Mormon missionaries were granted temporary deferments to serve missions. So what. There is nothing any more wrong with that than getting educational deferments.
Then, when they finished with their missions, they were draft-eligible again.
This is, in no way, a lack of integrity.
BTW, young men who go out to serve missions at the age of 19 have to be worthy. They can’t smoke or drink. They have to be morally clean. They devote all their time to preaching the gospel. They can’t socialize or do anything that most 19 years olds are doing. Every 19 year old young man who measures up and serves an honorable mission is, to my way of thinking, a minor miracle.
There’s no way you can turn Mitt’s missionary service into a negative.
[BTW, young men who go out to serve missions at the age of 19 have to be worthy. They can’t smoke or drink. They have to be morally clean. They devote all their time to preaching the gospel. They can’t socialize or do anything that most 19 years olds are doing. Every 19 year old young man who measures up and serves an honorable mission is, to my way of thinking, a minor miracle.]
Thank Beelzebub for the rest of us infidel Gentiles, who weren’t saintly enough to be out proselytizing those heathen French. We can’t hold a candle to God Willard.
For the life of me, I never will understand why the LDS community send 18, 19, and 20-year-old wet-behind-the-ears youngsters out on missions. I have more that a two decade experience with Mormon missionaries (at one time I was considering the church) and found 95 percent of them to be ignorant not only of history, Biblical Scripture, but the BoM as well. They could tell me all of the positives about their faith, but none of the particulars and NEVER were able to adequately answer any of my questions.
As for Mitt, I could care less about what he believes EXCEPT for the fact that he, like Bill Clinton, have shown they don't believe in defending their country in her time of need. And don't give me that "religious deferment" exemption as Cassius Clay AKA Muhammad Ali tried the exact same thing and was turned down to suffer stripping of his heavyweight title and a nearly three-year exile from the ring.
I served with many Mormons in the Navy--5 were in my recruit company back in 1967 in San Diego and one has his name now etched in the Wall of Honor (Vietnam Memorial) in D.C. (He died as a Navy corpsman in trying to aid his Marines). Every one was around the same age of Mitt Romney and I'm sure were in good standing with their bishops and stakes, only they weren't "fortunate sons" and DIDN'T have a father who was governor to get them out of serving when they were needed!