing the mental anguish and pressures these young people experience returning early... I just hope its enough to turn the tide from shame and embarasment to something they are able to work themselves out of and back into the light.

[kittycat51]

We have talked about this recently in other threads. In our ward alone we have had 7 come back early in the past 4 years. A couple were legit health reasons the other ones I believe could just not handle it. Missions are hard. (according to my husband, brothers and 2 sons who have gone so far) Much of it is mental issues I believe, i.e. stress being number one followed quickly by anxiety and then depression. I don't know what it is, but I think in our area, the kids are snowflakes. They have had everything given to them in life being from a more affluent area, and the real world is just too hard and like ice water being thrown on them.

[MMbelieve]

We have talked about this recently in other threads. In our ward alone we have had 7 come back early in the past 4 years. A couple were legit health reasons the other ones I believe could just not handle it. Missions are hard. (according to my husband, brothers and 2 sons who have gone so far) Much of it is mental issues I believe, i.e. stress being number one followed quickly by anxiety and then depression. I don't know what it is, but I think in our area, the kids are snowflakes. They have had everything given to them in life being from a more affluent area, and the real world is just too hard and like ice water being thrown on them.

The world is a very tough place and kids are going earlier now on their mission, not having that year at college first. The adversary is also very strong on these young people. We should be careful about judging (ie snowflakes). Most days, I find the world to be a hard place, it's getting rough out there.

In the last days men's hearts shall fail them. I have seen more and more attacks of depression and anxiety on so many people. It could be just Satan trying to cripple us. It can't be easy being a young adult today.

[JohnnyL]

We've had none come back early out of 20 or so. But we've had many who just haven't gone in the first place.

They try to make you work completely--it can get very tiring, dreary, etc. There's little time off. They can try to make you feel guilty if you have problems of any sort. They can want baptisms, more baptisms, and most baptisms. There can be little training. Leaders (70's, MP's, mission leaders) push so many of the wrong things. Many missionaries have hidden diseases, especially Lyme and related bugs. Many missionaries (including MP) are jerks or people with bigger problems.

There was so little possible preparation--before my mission, I remember being shocked that a companionship didn't do their dishes from earlier that day. Lol, two years later on my mission I was in an apartment where both sides of the sink AND the counter were full of dirty dishes that no one would wash, and you had to keep a bowl and silverware in your own space so you'd at least have that.
REALITY hits, and you get shell-shocked.

I think "The District" and "Two Brothers" should be essential watching for every missionary.

[Elizabeth]

The missionaries who came to my door and taught the discussions etc were always happy, content and enjoying their missions.

My sons all enjoyed their missions.

[Spaced_Out]

The missionaries who came to my door and taught the discussions etc were always happy, content and enjoying their missions.

My sons all enjoyed their missions.

I also don't see any of this in the missionaries serving in our ward or those from the ward that are on mission.
As the world gets more wicked missionary work get tougher. Missionaries will be recalled for only one reason the gentiles reject the message and it i no longer safe for the missionaries to be preaching. We have seen this in many countries mostly due to economic collapse or outbreak of disease. The world is on the cusp of total economic collapse, last general conference the church indicated that they will be moving funds out of stocks to more secure investments .

[sandman45]

I have noticed lately about 80% of the missionaries I know of have come home early due to illnesses or injury. Some have gone back and some haven’t been able to. Has there been a change in policy or anything? I have never noticed this before and am so surprised. It makes me wonder if “all the missionaries will be called home” might not be as obvious as it seems it should be.

I think it’s simple. They are not mature enough. The “hastening the lords work” is more harmful than good. Sure it increased #s in the beginning but now numbers are lower now. And these types of things are happening. Makes me wonder if the lowering of the age of missionaries was a policy change and not a revelation

[gardener4life]

Trust the spirit and the scriptures.

If you aren't sure give the Spirit a chance to teach you. But first you have to get on your knees and be humble. But having a concern isn't a bad thing. But take that concern to the Lord and he'll help you see why something is a certain way. I can tell you the lowering of the age of missionaries was to save them from the adversary trying to get to them first though and NOT a policy change. Everyone just sees how young they are but not whats going on with the drugs and sex parties at the colleges. Then if they go to those even one time they aren't going to even make it to the mission.

And someone is going to say breaking the word of wisdom isn't so bad. But now days other things are getting mixed in, so when you get exposed to one vice you are getting exposure to a whole slew of them.

If you try and understand why they have to try to help the missionaries, you will see they are trying to create opportunities for more people to feel good about themselves and others. Do more good. Escalate faith. Focus on what you feel when you read the scriptures. You can feel the peace of the Savior there. That peace is real and telling you something. That its true.

