Are Mormon Missionaries TRAFFICKED?

Missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serving outside of their home country are reportedly required to give up possession of their passport to the Mission Office. If this is the case, some are saying this is a red flag for the concept that these Missionaries face similar circumstances to those who are victims of human trafficking. Let me know what you think!

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Human Trafficking Red Flags

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The Media in this video (including the thumbnail) is used in a transformative way, for the purpose of review and critique. The images in the thumbnail are used as the primary means of visually identifying the subject matter of the video.

#LDS #Missionaries #Mormon

[shabunbun]

Had mine taken away in 04. I was told it was "for my safety" because of break ins into missionary apparements. Which was true where I was because we were in dangerous areas. But then, it begs the question, what is the church doing sending kids into dangerous areas in the first place?

[stickyshadow]

Mine was taken from me, and everyone that I knew that served in my mission, as well as other missions, had theirs taken away too. We were told it was 'safe keeping', but missionaries that wanted to go home, were pressured to stay, saying that we'd be a disappointment, and not given back our passports when we asked for them. A few of them had to go to the consulate to get new passports to leave, while others gave into the pressure and shame of leaving early. I gave into pressure and stayed. A mission was one of the worst decisions of my life.

[nathanpeterson]

My passport was taken and kept in the mission office. While I was there, one of the office Elder’s (serving as mission secretary) took his passport and left the mission on his own. This was a big scandal, and there were rumors that he did not return home for fear his parents would try to send him back. So yes, in practice our movement was restricted by this policy.

[tquist]

During my mission in Germany in the early 1980's, we kept our passports with us. I'm not sure if this is still the case, but each time we were transferred to a new city, we had to register with the government our location, and do do this, a passport was required. Taking passports from missionaries seems like a bad idea. That said, I can see the explanation being that by the mission holding on to passports, there is a lower chance of them being lost. But if you trust missionaries to represent your organization, you should also trust them to keep their own passports.

[garikj]

Went to Russia, Novosibirsk-Siberia at around 2000. Passport was never taken. Only time it was taken was for 10 min getting a copy at the Mission Office.
I dont think mission could ever let anyone be without a passport in Russia, you'd quickly get detained or accused of being a political spy.

[afterdroid]

International mission--Mine was taken--and replaced with a white missionary card we had to keep on our person at all times. Other methods of imprisonment: Could not leave my area: must be able to always see and hear companion; must sleep in same room as companion; Restricted movement--only walking and bus. Not to mention only calling home twice a year (this was before internet and cell phones) and having our money controlled by the church---waiting for it to show up in an account once a month--sometimes delayed.

[CallMePreet]

Mine was also taken at the beginning of my mission in Venezuela and returned to me at the airport before my flight to return home, two years later. I was told by the assistants to the mission President that my passport was always in the mail getting a new visa stamp every 6 months. We carried around color copies of the ID page of the passport in the front pocket of our white dress shirts. We were often stopped by Venezuelan police and Venezuelan National Guard asking for our ID. When we handed them the paper copies of our passports it did not go well. Lots of rifle barrels in my chest and I spent time in Venezuelan jails for this. At the time I thought my suffering was like Ammon, the sons of Mosiah, Abinadi, etc. Talk about self-aggrandizement. Imagine my disappointment finding out that it is all made up. ☹️

[reneenolan]

Even as Senior Missionaries our passports were taken.

[kenny-gee]

Yes mine was taken and held at the mission home . But as a 19 year old I had no clue this was illegal

[chrisbritton]

I served in Ecuador at a very bad time. My passport was kept at the mission home so that I would be safe to retrieve it to go home. The mission home does not keep passports to enslave missionaries. At any time, I could’ve decided to go home, get my passport, and leave. The premise of this is ridiculous.

[hamongog]

Forfeited mine upon arrival, Nagoya, Japan 1985-86. No advanced warning, not put to me as a suggestion, just taken. Missionaries are adults but their families (parents) entrust the mission to care for their children as they "labor." The thought of walking away from my mission and traveling never crossed my mind but it did the brother of an old girlfriend of mine. He went AWOL and barely kept in touch with his parents. Always wondered what came of him. He also served somewhere in Japan.

[newtvanzanderfroggen]

Japan, 1979-81. My passport was taken, and I didn’t see it again till I left for home two years later. When you combine that with the church’s systematic withholding of material facts in all the indoctrination inflicted on me since birth, and the guilt and fear tactics used to keep me there, trafficking is exactly what my “mission” experience was.

[mitchrichardson]

I love this! Mine was taken. And that was why..so we didn't go wandering off.

[vocalysemusicworks]

Passport taken. They had me copy my passport, and I carried that as a form of ID. At times, Missionaries were stopped and copies were not accepted, which meant incarceration while they sorted it all out with the consulate.

[deeperthings]

I served in France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. I served in all three countries. In some areas, like Roubaix, Belgium (a suburb of Lille, France) border crossings could happen daily. I don't think they could retain our passports and have us be effective. I always had my passport and a card identifying me as a missionary on me.

[JohnBooker]

Once the brethren have decided on an issue the thinking has been done.

[kiremaster]

Mine was "taken" about half way though my mission. I was in the mission office and placed all the mission passports in the office safe. Created a tracking system for when they were removed for visa processing. We had a number of passport thefts that would then lead to delays in these visa renewals. Mine was almost stolen by a pickpocket. Of course I had no idea I was being trafficked. Then again, I would have given people their passports if they ever asked. Just sign it out. No one asked. That's an effective trafficking system!

[vegadog]

I served stateside in New Jersey. What I think, this is a wrong and illegal practice.

[daverichards]

Mine was never taken. And all of the missionaries I have met even overseas have kept theirs. Because in most countries you need that passport on you in case you were stopped by police of federal officials. To renew your ID card you needed a passport, as least in my mission. And if a missionary wanted to go home all he or she would have to do is go to the US Embassy of Embassy of their home country and get a temporary one and just gone home. We had one missionary who split with his companion. packed his bags, his parents had a ticket waiting for him at the airport and by that night was on a plane back to the USA.

[geoffreydowdle]

Yeah, mine was taken but I still think it's because of how many were lost/stolen before they implemented the policy. Some missions may use it to leverage pressure on those that would like to more readily return but when I was concerned if the office actually had mine, I asked to see it one of times we visited. The secretary just said sure and unlocked a fire safe and handed it to me, no questions asked. He didn't even stick around to babysit me. He just said to come and get one of them when I was done with it.