Comments on: The Missionary’s Hand Book (1946) Chapters 1 & 2

By: Steve Evans

Steve Evans — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 04:33:48 +0000

Lyle Stamps?? Can it be???

By: lyle

lyle — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 04:21:06 +0000

I see rule 26 as a practical matter. Many of us doubt, but while you are a missionary the job requires a certain measure of discretion. Wait until your homecoming address as I did.

By: Justin

Justin — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 14:15:30 +0000

In comparing the 1946 handbook’s list of rules with an earlier list, “Notes to be Referred to Daily by Missionaries,” I noticed that the earlier version of rule 26 (“Never say in public or in private that you do not know the Gospel is true”)was a bit longer. It stated: “Start right, by avoiding all evil habits; never say in public or in private that you do not know the Gospel is true” (Ben E. Rich, “Scrapbook of Mormon Literature, Vol. 1,” p. 10).

By: Jared E.

Jared E. — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 05:41:57 +0000

No Devil???!!! Denied :(

By: J. Stapley

J. Stapley — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 04:42:04 +0000

:) I’m not sure when the current prohibition finally hit full swing. I would imagine that it was instated to 1) limit liability and 2) keep hormonal 19 year olds away from scantily clad members of the opposite sex.

By: Jared E.

Jared E. — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 04:20:59 +0000

Jilopa,
Haven’t you heard… It’s because the devil controls the waters!!!

By: Jilopa

Jilopa — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 03:21:12 +0000

Mixed swimming should be avoided.

When and why did swimming become an activity that should avoided altogether?

By: Hellmut

Hellmut — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 01:59:56 +0000

I am afraid that gentlemen are an especially boisterous segment of humanity. Traditionally, gentlemen bet on cards, horses, and anything else. Gentlemen would even frequent prostitutes and appreciate a good raucous.

After all, gentleman had the money to afford these things and their families’ repute obliged them to demonstrate their virility.

The difference between gentlemen and ordinary mortals was that gentlemen had to engage into vice according to a carefully specified code.

Gentlemen are about honor and honor is the commitment to self-destructive behavior, such as going to war for one’s king, in return for social status.

If you don’t believe me, check “gentleman” out at Wikipedia or watch Cyrano de Bergerac once more.

By: Elouise

Elouise — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 22:26:26 +0000

#14–(Mark Butler) Mark, I found Levi Peterson’s account of his mission and of his struggle to stay in the field despite consuming doubts a forthright and deeply moving exploration of this matter. His entire book, A Rascal By Nature, A Christian By Yearning (of which the missionary narrative is only one part) strikes me as extraordinary, a once-in-a-generation publication.

By: Mark Hanzel

Mark Hanzel — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 16:38:21 +0000

From an apostate’s perspective, Rule 26 seems to be about isolating doubt. Imagine that you’re an individual missionary who is questioning the belief system you’ve been sent to propogate. If nobody is allowed to acknowledge doubts and misgivings, you may wonder if you’re the only missionary who feels the way you do. The people who wrote the handbook want to make sure that when you ask yourself if you’re crazy to have doubts, you lean in the direction of “yes.”