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Mormon Missionary Experience Recounted by Journalist

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Being a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) is a positive and challenging experience for the women and men who volunteer.

In an interview with the Research on Religion podcast (supported by the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion), Deseret News associate editor Allison Pond discusses her mission to Russia in the late 1990s.

“The mission experience really does change you in a lot of ways,” Pond told podcast host Anthony Gill. “It’s something where you are really forced to grow up really quickly and take on a lot of responsibility. There’s a big difference between people before they leave and when they come back.”

A typical missionary day begins by waking at 6:30 a.m. for personal study. The day is spent proselytizing by following up on appointments, visiting homes or meeting people in the street or other public places. Missionaries end their day by 10:30 p.m. Many missionaries also learn a foreign language.

Many missionaries return from their service with increased faith in God and a love of their fellow man.

Listen to Pond’s entire conversation with Research on Religion.

Related links

From American Idol to Mormon Missionary — Allison Pond in the Wall Street Journal

Football Star Will Hopoate Gives Up Millions for Missionary Service

Deseret News Highlights Church-Service Missionary Program

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