Young, devout and motivated: Mormon missionaries at Monash

By JORDANA DE VALLE

If you’re a student at Monash University, you’ve probably seen the white shirts and black nametags that identify Mormon missionaries while you’re waiting for the bus at Clayton, or rushing to catch a train at Caulfield.

According to statistics, there are 85,147 missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints volunteering around the world, and about 235 are in Melbourne.

Melbourne Latter-day Saint mission president Cory Maxwell said most of these missionaries were students under the age of 25 who had left their homes, studies and families.

“Prospective missionaries turn in applications to church headquarters and they receive a ‘call’ to a specific mission around the world,” Mr Maxwell said.

“After spending a few weeks in a training centre, they set off to their assigned locations and begin their service for 24 months for boys and 18 months for girls.”

Mormon missionary elder Connor Badger has been volunteering in Melbourne around the Caulfield and Clayton areas for 17 months. Mr Badger is from Utah and left on his mission when he was 19.

Before leaving home, Mr Badger was completing his medicine foundation studies at Weber State University.

“I’d always wanted to go on a mission,” he said.

“I remember when I first got my call and I saw Melbourne, Australia, I was super stoked. I thought sweet, I’m going to Australia.”

As to why a 20-year-old would give up things like parties, movies and social media to dedicate two years of his life to preaching and teaching people about Jesus Christ, Mr Badger said it was because he wanted to help people.

“Coming out here and having this experience really has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life," he said.

“I tell people on the streets, the reason why I do it is obviously because I believe what I’m teaching is true. I don’t get paid to do it; I actually pay to do it. Basically all my life savings are going into this. So it would make no sense if I didn’t believe in the peace and happiness it can bring.”

Mr Badger is now looking forward to his last few months in Melbourne but can’t wait to go home and be a normal student again.

“When I get home I’m glad I won’t have to wear button-up shirts and ties anymore, as soon as I’m home it’s off,” he said.

“I’m also excited to do the normal things like hanging out with friends. I’m excited to see movies as well. I still haven’t seen the third Hobbit and that was one I was really excited for. I saw the second one two months before I left and it was the biggest cliffhanger ever.”

While Mr Badger is getting ready to head home, other students from Monash University are preparing to leave their studies and volunteer for their church.

Monash Peninsula student Bryony O’Riordan is postponing her primary school teaching degree to go on a mission next year.

When Ms O’Riordan told her university friends that she was going to defer her degree, they were respectful and supported her decision.

“At first they thought it was a bit different because they hadn’t heard about missions before,” she said.

“But now they’re excited to see where I might go and they’re all hoping I’ll go overseas somewhere.”

While Ms O’Riordan is sad to leave her studies and her family, she’s also looking forward to joining the tens of thousands of missionaries from her faith.

Contact with family and friends during a mission is limited to weekly emails, letters and occasional phone calls to family at special times like Christmas.

“One of the hardest things will be not seeing my family for 18 months,” she said.

“But I’m excited because I know I’ll learn and grow so much and have amazing experiences and meet amazing people.

“And if I go somewhere I’ve never been, I’ll just take it like it’s an adventure.”

Other Monash students have served their missions in places such as South Africa, Italy and New Zealand.

Monash student Jordan Kannar is studying engineering at Clayton and recently volunteered as a missionary for two years in Paris. While he was on his mission, he  become fluent in French.

Missionaries do not request their area of assignment and do not know beforehand whether they will be required to learn a language.

“After about six months I realised that people stopped asking me to repeat what I was saying and I started to have real conversations with people on the street,” he said.

“Then a year into my mission I was put with another missionary who was French and he spoke no English. So I spoke French all day for six weeks and I would say that was the point where I became fluent.”

Aside from learning another language, Mr Kannar said the best thing about being a missionary is “seeing the joy that comes into someone’s life when they understand who Jesus Christ is”.

With the religious satire musical The Book of Mormon coming to Melbourne in 2017, there’s bound to be a lot more discussion about these young, devout and motivated Mormon missionaries.