[cyclOps]

I came home early from my mission because of what I think was a combination of depression, anxiety, and homesickness.

My patriarchal blessing said the Lord would see fit to call me on a mission but also said my service to the Lord might not come as a full time mission.

Don’t judge, because you don’t know what someone is really going through. Be humble about your own weaknesses.

Also, Jesus Christ directs this church and provides revelation, whether by policy or prophecy. He is the head. But even more important, He is our Savior on an individual and personal basis.

[Sunain]

The church really needs to change the focus of the missionary program to match the times. Adding tech to missions really doesn't solve anything other than convenience. There are other ways for the youth to spread the message of the gospel than being a proselyting missionary. Service, construction, genealogical, extraction, temple missionaries are all alternatives that missionaries should be allowed to choose to serve as. Reconfession of sins also is adding unnecessary issues to the mix.

Missions are too focused on numbers. All missions are service not salespeople. I don't think it's all mental issues. How many of these missionaries that have come home early were pressured too much to increase their numbers?

The world just doesn't want to hear about religion anymore and it's stressful when the zone leaders, mission leaders, mission president are all talking about numbers. People aren't numbers. I really wish they'd ditch the district meetings reporting numbers. So much needs to be restructured but I think it will take the Lord himself to fix the problems.

The youth really feels like its being neglected in recent years at a time they need the most support possible and I place a lot of the blame on Mormon Culture. The church and especially its members are just not supporting them properly. No missionary, regardless of the amount of time spent on a mission, should be treated poorly like most missionaries that come home early are.

I wish I could give the missionaries a reference but I literally have no neighbor, friend or family that would even be remotely receptive to the message.

LDS growth rates in the United States continued to decelerate in 2017 as part of a trend of slowing growth that began approximately 15 years ago.

As of late December, the Church in the United States reported no net change for the number of congregations for the entire year (184 new wards/branches organized, 184 wards/branches discontinued). To contrast, the Church in the United States has historically reported a net increase of 100-150 new wards/branches a year during the past decade.
http://cumorah.com/index.php?target=vie ... 1&cat_id=8

2018 might see negative growth in North America. I can only imagine the zone conferences they are having in North America currently. Those numbers are enough to make any missionary depressed and stressed out.

[cyclOps]

The church really needs to change the focus of the missionary program to match the times. Adding tech to missions really doesn't solve anything other than convenience. There are other ways for the youth to spread the message of the gospel than being a proselyting missionary. Service, construction, genealogical, extraction, temple missionaries are all alternatives that missionaries should be allowed to choose to serve as. Reconfession of sins also is adding unnecessary issues to the mix.

Missions are too focused on numbers. All missions are service not salespeople. I don't think it's all mental issues. How many of these missionaries that have come home early were pressured too much to increase their numbers?

The world just doesn't want to hear about religion anymore and it's stressful when the zone leaders, mission leaders, mission president are all talking about numbers. People aren't numbers. I really wish they'd ditch the district meetings reporting numbers. So much needs to be restructured but I think it will take the Lord himself to fix the problems.

The youth really feels like its being neglected in recent years at a time they need the most support possible and I place a lot of the blame on Mormon Culture. The church and especially its members are just not supporting them properly. No missionary, regardless of the amount of time spent on a mission, should be treated poorly like most missionaries that come home early are.

I wish I could give the missionaries a reference but I literally have no neighbor, friend or family that would even be remotely receptive to the message.

LDS growth rates in the United States continued to decelerate in 2017 as part of a trend of slowing growth that began approximately 15 years ago.

As of late December, the Church in the United States reported no net change for the number of congregations for the entire year (184 new wards/branches organized, 184 wards/branches discontinued). To contrast, the Church in the United States has historically reported a net increase of 100-150 new wards/branches a year during the past decade.
http://cumorah.com/index.php?target=vie ... 1&cat_id=8

2018 might see negative growth in North America. I can only imagine the zone conferences they are having in North America currently. Those numbers are enough to make any missionary depressed and stressed out.

What do you like or think is positive about the current missionary program?

[gardener4life]

The missionary program is absolutely positive. So many of you are saying it isn't or complaining about it.

But the truth is the missionary program is the most beautiful thing ever. Two years given as a sacrifice because every child of God is important. Think about that. That's how much we care. We care enough that we'll willingly give two years to lift another's life to something better and to save them.

Some of you talk about the missionary program being negative. I never saw that. Our mission president admired and respected us. I never saw anything like complaining or pushing numbers. We set goals, but we were always inspired and helping people. It was wonderful. Think how much you are helping people. They really do get a better life. And where would we be if someone weren't helping lift them up. Then next they will lift others after that and it continues after.

