The Missionary Handbook of Missionary Conduct details the way Mormon missionaries must conduct themselves while completing their missionary service. I found the handbook to be really interesting, especially because I was not aware of just how strict the measures are. They are not allowed to play competitive games, and if they ever do play games, they need to take precautionary measures like only playing a half court of basketball which is strange to me. They’re also restricted to contacting their family on Preparation Day through email, which can be emotionally difficult for members to follow through with when living abroad.
One critical thing that I did notice is that there is a purpose to every rule within the Missionary Handbook. For instance, the attention to detail within the section titled “Dress and Grooming” is not just because they would like the missionaries to look clean and crisp for the sake of it. While abroad, missionaries must do their best to gather interest in converting others into the Mormon religion, so their presentation really comes into play during these situations, as people will not be attracted or inclined to join a religion where it’s members wear sweatpants, t-shirts, and flip flops when educating them on their religion. Even the fact that there are only allowed to speak to family members a few times during their trip is not to cut off communication with the family for two years, but instead allows missionaries to grow apart from their families, and dedicate that extra time to their religion.
This connects back to our class, as we discussed Mormonism in class, and some of their basic beliefs. The dedication of these missionaries definitely proves how devoted these missionaries are to helping their religion grow, which is interesting to see just how loyal they are to their religion.
While I do recognize that the rules are in place for a specific purpose, I do believe that handbook does go too far sometimes. Under “Dress and Grooming” for example, it states that “sideburns should reach no lower than the middle of the ear” which is a strange regulation to hear. I find it surprising the missionaries are able to support this Code of Conduct by continuing to go on missionary trips, through its strict limitations and regulations.