My mission was hell. But of course I was to act like it was great. Last night I finally went through a box of random papers and threw away or shredded all my church and mission papers. It felt freeing, although there was pain from remembering what it was like being there. My mission president was also a member of a very significant LDS family. I think that made some things even more intense. But I just wanted to share that celebration with people who would get it :)

You did good....

that consumed so much energy and effort preparing. It was very satisfying to see the pages engulfed in flames.

:) :) :) (that's me celebrating with you!)

Like I suppose most people I threw away lots of my stuff as well. I did keep my name badge and white handbook though. That said, I kind of wish I'd also kept the three volumes I had of the teachings of Joseph Fielding Smith as they are just so hilarious - the sun is a celestial word where Jesus lives etc.

Last year when helping to de-clutter my mother-in-law's house I found some tatty investigator BoMs, that had never been given away, I put them for recycling with a ton of her old Ensigns. Giving the treatment this kind of rubbish deserves feels nice, but I had to be careful that my sister-in-law didn't see.

I still have my missionary journal. In reading it, I find I never put anything substantial down in it. It's all boring as he!!. I have tried to find some old companions. Found one and he is way over the top fringe conspiracy theorist, uber Mormon.

I told him I had resigned and he tried to re-recruit me. That kind of blew up in his face. He still sends me crap. I mostly just smile and delete it, however I sometimes do take a peek just to see how crazy the radicals have become and what they are doing now. Usually gives me a good chuckle. Life is so fun and interesting if you just chill and don't take it too seriously.

The mission was such a chaotic, emotionally charged time for me that I came home and re-wrote my mission journal. I literally started from day one in the MTC and wrote everything I could remember, pages and pages of it, from my whole mission, without actually looking at my mission journal. It took weeks but it gave me clarity and closure. I was able to make sense of my mission experience after that. Of course, I'm a writer by profession so that may not work for everyone.

I admire you getting rid of the mission stuff. I really just want the stuff I bought in Spain and the photos. I need to get rid of the reports and other rubbish too. Good job.

Therapeutic and great you realized a need to get rid of the mission memorabilia. It's probably put you on a higher level of analyzing what you committed to. Also, vomit inducing at the same time.

atleast you went on a mission and wasn't treated like a son of perdition for the rest of your life sometimes I really wish I just would have went and faked it but I'm not sure maybe I made the right choice.

I went to an interesting country. I enjoyed touring my mission. The work sucked but I never really cared that much about getting baptisms over seeing new things as a tourist. I'm glad that i was unsuccessful at converting the people.

Spain.

I recently threw away most of my mission stuff as well. I read through my journal and it was half BS and half funny stories. I remember writing in my journal and thinking "I need to make this sound super-spiritual so when my kid's read it...". So, there's a lot of made up fluff about how much I loved the work, how the spirit was sooo strong, etc... There's a page towards the end that's written in my mission language. I wrote about how bad the mission sucked and that it was "without a doubt, the worst two years of my life". I threw the journal away 'cause I didn't want anyone reading the fluff parts and trying to convince me that I once had a burning testimony and KNEW...

Good for you.

As for me, I'll always keep my journal, photos, and few other things. It was part of my life story.

The discussions are pretty interesting to look back at. The pictures showing JS translating the the B of M, the word for word teaching "The Church of Jesus Christ of LDS is the only true and living church on the face of the earth today". American Indians are the other sheep that jesus mentioned, I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold, they too shall hear my voice. The Law of Eternal Progression - including pictures of us becoming exalted beings and ruling our own solar systems.

This stuff is too good to throw away -it documents the lies and hypocrisy.

....including your Mission Pres and APs ????


OBTW, the spam prevention submission code for this post as provided by RFM in this instance was "4FUCK", totally serious

I served mine 20 years ago but went through my papers a few days at my parents. I'm actually keeping mine because I'm kind of amused by it and would like to keep a record of the insanity of Mormon missions to share with other people.

That said, it doesn't bring back the greatest feelings when I go through it. I'm mostly embarrassed thinking of trying to sell this crap to other people and what a waste of time it was.