LDS members explain their Mo. mission work

MARYVILLE, Mo. -- It's a familiar sight in Maryville -- a familiar sight, in fact, in thousands of towns and cities all across the United States -- two lanky, clean-cut young men in dress slacks, collared shirts and neckties walk down a residential street carrying satchels, occasionally stopping to ring someone's doorbell.

In a blue-jean and T-shirt world, the men stick out like roses in a yard full of dandelions, and as they pass most people just automatically think, "There go the Mormon missionaries."

Mission work has been a major facet of Mormonism, formally the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, since Joseph Smith founded the Latter Day Saint movement in the 1820s.

Today, the church is one of the most active practitioners of mission work worldwide and claims to have more than 80,000 full-time missionaries all over the globe, many of them young, single men -- and women -- in their late teens and early 20s.

Dispatched in single-gender pairs, such "junior" missionaries typically spend two years (men) or 18 months (women) in the field literally going door-to-door and spreading their faith.

Maryville's current LDS mission team consists of Elder Jake Fullmer and Elder Tanner Tippetts. Though Fullmer is 20 and Tippetts only 18, both carry the church's traditional honorific title bestowed on those who work full-time both seeking converts and encouraging their fellow believers.

Tippetts graduated from high school last year in his hometown of Logan, Utah. He's been a missionary for just five months and was assigned to Maryville about two weeks ago. Fullmer, with 15 months' experience, is an old hand, and Maryville is his fourth assignment after stints in Leavenworth, Kansas, and Lee's Summit and Blue Springs, Missouri.

The LDS Church strongly encourages, but does not require, missionary service for young men, all of whom serve as volunteers, typically financing themselves in the field or relying on assistance from family and church members.

Both Fullmer, who grew up in Farmington, Utah, and Tippetts paid up front for the privilege of missionary service, money that is being doled back out to them in the form of $150-a-month stipends. In addition, the church also provides them with a car, telephones, an apartment and insurance, along with educational materials, Bibles and copies of the Book of Mormon to give to potential converts.

'Something better'

"It is definitely a sacrifice," Fullmer said. "You're giving up something good -- two years of your life -- for something better."

By "better" Fullmer said he meant the opportunity to serve a higher power who has blessed his life.

"I know this is where God wants me to be," he said, "and I want to try to repay what he's done for me and obey his commandments."

Tall and bright-eyed with an engaging smile, Fullmer said he is undecided about what he'll do when his mission service ends, except for wanting to go to college, marry and start a family.

Tippetts, who plans on becoming a mining engineer, said he, too, is grateful for the opportunity to serve his God, but admitted that living in strange towns far from home -- he served briefly in Independence before being reassigned to Maryville -- and working 12-hour days spreading the LDS gospel is a challenge.

"It's a huge change for a teenager," he said, "to be away from the world for two years. You're finding yourself and who you want to become, and who your heavenly father wants you to become."

The two missionaries begin a typical day at 6:30 a.m. After eating breakfast and working out, the pair spends the next two hours in study and devotion. Then they put on their neckties, grab their shoulder bags and hit the streets, generally armed with appointments and referrals provided by members of the local LDS church.

After taking an hour for lunch, Tippetts and Fullmer keep knocking on doors until dinner time, usually taking their evening meal as guests of a local church member.

More work follows, and Fullmer said the pair generally gets back to their apartment between 9 and 9:30 p.m., when they spend a half-hour planning the next day's campaign before turning in.

LDS missionary teams are supposed to stay together at all times, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Being alone with someone else -- and especially alone with a woman -- is forbidden.

"Basically you're never alone for the whole two years unless you're in the bathroom," Fullmer said.

In addition to making calls on strangers, missionaries actively participate in the life of the local Latter Day Saints church and perform community service. Fullmer and Tippetts teach a Sunday school class and spend four hours a week volunteering at the Nodaway County Ministry Center food pantry. They also look for opportunities to do various good turns, often for fellow church members. This can include everything from helping someone move to cutting firewood and helping with household chores.

But the heart of missionary life is spreading the gospel, an activity Fullmer admits can produce some interesting exchanges.

"Typically people are at least respectful and nice," he said. "Some just don't answer the door, and maybe one out of 10 or one out of 20 are disrespectful. Quite a few people say they respect what we do, and acknowledge that what we do makes a difference in the community."

However, both young men have experienced what Fullmer called "that spirit of contention."

Tippetts said once in Independence after offering to give someone his card, the person asked if "he could show me his pit bulls."

Then there those who subscribe to other versions of Christianity, and who believe God would have them convert Mormons rather than the other way around.

"Oh yes, that happens," Fullmer said. "But actually we appreciate that, because it shows they care."

Besides, he said, such travails are small stuff compared to touching someone's heart.

"There's always that day when you're knocking on door after door, and people are turning you down left and right," Fullmer said. "Then you get that feeling, 'I'll just knock on one more door,' and you discover that person who is prepared and really needs the gospel in their life. I've seen people cry. A majority of people may not want to listen, but it's still worth it to find those that do."

Information from: Maryville Daily Forum, http://www.maryvilledailyforum.com