Episode 2: Where did you serve?
Episode 2: Where Did You Serve?
The Q.More podcast aims to help navigate and start healthy conversations around tricky-to-ask questions about culture and doctrine in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The podcast interviews great minds about questions that are submitted by subscribers of the podcast. If you have a question you want answered, please send in questions via voice memo to qmore@qnoor.com.
Question discussed on this episode of Q.More-
“What advice would you give to an early return missionary that is struggling?”
-Question submitted by a listener
A lot of people loved their LDS mission. But for others, it's more complicated. For those who didn’t serve, came home early from a mission, or they just didn’t really like it that much, the question of “Where did you serve?” can be a tricky one to answer. This episode of Q.More addresses this difficult subject with an interview with Thomas Wirthlin McConkie. Thomas himself did not go on a mission, and during this episode he talks about the difficulties and blessings he faced because of his choice.
When asked what his advice would be for someone struggling after coming home from a mission, or struggling in general, Thomas said:
“I think for me the lesson was having an absolute respect for how powerful environment is. So if you sense your environment is not healthy for you or supportive, then leaving that environment I would say is ideal.
If you can’t leave the environment, [then] to be very discerning about the people you spend time with, and noticing the impact that they have on your spirit on your soul. If you spend time around people and you walk away feeling devalued, that’s a really strong indicator that there’s something toxic in the relationship going on. And it doesn’t mean that that person is bad or you’re bad, it means something’s going on that you might not want to support.”
Thomas Wirthlin McConkie
To learn more about Thomas and what his organization does, go to Lower Lights. To learn more about Thomas’s work, check out his book, “Navigating Mormon Faith Crisis: A Simple Developmental Map,” and his podcast, Mindfullness+.
The host of this podcast is Rosemary “Rosie” Card, founder of Q.Noor LDS Temple Dresses and Baptism Dresses and the author of “Model Mormon.” Follow Rosie on Instagram, @rosiecard, or Twitter ,@RosemaryCard.
