According to The Adelaide Advertiser and The Weekend Courier Mormon missionaries do a lot more than knock on doors, and there is a lot more to their story than you might think.
They serve at their own expense and by their own choice. Over 52,000 of them serve in 430 areas worldwide. They leave home and loved ones, often have to learn a new language, and put life on hold for two years.
As an example, William Hopoate, a nineteen-year old Rugby League player in New South Wales, Australia, will turn down salary offers as big as $1.5 as he leaves for his mission, which he considers a duty to God.
If nothing more were said, you might think, "That has to be hard". Wait until you see what hard really is: once the mission is financed—including paying for those suits and white shirts, bikes and suitcases, food and rent—there are several hard weeks of training. Then there is the ultimate level of hard called "the missionary day".
The missionary day begins at 6:30 AM with prayer, exercise, and two hours of scripture study. That is followed by teaching appointments, training meetings with mission leaders, hours of humanitarian service, and, yes, knocking on doors to ask if they can share their message.
They have one hour for lunch and one hour for dinner. They go back to their flat at 9:30 PM, write in their journals, plan the next day, and turn the lights out at 10:30. Each week, close to one day is allowed for washing clothes, cleaning the house, shopping and writing letters home. They see no TV or movies, hear no radio, and use no internet. There is no time off, no visits home, and no "going out".
Question: Who in their right mind would sign up for such a life? Answer: 52,000 men and women between the ages of nineteen and twenty-six.
Why do they do it? That might surprise you, too.
"I came so that other people can know of the happiness that I have," says Elder Landon Dade from South Africa.
"I want others to be able to use the atonement when they need it," says Sister Jessica Du from China.
Question: Are the missionaries just a little quirky? Answer: "We are just people. When we were at home, we watched movies, went to the gym, and hung out with our friends. Actually, it is amazing how much fun we can have as missionaries." (Elder LH from Melbourne)
Question: What is the message they want to share? Answer: "The missionaries have a message about families in God's eternal plan and about finding happiness." (Jeffrey Simmons, president, Australia Sydney Mission.)
Question: Can missionaries really be happy about all this? Answer: "I saw the gospel of Jesus Christ transform people's lives and bring them lasting peace, hope and joy." (James Parker, served in Finland)
"I have been blessed a hundred fold from what I gave in sacrifice." (John Joseph, served in USA)
"Everything good in my life now is a result of serving a mission." (Daniel Mangelson, served in Brazil)
"I would not trade my mission experience for anything in the world." (Mark Allen, served in France)