[Godzilla]

I had LDS friends in Farmington NM whose son was on a mission trip, but he was not a missionary. His job was to council missionaries and keep them from leaving LDS.

Returning missionaries are departing the church in droves. Sending younger, even less mature into the fire will just increase that trend. Unfortunately the pressures exerted on them by families/church will cause many to break in many ways.

[Utah Binger]

Salt Lake Tribune: “The number of suicides in Utah has almost doubled over seven years. In 2005, there were 350 suicides in Utah; preliminary state Department of Health data shows 540 suicides in 2012.”

[Colofornian]

Returning missionaries are departing the church in droves. Sending younger, even less mature into the fire will just increase that trend. Unfortunately the pressures exerted on them by families/church will cause many to break in many ways.

Yes, they are; but there's a "dual effect" that goes on...a high % discover some things about Mormonism -- and about themselves -- and slowly jumpstart their eventual exodus out...But there's also a % who are "steeled" by the experience...and, long-term-wise, wind up being both higher givers to the cult as well as a key pool for future leadership fodder.

(And, hey, somebody's gotta clean the Mormon facilities' toilets for free!)

[Elsie]

World War Z