So I'll be leaving the forum for two years starting May 2nd.

[Zioneer]

So I'm going on an LDS mission for two years starting May 2nd, 2014. It won't be a preaching mission (I'm basically going to be helping people with their family history and acting as a tour guide for LDS Church history), but I still won't have access to internet, so I'll be leaving you all for a while.

[Zioneer]

So I'm going on an LDS mission for two years starting May 2nd, 2014. It won't be a preaching mission (I'm basically going to be helping people with their family history and acting as a tour guide for LDS Church history), but I still won't have access to internet, so I'll be leaving you all for a while.

Aw, what a shame! You're an awesome poster, both on here and on AH.com, but if you want to do this, then do it I guess.

So, Good Luck!

Oh, I'll still be here until May 2nd, don't worry. By the way, who are you on AH.com?

Cool stuff, dude. Have fun & bond with all your religious brethren!

I'll try my best. My brother served a mission to Alaska from 2007-2009, and he said that though it was the best two years of his life, his fellow missionaries sometimes got on his nerves.

Good luck, do keep us informed!

Why does it require no internet access, however? Are you leaving the country? Or is it some kind of rule?

Can't keep you informed, sorry. It's a self-behavioral rule, basically. They don't want anything to distract a missionary away from sharing the LDS Church teachings, or in my case, they don't want any distractions (non-church music, radio, books, etc) to take my attention away from helping folks at the Family History Center here in Salt Lake City.

I would hope someone helping people with family history would have access to the internet at least now and then Anyway; enjoy yourself.

Oh, I'll be able to email family, and occasionally do a Skype chat with them, but the two years as a missionary is fairly rigorous in terms of discipline.

[Zioneer]

Wow, that's why I could never do that. What stupid rules. You should break them, just to tell us the good things you are doing to help people.

It's a different culture, man. I feel like that if you're devoted to your religion, you should be fine with donating 2 years of your time to it.

[Zioneer]

Don't watch The Book of Mormon... before during or after, if you really are going to be a missionary....

Let's just say it pokes way too much fun at the LDS church, Africa, and a bunch of other things.

If you've already seen it, don't believe anything (Not that I've ever been a missionary for anything or anyone ever...)

IIRC Zioneer's already seen it, and even if he hadn't he seems like the kind of person who'd be cool with it.

Actually, I haven't seen it, and beyond rolling my eyes at the people who want to "stick it to the Mormons" by watching it, I have no problem with it. From the few songs I've heard from it, it doesn't seem that malicious, just a bit South Park-y, which is hard to take offense to.

Thank you for the well-wishes, everyone! I'll still be here for a while, but it's nice to feel missed. I'll try and provide as helpful a look at Utah politics as I can while I'm still here.

Now that I'm preparing to go, it's interesting to see the capitalistic culture that's developed in Utah based on missionaries; the local suit store ("Men's Warehouse" and such) gives missionaries a discount because they're guaranteed a large purchase, most Utah-based colleges save you a spot while you go on your mission because they know you'll be back (while other colleges are freaking out about missionaries starting a year younger because they relied on missionaries giving them a years worth of tuition), that sort of thing.

At the same time though, if you can't afford the rent for the mission home (which most missionaries save up for ahead of time), the Church will pay for you (and often for your education after your mission). So it's a rather communitarian or even socialistic system.

As for political updates; sorry. I'll basically be a monk in a suit, which means that I won't know any more than you. I'll tell you about the state Democratic convention before I go though.

[Zioneer]

What country are you going to, Zioneer?

The untamed and wild country of Salt Lake City.

[Zioneer]

There's a LDS church next to my house in Central London where I sometimes go for music practice and there's always hot LDS missionary girls there. Are you telling me they don't have mobile phones or facebook?

Nope, they don't. Or at least they shouldn't. I don't know the rules for female missionaries though, and they could be ward missionaries, which are different from normal preaching missionaries and service missionaries like me (or at least what I'll be doing).

[Zioneer]

Since I am leaving on my mission in two days, I just wanted to let y'all know that it's been fun being here, and I hope that when I come back, the forum will still be around.