Many Mormons will be delighted by the story about Mormon missionaries in Uganda in Friday's New York Times. http://nyti.ms/IzbXXt
It is a fair representation of the LDS system that sends more than 50,000 young people into the world to win converts for the Utah-based church. It profiles a handful of these proselytizers, their responses to the strict rules and their interactions with would-be members. It mentions these young Mormons' idealism, sacrifice and religious motivations – and even mentions the dreaded "Dear John" letter.
The piece, written by Josh Kron, calls these two-year stints, "Study Abroad, Mormon Style."
But some might wonder about a couple of the descriptions.
For example, Kron says that a missionary's first companion (or assigned preaching partner) is "called 'father,' and the second is called 'mother.' " He also says that those who can't complete their missions are "trunking," or "antsy to go home."
Kron isn't the only writer to describe the real-life experience of Mormons in Uganda, the setting for the satirical "Book of Mormon" musical.
In 2010, The Salt Lake Tribune took a look at what the the LDS Church was doing in that country, including its missionary success and humanitarian work.
http://www.sltrib.com/features/ci_14751371
That story never mentions "trunking," or, as Mormons typically say, "being trunky."
Peggy Fletcher Stack
