Comments on: In Harm’s Way

By: Lewis Brownlow

Lewis Brownlow — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 23:32:23 +0000

Its interesting, Kim comment 1 pointed out that a missionary died in 2000 in england. The Missionary was my younger brother.
I find it interesting hes not in the deserets stats, so whats the real figure?
In my opinion the church does a fantasitic job of moving missionaries away from troubled areas and accidents are accidents. Any return missionary can relate stories where the lord has looked after missionaries.
On health care i have seen first hand missionaries put on a plane and taken direct to saltlake for the best in private care when needed.

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 07:30:13 +0000

Readers might be interested in a recent post at Mormonity (by the reclusive B'nacle apologist-in-residence Jeff L.) entitled Health Care For Missionaries. The post and comments show a surprising degree of variation in the availability and provision of basic health care for missionaries depending on where they serve and who they receive advice or approval from when sick or injured.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 21:04:17 +0000

Historically, the risks that the missionaries of the church took to spread the gospel to people around the world make missionary work today look like a sunset walk on the beach. I served in Watts and Compton, a couple of the most dangerous zip codes in the entire country. My experience with missionaries who got hurt was that it was typically while they were doing something they shouldn’t.

By: gst

gst — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 06:07:13 +0000

I agree with Eric Russell. Missionary safety is important, but quite obviously isn't the Church's highest priority. If it were, I would have worn a football helmet everywhere. Or a bear suit. It would have made proselyting awkward (that is, more awkward).

By: Andermom

Andermom — Mon, 09 Jan 2006 15:49:05 +0000

While there are very real social pressureson these young men to serve missions, no one is forcing them to go. Though there are very real social consequences (like having a hard time getting a girl to marry you) They won’t be excommunicated, or disfellowshipped. I realize also that They are 19-21 year old boys and probably feel like they’re being forced to go, but they aren’t. We can’t accuse the church of risking their lives, we *can* accuse the church of asking them to risk their lives. But blaming the church for everything the missionaries do detracts from the credit the individuals should be getting.

By: ronin

ronin — Mon, 09 Jan 2006 04:09:07 +0000

I live in Michigan, and I am surprised that the Detroit Mission sends Elders to live and work in the worst possible parts of the inner-city areas of Detroit. Places where gangs rule, and are so unsafe, that even the cops dont venture there. I have talked to Elders who have served time in those neighborhoods, and they tell me they feared for their lives every single moment, and wondered why the Church kept sending them there. Now,maybe Heavenly Father is looking after them, but, I am worried for the safety of the Missionaries in inner-city Detroit. Sure no one has been killed or seriously hurt there so far, but, is it wise to essentially be playing chicken with the lives of our young men?

By: Justin

Justin — Sun, 08 Jan 2006 21:07:07 +0000

Re comment #1, Lee Davidson revised his statistic for the number of LDS missionary deaths in response to readers who identified six other recent deaths. He also accounted for the New Zealand car accident this week. But the new list doesn't include the death in England you mention. Davidson explains: "The deaths of the additional missionaries now identified sometimes had not been reported by news media that are available on the Internet or that are explored by major search engines, or stories about them did not include key words used in earlier searches such as 'killed' or 'murder.'"

By: georgeD

georgeD — Sun, 08 Jan 2006 16:13:41 +0000

Regrettable incidents and symbols ineed of our age.

I served a mission over 30 years ago in a Pacific Rim country that was known for typhoons. We rode out one with no incident. In fact, I doubt we even told the Mission President about it until we made our weekly report. (We had to justify less than 60 hours of proselyting). But when Rita came through the Texas Gulf Coast the missionary evacuation was important enough that the General Authorities monitored it.

I would guess that statistically, a young man is safer on a mission than he is anywhere else. We can’t make life perfectly safe. It is contrary to the Plan of Salvation.

By: annegb

annegb — Sun, 08 Jan 2006 15:20:25 +0000

The issue of missionary safety has been completely off my radar, except for the last couple years, I’ve felt a slight tinge of unease when our boys have left for foreign countries.

It makes sense that there is some risk, especially with boys that age. My first husband was only 21 when he died, and he thought he was invincible. I bet he was so surprised when he got in heaven, or the spirit world, I mean.

Not to sound preachy, but I am coming closer all the time to that conclusion that the only real safety is the Lord.

By: Capt Jack

Capt Jack — Sun, 08 Jan 2006 14:42:18 +0000

Porter:

The only missionaries that have been removed from Colombia have been the North-Americans; Latin Americans continue to serve there. Of the 5 missionaries killed by terrorists since 1989 in Latin America, 3 have been natives of the region so I’m hard pressed to see how they are safer than North Americans, but that is apparently how the leadership sees it.