Скачать или смотреть I Declined My Mormon Mission Call - Benson Lawson | Ep. 2062

This week, we’re sitting down with Benson Lawson, who made the bold decision to decline his Mormon mission call. In the LDS community, serving a mission is often seen as non-negotiable—an expectation placed on nearly every young man. For those who choose differently, the backlash can be overwhelming.

Benson is bravely sharing his story with us, opening up about the pressure, the stigma, and why a mission wasn’t the right path for him.

Join us as we explore the reasons why a mission is not right for everyone, and what affect this choice can have on a Mormon man in particular.

Show notes can be found on the Mormon Stories blog here: https://www.mormonstories.org/i-decli...

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:27 Benson’s intention
00:03:07 Growing up in Oregon
00:07:29 Had to follow a lot of rules - became a rule follower
00:14:21 Dating a non-mormon in High School
00:18:44 Parents divorce in High School
00:27:40 Did he worry about his dad’s salvation?
00:29:55 His school experience
00:35:01 Going to Europe with his student band
00:42:17 Began applying for his mission
00:43:12 He was denied a mission
00:49:32 Applying for colleges
01:09:13 Sharing some of his journal entries from the time
01:28:46 Learning about the “skin of darkness” in his Book of Mormon classes
01:42:37 Discussing preferences around mission locations
01:49:18 “Today I decided not to serve my mission
01:58:01 Calling to decline his mission call - got hung up on
02:01:47 Discussing Word of Wisdom - it does not act as a law of health
02:08:41 Speaking with a BYU professor about his questions
02:27:52 Is the church growing or shrinking today?
02:33:05 Lost a lot of respect from his community by not serving a mission
02:38:52 How does he like to spend his Sundays now?
02:52:05 What makes him feel valued now? What inspires him?
02:54:52 Final thoughts
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