Heavenly Father's children will always be asked to help others of his children. If you don't you lose out. And I think some of you are trying to discourage service but it's an inspired principle that the more you give the more you will receive. It's like a river and there's always someone upstream passing water to downstream. And we pass it to downstream of us sharing blessings, service, and love. So if you think we can not do service then the water / blessings from above stop coming to us too.

[scottja]

The world is on the cusp of total economic collapse, last general conference the church indicated that they will be moving funds out of stocks to more secure investments .

I've tried to find that reference, searching last conference but can't find anything. Can you point me to a session, talk or speaker?

[JohnnyL]

The church really needs to change the focus of the missionary program to match the times. Adding tech to missions really doesn't solve anything other than convenience. There are other ways for the youth to spread the message of the gospel than being a proselyting missionary. Service, construction, genealogical, extraction, temple missionaries are all alternatives that missionaries should be allowed to choose to serve as. Reconfession of sins also is adding unnecessary issues to the mix.

Missions are too focused on numbers. All missions are service not salespeople. I don't think it's all mental issues. How many of these missionaries that have come home early were pressured too much to increase their numbers?

The world just doesn't want to hear about religion anymore and it's stressful when the zone leaders, mission leaders, mission president are all talking about numbers. People aren't numbers. I really wish they'd ditch the district meetings reporting numbers. So much needs to be restructured but I think it will take the Lord himself to fix the problems.

The youth really feels like its being neglected in recent years at a time they need the most support possible and I place a lot of the blame on Mormon Culture. The church and especially its members are just not supporting them properly. No missionary, regardless of the amount of time spent on a mission, should be treated poorly like most missionaries that come home early are.

I wish I could give the missionaries a reference but I literally have no neighbor, friend or family that would even be remotely receptive to the message.

LDS growth rates in the United States continued to decelerate in 2017 as part of a trend of slowing growth that began approximately 15 years ago.

As of late December, the Church in the United States reported no net change for the number of congregations for the entire year (184 new wards/branches organized, 184 wards/branches discontinued). To contrast, the Church in the United States has historically reported a net increase of 100-150 new wards/branches a year during the past decade.
http://cumorah.com/index.php?target=vie ... 1&cat_id=8

2018 might see negative growth in North America. I can only imagine the zone conferences they are having in North America currently. Those numbers are enough to make any missionary depressed and stressed out.

What do you like or think is positive about the current missionary program?

Going on a mission; MTC (sometimes); language preparation (sometimes).

The biggest problem is the disconnect between what is taught and hoped for, and what really happens; and along with that, the continuation of false traditions and myths.

[Hopefull]

I think it’s simple. They are not mature enough. The “hastening the lords work” is more harmful than good. Sure it increased #s in the beginning but now numbers are lower now. And these types of things are happening. Makes me wonder if the lowering of the age of missionaries was a policy change and not a revelation
[/quote]


I totally disagree. These kids are my children’s ages and have been so impressed with their strength and conviction. I don’t suspect any of them came home because they couldn’t handle it. Buy it doesn’t really matter to me. Talking with one who came home and couldn’t return - I was shocked at how much she had matured in the very short time she was out. Sometimes the lord works in mysterious ways. I’m just simply curious if this is one of them.

[Thinker]

I wonder what percent of missionaries actually filled out their own papers and from their own desire to go, as opposed to family, peer or church pressure.

[EmmaLee]

Of the 9 boys who left on missions from our ward in the last few years, 4 came home early - and of those 4 who came home early, 3 came home after less than 2 months in the mission. None came home because of physical ailments.

[gkearney]

I am somewhat troubled by the fact that everyone seems to know just why these young people returned early. As if the whole ward is privy to their private medical or psychological history and issues.

[EmmaLee]

No need to be troubled. I don't know about the relationships of other's posting here about missionaries coming home early, but these boys I'm talking about are the same ages as my sons - they are their friends - that is how I know why they came home early, because they told us with their own mouths.

[gardener4life]

If you do think about it, I'd rather have someone think I had a health problem rather than think I was an in sin, an unbeliever, or lazy. I think that's why some want to tell why. And we shouldn't hold it against them because they TRIED and were tried in their faith.

[h_p]

What really hurts is knowing people are assuming that because my son came home early and became disillusioned with the church, it was because he was sinning. That's always the assumption: they're either too weak, never had a testimony to begin with, or are just justifying their sinful behavior.

Not all missions are as wonderful as gardener4life's. Some are pretty toxic, and the numbers-gaming and pressure comes from the mission president. Unfortunately for my son, that's what his was like.