Friday and Saturday

[fabrisse]

The Mormon Elders came to lunch. They brought cider, non-alcoholic of course, and talked to me while I finished cooking. They liked the greens, spoonbread, blackeyes, and coleslaw, and I gave them leftovers.

One of them is a convert to LDS who's slightly older (21-ish) than most missionaries. The other one has been in the field a whole month. We discussed religion, but there were digressions. Both of them like science fiction and one was really impressed by my Stargate collection. The younger one's favorite sci-fi is Battlefield Earth. He was appalled when I told him that L. Ron Hubbard had founded Scientology.

Part of me thinks the missions aren't a bad idea. I don't particularly care for proselytizing, even back when I was religious myself, but getting late teenagers away from their families and out into the wide world is not a bad thing.

Then I found out some of their rules. No newspapers. Email is limited to their families and they get only half an hour a week. They get eight hours off a week. They must be home by nine-thirty every night. No movies.

Here's the biggy: They are, for the two years they are in the field, only permitted to read eight books. Four of them are "The Quad" -- the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Wisdom, Doctrines and Covenants, and one more whose name escapes me. The other four all have to do with LDS theology.

My personal favorite: They are not allowed into a single woman's apartment without a third man present.

I told them I like to start the new year as I mean to go on -- sharing good food and talk with people. They then told me about the single woman rule and the younger said, "Cool. We're going to break rules this year." *G*

I plan to give them my email address and give them each a book -- knowing they won't be permitted to read it or contact me for a year or more -- before they get rotated to another part of their missionary region. I welcome suggestions on books from my friend's list. No explicit sex or extreme violence, please -- I want them to read the books.

On Saturday, they invited me to a concert at the Visitor's Center at Disneyland on the Beltway the local temple. The music was marvelous; the performer had been First Violin with the National Symphony before retiring to look after her family.

I found out the younger one is a huge Gershwin fan who wishes they were allowed to listen to music. The older one hugged every missionary he knew, and he knew most in the region. I think he must be starved for touch.

In the car, we talked and I explained that my tutoring in Technology and Art and, last year, in Technology and Ethics was my attempt at getting my students to start applying critical thinking to the world around them. We got into all sorts of conversations off of it -- favorite words, learning styles, etc. -- and one of them asked me why critical thinking was so important to me.

I put it in religious terms, although they know I'm atheist. Critical thinking is the one thing we have which truly separates us from the animals. Our brains developed to allow it and our extended childhood learning enables us to make comparisons and have a foundation before facing the world. As I put it, if you believe we're made in God's image, then this is the faculty which illustrates it.

I hope they enjoyed lunch, their leftovers, and the concert.

Comments

[contradictacat.livejournal.com]

Personally, I'd want to expose them to books that meant a lot to me in those years (and maybe a little bit earlier). So, The Perks of Being A Wallflower (though that would've affected me more in early teens)...they might appreciate Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

Ha, give them Stranger in a Strange Land. It'd be brilliant. Though, if they like sci-fi, giving them Hyperion might not be a bad idea in the slightest.

I'm glad the lunch went well!

[siderea]

Ooooh. I second JLS.

Also, my standard "if you only get to have one book" book recommendation is Watership Down.

Alternatively, for the ultimate literary gateway drug, Silverlock.

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

*sigh* and Silverlock.

If I'd ever been able to get past the second or so chapter of the bunny book, I might go with it. Sounds like it's time to try it again.

[siderea]

Getting past the first 60 to 75 pages is the hard part. It's like the boring climb part of the rollercoaster.

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

*adds Hyperion to ever-growing list.*

Mid-period Heinlein is a good thought. I probably won't hand them JLS just because I think it's one they're more likely either to find on their own or be given by someone else.

[malnpudl.livejournal.com]

You are an awesome emissary for nonbelievers, and for critical thinkers.

\fabrisse/

As for books, the first one I thought of was Chaim Potok's My Name is Asher Lev. I think it might resonate, and at the same time, open their minds a wee bit more.

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

That's a very different direction, but could be a good one. It's been years since I read it.

Thank you for the sweet compliment.

[wadjet-theperv.livejournal.com]

I do like that book.

[moria923.livejournal.com]

My new favorite book, which I somehow didn't get around to reading until a year and a half ago, is "The Left Hand of Darkness". It sort of fits, since it concerns someone who is on a mission, much as they are, and who needs to expand his horizons in order to accomplish it.

[nyren.livejournal.com]

I had the exact same thought.

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

Sounds like I need to read it.

[siderea]

You wicked, wanton temptress, you. Go, team!

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

The image of you with pom-poms is just wrong. *G*

Thank you for getting me on the team, though.

[elfwanderer.livejournal.com]

Told you about the austere lifestyle....

Hmmm...

Dangit. I can't think of any books that are not too subversive.

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

You did, but just how austere really didn't penetrate until talking to them.

If you come up with any, let me know.

[nyren.livejournal.com]

Have I ever told you that you're amazing? This post explains why I believe this, if you need me to cite my sources.

Oddly enough, I spoke with Mormon missionaries recently as well. The people I spent Christmas dinner with invited some from the local LDS church. My friends and I went to play board games after dinner, but the missionaries have a strict list of board games they're not allowed to play. Weirdly, "Munchkin" was not on the list.

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

All right, which board games are forbidden? That's just... words fail.

*hugs you for sweet compliment*

[nyren.livejournal.com]

I'm not exactly sure. I would guess satanistic or violent games, like Arkham Horror or Chess, but dunno.

Though, if DnD wasn't on a forbidden list somewhere, I'd be incredibly surprised.

[pamelina.livejournal.com]

Sounds like fun times! I'd recommend "Outliers" by Gladwell, and "Omnivore's Dilemma" by Pollan.

If LDS salesmen came by my house, I'd invite them in, also.

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

I'll look at both the books.

[wadjet-theperv.livejournal.com]

I'm sure they did. When I was growing up our neighbours converted to LDS and we had the Elders visit quite regularly. It was usually when Mork and Mindy was on TV on a Saturday afternoon! They have very strict rules, I remember and they seemed to enjoy spending time with people who weren't in the community. They could relax a bit I guess. Good for you to keep in touch, they're really very nice genuine guys, I found, and once we'd let them know we weren't interested in LDS, the pressure was off.

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

I bet they loved Mork and Mindy.